Reviews (21)

A Martial Arts must-see
Jeff Speakman displays awesome speed in his fight scenes, indicative of the lightning-fast techniques used in Kenpo Karate. A tribute to this amazing and effective martial art as much as it is an action flick, Jeff's precise and powerful moves far outshine his acting abilities. The language used in this movie makes it (in my opinion) unsuitable for young children, but the action is stellar! The villains in this movie are a who's-who of recent martial arts movies, including actors who will be recognized from Mortal Kombat, Goldfinger, and Bloodsport II. Tanaka (Oddjob from Goldfinger) again plays an indestructable man-tank who smiles while shrugging off blows that would cripple any normal movie character. His martial techniques are more developed than in Goldfinger, but he is still portrayed as a lumbering monster. Tanaka is a highly-ranked practitioner of Judo in real life, and should be cast in roles which alow him to display his technique, rather than simply being a massive behemoth. Martial-arts megastar Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa (I might be misspellng this), who most recently played Shang Tsung in Mortal Kombat, plays a minor role as a Korean thug who has a few good lines but was underused as a martial artist. If you are a fan of martial arts movies, this is definitely on your to-see list!

The True Spirit of Martial arts & Kenpo Karate(especially)
After a long time here was a martial arts movie that was not with the same kick punch and kick plot but one that displayed real practical fight scenes with regard to the use of martial arts on the street.

There is no doubt that Jeff Speakman is a complete martial artist and a good actor who really knew how to express fight sequences in a manner that would catch the attention of the audience.

His moves are fluid Continuous and powerful and he has done great justice to the spirit of the late dynamic founder of Kenpo Karate Grandmaster Ed Parker.

I wish Jeff Speakman all the best and pray that he continues making such movies to show the world what is a real down to earth Martial art(In other words Kenpo karate)

Thank You

V.Ram Kumar 2nd gup Red Stripe Belt Tae kwon do(Korean Karate) Chennai,India.

Excellent Martial Arts Film/Good Intro to Kenpo
I studied Kenpo Karate as a kid and enjoyed this movie when it came out in the theatre years ago. I recently watched it again after so many years and enjoyed the fight sequences and the way that they introduced kenpo karate to the viewers. Recognizing some of the self defense techniques and kata from the movie made it authentic and different from other movies in this genre.

Great action!
This is Jeff Speakman's best movie and it stands up there with other great Martial Arts movies. Speakman's kenpo is very realistic in this movie. An action fan could not ask for more than this movie delivers! But why is this great movie not on DVD yet?!?

Great movie ! no dvd :(
I love this movie!!!! I am very sad to see that to it has not been Released on DVD. Well the movie is definetly worth buying even on VHS. It continues to be one movie that I can say is a favorit, and for me that is a rare occasion. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

A Great Movie Adapted from a Great Book!!
I have been a Misty fan since my childhood and love all of Marguerite Henry's books. This is a great family film. This film is filled with timeless family values. A wonderful film for all ages. Filmed on location in Chincoteague and Assateague the scenery is beautiful. We hope to witness Pony Penning Day first hand next year and see the recently unveiled Misty statue on Chincoteague.

Paul and Maureen fall in love with The Phantom the first time they see her on Assateague Island. Their deceased father also loved The Phantom and the two children set their hearts on buying her after the pony roundup. The do all kinds of small jobs to raise [money] needed to purchase her.
When the roundup occurs it is discovered that The Phantom has a young foal which is quickly called Misty and the two decide they want to buy them both. I can't tell you any more without revealing the entire story so you will just have to watch the rest yourself to find out what happens. You will not be disappointed.

Play 'Misty' For Me
I loved this movie when I was a little girl, not so many years ago, but then, I was absolutely horse crazy at the time. I never quite understood, and I don't think I ever will, why the book and the film were both titled 'Misty' when the story is really all about her mother, The Phantom.

It was nice to see all the characters from the book brought to life, although I do agree with the reviewer who thought Grandpa was miscast; he seemed too young and looked more like the illustration for Tom, the raffleman instead. The one change I really enjoyed was that they made Maureen much more tomboyish and willing to stick up for herself; Wesley Dennis always drew her as this fragile-looking waif in a fluffy dress and the pigtailed flannel and denim clad girl we get seems much better suited to farm life. Slightly off-putting is the grandparent's backward thinking, which will seem outdated to modern audiences. At one point Grandma scolds the kids for not doing their chores and playing with the foals instead and I wanted to shake the woman. They've lost both their parents and you're mad they're outside playing? You should be glad they've found something to help them cope.

Still, this movie is about the horses and not the people and we get scads of great shots of herds galloping free along the beaches, racing other ponies with real kids clinging to their backs, and foals capering adorably. They found a very sweet and clever yearling to play Misty- at times she seems more like an adoring puppy than anything- and a fantastic looking pinto who plays the Pied Piper to wild-eyed perfection. They even found a pony with mismatched eyes to play Watch-Eye, which is a great little detail for those who loved the book.

Considering how old the film is, the quality of the tape is surprisingly good, there were only one or two times where a blip or a jump showed up on the TV and that might even just be the copy I have. This is a kiddie film, so don't expect the greatest, but if you're horse crazy, in the mood for some nostalgia or just need something to share with a younger audience that you won't find too mind-numbing, Misty fits the warm fuzzy bill.

Very Close To The Book
This movie was made in 1961, just four years after my family moved from Chincoteague. Many of the great town folk of Chincoteague are in the movie, including the barber that used to cut my hair when I was four, and gave me a penny for not crying.
I've seen the DVD version recently, almost 50 years since my last Pony Penning Day. It brought back so many memories of my childhood, and my favorite book at the time. It has a great message for children - set goals, work hard, and you will achieve - it also shows the love man has for God's great creatures. A great movie for kid's who love horses!!

MISTY
What a Lovely Film, we rented this for Christmas for my 11 year old daughter and we all enjoyed the movie. Very good filming and a very cute movie.

Mostly Faithful to the Book
Shot on location on Chincoteague and Assateague Island, this movie wisely sticks to the original souce material. Misty fans of all ages will want to see this movie so they can see the places mentioned in the book and watch a real Pony Penning Day roundup.

Both the book and movie characters were based on real people (and ponies). Misty was an equine celebrity with children all over America. After a storm nearly destroyed Chincoteague, the real Misty often appeared in theaters where this film was shown to raise money to rebuild the island.

Arthur O'Connell as Grandpa Beebe was a disappointment. He doesn't speak in the warm, grizzled ways like the character in the book and he doesn't even have a Southern accent.

The film was shot in CinamaScope and the video is formatted in pan-and-scan. There are many instances during the film where the cropped picture looks distorted because of this. If you really want to enjoy the beauty of this film, hold out for a widescreen version on DVD. It would be nice if future editions of this film also had a documentary about the real Misty and her life. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Based upon T.H. White's beloved novel, this Disney-fied version chronicles the tutoring of the Once and Future King, Arthur, as handled by the magician Merlin. Sword was a portent of things to come, with slapstick upbraiding storytelling, and cultural in-jokes substituting for wonder. But there's much to enjoy here as Merlin shows Newt, the young Arthur, things that will help him become the ruler of the Britons. The transformation sequences, where the boy is turned into a fish, a bird, and a squirrel are vintage Disney. The oft-repeated scene of Merlin battling it out with the mean old Madame Mim still is worth a few chuckles, but it belies the problem with most of the film--the scenes are only there for the chuckles. References by Merlin to television and other items of modern life also mar the generally innocuous landscape. Children will like it, but they won't cherish it. --Keith Simanton ... Read more

Reviews (50)

3 stars for format...
4 stars for the movie, 3 for the DVD.

Love the movie. Remember it from my youth. Highly recommended for young aspiring kings and princes. It's a laughter-filled romp, and Disney at his best for great storytelling, and great character development.

However, this DVD gets only three stars from me because it is in Full Screen format, when the original was widescreen. As usual in these cases, in the tiny print at the bottom of the box, the dreaded words for any 16:9 TV owner:

"This presentation has been modified from the original. It has been formatted to fit your TV screen".

You'd think by now, the studios would get a clue, ESPECIALLY Disney, and release either the original with letterbox, or put both on the disc like so many do... Does anyone here like "Pan and Scan"?

My complaint ends there. It is otherwise a wonderful film to share with your kids... I enjoyed watching it again after so many years, this time with my four-year-old son. We laughed and marvelled together over the antics and magic of the Wizard Merlin, and the adventures of young "Wart". He was ready to see it again as soon as it ended.

Another must-have Disney classic!
I remember the first time I saw this movie. I've always loved Arthurian legends, and in its usual style, Disney puts aside many historical facts in favor of a more entertaining movie, fun for the whole family. Sword in the Stone ranks up in the top 3 of my favorite Disney movies of all time. The characters are well done, Merlin is hilarious, and the artwork and colors are beautiful, making this movie great scenery for the younger kids, and great, enriching fun for the older ones.

A Classic Disney Film that is sometimes overlooked.
This may not be as iconic as some of the other films that the Walt Disney company has made, but it is definately a classic. This gives us a more lighter whimsical look on Camelot. The voice talents are great. The animation is in the classic 60s style that Disney was into at the time. The whole movie is fun. See it, it is not a masterpiece landmark of an animated film but very very good indeed.

My #2 Favorite Disney Movie!
This is my #2 favorite Disney Movie.Sleeping Beauty is My #1 favorite,but just because it is my second favorite does not mean it is not a good movie,because this movie is absolutely great Especially Merlin.He steal's the show with his hilarious Magic spells and his extream intelligence.Merlin's wise talking pet owl Archimedes (who is voiced by the same person as rabbit on winnie the pooh) also is very funny who helps Wart (Future king Arthur) during movie,especially when Merlin turns him into a fish .This is a very good movie your whole family will enjoy.

Disney's 18th Animated Masterpiece!
This 60's Disney film was the last one that Walt Disney cooperated in all the way throughout it's making and theatrical release, he died in the middle of the making of The Jungle Book. The film is really great, and highly entertaining, although not a film I would personally watch over and over. This is the story of Merlin, a kind but a bit grumpy enchanter, on a quest to teach young Arthur that intelligence and strategy are more powerful than brutal strenght, and to teach him about science and math and how to read and write so that someday he'll become the greatest king in England.

The DVD is pretty decent, although the bonus features don't really relate to the film, I have to say that they are just enough to make this DVD acceptable. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The world of finance bewilders many adults, so it's not surprising that kids often find it incomprehensible. Money Rock tackles subjects like budgeting, taxes, interest, and the stock market with simple definitions, fun animation, and lots of catchy music. The country-inspired "Dollars and Sense" explores the concept of interest with respect to saving and borrowing, "$7.50 Once a Week" teaches money management, and the bluesy "Where the Money Goes" covers living expenses and how to control them. A vaudeville act featuring "Tax Man Max" looks at government spending, then "Walkin' on Wall Street" takes a jazzy glimpse of the stock market. The historical development of bartering and its modern applications supply the thematic material of "This for That," a hungry dinosaur in "Tyrannosaurus Debt" personifies our national debt, and the complicated process initiated by the simple writing of a check is broken down in "The Check's in the Mail." If all this sounds potentially dry, even mind-numbing, recall how the potentially dull subject of grammar sprang to life with similar treatment in Grammar Rock. Rest assured that this 1998 addition to the multi-Emmy Award winning Schoolhouse Rock! series is both informative and exciting. --Tami Horiuchi ... Read more

Reviews (5)

COOL- pair it with SCRIPTURE ROCK
Very cool.
Kids need to know about good money management skills, and how better than with awesome fun songs.
This and the SCRIPTURE ROCK together give a balanced view of what kids need today.

Money Rock: great discussion-starter & provocative
I was totally overwhelmed by the prospect of explaining to my 6-year-old what money was and why I couldn't just 'get it from the machine.'

This video was great: it's fun for adults as well as kids, and makes it possible to segue into discussions about allowances, presidents, history, and budgeting. Even Wall Street gets a mention. The music is unexpectedly good. Paired with the game 'Moneywise Kids' and 'Monopoly Junior', it's a great part of a little 'home curriculum' on finance, even if you're just on addition and subtraction.

Can't recommend it more highly as a place to start.

Want to know how the National Bank works?
How about DOLLAR COST AVERAGING? Interest? The National Debt? You have to buy this. Economics courses in college were never this interesting.

It's classic. Absolutely generation spanning.
Follow along: I'm just a bill, yes I'm only a bill, and I'm ... You filled in the words automatically, didn't you?

My daughter was 4 when we were in Washington DC. It was July and I was 5 months pregnant. The 4 year old recognized Capitol Hill, and demanded we go looking for that darn bill.

Buy them all.

National Debt? The check's in the mail
I don't remember these from when I was a kid, but I'm sorry I missed them. From Tyrannasaurus Debt which talks about how how the national debt got started to pay for the Revolutionary War to how it grew to monsterous size, to how to manage your allowance, buy stocks, plan a budget, and mangage your checking account, this video chock full of advice and information that even helped this 28 year old. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The Salem witch hunts are given a new and nasty perspective when a vengeful teenage girl uses superstition and repression to her advantage, creating a killing machine that becomes a force unto itself. Pulsating with seductive energy, this provocative drama is as visually arresting as it is intellectually engrossing. Arthur Miller based his classic 1953 play on the actual Salem witch trials of 1692, creating what has since become a durable fixture of school drama courses. It may look like a historical drama, but Miller also meant the work as a parable for the misery created by the McCarthy anti-Communist hearings of the 1950s. This searing version of his drama delves into matters of conscience with concise accuracy and emotional honesty. Three passionate cheers for Miller, director Nicholas Hytner, and costars Daniel Day-Lewis and Winona Ryder. --Rochelle O'Gorman ... Read more

Reviews (77)

It's About Time
You'd be hard pressed to find a story more compelling than the one that inspired Arthur Miller's 1953 drama The Crucible. Except the one about how it became a movie. It's taken all these years to bring a full version to the screen, and the only thing that explains it is Hollywood's perpetual cluelessness. The Salem witch trials of 1692 destroyed nineteen lives and countless reputations. Hoodwinked by a bunch of flighty teenage girls who wished to escape a whipping for their frolics in the woods, the town brought in the colony magistrates to sort out the devils from the angels.

Miller, who also wrote the screenplay, expresses his blatant contempt for hypocrisy in all forms through the character of John Proctor (Daniel Day-Lewis), a humble but once-adulterous farmer. Proctor's sexual escapades with the town's main accuser Abigail Williams (Winona Ryder) could, through the girl's treachery, end in his wife's hanging. He can either save himself with a lie or free Elizabeth (Joan Allen) with the truth about himself and Abigail.

It's potent stuff any way you slice it, and the actors here aren't afraid to take big bites of their meaty roles. The film's pacing is fast and furious, hysterical like the history of the event it interprets. If it lacks the McCarthyist subtext it once had, so what. This here's a tragedy--a good old American one.

The movie's inevitable ending won't satisfy those who want only fluff and feathers at the cinema, but the hard lesson won by those who refuse to compromise their principles can't be denied. The Crucible is a faithful testament to their sacrifice.

Great Adaptation of an American Masterpiece
Since Miller helped write the screenplay and one of his sons produced or coproduced the movie, it shouldn't be a shock that the movie is so faithful to the original text where it needs to be and broadens the story where it needs to, as well. Miller knows how to write for the stage, and he apparently knows how to write for the screen, also. After seeing so many "classic" books and/or plays butchered by Hollywood, this movie is a real delight, despite its morbid and all-too-realistic story. This movie has become an essential to my Grade 11 American Literature classes, spectacularly complementing their reading of Miller's play and several pieces from the Salem Witch Trial era.

Ignoring the play's historic flaws and inaccuracies (that's another debate for another time), Miller brilliantly captured the essence of the Salem Witch Trials in his play and has conveyed them to the screen. Hatred, fear, jealousy, hypocrisy, religious mania, attention-seeking, conviction, strength, determination, repentance, and a host of other emotions and character traits are vividly brought to life by a superb cast: Daniel Day-Lewis is a great John Proctor (nobody else could have done better), Winona Ryder is very good as the conniving and bitter Abigail Williams, Joan Allen was nominated for an Oscar for her portrayal of Elizabeth Proctor, and Paul Scofield should have won an Oscar for his cold-hearted portrayal of Justice Danforth. The conflict between Proctor and Danforth is what sustains the play's momentum for the second and third acts (about the last hour and fifteen minutes of the movie), and Lewis and Scofield bring that epic conflict to life: the classic good v. evil, with the sides getting somewhat mixed up as to who is who. . . . Lewis plays the flawed hero to Scofield's self-righteous and vindictive villain with palpable energy. How Scofield's performance was overlooked by the Academy is just another example of their oblivion. He gives me the willies with his methodical, calculating delivery of Miller's chilling dialogue: "Who weeps for these weeps for corruption" (among a bunch of great lines from the play/movie).

This isn't simply a play enacted in front of movie cameras (like Death of a Salesman). The director uses his camera very effectively, capturing some great close-up moments, unique perspectives and camera angles, and bringing a sense of "bigness" to the whole story. The play can seem very isolated, with its sparse sets and black-and-white costumes. Miller also expands the movie to begin well before the play does (giving the movie-goer information that he must have assumed the play-reader would already have) and extending it beyond the conviction of Proctor to include his execution, along with that of Rebecca Nurse and Martha Corey. Just as a side note, each of those three was hanged in a separate group in the original trials--great symbolism from Miller, including each larger original group of victims in the final trio. Also great symbolism in Proctor's Christ-like physical placement in the middle of the two "sinners," as he takes their sins upon him--the crucifixion is represented very effectively.

Bottom line: You won't see a better adaptation of a play to movie anytime soon. Nothing essential is left out, and some nice details are brought in to give the movie a distinction from its original source, the play. If you can make it through this play and not be outraged by the injustice and hypocrisy, then you have a heart as cold as Danforth's. What Miller would likely want you to do is apply that outrage to similar situations that go on every day, just as he intended with his original play (the McCarthy hearings, the "Red" Scare). At least watch the movie, though.

"Your justice would freeze beer."
Although the playwright Arthur Miller was also the screenwriter for this production starring Winona Ryder and Daniel Day-Lewis, the film bears little resemblance to the play in tone and impact. Director Nicholas Hytner has abandoned the intimate, almost claustrophobic atmosphere of the dark, interior scenes in the play, in favor of an expansive setting, with many scenes set outside, including panoramic shots of Salem in 1692, full of costumed "citizens." The expanded setting makes the psychology and motivation of the witchcraft hysteria more difficult to determine, since the intensity of the settlers' repressed, interior lives is not obvious. The explanatory notes which Miller incorporates into the play about land disputes, religious controversies, and personal animosities, which led to specific individuals being accused and arrested for witchcraft, are seen only peripherally.

As a result, we see Winona Ryder, as Abigail Williams, and her coterie of bewitched girls, screaming hysterically and accusing innocent women of witchcraft without the background which would make these accusations plausible. Her previous relationship with John Proctor (Daniel Day-Lewis), in the absence of other motivations, seems to be the primary reason for her behavior, but this thwarted love does not explain the extent of her rage and, especially, the involvement of the other girls. Day-Lewis is reduced to the role of victim, and one of the hallmarks of his acting, his subtlety, is absent here, except in a wonderful final scene with his wife, played by Joan Allen. Details of the scenery also ring false--houses in this period were very small because of the difficulty of heating, one third the size they are here, and the church/meeting houses were modest in accordance with religious restrictions against unnecessary display.

This is a Hollywood version of the witchcraft trials, capitalizing on the sensational at the expense of the complex and subtle forces behind the accusations of witchcraft--the Indian wars which were just ending, the growing independence of individuals, the increasing resentment of hard-line theocratic rule, the abolition of traditional property laws, and most importantly, the lack of any societal role whatsoever for young women, who were not old enough to assume a woman's role and who, bored and left out of decision-making, were on their own in dealing with their adult feelings. The film is beautiful, and the acting, though one-dimensional, is as effective as it can be in the absence of fully-developed motivation for the girls' hysteria. The "witches" are reduced to cartoons here, and Miller's parallels between these trials and the McCarthy hearings of the 1950s, which give the play a modern context, are missing. Mary Whipple

A Superbly Directed and Acted Film
It is rare nowadays that I come out of a movie feeling moved and enlightened. Suffice it to say that when I first saw The Crucible in the theatre several years ago, I left the movie understanding a bit more about human nature and a greater appreciation for the power of group hysteria. This film draws on the fine acting talents of Daniel Day-Lewis, Winona Ryder (in her best role ever), and Joan Allen. Not only is the dialogue brilliant, but the emotional content is incredibly affecting. I am so glad to see it finally on DVD. In this day and age of disposable art, it is heartening to see that movies of this caliber are still being made (even if it is with less frequency).

A great film
I have seen this movie perhaps a dozen times, and never tire of it. It is one of the most compelling, well-written movies I can think of, and the acting is superb throughout, particularly from Day-Lewis, who gives a heart-stopping performance. Because of its theme about witches, the movie gets played a lot around Halloween, but it is by no means a horror movie. It's not even a thriller, really, yet it does manage to thrill and keep the viewer totally involved. I love this movie and can't wait for the DVD. ... Read more

Amazon.com

If you were a kid in the early 1960s, then you saw The Parent Trap with Hayley Mills--it's as simple as that. Now Disney has pulled the beloved comedy--about a pair of twins who meet for the first time at summer camp and vow to reunite their long-divorced parents--out of the mothballs and remade it with a decidedly '90s feel. This time, the twins act is performed by newcomer Lindsay Lohan, who plays both Hallie and Annie, who each live with one of their parents (Dennis Quaid and Natasha Richardson). Adversaries when they first meet at camp, Hallie and Annie become, well, sisters when they figure out that they are siblings. The comedy springs from their efforts to sabotage Dad's impending marriage to the gold-digging Elaine Hendrix, while reintroducing Dad to Mom. Quaid has a nice, loosey-goosey way with slapstick, as does Richardson, who plays a very funny drunk scene. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (291)

subtle and hilarious
The parent trap is a great movie for several reasons : just like the original movie the main caracter is played excellently by Lindsay Lohan. The other actors are of equally high standard, specially Elaine Hendrix as the bride to be and Lisa Ann Walters as the "butler" of the father. Lisa Ann Walters outclasses her predecessor in the 1961 movie. Director Nancy Meyers has a keen eye for detail which shows in scenes with some great nonverbal communication, for instance the conversation in the garden between Elaine Hendrix and Lindsay Lohan. Dennis Quaid is very convincing as a father with his legendary broad smile. Another aspect is the way some "adult" items like divorce and seperation are dealt with and yet arevery acceptable for kids. Very moving moments, like the moment Annie reveals her true identity to Chessie (Walters) are pared with hilarious reactions where Chessie shows her affection by offering in the midst of tears to cook something special, while at the same time not degrading the emotional content of that moment. The same goes for Hallie in London. The music is very functional and thanks to DVD a treat to listen to. Visuals are wonderful too. Elaime Hendrix has had the opportunity to play a much more sophisticated opponent making the movie more fun to watch. All in all a must see family novie !

Terrific Family Film
The parent trap is a great movie for several reasons; just like the original movie the main caracter is played excellently by Lindsay Lohan. The other actors are of equally high standard, specially Elaine Hendrix as the bride to be and Lisa Ann Walters as the "butler" of the father. Lisa Ann Walters outclasses her predecessor in the 1961 movie. Director Nancy Meyers has a keen eye for detail which shows in scenes with some great nonverbal communication, for instance the conversation in the garden between Elaine Hendrix and Lindsay Lohan. Dennis Quaid is very convincing as a father with his legendary broad smile and Natascha Richardson is great as the british mother. Another aspect is the way some "adult" items like divorce and seperation are dealt with and yet arevery acceptable for kids. Very moving moments, like the moment Annie reveals her true identity to Chessie (Walters) are pared with hilarious reactions where Chessie shows her affection by offering in the midst of tears to cook something special, while at the same time not degrading the emotional content of that moment. The same goes for Hallie in London. The music is very functional and thanks to VHS a treat to listen to. Visuals are wonderful too. Elaime Hendrix has had the opportunity to play a much more sophisticated opponent making the movie more fun to watch. All in all a must see family movie, perfect for anybody.

Better than Holes!
I used to have this movie on video tape, but I decided to donate it to Salvation Army and get it on DVD, because I like DVDs better. I had the movie Holes on DVD, too. I bought the movie Holes on DVD when they first released. I really like Holes, too. The differences between Holes and The Parent Trap are good girls vs. bad boys. Holes talks about a camp that's for bad boys and The Parent Trap talks about the camp for good girls. That's why I like girls better than boys, that's why I like The Parent Trap better.

Lindsay Lohan is great!
The movie isn't so much but Lindsay Lohan is great on her double part.
She is a beautiful girl with lots of talent.

Great Movie, Botched DVD.
I absolutely love this movie. I've been waiting for this re-release to come out for a long time and am very disappointed to find it is not an anamorphic widescreen release. It actually says on the back of the packaging, "Enhanced for 16X9 televisions". This is blatantly false. I have to wonder why Disney took the trouble to re-release this but couldn't be bothered to do it right. However, the picture quality was excellent for a non-anamorphic DVD. ... Read more

Reviews (58)

It's Okay, But It Doesn't Do the Play Justice
"The Diary of Anne Frank," as directed by George Stevens, is certainly not a bad movie. However, it seems to lack the certain spark, sincerity, and tight acting of a truly great movie, and come to think of it, the play on which it is based. The movie is hurt severely by Millie Perkin's, who is whiney and lifeless as Anne Frank. Of all the worthy talent out there, why did they have to pick someone who was not only bad, but 10 years to old for the part. Ed Wynn is dreadfully miscast as grumpy dentist Dussel, and the whole movie is dragged on for so long that the ending is anticlimatic. On the positive side, Joseph Schildkraut and Lou Jacobi recreate the roles they held on Broadway with sincerity and gusto, and Shelly Winters won an Oscar for her delightful performence as Mrs. Van Daan. The screanplay by Albert Hacket and Francis Goodrich is also quite moving. Not a bad showing, but Stevens could have done better.

This play is an inspriation to me&I'm sure to others as well
I rented this movie from Blockbuster last night and I watched it (I'm watching it again right now).It is a wonderful movie.I know that it was/is based on the real thing and I am glad to know that I can not only read her diary and other books to know what Anne,her family,and the Van Daans suffered through,I can watch a movie and/or play about it as well~! I really did enjoy it and I reccomend it to everyone,old or young.It should make you think that no one in this world should be killed just because they are Jewish,America,Chinese or any other race.We are all one and will always be one as long as we all work together.I honestly believe what Anne said:
(quote)Anne Frank:"In spite of everything,I still believe people are really good at heart."(/quote)So please,watch and/or read "The Diary of Anne Frank".I guarentee that it will touch your heart;it touched mine all 10 times (and forever more when I read about Anne Frank)! =}~Jackie

Anne Deserves Better
There is no excuse why the best and most widely read Holocaust narrative couldn't have been made into a far superior movie than this disorganized and boring flick. For most Americans, The Diary of Anne Frank is the only Holocaust book they will ever read and most Americans won't even read that. Consequently, it is vitally important there be an excellent film adaptation of the book. This dull, watered down and not particularly well cast or acted film is not the perfect film memorial to the 7 million victims it needs to be.

This is the definitive movie for Anne's Diary
*** SPOILER if you have not read the diary or seen any of its movies yet

Absolutely no scene in movie history is as simultaneously gripping and gently conveyed as the final scene, when Peter Van Damme and Anne Frank hold hands and look out to the sky as the Gestapo beat down their door to take them to a death camp. The adults look down in the direction of the door and stand or sit still and wait for them to enter, resigned to the fact that they just can not escape the fate that the Nazis have assigned to them.

Nobody runs or even speaks, and Otto Frank puts down the newspaper and hands his wife her bag, as if they are going on a trip. Such small simple movments convey such finality for these 7 people who have shared the unimaginable experience of being caged liked animals to escape being killed like animals, because one man in power decided people of their religion and race should not live.

That scene says more than a million car chases and explosions. Watch it and see what I mean.

unfortunate timing
there was only one reason this monumental film was not awarded the "Best Picture" oscar at the academy awards. that reason is simple; the year of its release. 1959 was an unfortunate year for George Stevens to release this masterpiece of filmmaking, because released that same year was "Ben-Hur". any connesieur of classic films can attest to the magnitude of "Ben-Hur", winner of 11 academy awards. inspite of the legendary status of "Ben-Hur", "The Diary Of Anne Frank" deserves just as much recognition.
"The Diary Of Anne Frank" deserved the oscar just as much if not more than "Ben-Hur". the film was based on the diary written by Anne Frank while she was hiding out in the attic of an old house with her family and several others to avoid Nazi capture during those tragic days of WWII.
the movie is nothing less than monumental and a perfect tribute to Anne Frank and her family. it is nearly 3 hrs. long but easily maintains one's interest throughout.

there exist no words to justly express greatness of this magnificent opus of filmmaking. accolades to George Stevens for giving us this film. and God bless the entire Frank family for continuing to bring hope to the hearts of people globally for over 60 years. AMEN ... Read more

Amazon.com

Remember watching this silly little comedy from your childhood? It may not have aged all that well, but is still goofy, good fun. Okay, so you can spot the stunt double, and Don Knotts's twitches are a little more obvious. Still, fans of his familiar routines will be comforted in knowing they can again watch their skinny underdog hero solve the ghost story while winning the prettiest girl in town. Knotts plays a trembling typesetter hoping to become a reporter by cracking the mystery of the local haunted house. To do so, he must spend a night there. Good-hearted, non-threatening, and completely gooey, this is the equivalent of light-weight cinematic junk food.-- Rochelle O'Gorman ... Read more

Reviews (64)

FUN IN AN OLD, DARK HOUSE
My kids love this movie and they watch it on sleep-overs with their friends. Don Knotts plays Luther Hegg, a timid typesetter in a small town in the mid-west (Rachel, Kansas). The supporting actors are first rate: Skip Homeier, Dick Sargent, Ellen Corby etc. Joan Staley, who plays Alma, was the centerfold for PLAYBOY in 1958! Vivian Vance's ex hubby Phil Ober plays the murderer and the old women in the boarding house are hilarious. Reta Shaw is very funny as the head of the Psychic Society and Vic Muzzy's musical score is cornily creepy. When this picture was first released in theatres in l965, it was a huge hit in small towns across the U.S. and it is very representitive of 1960's small town Americana. Fun!

Incredibly fun and funny...now where's the DVD?
I first saw this Don Knotts comedy back in the late Sixties...and it stuck with me. (Especially the tune the organ plays.) The scenes of nervous, bungling, bug-eyed Don Knotts made me laugh out loud then -- and they still do now. So I was really pleased when this movie was finally released on video a few years ago. My only gripe now is that I wish it were out on DVD because I'm sure I'll wear out my video before too long!

Of course, I'm a big fan of the Andy Griffith Show. So that probably explains why I like this movie so much. Don Knotts was largely responsible for making that show the huge hit that it was. And, if you like his schtick on Griffith, you'll like this movie.

In fact, there are about a half dozen or more actors who appear in the movie -- most just briefly -- who also worked with Knotts on the Andy Griffth Show. Hal Smith, Ellen Corby, Hope Summers, Burt Mustin and Rita Shaw to name just five. So it was fun to pick out the familiar faces. The movie was even written by two of the Andy Griffith Show's most prolific writers!

Knotts has the nervous man character down so well that some scenes in the film are almost painful to watch (like when he's giving his speech -- "I've been called brave. What is brave? Let me clarify this" -- before the picnic crowd gathered in his honor), but I can't help myself. He's funny.

I won't go into the plot because so many others have already reviewed it. I just wanted to add my two cents (and Five Stars) to the other reviews.

The bottom line: this is a fun movie, great for the whole family. If you haven't seen it, please do so. Sure it's corny. Sure it looks dated. But it's not supposed to be Citizen Kane. It's just a great popcorn movie to share with friends and family.

wonderful, one of my all time favorites
i was primarily a don knotts fan due to his lovable role as barny phife on the andy griffeth show. when i saw this movie at the video rental store starring my favorite tv personality next to lucielle ball and the gang, i immdediatly rented it. that was when i was twelve, now fourteen i still enjoy this comedy and love the DVD version of this classic. it's enjoyable for people of all ages as i found out growing up with this wonderful movie. give it a try, i know you'll love it!!!!

The Ghost and Mr. Chicken
A classic Don Knotts film of the highest degree. I love the surprise appearance of the actor that played Ottis the town drunk in Andy Griffin show playing a town drunk in the start of the film. Don Knotts plays a guy who wishes to be a real reporter more than anything. When he writers a story about the town murder house it will take all his strength to survive being the town laughing stalk and surviving the night of laughs alive.

Makers of This "Spooky" Comic Mystery Were Simply Clueless
Fresh from his highly popular and Emmy-winning stint as Barney Fife on TV's THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW, and after moderate success starring in the earlier Warner Brothers film THE INCREDIBLE MR. LIMPET (1964), Don Knotts convinced execs at Universal Pictures that they could capitalize on his celebrity by starring him in a series of comedy flicks. The first of these was 1966's THE GHOST AND MR. CHICKEN, a sort of slapstick thriller that was tailored to Knotts' style of humor.

Knotts stars as Luther Heggs, an aspiring journalist who works in the typesetting room of a newspaper in the small town of Rachel, Kansas. A bumbling, nerdy milquetoast--for Knotts, what other role is there?--Heggs badgers the editor of his paper into letting him do a feature on the goings-on at a local long-abandoned house that is purportedly haunted. Rumor has it that the previous occupant and his wife were murdered, and most of the rubes in this Kansan town now believe the spirits of those unfortunate two still occupy the house during the wee hours of the night. Heggs' editor agrees to let the nerdy typesetter do the story, but only if he agrees to sleep in the house for a full night and use this experience as the foundation for the article. With a great degree of trepidation, Heggs accepts the editor's challenge, but really only because he wants to impress a girl he has a crush on. Although his bravery is only a front, Heggs does manage to uncover more about the strange doings at the house than anyone ever suspected.

For adult filmgoers, THE GHOST AND MR. CHICKEN offers little more than a modicum of entertainment or literary value, though the pre-teen crowd will likely find it to be thoroughly enjoyable. Part of the film's inability to capture the interest of a truly discerning audience is due to the performance of star Don Knotts. Knotts was nothing short of sublime as Deputy Barney Fife during the 5+ years that he was with THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW, but he simply doesn't have the comedic range to carry an entire feature film. His rubbery facial expressions, gangly and awkward body movements, and adeptness at portraying ineptness can be downright hilarious--but only in small doses. On TV, Knotts' performance was buffered because his screen time was interspersed with that of co-star Griffith and other comedy actors of varying styles. But in a 90-minute movie where nearly every scene centers around Knotts, his one-note comedic style rapidly wears thin.

In spite of a few genuinely humorous moments, the overall script is fairly cliché and formulaic. In the scenes that take place in the haunted house, every trite bump-in-the-night gag is resurrected and used as a springboard for Knotts' bug-eyed and rubbery scared-of-the-dark routine. And the filler between non-spook segments is rather dull, too, consisting of mainly shopworn jabs at easy targets like small-town drunks, neighborhood gossips, henpecking wives and their henpecked husbands, spiritualism and the occult, and small-town life in general.

All of the primary characters in the film are little more than cardboard cut-outs with crystal-clear motivations and transparent personalities. It goes without saying--especially now, with 40 years of cinematic retrospection--that Knotts' Luther Heggs will be a bumbling nerd with a heart of gold. In step with the syrupy early-60s family-film formula, Heggs' love interest, Alma (Joan Staley), is the small-town beauty who seems not the least bit aware of her ravishing assests, and she acts like it's totally natural for her to be attracted to a homely, inept gent like Heggs. And newspaperman Ollie Weaver (Skip Homeier), Heggs' rival both professionally and personally, exudes that smarmy machismo typical of the muscle-bound jerk who is likely to spend his Sunday afternoons at the beach kicking sand into the faces of the proverbial 98-pound weaklings. Most of the peripheral characters are also perfunctory to the extreme, serving mainly as background props and contributing little, if anything, of significance to the actual plot.

To be fair, it must be pointed out that THE GHOST AND MR. CHICKEN is not without its share of assets. The greatest of these is Joan Staley, who plays Luther's love interest, Alma. A mere 8 years prior to appearing in this film, the comely Ms. Staley appeared in Playboy as the centerfold Playmate for November 1958. Not only pretty, Ms. Staley is also a fine actress and brings a bit of thespian respectability to this film. Also notable is the appearance of Dick Sargent in the role of Heggs' editor. Genre fans will recognize Sargent from his role as the "Second Darrin" on TV's BEWITCHED. And it's fun to watch for the other well-known comedy and character actors--actors such as Reta Shaw, Philip Ober, Charles Lane, Ellen Corby, James Millhollin, and Sandra Gould, among others--in minor supporting roles.

In 1948, Universal Pictures started what would become a long string of entertaining and successful horror-themed comedy films with the release of the excellent ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN. But that winning streak ultimately ended in 1966 with THE GHOST AND MR. CHICKEN. It is a mediocre film that, in spite of a few laughs, ultimately fails. It can easily be argued that the reason for this failure is twofold: One, star Don Knotts has a limited comedic repertoire that is just not capable of sustaining a feature-length film; and two, in their attempt to create what they perceive as a family film, the filmmakers use an excess of cinematic and literary clichés that effectively dumbs down the script and thereby vitiates the charm of the comedy-horror hybrid.

Universal's DVD offers a nearly pristine anamorphic widescreen digital transfer of the film in its original aspect ratio of 2.35:1. However, with no extras other than the film's theatrical trailer, only hardcore fans of Don Knotts are likely to want to purchase this disc. ... Read more

Reviews (44)

1930's Style Adventure
Critics hated this film because it came on the heels of "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and instead of embracing it for the film that it was, dismissed it as a cheap knockoff, which it wasn't. What it is, is an old fasioned and enjoyable 1930's style comedy adventure. You'll be hard pressed to find anyone who has actually seen this movie who didn't like it. As Tom Selleck and Bess Armstrong bicker all across Asia searching for her father you'll find yourself smiling a lot.

Bess Armstrong is Eve Tozer, spoiled heiress deluxe. Her inventor father (Wilford Brimly) is missing and if she doesn't find him to prove he's alive she's going to lose daddy's fortune. She finds out he was last seen in Tibet and needs a pilot to help her go look for him. Patrick O'Malley (Tom Selleck) is a former WWI flying ace who has hit the bottle and enjoys it. He spends his time giving flying lessons in a WWI Camel when he's not drunk, and since that's not to often he could use the money and off they go.

The cinematography is luscious and there is a beautiful score by John Barry adding to this very likable adventure. Jack Weston as 'Struts' gives fine support, as does Robert Morely as Bentik, who sends killers after them as he will get control of the fortune if Eve does not. There are some pretty great scenes as they escape one scrape after another trying to stay alive.

The best thing about this terrific and enjoyable film is Tom Selleck and Bess Armstrong. Their wonderful chemistry saves this meandering adventure more than once as they fight and bicker and bicker and fight all the way across Asia, and of course, fall in love. You'll wonder why Bess Armstrong didn't become a star after you see this. There is just something about her in this film that is hard to define. Selleck gives his typical, great, tongue in cheek performance. Critics might not have got it, but Selleck knows what kind of film he's in.

This is pure escapist entertainment and is the perfect film to watch with your wife or girlfried or daughter. It's just a lot of fun. You might have to pay a little more for this one but it's worth it. You'll be watching this one for a long time to come...

Average of 4.5 Stars is Right On!
Tom Selleck plays an alcoholic WWI flying ace at loose ends in Asia, who gets hired by a spoiled heiress (Bess Armstrong) who will lose everything if she doesn't find her inventor/adventurer father (Wilford Brimley) by a certain deadline. Meanwhile, her father's partner in business is trying to stop/kill her because he'll get everything if the deadline is missed.

The plot and the dialogue would get two-and-a-half stars if you read the script. The acting would bring it up to three stars, as there is some real love-hate chemistry between Selleck and Armstrong. The great action scenes bring it up another half-star. The settings and photography add another half-star. This movie is often beautiful to look at, and could be enjoyed even if you didn't understand English, with good background music to boot.

Overall, it's lots of fun to watch.

Still Waiting for the DVD
I just wanted to express exasperation at why this fabulous movie hasn't yet made it to DVD. This is one of my favorite movies of all time because it has many of my favorite movie elements: a strong feisty woman and a stubborn georgous man get thrown together in a whirlwind adventure in the 1920s. The chemistry! The scenery! The humor! What a great story! I will probably order the VHS because I really want to watch it again. But let it be known I am waiting for the DVD!!!!

Deserved DVD STATUS.
One of the Greatest High Adventure movies ( For General Public Viewing) produced. This movie has All the ingriedents for High Adventure : Magnificent Scenery, Great Action shots and background music, Exciting Story, Terrific Actors with a top story ending.
How this movie has Escaped DVD Production, nobody knows !
Maybe it's a little old-fashioned Adventure, but it is a Fair-Dinkum fantasy & Hopefully it will not be too far into the Future before 'High Road to China' is Available on DVD.

Love those airplanes!
Simply one of my all time most favorite films. Love it more every time I see it. Would watch it if only for the stunning John Barry score. I think he stole most of it from his Out of Africa score, but, in fact, I like this one better. There's a story that Selleck didn't really like this film, but I don't understand why. The flying, the action and the characters are irresistible! Just let me join the chorus that can't understand why this great family friendly film is not available on DVD! ... Read more

Amazon.com

This strange experiment in filmed conversation finds three people--a physicist, a poet, a politician--yammering about the environment, science, art, government, and much else, all in an effort either to find or to dispute connections between disparate subjects. There is no story, as such--just lots of chatter (much of it not particularly profound) shot against a variety of picturesque backgrounds. If director Bernt Capra thought this would turn out to be another My Dinner with André, that fantasy falls on its face. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (65)

Loved Sam, John, Liv; Castle; but "required reading" film ??
I need to watch this film again, especially after reading all the wonderful reviews others wrote. This is not a movie that goes with my popcorn. This movie was not entertainment, but rather work! It's castle setting is splendid, and the actors are very pleasant because their personalities show through. Enjoyed smiling at the poet's role (John Heard), and also enjoyed the charm of lost-Presidental-race-politician (Sam Waterston), but I felt sorry for all the WORK Liv Ullmann went to just to learn ALL those lines rather than what her character was saying, which took up the majority of the movie. Perhaps I just don't care for so much philosophy outside the college classroom. My summation: I'm probably not the audience to fully appreciate this kind of movie in the evening when concentration is ebbing. I will, however, give it another try, if only to make myself feel brighter, then hope others will view it too. (We bought MindWalk because we're collecting most Sam Waterston videos for our library. We like his work of the past 15 years better than most earlier works.)

Worthwhile but not remotely openminded or scientific
This film is a perfect summary of mid-eighties 'New Age' environmental philosophy and worth watching on that basis. It does not even remotely approach "My Dinner With Andre", which provides the viewer with two passionate and more-or-less opposing viewpoints on life and art. Idea-wise this is a setup from the beginning, since there is no real opposition to the opinions of 'physicist' Liv Ullman as she propounds the simplistic 'good nature, bad Western World' diatribe once holy writ with the Natural Law Party.

The idea that all things are interconnected is fine, but the examples are skewed and simplified to fit a particular political outlook. Descartes is, de riguer, simplified to fit the theory that everything has been going to hell because of the industrial revolution. This doesn't NECESSARILY make it a bad film; I happen to like the Phil Glass score, and the French island fortress off Mt St Michel is beautiful. The real problem is that without any serious intellectual challenge to the ideas presented the piece is pretty dull. Sam Waterston does a workmanlike job as a straw man making a feeble resistance to Liv Ullman's 'thoughtfully concerned' act of dismay at the government's failure to force people to act the way 'An Expert' thinks they should. John Heard flutters about supporting her. It results in a pretty dry piece of propaganda.

Does 3rd world debt cause people to destroy rainforests, or have people been destroying rainforests for millenia in order to own their own land and better their lives (or to get a nice tract house in the suburbs...)? If you believe the former is THE ANSWER and don't care to have your views challenged, this film should make you quite comfortable, since by now you've heard these ideas many times before.

Where is the Conservative Response?
Wouldn't you just love to see Rush Limbaugh explaining why there is no global warming?

Changed my view on the world.
Every educated person should see this wonderful movie. It is not a movie to watch if you want to mindlessly watch TV. This is a thinking person's movie, one that will change the way you see the world.

Mindwalk--on several levels
The surface of mindwalk is characterised by a scientist, a poet, and a politician. However, on another level they are aspects of a single individual--the scientist is the mind, the poet is the heart, and the politician is the action, the hands and feet if you will. Thus the film can reflect an internal dialog to understanding how to move away from a machine metaphor worldview toward a systems/quantum worldview.

I found the whole idea to be stimulating and refreshing, however the feeble attempt at a plot was a mistake in my opinion. therefore 4 stars. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Surprisingly good movie!
I first saw The Jerky Boys movie back in 1995. I walked into the movie theatre with low expectations, but I actually liked the movie.

You may find this hard to believe, but this movie actually has a plot. Johnny Brennan (a comic genius and the voice of Frank Rizzo and Sol Rosenberg), gets in trouble when he crank calls the Mafia. Anyway, Johnny and Kamal spend most of the movie trying to avoid the Mafia.

There are some great scenes in the movie, such as the scene at Burger Bob's, a drive-through fast food restaurant. Sol Rosenberg takes an order from a family in a car. When Sol screws up the order, the driver of the car asks to speak with the manager. Then, the Frank Rizzo voice asks for the man's order. Rizzo says "Gimme your order there, toughguy!" I almost lost it when I saw that scene. It's hilarious!

Buy this movie.

Hey Toughguy, buy this flick fruity!
Jerky Boys Johnny and Kamal go from the audio crank calling world to Hollywood. This movie is basically just about the guys hanging out and doing what they do best: acting like wackadoos. A must watch movie for goombas like me! The movie was co-produced by Tony Danza and Emilio Estevez (an odd couple, what else have they teamed on I wonder?) Anyway, when the guys from Queens make a few calls to the wrong people they end up in the world of the New York mob. Vincent "Big Pussy" Pastore is perfectly cast here playing the character he's best known for. Also noteworthy for those who love the fictional mob world, Johnny's mom is the same woman who plays Carmela's mom on Sopranos and before that she was Karen's mom from Goodfellas. For all you other goofy fruitcakes out there, Ozzy Osbourne (whose lines are a little more understandable than on his MTV show--although not much), Tom Jones and many others make appearances in this wacky wild and hilarious film. The only missing cameo was by The Diceman.

fruitty ass
the story lags in a lot of spots but the pranks and the jokes from Johnny B. , Kamal and Ernie make this one a great view. Alan Arkin as Ernie is uproarous and the 2 Jerkys are great. Johnny B. looks like if Sean Astin was chubbier and had a mullet.

favorite lines
Ernie- wha...what the hell is a fruitty ass?

Frank Rizzo- what kind of fruitty ass opertion you running down there
Ernie- **ck you fruitty ass, thats what kind of operation we're running down here

Tough Guy Cinema
I don't know why I feel compelled to write a review for a movie this old and played out and forgotten except for the most die-hard Jerky Boys fans, of which I sincerely hope I may not be considered (but secretly know I am).

The Jerky Boys are prank callers extraordinaire, back in the day before *69 and prevalent Caller ID ruined all the fun. Using several personas, including Frank Rizzo, an irate tough guy, Sol Rosenberg, a slightly senile old man who comes off as your slightly senile grandmother, and random Indian cab drivers, the duo were underground until they signed a record contract and started churning out album after album of tracks like "Terrorist Pizza", "Roofing", and the classic "Drinking Problem".

Once you realize that this is The Jerky Boys and not Godard, you can sit back and enjoy every Jerky reference up to that point (they still had a few albums forthcoming when this appeared) including non-sensical yet inexplicably hilarious insults such as (and I'm sure [Amazon.com] will edit these out) "sizzle chest", "milky licker", and references to potato-hurling tennis ball machines and their use.

The two self-described "lowlifes from Queens" play themselves. On the one hand, we have Johnny B, aka Johnny Brennan, who is pretty much the whole Jerky franchise in my opinion. I don't care what people say, or even that he describes himself as a "lowlife", this guy has talent. Honestly, this guy has more talent than most Saturday Night Live alum these days and we still have to be punished with the Deuce Bigolos and the Corky Romanos. At least Chris Farley had the decency to check out not that long after it was realized that he just wasn't that funny.Riding his mullet is the less impressive Kamal. Folks, when you have to PLAY YOURSELF and you still can't act, there is a problem.

The "story" involves Johnny B, as Rizzo, prank-calling the Mob and getting into a lot of trouble. In a jaw-dropping turn of casting, Alan Arkin plays a mob boss and honestly looks like he's trying not to laugh as he delivers dialogue. We also get a pre-Sopranos Vincent Pastore doing a stretch and playing a mobster. Since being offed on the Sopranos I can only guess that he's hoping there's a Jerky sequel in the works.

There isn't.

If you're unfamiliar with The Jerky Boys, this might go right over your head. If you like The Jerky Boys, it's on the so-bad-it's-good level, occassionally slipping into just plain bad.

...

And, as if you needed more recommendation points for tracking this masterpiece down, Ozzy Osbourne has a walk-on cameo sporting an unstructured, mauve sports jacket and appearing befuddled that his bands' crew have been hired away by The Monkees.

on johns review
Great idea my friend would be fantastic to put on DVD
with the boy doing a call and having their face on camera
at the same time

Great movie for everyone you NOOKIE LICKERS

peace out

G Hatzis
(i have appered in video's with Human Nature) ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Great Movie, Filled with Unconditional Love!
This is a wonderful movie. It is full of the message of unconditional love. The love that is shown to the medically fragile girl in this picture is fun to watch because it is so sincere and pure. The movie gives one a feeling that no matter how bad it gets in one's life, there is always hope to see the situation in a better more positive light. This is a story about love, life and relationships. For once, a movie that doesn't have to have guns and violence to make an impact. I admire Hallmark for that.

This was a great family movie. As the father of a severely autistic child, I appreciate the kindness toward a special child shown in this film, a kindness that should be emulated across the globe.

Campbell Scott puts in a great acting performance in this one!

Jeffrey McAndrew
author of "Our Brown-Eyed Boy"

One of My Top 15 Favorites...
I saw this movie on the Hallmark Channel. I saw Kimberly Williams on the commercials and I like her as an actress so I decided to watch it. This movie is a really touching story about a young mother, Dianne (Kimberly Williams) trying to raise her daughter, Julia, who was born with neurological and spinal damage. Her husband, Mark did not want a physically challenged daughter so he left Dianne to raise Julia alone. Dianne's brother-in-law David introduces her to a 12-year-old girl named Amy (Alexa Vega) who becomes Dianne's mother's helper. Amy has a special connection with Julia and understands her in ways even Dianne can't.
All in all, it's a great movie to watch. If you have kids, it's great to watch with them. This movie can help kids accept people for who they are and learn that everyone is special. The great thing is that there is no swearing, so it's ok for young kids to watch.(If you have young children be advised that there is a brief domestic situation-although it is only heard, not seen.) This is a wonderful movie and is one of my top 15 favorites.

Incrediably Heart Warming
This movie is so incrediably touching. Its also very realistic to peoples everyday lives. It givs a great sense of hope that no matter what the situation is, everything will work out. Campbell Scott ad Kimberly Williams were phenominal together. This movie is filled with so much love that I think we sometimes take for granted in everday lives.

Touching and Warming Movie
I first saw this movie when it came on T.V. I work with children and adults whom have special needs and to me this movie was so enlighting. It made me realize that a moment should never go unwasted because you don't know what tomorrow will bring. Kimberly Williams and Campbell Scott were both spectacular. It is a movie of truth, hope, dispair, and so much love.

I'm a straight guy...and even I liked it
I'm a "Enter the Matrix" kind of guy, but even I liked this movie. It is a very sensitive movie about 2 women trying to make the right decisions about their bad relationships, and how they are able to cope with their troubled daughters.

Great movie to watch with your kids. Buy it!!! ... Read more

Amazon.com

This soapy but highly watchable television "sequel" to Gone with the Wind, the most popular Hollywood movie ever made, has nothing to do with memories of a vanished antebellum South. But it does end up in Ireland, where the determined Scarlett O'Hara Butler (played with frosty passion by Joanne Whalley-Kilmer) turns hard times into an opportunity by buying the ancestral home of her family. Before that happens, however, Scarlett fights to win back the estranged Rhett Butler (manfully portrayed by Timothy Dalton), often seen in the company of other women, struggles for control over the homestead Tara, and gets caught in yet another compromising position with poor Ashley Wilkes (Stephen Collins). The troubles never stop (Scarlett's Ireland adventures land her in a heap of trouble from which only Rhett can save her), but this TV miniseries wisely keeps the focus on these captivating characters, their entangled histories, and the collective destiny that refuses to part them. The show also looks good: the location scenes in Ireland are particularly handsome, and there is something unaccountably satisfying about seeing Scarlett and Rhett walking through peaceful green hills. Enjoy. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (94)

The ending is horrible! What happened????
First off. . . the so called sequel to GONE WITH THE WIND will never measure up to the first. Kinda like to many Jason & Freddy movies! As a big time fan of GWTW I jumped on the band wagon. . . bought the book. . . waited for the movie. Let's just say the book is actually great! Different but great. The movie . . . well I will try to be nice. Joanne Whalley-Kilmer as Scarlett? What a joke! They should have got Delta Burke for that role! Timothy Dalton was an ok Rhett Butler better than the Scarlett. If they had stayed with the way the book was written instead of changing the ending it would have been much better. Where does Hollywood come up with some of their stuff? The ending in the book is so much better than what they showed! It was a crock of you know what!

When it took place in Savannah,GA and Ireland that was really nice. Gave you a so-called new take on that time frame instead of the poor south at that time.

Jean Smart played Sally Brewster's role wonderful. Gave the charater the spunk she needed!

Starts well, then falls apart
I enjoyed the first part of this film, Timothy Dalton is, of course, devestatingly gorgeous as Rhett Butler, the woman playing Scarlett is a bit insispid but who cares, so long as I could drool over Dalton I was happy. The part where they get shipwrecked on an island together, aaaaah! If only! I found it quite interesting to meet Scarlett's posh relations on her mother's side, and I was glad that Suellen had finally got herself a husband, she wanted one os much, poor soul. The killing off of Mammy is of course a big mistake, but the author clearly doesn't know how to portray black characters convincingly, which is I suppose why the film suddenly shifts to Ireland, where Scarlett goes to discover her roots. From here on it's downhill all the way. Pure melodrama, and Sean Bean is so blatantly wicked he might as well wear a hat with 'villain' written on it. If only Margaret Mitchell had written a sequel herself! Naturally I want Scarlett to get Rhett back, who doesn't, but the way it happens in this film is just too silly for words. I persevered to the end because, of course, Timothy is still there, and still devastating, but honestly! It just gets sillier and sillier.

Horable!! Don't waist your time!!
In gone with the wind, Scarlett was a little bit of a brat, but she at least had some morals!!! I this movie, Scarlett (who you remember loved Ashley until Melanie died) has become hated around Atlanta because of the fact that she chased after Ashley so long. To save her dignity, Scarlett runs to Rhett's mothers house, where she stays for a time (much to Rhett's dismay). When a turn of events gets Scarlett kicked out of Mrs. Butler's home, she eventually ends up in Ireland with a baby that Rhett has no idea exists.

In Gone With the Wind, Scarlett married many men for their money, but she was not going around sleeping with men out of wedlock, which turned out to be a very bad idea!
Also, the boathouse scene was such a corny idea!!!

This is defiantly NOT a good sequel to gone with the wind.
The woman who played Scarlett couldn't even begin to compare with Vivien Leigh. Maybe someday they will remake this movie and actually take the time to choose good actors and write a decent story line!!!

Horable!!!! Don't waist your time!!!
In gone with the wind, Scarlett was a little bit of a brat, but she at least had some morals!!! I this movie, Scarlett (who you remember loved Ashley until Melanie died) has become hated around Atlanta because of the fact that she chased after Ashley so long. To save her dignity, Scarlett runs to Rhett's mothers house, where she stays for a time (much to Rhett's dismay). When a turn of events gets Scarlett kicked out of Mrs. Butler's home, she eventually ends up in Ireland with a baby that Rhett has no idea exists.

In Gone With the Wind, Scarlett married many men for their money, but she was not going around sleeping with men out of wedlock, which turned out to be a very bad idea!
Also, the boathouse scene was such a corny idea!!!

This is defiantly NOT a good sequel to gone with the wind.
Joanne Whalley (who played Scarlett) couldn't even begin to compare with Vivien Leigh. Maybe someday they will remake this movie and actually take the time to choose good actors and write a decent story line!!!

Gone With the Wind This Ain't
I love GWTW, personnally I think that it is one of the BEST movies of all time-- this is not up to par. I have read GWTW by Mitchell and I read Scarlett by Alexandra Ripley and I must say that the original is by far better.

Now the Scarlett Miniseries was suppose to be the sequel to the GWTW movie not the book otherwise it would confuse those who've seen the original but didn't read the book, like Scarlett's other children by her first two husbands, I digress. However, the screenwriter or even the director of this movie thought it important to put Suellen having a family, after all in the first movie you expect her to be an old maid!

Joanne Whalley as Scarlett O'Hara Hamilton Kennedy Butler is a like unbelieveable and I do agree with the other reviewers that said Terri Garber(Ashton of North and South) might have been a better choice, albeit type-casting. Timothy Dalton as Rhett Butler is a good choice, I actually liked him as Rhett and seemed a better notice that in the sequel Rhett has a Southern accent. Which from my understanding Clark Gable refused to play the part with the accent.

My overall opinion of this movie is blah at best, if you really must see it I recommend finding it at your local video rental store. ... Read more

Description

From one of the most celebrated filmmakers in the history of animated cinema comes the most acclaimed film of 2002. Hayao Miyazaki's latest triumph, filled with astonishing animation and epic adventure, is a dazzling masterpiece for the ages. It's a "wonderfully welcoming work of art that's as funny and entertaining as it is brilliant, beautiful, and deep" (Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal). SPIRITED AWAY is a wondrous fantasy about a young girl, Chihiro, trapped in a strange new world of spirits. When her parents undergo a mysterious transformation, she must call upon the courage she never knew she had to free herself and return her family to the outside world. An unforgettable story brimming with creativity, SPIRITED AWAY will take you on a journey beyond your imagination. "To enter the world of Hayao Miyazaki is to experience a kind of lighthearted enchantment that is unique to the world of animation" (Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times). It's a fantastic tale the whole family will want to experience over and over again. ... Read more

Reviews (598)

An incredible animated movie
"Spirited Away" won the Oscar for 2002's Best Animated Film. It richly deserved this award, for it is by far the best movie of its type in years. It may not be funny like 'Monsters Inc." or entertaining like "Shrek", but for sheer beauty and artistic integrity, it's almost impossible to top. Since words, like any other medium, have built-in limits, you will have to experience it for yourself to see what I am saying.

Imagine this: A little girl is riding in a car with her parents. They are headed to their new house. Dad makes a wrong turn, and they wind up traveling along a dirt road which ends at what appears to be a deserted train station. Dad decides that it's really the entrance to a failed amusement park. He and Mom decide to go explorin