Amazon.com

John Lasseter and his gang of high-tech creators at Pixar create another entertainment for the ages. Like the few great movie sequels, Toy Story 2 comments on why the first one was so wonderful while finding a fresh angle worthy of a new film. The craze of toy collecting becomes the focus here, as we find out Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks) is not only a beloved toy to Andy but also a rare doll from a popular '60s children's show. When a greedy collector takes Woody, Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) launches a rescue mission with Andy's other toys. To say more would be a crime because this is one of the most creative and smile-inducing films since, well, the first Toy Story.

Although the toys look the same as in the 1994 feature, Pixar shows how much technology has advanced: the human characters look more human, backgrounds are superior, and two action sequences that book-end the film are dazzling. And it's a hoot for kids and adults. The film is packed with spoofs, easily accessible in-jokes, and inspired voice casting (with newcomer Joan Cusack especially a delight as Cowgirl Jessie). But as the Pixar canon of films illustrates, the filmmakers are storytellers first. Woody's heart-tugging predicament can easily be translated into the eternal debate of living a good life versus livingforever. Toy Story 2 also achieved something in the U.S. two other outstanding 1999 animated features (The Iron Giant, Princess Mononoke) could not: it became a huge box-office hit. --Doug Thomas ... Read more

Reviews (453)

Toy Story 2 Is Better Then the Original!
I had expected a dull child's cartoon with a meaningless plot and dull characters...wow was I ever wrong! Toy Story 2 is funny, exciting, dramatic, and very entertaining! This time around, Woody is stolen by a greedy toy collector...why? Because it turns out that Woody is a valuable doll from the 1950's when he had his own popular TV show! As Buzz and the rest of the toys frantically try to find a way to rescue Woody, our cow-boy hero meets other toys just like him---Jesse the cow-girl, the Prospector, and Woody's hillarious horse. And all this time Woody starts to wonder if maybe he's found his rightful home...or has he? The animation is tops, the plot is engrossing, and the movie is excellent! If you think an animated feauture is just a bunch of interesting graphics then you're wrong! This is a heart-warming and wonderful family film.

Toys
Toy Story (1995, 80 minutes, Dolby Digital Surround; Audio Commentary, Interviews) As 6-year-old Andy's favorite toy, Woody (Tom Hanks), a take-charge, pull-string cowboy, is confident in his role as room leader. But after Andy's birthday party, newcomer Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), a flashy space ranger with laser action and pop-out wings, crash-lands into Woody's world.

Buzz instantly wins the admiration of Andy's other toys, igniting a rivalry that lands the duo inside the home of Sid - the toy-torturing boy next door. To escape Sid's evil plans, Woody and Buzz must work together and realize they've got the perfect friend...in each other!

Toy Story 2 (1999, 94 minutes, Dolby Digital 5.l Surround EX; Audio Commentary, Sep. Film Score Audio Track, Outakes) Andy goes to summer camp and the toys face a new crisis: Woody turns out to be a valuable collectible, and is kidnapped by an evil toy collector. It's now up to Buzz and the gang to find a way to save him.

Five stars for the movies, one star for Disney
Why must they stick to this archaic way of releasing their movies on video/DVD? I could understand discontinuing collector's or limited editions, but why discontinue entire movies? Well we all know the answer, I just hate to be jerked around like this. Disney is the largest movie company in the world but our enjoyment of their films is based around their idiotic release/discontinue schedule.
Well, with that unpleasantness out of the way, I must say Toy Story 2 is my favorite animated movie of all time and the Toy Story series is my favorite animated series (if you think about it, though, that's not saying a lot). Let's just do this in the order they came out.
Toy Story blew my mind, because the things they did in that movie (the first in particular) were so like me when I was a kid (at that age). Toy Story is sure enough my second favorite animated movie ever. It's funny, and colorful, and touching. I think all good kid's movies should have a sense of wonder, or delight, and it shouldn't be in either a cynical or naive way. They should show wonder in a way that can be found in the real world, which is a balance hard to find. The original Toy Story has all kinds of wonder and awe, both in positive and negative ways (some kids could be afraid of Sid but I bet they won't be able to stop looking at him). It's about finding your place in life, and what to do with what you've got. When Buzz happens upon a commercial for himself and then tries to fly through the window-well that is one of the most touching scenes in any movie I've seen. And the whole ending sequence is beautiful, from Buzz and Woody on the RC car going through traffic, or them being blasted from a rocket through the air. Not to mention it's filled with all kinds of toy-related jokes that any kid can relate to. I think it's safe to say it'll be looked back on like the very first full-length animated movie (it was Snow White, wasn't it?).
Toy Story 2 is nearly flawless. It has one of the craziest openings for a movie ever, and I love the way it can find a way to have characters with all kinds of motives. Al is driven by his greed, the Prospector is jaded but just wants to be loved, Jessie hasn't given up hope yet so is overjoyed when she can find a way to confirm her hopefulness. The movie uses the toys as a metaphor for growing up and moving on: or not. You can aspire for your dreams or you can realize you're happy with what you've got. Toy Story 2 is/was the last movie Disney made with Pixar before they got too smug and self-indulgent. They realized they had the power to stir emotions and awe (they also realized they could make a ton of money), but instead of giving us a sweet movie like Toy Story, we got the self-congragulatory Monsters Inc, with its obvious conflicted main character, and instead of a great secondary character like the Prospector, we got Boo. Finding Nemo was a step in the right direction, but in my opinion doesn't have the heart of the Toy Story movies.
I can actually think of one thing wrong with Toy Story 2, and that's that lame Sarah Mclachlan song. I'm not one of those people with a weird Randy Newman fascination, but his songs were so much better than that one Mclachlan song. I guess it's because the scene in which it's used is already so emotional, instead of Newman's weird but effective delivery we got Mclachlan hammering the point home with her yodeling. But I love that scene because it shows how the little girl grew up. Other than that, Toy Story 2 is great: funny and vibrant, even on my crusty old VHS tape.
I wish I had these movies on DVD. They spark wonder in me at my age just like they did when I first saw them. They have plenty of in-jokes and such but also have a timeless quality (and a strong sense of innocence). Five stars for the both of them, the best animated series of all time.

It's Different.
It's different from your average animated film. So was Toy Story part 1 but this one is better. The movie plotting is a lot better in this part. I give it five stars(I'd give it six if it was in my hands!)

The secret lives of toys
Woody (Tom Hanks), who turns out to be a rare collectible, is stolen by an unscrupulous toy store owner and slated to be sold to a toy museum in Japan. Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) and friends embark on a dangerous cross-town rescue mission. This is a very entertaining and perceptive film that remembers the guilt that a child can feel over outgrowing a favorite toy. Sammy the bear was my own constant companion when I was a young child. As I grew older, I sometimes felt a pang of shame when I would encounter him lying unloved and unplayed-with in the bottom of my old toy chest. I hope he's as philosophical and understanding about it as Woody is. As cheerful as this film is, it takes on an added dimension by honoring that first melancholy that a child feels upon outgrowing a formerly cherished plaything. The animation and voice talent are also top-notch. ... Read more

Reviews (81)

Toy Story
1995's "Toy Story" was the first feature length film generated entirely by computers, and Pixar's first dive into theatrical films. The movie opens as young Andy turns 7. The undisputed leader of Andy's toys, a 50's cowboy doll named Woody (Tom Hanks), finds himself challenged by the new toy on the block, "space ranger" Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen). When Woody's plan to get rid of Buzz backfires, the two find themselves lost in the suburbs. Woody and Buzz relize they have to work together to get back to Andy's, and they eventually become the best of friends. The humor and animation is terrific, and a great start for Pixar. This lead to several other successes, such as A Bug's Life and Finding Nemo.

Now on to "the vaults". Disney is trying to squeeze every last penny out of the cash cow, and have the two Toy Story films under lock and key, no doubt so they can sell millions of "Special Editions" in five years. Once again, Disney appalls me with their unmatched corperate greed. In conclusion, Toy Story is an excellent film and a true must-see.

The Secret Lives of Toys Revealed
"Toy Story" is a modern fairy tale created with appropriately modern computer animation. Its snappy dialougue will appeal to adult viewers, the spectacle of fantastic toys coming to life will appeal to children, and adults may wax nostalgic about the toys they enjoyed as children, several of which are featured in this movie.
The story revolves around a cowboy doll named Woody, and his imminent replacement as the favorite toy of his owner, Andy, by Andy's new Buzz Lightyear doll, a multigadgeted gift that Andy receives for his birthday.
Tom Hanks'personality shines through in the persona of Woody, and Tim Allen's voice lends the right amount of charisma to Buzz.
In the process of forming an eventual friendship, the characters go through a lot of antagonism and a lot of other real human emotions. As they prepare for life in a new home, they are imperiled by the sadistic kid next door named Sid, into whose clutches they fall by accident.
It's entertaining to watch the toys interact with each other.
Buzz gradually learns that he is simply a child's plaything and not the noble space crusader he fancied himself to be in the beginning, and Woody learns to share his special place in Andy's heart. A great supporting cast including Annie Potts as Woody's sweetheart, Bo Peep, Don Rickles as Mr. Potato Head, Jim Varney as Slinky, Wallace Shawn as Rex, John Ratzenburger as Ham, and Laurie Metcalfe as Andy's mother help fuel this tale.
Seeing this innovative film made me want to buy dolls of Woody and Buzz as collector's items. But I am content with just a copy of this movie. The second installment of the "Toy Story" saga is an enhancement of the first one, and just like the first, nothing short of delightful.

Original and fun for the whole family!
This movie took me by storm when I saw it back in the summer of 1995 at the theatres and let me tell you, this movie is still one of the best computer animated movies of all time. In fact this movie shattered new grounds back in 1995 by not using drawing cel animation and instead this movie is the first of an unbroken chain of computer generated animated movies that has continued to date with "Finding Nemo".

The plot is absolutely joyful and stunningly original. The story revolves around the quiet family home of a quiet town where a boy owns numerous toys with his toddler sister. The toys however, are almost like beings of their own and are 'living' as well but stop 'moving' when the boy comes back into his room. However, a cowboy named Tim is the most popular 'toy' in the boys bedroom and is kept by the pillow almost every night until on his birthday, he gets a fancy astronaut toy named Buzz Lightyear who has many 'gizmos' and in time takes over the toy cowboys place as the most popular toy and Tim gets enormously jealous of this. However, after a botched attempt to remove Buzz, the cowboy himself along with Buzz end up in the hands of a punk teenager who takes joy in blowing up toys with firecrackers and or other means like burning, breaking, or smashing them and/or even taking them apart and re-assembling their parts to create 'mutant' toys and now the clock is ticking for Tim and Buzz to escape from the boys house before they end up being blown to molecules.

This movie is absolutely fun and original even by 1995 standards. The computer generated special effects are innovative and unbelievable especially considereing the fact that this movie came out nearly a whole decade ago. The whole tone of the movie is just fun and charming and is for the entire family. Not only that but this was what put the then newcomers Pixas right into the front seat of movie animation and would be the start of an unbroken streak of excellent movies from this dynamite team.

Computer animation wow. 16th april 2004.
The toys are great, the graphics and scenery is too. The collectables are boys mostly but the film is ace for anyone. The 3D toys look real, the colors are excellent[like finding nemo]. The talking toys are all friends, and they live with their owner andy.

Hit Me With Another One!
Give me another Toy Story and while your at it lets go for a 5th. Wow lets see...Tom Hanks and Tim Alan...Pixar and Disney...Go get it or miss out! ... Read more

Reviews (34)

A perfect classic cartoon, and also many good lessons
If your kids love classic animated movies, without any computer effects, and too many intense scenes, then buy 'Charlotte's Web'!
Debbie Reynolds are the charming and wise spider Charlotte, that saves the young pig Wilbur's life, Wilbur is perfectly voiced by Henry Gibson, all the songs gives the kids many lessons, just like all the songs in 'Land Before Time' do, the animation is not getting up beside Disney, but if you like old fashioned cartoons, 'Charlotte's Web' is a must have for all ages!

A Timeless Masterpiece!
This is one of the best stories ever written, and this adaptation does it great justice. My daughter, 3, has watched it for over 4 months now and knows every song, every bit of dialog, and enjoys it over and over. And I'm so happy with the warmth of the story, the animation, how well each song fits into the story line. It's simply charming!! The animals' voices are wonderful!! Debbie Reynolds is a noble and nurturing Charlott, Henry Gibson is a perfect Wilbur, Agnes Moorehead is a hilarious stuttering goose, and who else but Paul Lynde could play Templeton the Rat with such panache?? (I don't know who does the sheep's voice, but he's also well cast). If you have smaller children, you can't do without this video!!

Picture remastering poor, sound mono as if from a synd tape
They need to take a new transfer from Paramount's original interpositive, and remix the music and effects tracks into Stereo utilizing Paramount's original 3-track music and effects masters as they did for Paramount's other classic treasure, Willie Wonka.

This DVD is only better than it's 12-inch LaserDisc cousin due to the widescreen transfer. However, the color is poor, the print they took the transfer from appears severely damaged in several places, the film jitter and weave is completely unwatchable. The sound is monaural and appears to be color-matched and sound equalized to look and sound good on the TV's of the early 70's when the film came to home video the first time. It's as if someone played a 16MM classroom print of the film on a classroom projector, aimed a camera and a microphone at the classroom projector and then used that for the DVD master.

Still a Fabulous Movie
Charlotte's Web may be lacking the advanced animation seen in more recent cartoons, but I highly recommend you see it! The story is gentle and inspiring, an endearing tale of the bonds of friendship. Wilbur the Pig is innocent and kind but not so much so that he comes across as boring or stupid. Charlotte the Spider, who becomes his friend, is a fiesty character that rallies the entire barnyard in an effort to save Wilbur from the butcher's block. I especially liked Templeton the Rat, who was voiced by comedian Paul Lynde. Templeton's wry observations made me smile and his grudging participation in the scheme to save Wilbur kept me smiling. I enjoyed this movie almost as much as my children. We rank it high on our favorites list!

The Best Children's Movie Ever
I love Charlotte's Web.I remember as a kid that I use to watch the movie & read the book.At the end of the movie I thought it was sad when Charlotte died.I love Wilbur,Fern,Templeton & the Goose.I love the songs that they have on the movie especially Smorgasbord. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Like a Hardy Boys mystery on steroids, National Treasure offers popcorn thrills and enough boyish charm to overcome its rampant silliness. Although it was roundly criticized as a poor man's rip-off of Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Da Vinci Code, it's entertaining on its own ludicrous terms, and Nicolas Cage proves once again that one actor's infectious enthusiasm can compensate for a multitude of movie sins. The contrived plot involves Cage's present-day quest for the ancient treasure of the Knights Templar, kept secret through the ages by Freemasons past and present. Finding the treasure requires the theft of the Declaration of Independence (there are crucial treasure clues on the back, of course!), so you can add "caper comedy" to this Jerry Bruckheimer production's multi-genre appeal. Nobody will ever accuse director Jon Turtletaub of artistic ambition, but you've got to admit he serves up an enjoyable dose of PG-rated entertainment, full of musty clues, skeletons, deep tunnels, and harmless adventure in the old-school tradition. It's a load of hokum, but it's fun hokum, and that makes all the difference. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (266)

MASTER CODE 405
National Treasure is a far fetched family film, full of fun and adventure.Since there are enough details about this film, I will get to the point.During my first viewing, I was somewhat disenchanted.I thought something was missing.Hmmm, the movie has explosions, chase scenes, a bit of fantasy, pretty neat special effects, etc.; what could be missing.Now I know what's missing - no cursing, crudity, nudity, or offensiveness.

This is a movie, that I can watch with the kids, neighbors, etc., and everyone will have a good time.OK, there are some corny lines that go over the top on the wholesome meter, but hey, that's the joke.I watched the movie for a second time with the trivia track and enjoyed this movie even more.

Once the master code 405 is typed in, all the special features are displayed, including a movie trivia track.The track provides tid bits of information about the key characters, history, and the making of the film, which is worth a viewing.I found the special features utilization to find the code annoying and time consuming.A two second internet search and I was up and running in no time, with the 405 master code.

National Treasure - Recommended for a Night of Family Fun.

Not up to par with Indiana Jones, but still worth the watch!
I missed this movie when it came out in the theaters, and so decided to rent the DVD when it came out. Needless to say, I wish I had seen it while it was still showing. I've always been a fan of U.S history and Indiana Jones, so this was an ideal match. Stunning performance by Justin Bartha; he really provided the comic relief in the movie. The plot was amazing, and each subsequent clue that they found, and each stymie they ran into really rolled the movie along. I thought Nicholas Cage and Diane Krueger (really different from Troy, eh?) did some pretty good acting as well. Sean Bean and the rest of them, well, I thought they could have done better. Overall, this was a fun, exciting movie, and is definitely worth a watch with the family!

Follow Bob's Advice! Ignore the Critics, Enjoy the Film!
I'm beginning to wonder if all critics simply refuse to sit back and be entertained.Does every film have to be The English Patient or Schindler's List?Geez...

Anyway I liked this movie a lot and wasn't bored for a minute.It was nonstop action and no Eff words were heard (hallelujah!) and my 10-year-old son enjoyed it as well, even plugging in the "pipe key" clue near the end.A good, safe movie for Family Night!

Entertaining movie!
Imagine a cross between "Indiana Jones" and "Mission Impossible" and you have some idea of what's in store for you with this movie.Nicholas Cage plays the current generation of a family which long ago was given the secret of the location of the Knight's Templar treasure.Succeeding generations of the family have hunted for the treasure with no success.Cage takes the hunt one step further and discovers that vital clues are on the back of the Declaration of Independence.Unfortunately some of the men who were originally helping him look for the treasure have decided that they want it all to themselves and they plan to get to the Declaration before he does.Throw in a beautiful government agent and an amusing sidekick and you have all of the ingredients for an entertaining evening.Enjoy!

A Fun Movie
I liked this movie. Lots of adventure, history and it reminds me of the Indiana Jones Trilogy. Some of it is a little formulaic and you might roll your eyes when 200+ year old torches light up like they were made yesterday, but the story is intriguing and gets your attention. If you don't know the story line by now it involves Cage as Benjamin Franklin Gates whose Family has been convinced about a massive treasure older than colonized America, hidden away during the revolutionary years. Through each succeding clue he finally learns that there is a map on the back of the Declarition of Independance, the only drawback is his partner has turned on him and is going to steal it for himself. No on in the government will listen to him, so Gates decides he'll steal it first to protect the document and the treasure. Lots of High-Tech action, spooky Mason intrigue and history, although some of it is a little questionable. All in all, definetely recommended. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Success in that newfangled television business prompted Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz to bring their slapstick chemistry to the big screen, courtesy of a 28-foot monster of a trailer home. The Long, Long Trailer is one of those domestic nightmare movies, in which an ordinary couple has their existence upended by a new contraption:in this case, a lemon-yellow motor home. They make the mistake of towing said behemoth to Colorado, a honeymoon journey fraught with tilted axles and Lucy's ill-advised collection of large souvenir rocks. One disaster follows another, with the action rarely rising above the level of a sitcom (MGM's top director of musicals, Vincente Minnelli, is overqualified here). One notable exception:the climactic sequence, a funny-nervous crawl up an 8,000-foot mountain pass. The film was a box-office hit, proving that moviegoers would go to theaters to see a TV star's hair in its natural red color. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (69)

Better than the series
Because fans stayed away from this film in droves, Lucy and Desi never made another movie together. Too bad, because the film is far superior to the series. Credit should go to veteran director Vincente Minelli and his sure hand in balancing the material. Against all odds: Ball's slapstick is drained of usual shrillness, Desi's star is allowed to shine, situation is raised above personality, and peripheral crowd scenes are heightened to hilarious commentary on busybody middle America. In fact, this is one of few 50's movies to capture spirit of a rising middle class: the buoyant optimism, the credit card dependency, the aping of upper class tastes. All is accomplished, nevertheless, with an underlying sweetness that might not be expected from two overaged stars then in the process of subduing the tigers of TV land. Moreover, the choice of a trailer gimmick for the comedy setting was an inspired one. A true little gem and document of its time.

Marvelous!
First, I'd like to clear something up. The reviewer who said Lucy and Desi never made another movie together after this, is wrong. The made one more film, which was 1957's Forever Darling.

In this 1954 comedy, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz light up the screen as newlyweds Tacy and Nicky Collini. Tacy's dream house is a mobile home, although Nicky would rather have a real house. Before their wedding, they decide to purchase a 28-foot long trailer and as soon as they say "I Do," the happy couple hits the road on a cross-country honeymoon. But there are some bumps up ahead.

Lucy and Desi were truly a fantastic duo and it shows in the Long, Long Trailer. This was a wonderful, laugh-out-loud comedy that all fans of I Love Lucy will love!

One of the Best Movies Ever!!
When you need a genuinely good laugh, slip "The Long, Long Trailer" into your VCR. It's sort of an extension of "I Love Lucy" except the characters are Nicky & Tacy Callini instead of Ricky & Lucy Ricardo and it's filmed in glorious AnscoColor instead of boring black and white. This hilarious movie is given the full MGM treatment, with the studio's premiere director at the time, Vincente Minnelli, directing. Starring as well are some of Hollywood's greatest character actors, particularly the fabulous Marjorie Main. Also featured are some beautiful scenes of Yosemite National Park and the mountains of California. And that yellow 1953 Mercury Monterey convertible is one of my personal favorites of the film. Another amusing highlight is hearing Lucy and Desi sing "Breezing Along With the Breeze", accompanied by the lush, 100-piece MGM symphony orchestra. This is one classy motion picture! "The Long, Long Trailer" was one of 1954's top box office hits and was MGM's most successful comedy in the studio's then 30-year history. That's quite impressive considering people could stay home and watch Lucy and Desi for free on television. So DO get this video. You'll watch it- and laugh- over and over again. In fact, I'm gonna go watch it right now. HEY, Warner Home Video -- hurry up with the DVD version of this 1954 MGM sensation. (Warner owns the entire pre-1986 MGM library.)

The trailer called "Nightmare"

Director: Vincente Minnelli
Format: Color
Studio: Warner Studios

Cast:

Lucille Ball ...
Desi Arnaz ... Nicholas 'Nicky' Collini
Marjorie Main ... Mrs. Hittaway
Keenan Wynn ... Policeman
Gladys Hurlbut ... Mrs. Bolton
Moroni Olsen ... Mr. Tewitt
Bert Freed ... Foreman
Madge Blake ... Aunt Anastacia
Walter Baldwin ... Uncle Edgar
Oliver Blake ... Mr. Sudloy
Perry Sheehan ... Bridesmaid
Edgar Dearing ... Trailer Park Manager
Robert Anderson ... Carl Barrett

Frank Gerstle ... Gas Station Attendant
Charles Herbert ... Little Boy
Donald Kerr ... Flagstone Station Attendant
Jack Kruschen ... Mechanic
Norman Leavitt ... Driver
Alan Lee ... Mr. Elliott
Peter Leeds ... Garage Manager
Karl Lukas ... Inspector
Howard McNear ... Joe Hittaway
Bert Moorhouse ... Car Salesman
Christopher Olsen ... Tommy
Emory Parnell ... Policeman
Phil Rich ... Mr. Dudley
Fay Roope ... Judge
Dennis Ross ... Jody
Herb Vigran ... Trailer Salesman

Emmett Vogan ... Mr. Bolton
Wilson Wood ... Garage Owner
Howard Wright ... Uncle Bill
Dallas Boyd ... Minister
John Call ... Shorty
Richard Alexander ... Bald Shopper in Bungalette Trailer
Ruth Lee ... Mrs. Tewitt
Ruth McDevitt ... Mrs. Vagabond
Ida Moore ... Candy Store Clerk
Dorothy Neumann ... Aunt Ellen
Janet Sackett ... Kay
Judy Sackett ... Dotty
Edna Skinner ... Maude Barrett
Sarah Spencer ... Tacy's Girl Friend
Connie Van ... Grace
Ruth Warren ... Mrs. Dudley
Geraldine Carr ... Tacy's Girl Friend
Juney Ellis ... Waitress

If you are one of the millions who loved Lucy, you'll love the Long, Long Trailer!

Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz were one of the great comedy teams, and The Long, Long Trailer was one of their most successful films.

Before their marriage Tacy Bolton and Nicky Collini decide (well, Tacy decides and Nicky goes along, reluctantly) to buy a trailer so that she can follow him and make a home for him while he travels to construction sites. Unfortunately, he has never pulled a long trailer and it proves almost too much for him, not to mention that it is a "budget buster."

This is a typical situation comedy of the type that Lucy and Desi did so well. A laugh a minute is guaranteed!

Joseph (Joe) Pierre

author of Handguns and Freedom...their care and maintenance
and other books

Lucy and Desi at their best!
This is one of my favorite films of all time. If you have the chance to see it, make sure you do! Gotta love that 8,000 foot mountain! I love Lucy....and I always will! ... Read more

Amazon.com

When New York theatrical producer Joseph Papp decided to bringGilbert and Sullivan to Broadway, he added typically broad, bold strokes to maketheir singular operetta format meaningful to 1980s audiences.In ThePirates of Penzance, Papp had a story that offered a mixture of potential action and comedy that was less arcane than other G&S chestnuts, which Papp's production underlined by playing up its antic conflict betweenits hapless, titular pirates and the citizens of Penzance, the Cornish town targeted for plunder.Adding to the new production's mainstream allurewas the theatrical debut for erstwhile country-rock siren Linda Ronstadt asthe virginal Mabel, along with a plum role for another putative popheartthrob, Rex Smith, as the "good" pirate, Frederic.

Naturally, such amendments piqued complaints from self-appointed G&S purists, for whom the duo's original satirical edge and theatrical innovation were obscured (if not ossified) by their canon's patina of respectability.Happily, for the rest of us, Papp's cheeky revisionsare generally on the money, and this 1983 film version preserves them with unusual fidelity.Instead of opening up his production with location shooting or intricate editing, director Wilford Leach savors theartifice of its stage sets and hokey, colorful costuming, celebrating thegenre's proud theatrical legacy.

The cast, meanwhile, tears into the farcical plot with elan, led byKevin Kline as the Pirate King, a role perfect for his skill at lampooning masculine bravado (not to mention his underexposed, generally strong singing).Broadway veteran George Rose proves the very model of themodern Major-General Stanley, and Angela Lansbury, added to the film's castfor marquee value, again shows her mettle as the ditzy maid, Ruth. Ronstadt justifies Papp's gamble, having trained rigorously to meet Sullivan's acrobatic melodies--indeed, this project marked her commitment to grow beyond rock, confirmed with her subsequentexploration of classic pop with arranger-conductor Nelson Riddle. --Sam Sutherland ... Read more

Reviews (78)

Not Classic G&S, but Great, Nonetheless
This version of 'Penzance' isn't in classic Gilbert and Sullivan style. However, I fully enjoyed it.
Angela Lansbury plays Ruth very well. She incorporates a Scottish accent, giving her role a very homely and authentic feel. Her voice is superb.
Kevin Kline's Pirate King probably steals the show. He has a certain wittiness to his role, while at the same time being, plainly, stupid. Probably, he is the funniest out this, all in all, very funny movie.
George Rose plays Major General Stanley very well also. In his rendition of the perpetual classic, "I am the Very Model of a Modern Major General", he is topped by none other. The version is slightly adapted from Gilbert and Sullivan's original, with a presto-agitato ending flourish.
As Mabel, Linda Rondstadt has great vocals, reaching every high note perfectly. I noticed, though, her acting skills were highly below par.
Tony Azito plays a very comical Sergant. His vocals are a bit too nasally and over-comic, but his acting is flawless. All of his movements seem to flow together very well forming a VERY funny carachter.
All in all, this is probably the best version of 'Pirates' out there. Everything meshes very well. Buy it!!!

A Delightful Romp
Unlike a previous reviewer, I am a long-time Gilbert and Sullivan lover who loved this movie--I first saw it some 15 years ago, and I waited for many years for it to come out on video. Needless to say, when I finally bought a VCR, I bought this as soon as I could find it.

The three key roles in Pirates are the Major General, the Pirate King, and the Sergeant of Police. All are well cast here. Tony Azito has a bit less vocal heft than a true Savoyard would like in the Police Sergeant's role, but he is superb at the physical comedy the role demands. George Rose is a superb Major General (that's, in Anna Russell's immortal phrase, "the little man who prances around and sings the patter song.") Best of all, Kevin Kline turns in a terrific performance as the Pirate King, showing once again what a wonderfully versatile actor he is.

Of the rest of the cast, Linda Rondstadt and Rex Smith, as the young lovers, are good. As Mabel, Rondstadt's job is primarily to sing with gusto, which she certainly does. G&S purists may be annoyed by Smith's casting as Frederic, since he does not have the pure tenor voice the role calls for, but he acquits himself well in the comic moments.

All in all, this is a movie to be enjoyed over and over. And for any of you out there who don't like it, a suitable penalty has been prepared. Something with boiling oil in it, I fancy. Yes, boiling oil or molten lead.

The Slave of Duty
Kevin Kline who has performed in such diverse productions as "Hamlet" and "A Fish Named Wanda" gleefully buckles and swashes through the role of the Pirate King in Joseph Papp's 1983 movie of "The Pirates of Penzance." He's not a bad singer, either. If you prefer a slightly more British version of this Gilbert and Sullivan character, the Pirate King was once played by Prince Charles when he was a boy at Gordonstoun School in 1967. However, I don't think a movie was made of the Gordonstoun version.

Broadway veteran George Rose is the very model of a modern Major-General, and Angela Lansbury, added to the film's cast for marquee value, mugs a ditzy path through her role as nursemaid-turned-pirate. Linda Ronstadt is a suitably sappy Mabel, and her suitor, Rex Smith is a sexy ex-pirate, although I didn't particularly care for his crooning falsetto.

This is a very lively production, whatever purists might have to say about Papp's borrowing of the 'matter' trio from Ruddigore and Josephine's first act ballad from "H.M.S. Pinafore," not to mention a scene from 'Pinfore' which is turned into an operetta within an operetta at the climax of this movie. Even those of us who are not particularly fond of Gilbert and Sullivan can enjoy this 'Pirates' for its roguish, romping energy (Kevin Kline is a heckuva dancer, too) and spectacular sets. Except for George Rose and Angela Lansbury, the singing is a little hard to understand, but if you really need to understand all of the words get one of the Stratford Festival versions.

This 'Pirates' is too much fun to pass up.

fabulous production of a G & S classic
Anyone who enjoys the wit and merriment of Gilbert and Sullivan will adore this marvelous production. The cast is superb, with Kevin Kline giving us one of his most delectable performances, playing the Pirate King with bravura and remarkable athletic ability. Rex Smith is wonderful as the handsome Frederick; he has a gorgeous tenor voice, with a charming vibrato and fine timbre.
Linda Ronstadt is a cute and demure Mabel, and as her father, the Major-General Stanley, George Rose is a riot. His of course is one of the most famous fast-patter songs ever written, "I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General", and he makes the most of it. Other notable performances are by Angela Lansbury as Ruth, and Tony Azito, who is a terrific dancer, as the Sergeant.

The staging and choreography are top-notch, and I'm especially fond of the sets, which look like three-dimensional paintings, contrasted by usually having running water in each scene. Lovely cinematography (Douglas Slocombe) and excellent direction by Wilford Leach make this one of the best G & S films ever.
Gilbert loved to parody the conventions and society of his time in his lyrics, and Sullivan did the same with grand opera. There are sections of "Penzance" that spoof Verdi's "Il Trovatore" and "La Traviata".

The official premiere was in 1879 in New York City, and the opera still sparkles with cleverness, its silly plot devices are still inanely funny, and the characters still lovable.
The subtitle to the opera is "The Slave of Duty", and the story concerns a boy who was mistakenly apprenticed to pirates by his nurse, who hard of hearing, thought her master said "pirate" instead of "pilot"; when he meets Mabel, feelings, sense of duty, and being born on February 29th (one of those silly plot devices !) collide, and chaos ensues.
This performance, based on the N. Y. Shakespeare Festival production, will thoroughly delight anyone who appreciates Gilbert and Sullivan, and Kevin Kline fans will love to see yet another facet of his talent. Total running time is 1 hour and 52 minutes.

Pleasingly fun
Pirates of Penzance is a truly special production to be sure. The comical performance by Rex Smith makes up for any poor singing, Linda Ronstadt's graceful tones and beauty adds a gentle touch and Kevin Cline took even my Father by surprise with his athletic movement and deep tones. But I can not possibly leave out the policemen, they did a remarkable job as well and gave the later half of the video the spark it needed.
Alright, I will admit my Mother left the room after half to read her emails and my Father was nearly asleep, but neither hurdles stopped me from watching it more than once everyday for over a week until I had to return it to it's anxious owners. Over all, though I'm no expert, I consider it a must see for anyone who simply wants to sit back enjoy a laugh and maybe even sing-a-long. ... Read more

Reviews (337)

The happiest sound in its best version yet!
Reviled by some, beloved by many, consistently referred to as the most popular movie musical ever made, THE SOUND OF MUSIC more than fulfills the promise of its beautiful visuals and expert song numbers on home video via DVD. This edition tops the 1995 laserdisc by allowing the sparkling, exemplary design of its 70mm. Todd-AO frame to be exhibited with increased sharpness and resolution. The 4.1 Dolby Digital soundtrack is powerful and clean, but since this film was originally mixed for six-track magnetic stereo, it's curious why the effort wasn't made by Fox to split the surrounds! Nonethless, the film sounds terrific. The extra features make this package a bargain at the price. Full length commentary by director Bob Wise, with the musical numbers presented sans vocals, is a great touch. And the two documentaries are beautifully presented; full of facts and bits of arcane information that any fan will truly enjoy. A great movie, and a great DVD rendition. More like this, PLEASE!

Wonderful!!! One of the Best Musicals Ever Made!!!
First of all, I'd like to confess that I've probably watched this movie more than one hundred times in my lifetime.

"The Sound of Music" is such a popular movie that people can't enough of making fun of it, which is understandable: I mean, a nun, seven children, songs by Rodgers and Hammerstein, and Austrian landscape. In reality, most of these people probably haven't sat down and watched this movie, because it is an absolutely unforgettable experience.

Julie Andrews is absolutely magical as Maria. When she runs on the mountaintop and starts singing the famous lyrics "The hills are alive...," it sends chills down my spine to this day. Christopher Plummer cuts a good figure as the captain but gave a rather stiff performance: he doesn't bring anything extra to the role. Eleanor Parker, as the Baroness, was wasted--a role like that was far beneath her talents. But the children were all wonderful, especially Charmian Carr who was charming as Liesl.

This movie is ultrasentimental and proud of it. But I'll stick with this rather than some of those one-dimensional slasher flicks which are in fashion these days. It has a plausible story, some of the world's most remembered songs, and the glorious Austrian and Swiss Alps in the background. Overall, I can't say anything other than I loved it.

The Hills Are Alive...Now and Forever
No matter how many times you've seen this 1965 musicalization of the 1959 stage classic, it's still a joy to behold. For me, there are many reasons. On location filming in Saltzburg heightens the story's magnitude. The casting of Julie Andrews as Maria Von Trapp was a coup for both 20th Century Fox and director Robert Wise. She's magnificent and ever so professional. Back then, this was only her third Hollywood movie. But she's a pro from start to finish. Everything she does it fraught with such emotion and conviction, you'd swear she was Maria Von Trapp. Opening up the stage play with several new scenes, sub plots, songs, characters and dialogue also benefits what could have been a very sticky situation. Finally, there's the DVD itself. This is the widescreen version that was shown back in theaters when the film first opened. It includes the intermission and the Act II opening music. With no formatting for television, you get to see everything in all it's technicolor glory. On video, half the Von Trapp children didn't fit on the televsion screen. Musical numbers lost there scope as did scenes where you had 13 characters in one room and only saw 7 on the screen. I highly recommend this DVD. But wait, there's more. The 87-minute documentary is awesome. So are segments showing scenes that were cut and up dates on how the kids look today.

Incredible movie, must see, but don't buy the one disc
First off. Think you have seen the Sound of Music? Well you haven't. I thought I had, many times. Of course it was always around Xmas with the commerical breaks. But that is a much edited version. There are small but significant cuts everywhere in that version. So this is a great thing to have. My 3 stars relates directly to the lack of extras on the one disc. The movie is 5+ stars, but the lack of extras warrants the 3 stars.

So this is a must buy. Also the commentary is very good here. But given the price for this on Amazon, just buy the 2 set version. I got the one disc version at a very good price so it is not a bad buy. But for $6 more, why not enjoy the double DVD? This is a must get for any movie fan, and if you are not into the extras, by all means buy this one. This movie, like all of Rogers and Hammerstein's work is emotional without ever being fake or sentimental. It is full of sentiment and completely honest sentiment at that, but never sentimentality. It totally puts to SHAME almost every director and producer and writer working in Hollywood today. Complete and total shame and disgrace. Nothing coming out of Hollywood today can hold a candle to this. Entire director's careers with academy awards can't even begin to even compare to just this one movie. So get some version, especially if you have young ones. Sit them down, and let them experience what a real movie can be.

This has been a great thing to share with my daughter.
I grew up with this video and watched it on TV every year. The songs have always stuck in my head. I even did the Sound of Music Tour when I was in Austria. But now I've got my daughter introduced to this beautiful music. This and the Wizard of Oz are her favorites.

I bought the easy piano scores for her to play the songs on the piano, and singing lessons on CD "Voice Lessons TO GO", by Vaccarino (They're great and a lot cheaper than private voice lessons!) for her, (even though I use them when she's at school). So she is confident to sing along while she plays her Edelweis and Do a Dear. We love it. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

They don't make 'em like this anymore. Well, John Waters might, if he ever had a big enough budget. A steamy "inside look" at the alternately sleazy and glamorous world of catfighting, backbiting show-biz starlets, this Hollywood hit from the bestselling novel by Jacqueline Susann is a high-gloss camp artifact--a time capsule (or some kind of capsule, anyway)--from the screwy '60s, when a broad was a broad, a bitch was a bitch (whether "her" name was Neely O'Hara or Ted Casablanca), and a "doll" was a prescription drug. These dames of whine and poses obsessed over their bust lines, booze, and barbiturates. The once-shocking and scandalous language and behavior of these Broadway babes has been eclipsed by Dallas, Dynasty, and Melrose Place, but time has only enhanced the stature of Valley of the Dolls as a classic--and it still puts Showgirls to shame. With Patty Duke, Susan Hayward, Sharon Tate, Lee Grant, Barbara Parkins, and Martin Milner (and juicy, scene-chewing dialogue such as the infamous: "They drummed you out of Hollywood, so you come crawling back to Broadway. But Broadway doesn't go for booze and dope--now get out of my way, I've got a man waiting for me!"), Valley of the Dolls is the Mount Rushmore of backstage movie melodramas. --Jim Emerson ... Read more

Reviews (106)

Patty Dukes it out in Dolls
This is truly the ultimate Camp Classic film of all time. Patty Duke gives a mezmerizing performance as Singer Neely O'Hara and creates an unforgetable character in the process. It is HER film all the way, although Susan Hayward does an excellent job in a supportive Role. And, as Neely O'Hara Patty gets the opportunity to perform such songs as "It's Impossible", "Give a Little More" and of course the memorable "Come Live With Me". Just for these moments alone, the film is worth viewing. It will be interesting to see if the DVD will contain some out-take footage for the film's many many fans to see. Judy Garland, who originally was slated to portray Helen Lawson, was too ill at the time of filming to complete her scenes. Thus, Susan Hayward was called in to replace her and does a good job with the tough-as-nails Helen Lawson character. If you want to be totally entertained and mezmerized, buy or rent this video. And remember, you're not nutty, you're just hooked on Dolls.

RELIVE THE MOVIE IN YOUR CAR OR W/ YOUR WALKMAN!
I would most definitely recommend this soundtrack for anyone is who is a big fan of the movie! The music is perfectly matched to each scene and when you listen to the soundtrack you can, as one of the previous reviewers said, picture each scene in your mind. I get a good chuckle listening to "Neely's Career Montage" and picturing Patty Duke's "workout" and rise to fame! And when I hear "Jennifer's French Movie", I see the beautiful Sharon Tate tossing around under the covers and speaking French! Barbara Parkins's distinguished and elegant narration make the first track a priceless, campy gem that sets the tone for the festivities. While it is disappointing that the title track ("Theme from 'Valley of the Dolls'" - apparently Dionne Warwick's record label had a dispute with the record label that released this soundtrack) and "I'll Plant My Own Tree" are not the versions heard in the film, they still sound similar enough that they manage to convey the same feelings of nostalgic joy! Interestingly enough, the songs Patty Duke's character sings are not really Patty's voice, but the singer they used was a great match for Patty's persona in the movie and both fabulous songs appear here! What more can I say?! If you aren't a big fan of the movie, then this soundtrack probably won't do a thing for you, but if you LOVE the movie like I do, then I a certain you will LOVE this delightfully cheesy soundtrack!

More Quoteable Quotes
I can't resist....More Quotes:

"Ted Casablanca is NOT a fag. And I'm the dame who can prove it."

"You're not the breadwinnah either."

"Tony! Tony! To-neeeeeeeee!"

"Miriam.....I'm pregnant."

"Sparkle Neely...Sparkle."

"She's the one who wanted the kiddies and the vine covered cottage."

"My beautiful little doll. Just one, and one more."

"We're closing now Miss O'Hara."

"Oh God you've got your costume on for the second act!"

"Lyon? He's in the shower. I'll have him call you back."

"I've done pills, booze and a funny farm. I don't need anybody or anything!"

"The song goes, and the kid with it"

"I know all about run-of-the-play contracts."

"Neely, just a few short years ago you were an unknown little girl singing for her supper. Now because of the lush, warm notes that have emerged from your throat, you have become the idol of record buyers and movie goers all over America."

I need more than 5 stars
Heck - the quotes alone will cover a page. See if you can add to this list:

"I wanted a marriage like mom and dad's, but not yet. First I want new experiences, new faces, new surroundings. Lawrenceville will be there foreveah."

"I remember the night I told them I was going to New York. They said it was a dreadful place for a vacation. I announced I was going to work there."

"George Washington didn't sleep there but he did dip a bucket of water from our well."

"I can still see them standing there waving. Aunt Amy, Mama and Willie. Poor Willie, he didn't know I was leaving his life forevah."

"Queenie's pregnant again. My Siamese. Drat! I hope its not that beat up black Tom."

"Black Siamese should be very pretty. I'm Anne Wells."

"Oh yes, the agency phoned about you. A BA in Radcliffe. Mr. Bellamy will like that. He will thin it will gives the office tone."

"Don't give her that I loved you when I was a little girl routine or she'll stab you in the back."

"Neely never had that hard core like me. She never learned to roll with the punches."

"Find yourself a wife. Have kids. Or one day you'll wind up alone like me. I wonder what the hell happened?"

"They drummed you right out of Hollywood.....
...so you come crawling back to Broadway"....

Just one of a myriad of oh-so-quotable lines from the classic VALLEY OF THE DOLLS, based on Jacqueline Susann's steamy pulp-fiction bestseller of 1966. The acting is pure cheese, the script is a paler, watered-down imitation of Susann's text and the songs are God-awful. But there is something about this little gem that draws me in time after time. I could easily watch it once or twice a day and never get bored with it.

The story recounts three girls in New York: Anne Welles (Barbara Parkins - BEAR ISLAND), Neely O'Hara (Patty Duke - THE MIRACLE WORKER) and Jennifer North (Sharon Tate).

Anne has just arrived from small-town Lawrenceville, and landed a job as secretary in an entertainment law-firm. This leads Anne to the acquaintance of Neely, a young up-and-coming Broadway singer who's just been dumped from the new musical starring Helen Lawson (Susan Hayward - I WANT TO LIVE). The reason?...Neely would easily steal the show, and the only star of a Helen Lawson show is Helen Lawson...!

Anne also meets Jennifer, a sweet but by her own admission, talentless showgirl/model. Anne's boss Lyon Burke (Paul Burke) arranges for Neely to sing on a charity telethon, and she quickly lands her own revue at a prominent nightclub. Jennifer marries handsome crooner Tony Polar (Tony Scotti) against the wishes of his sister/manager Miriam (Lee Grant - VOYAGE OF THE DAMNED). Anne then gets discovered by a cosmetics firm and becomes the glamorous 'Gillian Girl'.

The story moves to Hollywood where both Neely and Tony are turned into movie stars. Success comes too fast and easily for Neely who disappears into a heady world of dolls and alcohol. Tony is tragically struck down with a mysterious disease which leaves him paralysed in a sanitarium. To make ends meet, Jennifer becomes an adult-film star.

After going through two failed marriages, Neely hits bottom and is admitted into a rehab center, at Lyon and Anne's behest. With the offer of a new Broadway musical, Neely emerges and quickly finds her feet again, only to break Anne's heart when she claims Lyon for herself. Jennifer quits the porn business and discovers she has breast cancer.

At a party for Helen Lawson's new musical, which bombed out-of-town, Neely and Helen duke it out in the ladies' room, resulting in the famous wig-ripping scene, which is probably the greatest piece in the whole film.

Another great moment is Susan Hayward singing "I'll Plant My Own Tree" standing in the middle of a huge mobile, constructed of broken traffic-lights! Margaret Whiting provided Hayward's singing, though the role of Helen Lawson was originally earmarked for Judy Garland (and the song reeks of Garland influence).

VALLEY OF THE DOLLS is a campy little gem, one that has a HUUUGE and dedicated following. Patty Duke has never eaten so much scenery in any of her subsequent films, Sharon Tate is luminous and Barbara Parkins (aka the Living Mannequin) is just what is called for the role of Anne.

VALLEY OF THE DOLLS. A true classic. Accept no substitutes. ... Read more

Reviews (69)

I absolutely love this movie and Michael Pare!!
I have been wild about the first "Eddie" movie since it first came out, and even wilder about this second one! I could never understand when it came out in 1989 why it was not well received at that time. I had a fit over it when I first saw it in the theater. Michael Pare was superb in both of them. I am delighted to see that other fans now are discovering this terrific rebirth of Michael Pare as Eddie and the great music! Wish you could somehow let the producer and Michael Pare know that there are many of us fans out here who want this video re-released so that others can discover it. I believe Michael Pare was somewhat disappointed that it did not do very well when it was first released in movie theaters, and I know he would be so thrilled to know that people are still discovering it and loving it! I, too, have seen it many, many times and never tire of it. Give it to the public again, Amazon!!

The quintessential Rock 'n' Roll movie of all time.
I can't say much that hasn't already been said here. Michael Pare is phenomenal as Joe West/Eddie Wilson, a musician trying to come to grips with both his past and the troubles it has caused for him in the present. The soundtrack is the best I've ever heard for ANY movie. I especially love how throughout the movie Joe West/Eddie Wilson acts as a tutor of sorts for a speed-metal playing, self-flattering guitarist. He bestows gems of wisdom like "Music's gotta live; it's gotta breathe." A true modern-day classic movie. If Amazon can help get this movie on DVD it would be great. I count myself lucky to own an original VHS tape, but having this movie on DVD would be nice.

It's Only Rock & Roll
If it wasn't for John Cafferty's energetic music,Eddie And The Cruisers II would be a total loss.So many times movies about rock bands go south because too much false melodrama and tension are added to pad out the story and plot.Films like the original Eddie And The Cruisers,Light Of Day,Thunder Alley and Breaking Glass are major culprits in that regard,while movies like That Thing You Do!,School Of Rock and The Commitments get it right by making the rock & roll experience fun and something you'd want to be involved with.Eddie II is actually a better film than Eddie I,but that's not saying much.Who would want to be in a band with a brooding (...) dictator of a musician like Eddie Wilson in the first place?He's talented but he's also a major jackass.And why hasn't he aged in 20+ years?He looks fantastic for a guy in his early 50's.Maybe it's the fake sideburns.The whole plotline of the tormented rock star who's inferiority complex drove him to fake his own death is really stretching it.Why didn't he just get a drug addiction and do it for real?Michael Pare doesn't display much range in these films either.He's either sad or mad and has fewer facial expressions than even Keanu Reeves.Besides the music,the only appeal the Eddie films have for this viewer is the Cheese Factor.These movies are so cheesy and bad that they're really fun to watch.Whenever I see 'em on cable I never miss 'em.Eddie lives indeed.

Bring it out on DVD
I totally agree with all the writers who want this brought out on DVD. I have the original Eddie and would love to have this on DVD. VHS is old school. DVD is the new way to go.

If you care about the customer release this on DVD!
I love the frist movie and this one. The frist was released onto DVD, why are you making us wait for this one. VHS is out dated and not used as much as DVD, it would only make sence to make it a DVD. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

My review of The Magic School Bus: For lunch
Let me begin by saying that this is all a fantasy. Or pretty much everything in this video. But maybe again, this all could be not true. First of all shrinking a bus. Now if your teacher let you stay behind while the rest of your class goes on a field trip, would you be happy, and then get suspicious about your teacher letting you stay behind. When The Magic School Bus begins, Arnold (voiced by Danny Tamberlli) is helping Wanda (Lisa Yamanaka) break a record to get two free tickets to action mountain, and to get to get the free tickets, you have to chew gum for over 6 hours. Wanda could have done the chewing, but she got a new filling. But Arnold shallows the gump when Wanda hits, him, she gets kinda mad with him. Then Arnold's teacher Ms. Frizzle (Lilly Tomlin) announces that they are heading for a field trip, and then Ms. Frizzle lets Arnold stay back, but while Arnold enjoys his favorite snack (cheezie wheezies), little does he know that Ms. Frizzle has shrunk the bus and the rest of Arnold's classmates in the bus and the bus goes into Arnold's mouth. Which in real life, could never happen. The class goes really fast though Arnold's digestion system (but it takes over 10 hours to digest). But please remember this is a 30 minute show, and they had to make them go though it really fast. If you or your kids love The Magic School Bus, get this tape, or this would be good to watch if you ever wanted to learn about the digestive system, this would be another good reason to watch, but if you wanted to learn more about the other systems in the body, then you have to find something else to watch or take a trip to learn more about the body.

Our 4 Year Old Loves This Video!
We have purchased this and all other available MSB videos. This one is one of my child's favourites. It focuses on the human digestive system. He has been watching this video since he was 2 and can tell you all about the digestive tract, villi, and the rest. I highly recommend this video and most in this series.

It Was Interesting
It helps me see what's inside you. Sometimes it made me laugh. I recommend for parents to buy it for their kids.

What a ride!
Imagine going for a wild ride from a mouth on down! Thats just what a bus load of kids did! What better way for kids to learn where all that food goes! There is suspense for the adults too! Just how is the producer going to handle the subject of the bitter end? All I can say is they always have the best way of explaning things to kids!

A wonderful introduction to the digestive system
This is a wonderful video for young children. My 4 and 6 year old loved it. It is a descriptive and fun adventure inside the digestive system, showing the process food goes through as it enters our mouth. It is fun and entertaining and the children learn a great deal about digestion. I am a nutritionist and food scientist myself and I recommend this video to all parents. I think this is a great introduction for the children. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Sick? MSB to the rescue!
Ms. Frizzles team of reporter kids is going to get the "inside story". Ralphie is sick with a sore throat and the bus is going in! They see bacteria destroying Ralphie's throat cells. They see white blood cells marking the bacteria with antibodies and consuming them! It is a war worth watching! And when the "backup support" (medicine) arrives the battle is being won! An exiting way for kids to understand what happens in there when they get sick!

A Magic School Bus trip through the body of a child
This video teaches young children about the inner workings of the human body in an entertaining and informative format. It is suitable for pre-schoolers through lower elementary grades. The video is approximately 30 min. in length. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Louis L'Amour's easy voice with its gentle rhythm sets the tone and pace of the film in a spoken introduction to this loping, rambling three-hour-plus TV-movie adaptation of his novels The Daybreakers and Sackett. Sam Elliot stars as the elder Sackett, a nomad hunting and trapping in the mountains who happens upon an ancient treasure. Tom Selleck and Jeff Osterhage are his younger siblings, forced to leave home to avoid a Hatfield and McCoy situation. As the Sackett brothers wind their way across the Midwest prairies and mountains we join them on cattle drives and gold hunts, in gunfights and fistfights, and in a climactic showdown as they find their place in the world. This 1979 film rambles and meanders like a lazy river winding through a beautiful landscape of peaks and plains and forests, punctuated by the occasional gunfight and enlivened by a story that celebrates both the open range and the taming of the towns. Elliot looks almost young but flashes his savage eyes behind a thick black beard, while Selleck's easygoing manner is backed up with a stony-faced determination. The excellent cast includes a veritable who's who of Western character actors: Glenn Ford, Ben Johnson, Gilbert Roland, Gene Evans, Jack Elam, Slim Pickens, L.Q. Jones, Mercedes McCambridge, and Pat Buttram. Followed in 1982 by The Shadow Riders, which reunited the three stars and even a few members of the supporting cast in a tale of three different brothers. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (8)

The late Louis L'Amour wrote this

This is a three hour, two disk barn burner. The late Louis L'Amour (Lamoore) wrote half a library full of Westerns and a few contemporary novels. He churned them out like there was no tomorrow, but he knew of what he wrote. He had been a cowhand, miner, merchant seaman, circus roustabout and a few other things. I think that he said he'd been a U.S. Marine, too, bless his heart. He did the narration on this film.

L'Amour did a bunch of books on the Sackett family of Tennessee, and this is a sort of compilation of some of them. Tell Sackett is the oldest brother (Sam Elliott), Orrin is the middle one (Tom Selleck), and Tyrell was the youngest (Jeff Osterhage). All played their parts very well. The bad guys included (but were not limited to) Jack Elam, Slim Pickens and L.Q.Jones. Mercedes McCambridge played Ma Sackett. Gilbert Roland played a Spanish (read Mexican) land-owner who the anglos were trying to push off his land in the new territory of New Mexico.

I liked the way everyone played their parts, but particularly Sam Elliot, when he was strolling drunkenly down the main street of Pugatorie, singing quietly to himself in his deep bass, "That's the way she goes, first your money and then your clothes..." just before he caught the guy who was trying to roll him, and shaved him with an Arkansas toothpick with a foot-long blade. Shaved his mustache clean off!

This is a wonderful L'Amour Western. I hope you like it as much as I did.

Joseph (Joe) Pierre

author of Handguns and Freedom...their care and maintenance
and other books

KILLIN DONT MIX WELL WITH A MANS SUPPER BUT THIS MOVIE DOES.
THIS TV MINI SEIRES MAY WELL BE THE LAST GREAT ROUND UP OF WESTERN CHARACTER ACTORS, AND WHAT A LOSS THAT IS.
THE SUPPORTING CAST READS LIKE A WHOS WHO OF COWBOY GREATS; SLIM PICKENS, JACK ELAM, BEN JOHNSON, GLENN FORD, BUCK TAYLOR AND OTHERS, MOST OF WHICH HAVE GONE TO THAT GREAT CORRAL IN THE SKY.
CONTEMPORARY ACTORS SAM ELLIOTT AND TOM SELLECK STAR IN THIS STORY OF BROTHERS DISCOVERING THE AMERICAN WEST AND EACH OTHER IN THE PROCESS.
BASED ON LOUIS LAMOURS NOVEL "THE DAYBREAKERS" 'THE SACKETTS'
IS A CLASSIC SHOOT EM UP WITH ROMANCE AND SUSPENSE THROWN IN FOR GOOD MEASURE.
THE DIALOUGE IS GREAT, ESPECIALLY THE SCENES WITH SAM ELLIOTT.
AS ELLIOTS CHARACTER ENJOYS A STEAK WITH FELLOW PROSPECTOR BEN JOHNSON, A YOUNG UPSTART GUNSLINGER INTERUPPTS CHALLENGING THEM TO A WALK DOWN.
WITHOUT LOOKING UP FROM HIS PLATE ELLIOTT WARNS THE WANNE BE OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF PUSHING HIS LUCK.
BUT THE PUP IS INSISTANT TO WHICH ELLIOTT REPLIES, FINALLY LOOKING AT THE KID."YOURE FIXIN TO MAKE ME TAKE HOLD OF THAT PISTOL (WHICH SITS ON THE TABLE) AND THEN ILL HAVE TO KILL YA.....AND KILLIN DONT MIX WELL WITH A MANS SUPPER."
IT DONT GET ANY BETTER THAN THAT.
GLENN FORD PLAYS CONVINCINGLY AS AN EX LAWMAN GUNFIGHTER WHO BECOMES OBSSESSED WITH HATRED AND DIES BECAUSE OF IT.
THE ONLY DOWNSIDE TO THIS HORSE OPERA IS THE 1979 T.V. CINEMATOGRAPHY WHICH LEAVES A LOT TO BE DESIRED. OTHER THAN THAT IT IS TOP NOTCH WESTERN ENTERTAINMENT.

Response to Disappointed
I am watching a very fuzzy VHS recording from the early 90's and basically all I am getting is the audio, I decided I wanted it all and visited this site to purchase a copy of the video (hoped DVD) and encountered this review which I couldn't resist responding to. The movie follows what I remember of the L'Amour books (about to pull out of storage) which took their own sweet time in describing the characters & scenery. I admit, I didn't watch the whole recording, but from what I heard I thought it followed true to tradition, as well as a movie could.
Tim.

Disappointing.......
I've had this video for several years, and watched it again last night, after a break of about a year. I am a die hard fan of both Louis L'Amour books, and western movies, and thought a Louis written movie with this strong a cast would be totally first class.

Wish I could say it was. It's too long by about a third, which gives it a plodding, almost boring feel in places. It's obvious why this excessive padding had to happen. This was a TV project, not a theatrical movie, and they had to make it long enough to cover two nights viewing. With a few exceptions the actors seem to be pretty much just going thru their paces, waiting for somebody else to seize the moment. The one exception to this was Glenn Ford - he did a superb job. Of the other actors, Sam Elliot was probably the most believable.

The movie is very predictable for the most part. The obligatory love interests for all 3 Sacketts, for example. Then there is the final showdown: 3 good-guy brothers, with best buddy, take on the bad guy brothers, accompanied by numerous backup bad guys. In and around the livery stable, no less. Did the Sacketts change their first names to Wyatt, Morgan, and Virgil, with Doc thrown in for good measure? Then all four good guys stroll triumphantly down the street, side by side. Couldn't see Gary Cooper anywhere, tho.

Also a good part of the script is devoted to building up the racist, rich Anglo as number one bad guy, and the suspense builds as he prepares for war against the Spanish speaking citizens of Santa Fe. Then a couple of his hired guns sing like canaries to Sheriff Sacket and racist rich Anglo bad guy is meekly led off in handcuffs by the Feds, and this entire plot switcheroo happens and is over within about a minute. Soaring plot line ends with a resounding thud. And his more beautiful than life blonde daughter? One of the Sackett love interests? What happens to her? Left standing on the sidewalk as daddy is led away........ Hollywood abandoning a damsel in distress? Heresy.......

Most disappointing, tho, for me, was the lack of attention paid to historical accuracy, especially for a Louis project. Model 1873 and 1892 Winchesters in 1869? Don't think so.....

It IS well filmed, with gorgeous settings. All in all, this is an ok movie, but could and should have been so much more.

The Sacketts
I personally knew Louis L'Mamour and have ever book that he has ever written. The reason I'm trying to order this video now is because I have litteraly worn out the original I got when it first came out. I also have all the other videos that were based on his books but I feel like The Sacketts was on to the best based on his book. From the Four Corners where most of his books were written about an avid fan from Southwest Colorado. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

There is greatness in film that can be discussed, dissected, and talked about late into the night. Then there is genius that is right in front of our faces--we smile at the spell it puts us into and are refreshed, and nary a word needs to be spoken. This kind of entertainment is what they used to call "movie magic," and there is loads of it in this irresistible computer animation feature. Just a picture of these bright toys on the cover of Toy Story looks intriguing, reawakening the kid in us. Filmmaker John Lasseter's shorts (namely Knickknack and Tin Toy, which can be found on the Pixar video Tiny Toy Stories) illustrate not only a technical brilliance but also a great sense of humor--one in which the pun is always intended. Lasseter thinks of himself as a storyteller first and an animator second, much like another film innovator, Walt Disney.

Lasseter's story is universal and magical: what do toys do when they're not played with? Cowboy Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks), Andy's favorite bedroom toy, tries to calm the other toys (some original, some classic) during a wrenching time of year--the birthday party, when newer toys may replace them. Sure enough, Space Ranger Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) is the new toy that takes over the throne. Buzz has a crucial flaw, though--he believes he's the real Buzz Lightyear, not a toy. Bright and cheerful, Toy Story is much more than a 90-minute commercial for the inevitable bonanza of Woody and Buzz toys. Lasseter further scores with perfect voice casting, including Don Rickles as Mr. Potato Head and Wallace Shawn as a meek dinosaur. The director-animator won a special Oscar for "the development and inspired application of techniques that have made possible the first feature-length computer-animated film." In other words, the movie is great. --Doug Thomas

... Read more

Reviews (81)

Toy Story
1995's "Toy Story" was the first feature length film generated entirely by computers, and Pixar's first dive into theatrical films. The movie opens as young Andy turns 7. The undisputed leader of Andy's toys, a 50's cowboy doll named Woody (Tom Hanks), finds himself challenged by the new toy on the block, "space ranger" Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen). When Woody's plan to get rid of Buzz backfires, the two find themselves lost in the suburbs. Woody and Buzz relize they have to work together to get back to Andy's, and they eventually become the best of friends. The humor and animation is terrific, and a great start for Pixar. This lead to several other successes, such as A Bug's Life and Finding Nemo.

Now on to "the vaults". Disney is trying to squeeze every last penny out of the cash cow, and have the two Toy Story films under lock and key, no doubt so they can sell millions of "Special Editions" in five years. Once again, Disney appalls me with their unmatched corperate greed. In conclusion, Toy Story is an excellent film and a true must-see.

The Secret Lives of Toys Revealed
"Toy Story" is a modern fairy tale created with appropriately modern computer animation. Its snappy dialougue will appeal to adult viewers, the spectacle of fantastic toys coming to life will appeal to children, and adults may wax nostalgic about the toys they enjoyed as children, several of which are featured in this movie.
The story revolves around a cowboy doll named Woody, and his imminent replacement as the favorite toy of his owner, Andy, by Andy's new Buzz Lightyear doll, a multigadgeted gift that Andy receives for his birthday.
Tom Hanks'personality shines through in the persona of Woody, and Tim Allen's voice lends the right amount of charisma to Buzz.
In the process of forming an eventual friendship, the characters go through a lot of antagonism and a lot of other real human emotions. As they prepare for life in a new home, they are imperiled by the sadistic kid next door named Sid, into whose clutches they fall by accident.
It's entertaining to watch the toys interact with each other.
Buzz gradually learns that he is simply a child's plaything and not the noble space crusader he fancied himself to be in the beginning, and Woody learns to share his special place in Andy's heart. A great supporting cast including Annie Potts as Woody's sweetheart, Bo Peep, Don Rickles as Mr. Potato Head, Jim Varney as Slinky, Wallace Shawn as Rex, John Ratzenburger as Ham, and Laurie Metcalfe as Andy's mother help fuel this tale.
Seeing this innovative film made me want to buy dolls of Woody and Buzz as collector's items. But I am content with just a copy of this movie. The second installment of the "Toy Story" saga is an enhancement of the first one, and just like the first, nothing short of delightful.

Original and fun for the whole family!
This movie took me by storm when I saw it back in the summer of 1995 at the theatres and let me tell you, this movie is still one of the best computer animated movies of all time. In fact this movie shattered new grounds back in 1995 by not using drawing cel animation and instead this movie is the first of an unbroken chain of computer generated animated movies that has continued to date with "Finding Nemo".

The plot is absolutely joyful and stunningly original. The story revolves around the quiet family home of a quiet town where a boy owns numerous toys with his toddler sister. The toys however, are almost like beings of their own and are 'living' as well but stop 'moving' when the boy comes back into his room. However, a cowboy named Tim is the most popular 'toy' in the boys bedroom and is kept by the pillow almost every night until on his birthday, he gets a fancy astronaut toy named Buzz Lightyear who has many 'gizmos' and in time takes over the toy cowboys place as the most popular toy and Tim gets enormously jealous of this. However, after a botched attempt to remove Buzz, the cowboy himself along with Buzz end up in the hands of a punk teenager who takes joy in blowing up toys with firecrackers and or other means like burning, breaking, or smashing them and/or even taking them apart and re-assembling their parts to create 'mutant' toys and now the clock is ticking for Tim and Buzz to escape from the boys house before they end up being blown to molecules.

This movie is absolutely fun and original even by 1995 standards. The computer generated special effects are innovative and unbelievable especially considereing the fact that this movie came out nearly a whole decade ago. The whole tone of the movie is just fun and charming and is for the entire family. Not only that but this was what put the then newcomers Pixas right into the front seat of movie animation and would be the start of an unbroken streak of excellent movies from this dynamite team.

Computer animation wow. 16th april 2004.
The toys are great, the graphics and scenery is too. The collectables are boys mostly but the film is ace for anyone. The 3D toys look real, the colors are excellent[like finding nemo]. The talking toys are all friends, and they live with their owner andy.

Hit Me With Another One!
Give me another Toy Story and while your at it lets go for a 5th. Wow lets see...Tom Hanks and Tim Alan...Pixar and Disney...Go get it or miss out! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Very entertaining! My preschooler can't get enough of it.
This is the very first Magic School bus video I bought for my 3.5 year old. He loves it. He watches it again and again. Now he is hooked on Magic school bus videos. The video shows where honey comes from in an entertaining way that captured his attention. An educational video that invites him to wanting to learn more about it.

Mostly Inaccurate, But Get A Kick Out Of The Fun!
Now, I've enjoyed "The Magic Schoolbus" series since I was a kid (I'm a teen now - get it?). And I must say, its adventure in the beehive is one of the most exciting I've ever seen, which made me so glad to find this episode on video, so that I could share the pleasure I had with my little brother.

The schoolbus "In A Beehive" mainly but vaguely discusses the various tasks of the bees in a typical hive, from the transportation of honey, to the conscientious care of the Queen Bee. Again, most of the facts are inaccurate, coupled with a fictitious plot that "swarms" the whole point of being informative (pardon the pun). But, hey, you still have a great theme song, with the whole class gang, and the ever-adored Miss Frizzle whom I really want to have as my teacher! This "stinging" story of the "pests" in nature still gives a rather endearing tale as to why bees, well, sting. So, it's really no harm to go BUZZ OFF and get this video. Mainly for the little ones, though - the "big" people may just brush this off as childish scientific ridicule. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

This Disney masterpiece from 1940 will hold up forever precisely because it doesn't restrain or temper the most elemental emotions and themes germane to its story. Based on the Collodi tale about a wooden puppet who wants to become a real boy, Pinocchio is among the most magical, mythical, and frightening films to come from the studio in its long history. A number of scenes make permanent impressions on young minds (just ask Steven Spielberg, who quoted the film more than once in Close Encounters of the Third Kind), and the songs ("When You Wish upon a Star") can't be beat. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (107)

A TERRIFIC TREAT FOR THE YOUNG*AT*HEART
Gepetto, a kindly old woodcarver, creates a little puppet boy of pine and names him Pinocchio. Because the old man, who has been generous and good all his life, loves children - but has none of his own - the Blue Fairy brings the marionette to life in order to be a son to him. She tells Pinocchio that in order to be a real boy, he must exhibit the virtues of truth, courage & selflessness...A timeless excursion into the world of classic childhood fantasy, this 194O Disney picture will no doubt be treasured in 2O4O: its theme is too timeless to date badly. The film cost the Disney studio 2.5 million dollars to produce & out of the total 2 million (!) drawings, a mere 3OO,OOO were ultimately used in the finished film. Dickie Jones, who was a child actor who infrequently appeared in OUR GANG comedies, lent his voice for the title character, while Evelyn Venable provided the Blue Fairy with vocal chords. Frankie Darro vocalised Lampwick & Cliff Edwards, as Jiminy Cricket, sang the AA winning song WHEN YOU WISH UPON A STAR. The original story was adapted from the 1882 novel by Carlo Collodi "La Avventure d'Pinocchio".

Magical
The following is an excerpt from an essay I did about Walt Disney. The excerpt is property of Amazon, but the ESSAY is my property. Email me if you want it.

Last night I watched Pinocchio, Disney's second feature-length film and in my opinion one of the studio's best features. Based on the 19th century book by Carlo Collodi, but not half as unpleasant, Pinocchio combines winning animation with great humor and excitement. There are songs, but they're never like the huge production numbers that last four minutes and feature the voice of some up-and-coming princess of pop (who'll be gone in a year) that the studio later adopted with the applicable exception of When you Wish Upon a Star.

The movie takes a sadastic, cruel, heartless little wooden boy (Collodi's character) and turns him into an interesting, 3-dimensional kid with a good heart but who is weak-willed and doesn't always listen to reason. The animation makes brilliant use of the multiplane camera, featuring a sprawling opening sequence in which the viewer practically sees the entire village at night. The characters are colorful and fun (I especially love Honest John Foulfellow and his sidekick Gideon) and the story has never a dull moment. This film is a reminder of the sort of efforts Disney put into their films; the man himself had a great storytelling passion that was lost in later works (Alice in Wonderland, 101 Dalmations). Pinocchio was never as famous as some of the others, and this is unfortunate because it is his masterpiece.

Masterpiece Pinocchio by Luske Hamilton and Ben Sharpsteen
"When you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you

are, anything you heart desires will come to you."

You've heard this song on the Disneyland and Superbowl commercials, but do you remember where it came from?

It came from this cartoon, Pinocchio, Walt Disney's second feature to "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" in 1940.

I repeat 1940!! Wow and to this day ,Pinocchio still stands out as one of the greatest movies of all time.

This opinion is about the 60th anniversay VHS of Pinocchio with THX sound and Remastered visual footage. It even has a bonus at the end about the making of Pinocchio!!! Wow.

This was a Christmas gift for my best friend and she loved it, and I can see why.

Pinocchio is filled with dazzling animation,music and filled with so much fun and happyness that at the end of the movie , you will feel like wishing upon a star youreself.

Pinocchio is about a wooden puppet made by toymaker Geppeto (Christian Rub) who wants his own son.

Geppeto makes one wish, to have his own son. Geppeto gets his wish when the Blue Fairy brings Pinocchio to life!!!

It took nearly 700 animators and technicians to bring Pinocchio to life and the hard work definitely shows!!!

People can say whatever they want about Disney current movies, true they lack a certain magic unlike their cherish cartoon like Pinocchio, but Disney is one of a few companies that has a SOLID record of making Cartoon Classics that are loved by everyone.

The fairy brings Pinocchio to life and promises to Pinoccho (voice of Dickie Jones) that he will remain a real boy if he follows the basic principles that every boy should have.

He has to be loyal, truthful and above fair. She assigns Jiminy Cricket (Cliff Edwards) to be Pinocchio's conscience.

Well it sounds easy at first, but living up to these values is the real challenge here and Pinocchio tries his best to follow them,but since he has just being turned into a boy he doesnt yet know right from wrong.

This is where we meet characters like ,J. Worthington Foulfellow, Stromboli and Barker who take advantage of the young boy.

Jiminy Cricket and the fairy save Pinocchio from his judgement calls ,but yet Pinocchio doesnt learn to tell the truth and when he lies his nose starts to grow like a Christmas tree. :-)

Meanwhile Geppeto is looking for Pinocchio and ends up being captured by a giant whale Monstro!!!

Pinocchio saves Geppeto in a brillian animation sequence and Pinocchio by displaying bravery ends up being a real boy permanently.

It's a classic, I can say more but I dont want to spoil it for anyone

In an age, where moral, brilliant, wholesome cartoons are scarce you look back to the classics and Pinocchio will forever stand out as one of the greatest classics ever made by Walt Disney who has left his print in the world and in children's hearts.

Go out and buy this for youre children

The Truth Will Set You Free
Almost all Disney movies are based on dreams that became a reality in the end. Here in this movie Gepetto (Wood Carver) who wished for Pinocchio to become a real boy.You may say this is just a movie but it discusses one very important aspect of life. Its very important for young kids to say the TRUTH or you may end up like Pinocchio.When He kept telling lies his nose grew longer eventhough he's been warned by Jiminy Cricket (his conscience)to tell the truth.
It also discusses true friendship and trust. Jiminy Cricket was upset when Pinocchio told him that he's with his best friend (other kid)on Treasure Island, Jiminy thought he is the bestfriend of Pinocchio.
Above all,this is one very touching film.

The Puppet Show
This certainly is not one of my favorite Disney movies. I just really didn't get in to the movie I guess but then I never really cared for this Fairy Tale either.
The voice actors are good and the scenery, and colors are great. But for some reason this one really just didn't hit home for me. ... Read more

Description

This comedic and touching family film follows the adventures of a shy young boy (Haley Joel Osment) who is sent to spend the summer with his eccentric uncles (Michael Caine, Robert Duvall).At first shocked by his uncles' unconventional behavior that includes ordering African lions through the mail, the boy soon becomes enthralled with unraveling the mystery that has followed the uncles for years. Hearing tales of their exotic adventures involving kidnapped princesses, Arabian sheiks and lost treasure, not only brings him closer to his uncles but also teaches him what it means to believe in something... whether it's true or not. ... Read more

Reviews (168)

Something for Everyone.
The best way to describe SECONDHAND LIONS is that it's like an independent art film for families. The movie is a hodge-podge of genres and varies between the sublime to the parodical. The plot revolves around a young boy named Walter and how he ended up being raised by two crazy bachelor uncles in the mid 1960s. The uncles (played by Duvall and Caine) have been missing for forty years and have recently returned to Texas to live out the rest of their days. Rumor has it that the old coots have millions of stolen loot stashed away somewhere and every salesperson and relative within a thounsand miles is trying to get their hands on some of the cash.

Children will like this movie especially for the cheesy flashback scenes that appear to be a cross between Indiana Jones and Saturday morning cartoons. However, cheesy as those scenes appear, they fit for the purposes of the film.

The movie also has something to say about faith and honesty. In fact, this is probably the best film I've seen about faith since SIGNS. It takes faith to believe the unbelievable, but when you find out what you were believing really was true, it becomes even that much more amazing.

Highly recommended for families, old codgers, and eccentrics like myself.

Wonderful family film! Rare these days.
This was a great movie. I just saw it last night -- for the second time. With Robert Duvall, Michael Caine, and Haley Joel Osment, how could they go wrong? But there's many a film out there that boasts a multi-talented all-star cast and yet still fails to deliver the goods.

SECONDHAND LIONS is not one of them.

The story is about young Walter who is just barely in his teens and is sent to live with his two great uncles. He constantly hears rumors of their hidden treasure that they stole from Al Capone, or took from a wealthy Arab, or obtained through a lawsuit, or...whatever you want to believe. Throughout the movie, Walter learns from his uncles, Hub and Garth, how to grow into a man and what the truly important things are in life; and Garth and Hub learn from Walter how to enjoy life to the fullest.

The drama here is fantastic, and only once does the emotionalism get a little over-the-top (which is why I gave it four stars instead of five). The acting is fantastic. In this adventurous film you'll be reminded of images of INDIANA JONES, LAWRENCE OF ARABIA, among many others.

...

I wish every goofball (i.e. summer blockbuster) filmmaker in Hollywood -- you know, the ones that think creative filmmaking means having alot of CGI characters jumping around on skyscrapers and fighting villains in Power Ranger suits -- would simply sit down and watch SECONDHAND LIONS. Then they would know how to make a good movie.

WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE IN?
It was sad for me to see adults pushing their kids in the long-winded queues for Spiderman2 and Pokemon at the local theatre, while this touching entertainer was tossed aside (relatively) to the sidelines.

There is no doubt that Secondhand Lions is a semi-manipulative film, it has its fair share of smarmy feel-good contrivances that betray its zeal to tug at our heart strings. But the quirky mirth of all its characters, the idiosynchratic plotline, and a healthy dose of moving, meaningful moments makes this a very wholesome experience.

Duvall and Caine, as two reclusive millionaire uncles drunk on guns and eccentricity, pitch in very well. Caine warms up to his part in the film first, but the screen is really owned by a very fit Duvall, who soon becomes the pivotal character in the film as the uncle that the kid (Hailey Osment) turns to for advice. Osment does remarkably well to hold his own against these two big tykes. A barnful of cute animals and a truckful of drooling relatives round up the doozy cast.

Some fantastic (literally) flashbacks form an interesting trope for the movie's core message: that in our lives having conviction in things we may doubt to be untrue is ultimately a critical virtue. This leads to a somewhat corny twist at the end but it's an interesting one to make the point. There's plenty of action and some amusing gags that even evoked loud guffaws in the theatre.

All in all, whether you have kids or not, but especially if you do, this deserves a recommendation of the highest order.

Best Family Movie in a long time
I loved this movie. Laughed and cried. I do not usually buy movies, I only own three - we rent alot, but this was a must have. It is the best family movie we have seen in a very long time. I can't wait to see it again.

Wow (for sure)
I cannot understand why Amazon uses paid reviewers who are afraid to like the films they review and don't even bother to see many of them, as indicated by the errors of fact in the second quoted review. Make no mistake, folks, this is the real thing: a truly mesmerizing family film that is able to be humorous, scary, thrilling and inspiring - frequently all at the same time. How many years has it been since three generations of your family were able to repeatedly laugh and cheer loudly for a film? This is in the rare class of films that will go on and on, like Wizard of Oz, Shane, Dragonslayer, High Noon, Miracle on 34th Street, and a very few others, except that it is better than several of them. It is a film for all time and all ages. It is definitely not just a "kid's picture". Perhaps I am partial to "modern legends." I think we all are. ... Read more

Reviews (51)

The Sap Head
This l949 black and white movie still looks good. It has a screenplay written by ultra-individualistic Ayn Rand, based on her classic novel. But other than everyone being complete miscast and the film looking nothing like the book, this is a major dissapoint to this faithful Randist. Director King Vidor initially wanted Greta Garbo as Dominique but of course she refused. John Garfield was mentioned as Howard Roark. He would have been fantastic. Instead, they got laconic, low-keyed, much too old Gary Cooper who always made you think of a straw-sticking-out-of mouth cowboy. Patricia Neal simply ain't no Dominique Francon. Edward Carrere was the production designer, capturing nothing of hte grandeur of over-the-top architecture described in the book. William Cameron Menzies (who had designed Gone with the Wind, King's Row) should have designed this flick. Art direction should have been genius Anton Grot, instead of insipid william Kuehl. (Grot was the genius who designed the now legendary, nearly surreal sets of the Bette Davis/Paul Henreid camp classic, "Deception" with its football sized penthouse of the supposedly poor, struggling Bette--"I had to take in piano students!") Miles Anderson costume designs for "Fountainhead" were uninspired. Why didn't they get--again from "Deception"--the fabulous Bernrd Newman? Max STeiner actually did the film score but you'd never know it? He also created a masterpiece with his musical of Bette Davis' greatest film, the l949 "Beyond the Forest." They should remake this film today, have mature actors in the roles, not the MTV brat pack. Rand supposedly had a bloody time trying to keep her screenplay from being watered down--which it was.

Pressure can have unintended consequences . . .
Is what Howard Roark (Gary Cooper) tells Dominique Francon (Patricia Neal) about her fireplace. They're talking about er...marble.

This is in a scene which occurs shortly after their first encounter, when Dominique spots Roark and his muscular forearm working at a quarry operating a drilling machine into the stone.

After a long and prolongued silence which ranks among the best moments in cinema, she asks, from her height above the pit: "Why are you looking at me?" Roark replies: "For the same reason you're looking at me."

And if you think that's a good moment, wait till Roark's climactic speech to the jury. Over five minutes long. (What! A movie audience sitting still through a speech? Impossible!) and absolutely spellbinding.

The film version of Ayn Rand's bestselling novel was directed by the expressionist master, King Vidor, and the screenplay written by, of all people, Ayn Rand.

Who, during a pre-production party accosted Jack L. Warner and warned him that if he cheapened or otherwise dumbed down her work, she would dynamite his studio. She nmeant it. Jack smiled and gave her a cigar.

The Fountainhead is the story of a hero who wins.

By hero, we mean an uncompromising man of genius and absolute integrity. This seems as far fetched to us as Cyrano fighting a hundred armed swordsmen---and winning! (Rostand was a major influence for Rand ) It's clearly impossible. He's not in Russia, so he won't be shot, it's not that explicit--it's America, he's bound to quietly fade into obscurity and failure. It would be naive to suppose otherwise, so how can this be a triumph instead of a tragedy?

Thematically that's the question that Roark's alter egos Gail Wynand (Raymond Massey) and Dominique Francon ask themselves. Gail is the billionare owner of an "Enquirer" type of news rag who rose from poverty by giving the suckers what they wanted. He lives by the credo "Oppress or be oppressed."

Dominique wants to want nothing, the logical credo of a beautifull woman who is convinced that beauty and greatness have no chance at all in this world. We first meet her as she's destroying of a statue of a Greek god. She's fallen in love with it and can't bear the pain of neeeding it, or anything else.

As usual with Rand, these are tortured giants, not the "folks next door"

Critics of Rand are right in stating that they are improbable beings. (Name a great man or woman of history who isn't).

Roark does make Conan the Barbarian look like a wimp by comparison. But you see, that's the fun of it. As are her villains, who are NOT romanticized ( forget "Bonnie and Clyde" , "The Godfather" and the rest of zillions of ever so cool bad guys we've been fed by Hollywood for decades) they are chilling parasites, exemplified in the character of Ellsworh Toohey.

I'ts Ayn Rand, people. Teenage girl sexual fantasies out of Danielle Steele combined with the mind of an Aristotle! A strange but wonderfull combination.

And as to Cooper, Neal and Massey, their acting is phenomenal. Perfect casting and flawless directing by Vidor.

A true classic.

You don't need to know about the book to enjoy this film
While it was based on Ayn Rand's book, Ayn Rand personally altered the story to adapt it to film. It is a great movie that really makes the viewer think about many things including individualism, selfishness, and even what is right and wrong. For many people who take these notions as given from a very young, questioning them with an adult mind is a good idea. If you enjoy this movie, be sure to pick up and read some of Ayn Rand's non-fiction.

Absolute Hookum and a pure joy!
As an Architect, my opinion is biased by actual experience in this field, but, this movie made me laugh so hard the first time I saw it, it became one of my all time favorites. No architect I have ever met acted anywhere near as self rightious as Roarke, they'de be working at MickieD's the rest of there lifes, as NO ONE would ever hire them, not even to clean pools. Architecture is about knowing your client needs and providing a solution that meets all the requirements of the client, city, and context. That being said, this movies a HOOT!!!

First off, too all the Rand-ites out there, THIS IS A MOVIE! get over the fact that the book is better, every book is better than the movie, thats the nature of the beast.

For the Non-Rand-ites out there, SEE IT SEE IT SEE IT. This movie is a melodramotic potboiler of bad movie bliss. Dont get me wrong, the production values are excellent, its beautifully shot and the cinematography is terrific. The archtectural projects are really spectacular and completely impossible to build, so they are way over the top. But the script is pure Hooey! and the music is sooooo overly-dramatic. Thats what makes this such a great film too watch. Only Ann Rand could take a good novel and cram it into such a laughably compacted screenplay. I felt I has watching cliffnotes from the novel. In the first 5 minutes a year of the story goes by, and the whole film is like that.

There are some very good moments in the film though, topped by Coopers speech to the jury. But the best sceen is after the "drills in the quarry" scene when Patrica Oneill is thinking of Cooper and in the background are images of drills with this completely campy Xylophone music acompanying it. Its one of the most overtly sexual suggestive scenes ever put of film and it hilarious, and dont forget to wait till the end, when you can see the Worlds Greatest 200 story Phallic Symbol ever created on film in the Wymann Building, with Cooper standing on top of course!

Great!!
If you liked the book... get this movie. ... Read more

Reviews (359)

Even After So Much Time Has Gone By
Only Citizen Kane was ranked higher when the American Film Institute announced its list of "America's Greatest Movies." (The Godfather, Gone with the Wind, and Lawrence of Arabia complete the top five.) My own opinion is that AFI ranked Casablanca higher than it deserves. Nonetheless, the film remains immensely popular among critics and film historians as well as so-called movie buffs. It received an Academy Award as best film in 1943, as did Michael Curtiz for directing it. Bogart and Bergman are joined by an especially strong supporting cast (notably Greenstreet, Henreid, Lorre, Rains, and Veidt). There really isn't much to the plot but the dialogue is first-rate. (Philip Epstein, Julius Epstein, and Howard W. Koch shared an Oscar for best screenplay.) It is tempting to over-analyze this film by, for example, devoting excessive attention to American versus European sensibilities during World War II, the conflict between what Rick and Ilsa want to do with what they think they ought to do, etc.

Obviously, the war in progress outside of Rick's cafe cannot be denied although he makes every effort to insulate himself and his clientele from it. There is no shortage of social and political issues and yet, in my opinion, the significance of the film -- and its enduring appeal -- is explained by the development of the relationship between Rick and Ilsa. The final resolution is necessarily somewhat ambiguous, I think, precisely because the relationship between two people in war time faces quite different challenges, obligations, and implications than it would otherwise. Ultimately, having recently seen this film again in a special edition, accompanied by an abundance of supplementary features (e.g. Roger Ebert's commentary, Lauren Bacall's Introduction, and about ten minutes of additional scenes and out takes), I think the film now has a special symbolic significance which could not have been evident when it was released in 1942. More specifically, it somehow dramatizes what so many of us also struggle with when seeking a balance of obligations to ourselves and to others as well as to certain values which sustain the human race, especially during crises which threaten its survival. Perhaps I make too much of this film but these are among the reasons why it continues to hold special meaning for me.

Rounding Up the Usual Suspects
(To the reader: This review is about the original MGM DVD release and NOT about the 2-disc edition just released.)

Casablanca!

The very name conjures up an exotic mix of adventure, intrigue, heroism, selfless sacrifice, and romance. Hear the title of this 1942 Best Picture winner and your memory will provide you with images of Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid, Dooley Wilson, Peter Lorre, and Claude Rains. Or maybe you'll hear snatches of Max Steiner's unforgettable score, with its interpolation of Herman Hupfeld's "As Time Goes By" and the stirring strains of "The Marsellaise."

Based on the stage play "Everybody Comes to Rick's" by Murray Burnett and Joan Allison, the movie tells a dramatic story of refugees fleeing from wartorn Europe and making a perilous trip to Casablanca in French Morocco. It is December 1941 and that French colony is under the control of "unoccupied France." Ostensibly neutral in World War II, Vichy France is nevertheless a German vassal state, as the arrival of Major Strasser (Conrad Veldt) clearly demonstrates.

Strasser's mission in Casablanca: to stop Czech underground leader Victor Laszlo (Henreid) from obtaining one of two exit visas stolen from two murdered German couriers and escaping from the Gestapo. Having tracked the defiant Laszlo after his escape from a Nazi concentration camp, Strasser is determined to capture the symbol of anti-Nazi resistance once and for all.

Accompanying Laszlo is the beautiful Ilsa Lund (Bergman), a young Norweigan student whom he married in secret before he was captured by the Gestapo in 1940. Devoted to her husband and his great cause, Ilsa has been at his side since Laszlo's miraculous escape and sudden reappearance in Paris.

Unbeknownst to Laszlo, however, his fate will now rest in the hands of American saloonkeeper Rick Blaine (Bogart). In the months following Victor's escape from the concentration camp he was reported as "presumed dead." In loneliness and despair, the grieving Ilsa met and fell in love with Rick in Paris shortly before the German occupation began. For a brief time the lovers were together, only to tragically part ways when news of Laszlo's return reached Ilsa.

Now, in the eve of America's entry into World War II, Victor Laszlo's fate hangs on the conflicting emotions felt by both Rick and Ilsa, as well as the shifting loyalties of French police Capt. Louis Renault (Rains).

The screenplay by Julius J. and Philip G. Epstein and Howard Koch is a wonderful mixture of romance, intrigue, drama and comedy (the latter provided both by colorful characters and witty exchanges). Director Michael Curtiz and producer Hal B. Wallis made Casablanca as one of many movies produced in 1942, never knowing that it would become a classic of Hollywood's Golden Era.

"As Time Goes By" This Is The Best Film You'll Ever See
From the first frame of "Casablanca" you know you are about to watch something special. There is not a moment in the film where you will find yourself bored or overwhelmed. It is perfect in every way. I have seen many films in my time and I am only 17. I have an extensive collection of over 180 DVDs and this is by far my most prized. I saw this film for the first time exactly one year ago and purchased this Two-Disc Special Edition the day it came out. Not a day goes by when this film does not pop into my mind.

There are many movies but very few great films. The few include Gone With the Wind, Wizard of Oz, Lawrence of Arabia, Schindler's List, The Godfather, and, of course, the rarely seen Imitation of Life. This is at the head of those. It is at the head of all films.

"Casablanca" is about Rick (Humphrey Bogart), the owner of an American bar in Morroco, who is visited by Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman), the object of a love affair in Paris a few years earlier. She is accompanied by her husband (Paul Heinreid) who knows nothing of this but is only interested in acheiving two exit visas because they are both wanted. What follows is the most romantic and thrilling film of all time.

The DVD transfer is nothing short of miraculous. The film looks like it had been filmed today in B & W. Even the mono soundtrack sounds breathtaking. The DVD does not shy away from some amazing special features. I don't want to spoil them but anyone will find them interesting. I promise you this is one of the finest DVD packages on the market.

So go out now and buy the film that recieved three Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay; the film that was called the Second Greatest Film of All Time on the AFI's 100 Best List (it's second to Citizen Kane); and also called the Most Romantic Film of All Time by the AFI's 100 Most Romantic Films.

"Play it again, Sam."

Best Gin Joint in the world!
Simply the best movie ever made.
Bogie at his best, Bergman as always splendid! Add in a wonderful supporting cast headed by Peter Lorre, and the result is the perfect bittersweet love story. A must have for any Bogart fan, and a must see for everyone!

Black & White For A Reason
Ah, kids today. "Man, it's crap if there's no color to assist my info-ladened cranium!" Get a life. It's "Casablanca", for God's sake. It NEEDS to stay in B&W format. And, might I say, this film is a cult classic for more reasons than just minimalist acting. Dialogue: Heard of it, kids? It's what actors used to do instead of blowing (...)up or flying through the air in front of a blue screen. I love my DVD of "Casablanca", and cherish the fact that I don't have to rewind a tape to get to some of my favorite quotes. ... Read more

Album Description

Soundtrack with music by Michael Kamen, for this 1997 filmdirected by Alan Rickman and starring Emma Thompson. 13tracks. Varese. 2003. ... Read more

Reviews (25)

A work of visual beauty....
The setting for "The Winter Guest" (based on the stage play) is a small fishing village in Scotland where the sea is frozen as far as the eye can see. Frances (Emma Thompson) is a professional photographer mired in grief over the recent death of her husband. She cannot make herself climb out of bed -- even for her son. Photographs Frances took of her deceased husband line the walls and run up the stairs. At one point during the film her son tells a friend their house is haunted and his dead father has imprisoned his mother.

One cold winter day, Frances' mother Elspeth (Phyllida Law--Emma's real mother) comes calling -- she is the 'winter guest.' She encourages Frances to start living again. At Elspeth's urging, she and Frances spend the day together walking and talking in the frozen landscape -- Frances with her camera in hand and Elspeth with her cigarettes. At the end of the walk, Frances seems a bit less grieved and the frozen space between the mother and daughter has thawed.

Three subplots have been worked into the main tale: two small boys playing hooky; Frances' son meeting a new girl; and two older ladies taking the #22 bus to an out of town funeral.

Alan Rickman dircted this masterpiece of stunning visual beauty. The film consists of shot after shot of black and white photographs suitable for framing. Some color is provided by the occasional jumper (sweater) or other inanimate object, but mostly this is a black and white film. If you're fascinated with photograpy and/or cinematography, you will enjoy this film. The musical score is lovely and quite appropriate for the setting (piano solos by Michael Kamen with a female vocal during the final credits).

The photography reminds me a bit of the footage from "The Sweet Hereafter" though most of it is very original. The story line is reminiscent of "Truly, Madly, Deeply" which starred Rickman. This is a thoughtful film. My husband has watched it twice, so I don't think it appeals only to women.

This "Winter" is warm, indeed.
The conversations, the discoveries, and the small adventures of four various "couples" are shown to us in this lovely film, set in a small, sea-side Scottish village during a bright, but bleak, Winter's day. Two young boys delight in the frozen world around them, rather than attend school, and talk about their folks, their future, the things they find on the icey beach, etc. A young woman's fancy toward a young man she has spied on for some time becomes a curious friendship/affection when she finally approaches him, in her own rambunctious way. The young man's recently-widowed mother is visited without notice by her own doting mother, bent on snapping her once-lively daughter out of her funk, and hopefully, encouraging her not to go back to Australia where she met her departed-husband. Finally, two older ladies who delight in attending the funerals of strangers, for their own macabre reasons, take the lone bus out of town for the day to attend yet another. On this cold day, one of the ladies becomes frightened, apparently at the knowledge of her own mortality, and it's up to her more stoic friend to "keep her from falling." The stories of these four pairs often intersect with one another, and almost-equal time is spent with each couple, which I appreciated. This is a very mature film, lovely to watch and listen to. Several key scenes stand out for me. One is when the elderly mother slips and grabs for a railing on the slippery sidewalk, as she approaches her daughter's street; at that moment, the camera shows the daughter in bed, dreaming perhaps, raising her hand up to grab the head-board rails, as if she sensed her mother's plight and wanted to keep her from stumbling, too. Such a small scene, yet so perfect. A final scene with the young boy holding a kitten he has found, walking out onto the frozen-over sea, telling the feline he and her will explore this new world, while his friend calls for him to come back, oblivious to the first boy's intention to keep going, is moving and eloquent. There are humorous moments sprinkled throughout, so this drama isn't as dry as I was led to believe. The striking scenery, the touching dialogues, the lovely piano-score; it all adds up to one memorable movie, for those who will appreciate it.

Winter Guest
riviting. drama at it's best. A wonderful story about life's problems, growing up and changes.

Bleak yet wonderful... with magical horizons ahead
With Alan Rickman's commitment in playing Professor Snape in the Harry Potter movies, it's doubtful he will ever return to the director's chair to deliver a memorable movie such as this.

At a Scottish coastal town facing the North Sea, the sea has frozen over so that it's like a wonderland, with an endless horizon. The discovery of new horizons in the experience of life is key to The Winter Guest.

Four dual relationships are examined here. The first is that between Frances and her mother. Frances (Emma Thompson) is a recently widowed photographer who lives in a studio flat with her young son. Her mother (Thompson's real-life mother Phyllida Law), has walked all the way from her house, minus her walking stick, to break the defensive barrier Frances has erected. The mother keeps chatting on, fixing the bed, but Frances at first spends time avoiding her in the bathroom.

The confrontation is much on the mother trying to get Frances to live again, to become full of life. As she tells her daughter on some photographs, "Why not use colour? The world's in colour." And why photograph buildings instead of people? The mother is more in colour and livelier than the death that has gutted Frances of any feeling of life. She firmly believes that "it's the kingdom of youth we're living in" in response to Frances's defeatist talk of embracing the years and welcoming instead of fighting them. She wants the best for her daughter and if it takes being emotionally overbossy, so be it. "A happy woman does not ruin her own beauty", as she believes Frances has done by her haircut.

Alex, Frances's son, has an unexpected encounter with Nita, a dark-haired tomboy who gains his attention. Nita's more impulsive, daring Alex to walk on the ice, and Alex is more cautious, perhaps living under the gloomy shadow of his father's death and the aura of his mother. Alex's grandmother espies the two from the flat and while seeing the encounter as normal, all the same speaks to herself. "Be careful. It wants that face. Give her the moon, she'll want the stars as well." Fortunately, Nita isn't that way at all.

The thin bespectacled Lily and fat Chloe are two elderly women who keep themselves occupied attending funerals to the point of looking through the paper and jotting them down on appointment books. Chloe, though seemingly dotty, proves to be the more lively and stronger of the two, literally on the bus and metaphorically having the window seat. Yet they wonder about today's ways. "There's nothing like watching a coffin slip down to the earth and the soil thudding down." They question cremations and how that squares with conservation and ecology.

Tom and Sam are two truant youngsters in their early teens and they hang out on the shore talking about things. The red-haired Sam is shorter but is more in tune, more aware of things than his taller friend. He has hopes for a future, whereas Tom feels hopeless, resigned to a fate of pushing carts at a food mart. There's little to do other than go to school and be at home and obey one's parents, and what's it all for, wonders Tom?

Of the pairs, it's clear who emerges as the stronger and braver of the two. However, one of them turns out to embrace that spirit of hope and possibility, surprising the ostensibly more assertive one. All the pairs work wonderfully together in this slow-paced drama.

The Scottish coast town is bleak yet wonderful, a place I'd like to visit or even live in one day. The setting appears to be in Fife County, separated from Edinburgh by the Firth of Forth. Michael Kamen's haunting piano score, most of it in a higher octave, matches that bleak and wonderful tone, as does the closing song "Take Me With You" by Elizabeth Fraser.

It all comes down to that certain strong and loving someone saying, as Lily tells Chloe, "You will not fall while I'm here."

A Beautiful Masterpiece of cinematic art...
Not to mention hilariously funny. Sean Biggerstaff (who you HP junkies may recognize as the all-grown-up Oliver Wood) turns in an absolutely hysterical performance that had my girlfriends and I rolling on the floor. A preview:
Boy#1- Ugh! It's a worm! A big skooshy worm!
Sean- It's not a worm. It's a condom.
Boy- Aack! I TOUCHED that!
Sean(as boy wipes hands in snow)- I once found one up a tree. Can you imagine doin' it up a tree?... Can you imagine doin' it?
All of this done in the cutest Scottish accents... well, now I'm just sounding like a smarmy American. But that doesn't even touch the surface... there's still the Deep Heat incident ("You try it, just you bloody try it!"), Fanny the cat, and those two old ladies who go funeral-hopping. Add to the innate humor the poignant beauty and marvelous acting from the entire cast, and you have one of the greatest movies of all time... ... Read more