Reviews (13)

"Little Colonel"
Charming Shirley Temple vehicle, with Lionel Barrymore as the irrascible grandfather, gruff and blustering but with a soft spot for Granddaughter, Shirley. Bill Robinson is at his best, or should I say, wonderful as usual as the old faithful family retainer and the dance rountines between him and Shirley are alone worth watching the movie for. Great family fare, touching in spots and easy on the eye as well.

A Cool Shirley Temple Movie!
I am a very devoted Shirley Temple fan.When I was in a video store one day, my dad picked out Our Little Girl(Shirley Temple) out for me...and I loved it,( black and white). My seacond Shirley Temple Movie was The Little Colonel. It is a touching warm hearting film that should be treasured in a Shirley Temple fan's video collection.The movie is about a little girl who is be coming friends with her grandfather. Her grandfather has a bad mood to Shirley's mother because she married her true love.Besides it also about two robers who want Shirley's dad's money, then Shirley leads her dad to the scene and those robers go to jail. This is a very clean movie, no stuff of today's world. You should buy this movie- you won't regret it!

Exciting and cool!
Shirley plays a young girl named Lloyd Sherman in this movie.
Lloyd's mother and grandfather haven't spoken to each other since a fight involving Lloyd's southern mother and her yankee husband (it was in the 1870's and lloyd's grandfather was a confederate soldier.) So when Lloyd's mother and father move into a cottage very close to her grandfather's house, it's up to Lloyd to bring them back together in a time of crisis.
Also starring Lionel Barrymore as Lloyd's grandfather.

Shirley's at it her Best!
This is one of Shirley's best pictures ever! It features America's most famous dance scene, the staircase and it features Lionel Barrymore, Drew Barrymore's grandfather. Funny and touching film! 2 thumbs up!

THE LITTLE COLONEL
EXCELLENT MOVIE, EXTREMELY FAST SERVICE! GREAT SELLER!!!! ... Read more

Reviews (408)

FOR HE'S A JOLLY GOODFELLA...
This is simply a great mob movie. Based upon the best selling book, "Wiseguy", by Nicholas Pileggi, it traces the rise and fall of "gansta" wannabe turned government informant, Henry Hill. Skillfully directed by Martin Scorsese, this film with its all star cast, megawatt performances, and period music soundtrack packs quite a wallop to the senses. Named 1990's best film by the Los Angeles, New York, and National Society of Film Critics, it garnered six Academy Award nominations and earned Joe Pesci an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

In the 1950s, a preteen Henry Hill (Christopher Serrone) began his career as a "gansta" wannabe on the mean streets of East New York, where a small Italian American community thrived. Working with Paul Cicero's (Paul Sorvino's) crew, he worked his way up, doing the penny ante, gofer stuff, until he began more heavy duty involvement. As a young man, Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) took to his life in the underworld like a fish takes to water. He married a nice, jewish girl whom he turned into a shrewish girl, as he lived the life he wanted. His wife, Karen (Lorraine Bracco), also became entranced by the perks available to a mobster

Henry teamed up with Jimmy "The Gent" Conway (Robert DeNiro) and Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci). Together they stole, lied, cheated, and killed their way through life, until they got wacked or got caught. When Henry, against the express advice of Paul Cicero, got involved with Jimmy in the 1970s cocaine drug trade, it was the beginning of the end for him and Jimmy. The film skillfully chronicles the rise and fall of Henry Hill from wiseguy to goverment informant in the witness protection program..

It is amazing that the actor playing young Henry Hill, Christopher Serrone, resembles Ray Liotta so much, right down to the piercing hazel eyes. He gives a terrific performance as young Henry, expressing all the joie de vivre that young Henry had over being associated with mobsters. Ray Liotta, as the adult Henry Hill, gives an outstanding performance. The viewer senses his absolute love for the life that he lives. He clearly enjoys all the perks of a mobster, his only regret being that he could never be a "made" guy, because he was not fully Italian, as his mother was Sicilian but his father was Irish.

Robert DeNiro is wonderful as Jimmy Conway, low key yet powerful. Joe Pesci gives an over the top performance as the wild, volatile, and totally crazy Tommy DeVito, an out of control wiseguy who has no redeeming value as a human being. He is a guy who does not think twice about killing someone over something trivial. Paul Sorvino is excellent as the mob boss who is all about the family and plays it the old fashioned way. Lorraine Bracco gives the performance of her life as Karen Hill, a woman besotted by the life of a mobster's wife, until she realizes that girlfriends are an expected part of that life. She is sensational.

This is simply a great mob movie. It is a film that the viewer will watch again and again. I, myself , have seen it at least three or four times, and each time is as if it were the first. Vastly entertaining, this film is a worthy addition to one's collection.

Goodfellas - A Scorsese classic!
Of all of the "mob" movies that have graced the silver screen over the years, "Goodfellas" most certainly stands a head taller than the majority of them and it can be said that this film is one of the "definitive" mobster movies. Few movies, if any, can compare to the compelling "based on a true story" nature of this film and the graphic realism that is so brilliantly portrayed by Scorsese's direction and the exceptional cast members.

"Goodfellas" is a powerful film based on the true life best seller "Wiseguy" by Nicholas Pileggi. More specifically, it's based on the true story of Henry Hill (Ray Liota), who along with his pals Jimmy "The Gent" Conway (Robert DeNiro) and Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci) who received a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for this film. Needless to say, the performances by these actors, Lorraine Bracco and Paul Sorvino are nothing short of superb.

The premise:

Narrated by Henry Hill and his wife Karen Hill, "Goodfellas" tells the tale of how he grew up admiring the local mobsters, gained their friendship and then came to be employed by them. After all, how could anybody resist a life in which if you're part of the "organization," there is nothing that you cannot have and you have the fearful respect of everybody around you, as long as you're continuing to make money and not stepping on any of the important people's toes.

As the movies progresses along, Director Martin Scorsese does a beautiful job in displaying many of the aspects of the mobster's lifestyle and the many things that can happen in that lifestyle.

From the opening frame to the final credits, "Goodfellas" is a gripping, suspenseful and enlightening gangster movie that bears multiple viewings quite easily. I highly recommend this film to any and all fans of gangster movies. Fair warning though, this movie "is not" for the faint of heart or the squeamish, for it is fairly graphic at times, which serves to enhance the nature of this film but is not too good on the eyes. {ssintrepid}

Special Features:

This DVD was released in 1997 as one of the early transfers, therefore it's not loaded down with an exceptional amount of special features, which is fine because it's all about the film. I do find it surprising that this one hasn't been re-released as a "Special Edition" with all the special features, featurettes and documentaries.

What is does have:

- A remastered soundtrack in Dolby Digital 5.1
- Production notes
- Two theatrical trailers

Best Mob Movie Ever
This is by far the best mob movie ever. Based on real life, it's just the best

I hope that it's not a "flipper" AHHHHHHH!
This movie is a true classic, but I'm not going to talk about it. There are 413 other reviews that drool about how great Goodfellas is. If you don't know, you are either totally inexperienced with cinema or are living under a rock.

Instead, let's talk about 'features.' The last Goodfellas DVD was a 'flipper,' or a DVD that was so cheap, you had to get up and turn it over half-way through the film. I can accept that I need to turn Lawrence of Arabia over during the intermission, but Goodfellas is comparatively short. It is 2.5 hours long, to be more precise. A 2.5 hour film fits easily onto a single-side DVD with only a mildly-noticable transfer skip. That is the only special feature I want from this new version of the DVD. I'll buy it, just don't make me flip it, God in heaven!

Furthermore, Martin Scorsese has gotten the absolute worst treatment of any director this side of Roger Corman on DVD. Even his last film, Gangs of NY, was subjected to a ridiculous film-ruining stop right in the middle of a love scene that is so abrupt, you have to laugh. Didn't the jack-a$$es who ruined the Goodfellas DVD years before learn their lesson? OK, so Gangs was done by Miramax (the worst company on Earth for DVD quality and price,) but why does this trend have to blight poor Scorsese so terribly. He is one of the greatest living directors, for God's sake! His movies aren't exactly low-profile. The only Scorsese film that has been given a proper treatment is The Last Temptation of Christ, but that was a Criterion, and not a Warner DVD.

That brings me to my final thought. Considering the fact that Warner actually does a great job at releasing quality DVDs with a decent amount of interesting features most of the time, it seems doubly stupid releasing some of their greatest back-catalog titles like a lobotomized afterthought.

(...)

great
best mafia movie i've ever seen, though i haven't seen the godfather. can't wait for the commentary with the criminal and fbi agent. ... Read more

Reviews (120)

Excellent Satire - Incredible Acting from Peter Sellers
This film came out in 1979 and seems to get better every year. It is the bizarre story of a blank slate of a gardner who literally has never been outside of the walls of a single house until he is in his 40s or 50s. The entire view of this man comes from watching television.

The basic story is quite simple. As Chance the gardner is forced to leave the house he has lived in as a child, he is hit by a limosine transporting the wife of a dying plutocrat. Taken to the home of the plutocrat, he eventually meets the rich and powerful of the land (the president included)and is taken to be an oracle of wisdom with his simple statements about gardening and the television he has watched. It is a great satire that just keeps getting better as we rely more and more on soundbites for our information.

The best part of the film is Peter Sellers who plays this absolutely blank, innocent, and slow-witted person with complete aplomb. I remember an interview with Sellers when the movie came out, and he said it was a real struggle to develop an accent that had no roots at all -- a perfect blend of voices heard on television. He plays the movie absolutely straight, the comedy being how people react so seriously to his child-like comments. For example, in a television interview about the economy, people take his comments that "there is always growth in the spring" to mean an end to a recession when he is simply talking about his garden.

This is a unique film with lots and lots of subtle humor (no slapstick ala Clouseau). There are some very funny moments as people react to Peter Sellers, but the humor always comes back to how we choose to see the world. There is no deception of the part of the character of the gardner -- it is everybody else who plays the fool here.

This is a definitely a movie to own and to watch over and over. I know some people who have found it a bit slow, in that very little really happens -- it is almost a comedy of manners. It is a great memorial to Peter Sellers from one of his very last movies.

"I like to watch..."
Peter Sellers is wonderful as the simpleton gardener who in middle age finds himself in the real world for the first time and through a series of coincidences is hailed as a genius with all cures for mankind's problems. As a confidante to a wealthy philantropist, Chance the gardener is introduced to the President of the United States. Paraded through formal dinner parties, invited as talk show guest, and eventually investigated by the CIA, "Chance Gardener" becomes an unprecidented enigma .

A star-studded cast includes a beautiful Shirley MacLaine as the tycoon's wife who is very attracted to the "inexperienced" Chance. Melvyn Douglas took the Best Supproting Actor Oscar (his second) for his role as the dying philantrophist.

The slow moving yet poignant film offers many observations about people and how they are perceived by new acquintances. Peter Sellers' character benefited greatly from his handsome, classy attire when forced out of his home of many years. His simple speech would have been taken as foolish babble, had the man been dressed in rags.

There is a particularly moving scene near the end of the film, when Chance's benefactor is layed to rest. Seemingly disinterested in the ceremony, Chance wanders off, examining nearby plant life, to see what improvements need to be made. The DVD version offers a hilarious set of "bloopers", showing how Sellers can't get through the lines without laughing out loud.

"Being There" is certainly quite a departure from any standard comedy/drama. Not for everyone, but worth a chance!****

Two movies in one!
This is really two different movies. Most viewers will watch the DVD up until the credits start, hit the Stop and Eject buttons and will have seen one, admittedly excellent, story.

BUT... those lucky few who tend to watch the credits to the end...will get a mind-snapping shock! For there's one additional scene burried in the credits, a scene that changes the entire meaning of the movie - and will send you back to chapter 1 to watch the entire film all over again.

And you will then see the SECOND story.

It was THIS movie that has led me to sit in theaters until the end of the credits ever since!

I'm very hungry
My wife and I tend to quote lines from this wonderful movie, much like I do on the golf course with Caddy Shack lines. As Caddy Shack is to golf, Being There is to life: a delightful comedy but with meaning.

Brilliant and haunting.....
This film is like none I have ever seen before. In the past, when I thought of Peter Sellers (who plays lead character "Chance the Gardener"), my mind automatically went to Inspector Clouseau from the Pink Panther series. I thought of the bumbling, clumsy and silly detective in hot persuit of the pink panther jewel. What a terrific change of pace! I really got a sense of Peter Sellers' depth as an actor in this brilliant film. Sellers, Melvyn Douglas, and Shirley Maclaine were all strong leads in this story, along with a great supporting cast.

BEING THERE tells the story of Chance, the Gardener, a simple man who spends his entire life gardening in the backyard of his boss' house, until one day the old man passes away. When a couple of journalists come around to find out more about the former master of the house, Chance is the only one there. The house must close, and for the first time the man must make strides into the big, wide world. This world is like nothing he could have ever imagined outside of the house where he worked. One thing that keeps him tranquil and holds his attention is the television. As Chance says, "I like to watch." (this line is misinterpreted a few times during the course of the movie.) By chance, Chance meets up with Shirley Maclaine the wife of an elderly billionaire. This is just the beginning of an intriguing series of events where Chance--renamed Chauncey Gardner--the simple man who speaks of plants and their growth (the only real knowledge he has about the world) becomes central as wise sage in one of the most intriguing political ventures.

This film has moments of laugh-out-loud comedy, and serious elements as well. (The final scene is chilling.....that is all I am going to say......)
Check it out if you are in the mood for something completely different. In the words of Chauncy, this is definitely a film "I like to watch." ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Clint Eastwood fired the original director, Philip Kaufman(The Right Stuff), and took over the reins of this project himself. He may have had a point: this brutal, thoughtful western, a near-tragedy about a Civil War veteran whose past comes looking for him, is probably Eastwood's most mature frontier drama prior to the Oscar winningUnforgiven. Hoping to build a quiet life in a cooperative community of settlers, Eastwood's Wales blames himself when his enemies attack the homestead, and he has to revert to his warrior instincts to help fend off the threat. The jittery intensity of Sondra Locke (who would be Mrs. Eastwood, at least for a while), and the screen-filling charisma of the late Chief Dan George harmonize beautifully with Eastwood, who had finally figured out how to add depth and texture to his stock-in-trade Man of Steel persona. This one may be too short on action to satisfy fans of Eastwood'sDirty Harry films, or of the Italian westerns he made with Sergio Leone, but it's an honorable effort.--David Chute ... Read more

Reviews (68)

One of the best westerns ever made.....
I have seen this western many times on tape and my copy of the movie had started to lose its luster. When I heard it was coming on DVD, I knew I would see the film as Clint Eastwood intended it.

As far as a film is concerned, it is a very good tale of revenge and devotion to friends. Eastwood is great as the title character and the film has some very good supporting performances. The exteriors where the film was shot are beautiful and are just as good on DVD as in reality.

The DVD is a great, inexpensive version of a great Western. The 16:9 widescreen version of the film highlights the colors and tones that were filmed by Eastwood. The color is good as well as the Dolby 5.1 Surround Soundtrack. There is also a French soundtrack (which is very humorous when Eastwood utters the best line of the film, "You going to pull them pistols or whistle Dixie"). The disc also contains trailers to many other Westerns as well as the trailer for Outlaw Josey Wales.

You should not miss this great DVD. The price is right and the movie is one of Eastwood's best. This is one of the better looking westerns that I have in my DVD collection. If you love great westerns and movies about the American Civil War, you will love this DVD!

Deserves 10 stars!
What can you say about Clint Eastwood's westerns except, great! His movies (acting and directing)changed the whole look and feel of this genre. This is definitely my favorite western, heck it's probably my favorite movie...period. Josey Wales is based on the novel by Forrest Carter, "Gone to Texas". After reading the book Clint knew he had to make the movie and he did an excellent job of capturing the spirit of the novel. The DVD transfer is very good. It was like watching it for the first time when I saw the DVD after the VHS version. This is what westerns are supposed to be so... "are you gonna get this video or whistle Dixie"? BUY IT!

Eastwood has the union army surrounded

Director: Clint Eastwood
Format: ColorRated:
Studio: Warner Studios
Video Release Date: September 2, 2003

Cast:

Clint Eastwood ... Josey Wales
Chief Dan George ... Lone Watie
Sondra Locke ... Laura Lee
Bill McKinney ... Terrill
John Vernon ... Fletcher
Paula Trueman ... Grandma Sarah
Sam Bottoms ... Jamie
Geraldine Keams ... Little Moonlight
Woodrow Parfrey ... Carpetbagger
Joyce Jameson ... Rose
Sheb Wooley ... Travis Cobb
Royal Dano ... Ten Spot
Matt Clark ... Kelly
John Verros ... Chato
Will Sampson ... Ten Bears
William O'Connell ... Sim Carstairs
John Quade ... Comanchero Leader
Frank Schofield ... Senator Lane
Buck Kartalian ... Shopkeeper
Len Lesser ... Abe
Doug McGrath ... Lige
John Russell ... Bloody Bill Anderson
Charles Tyner ... Zukie Limmer
Bruce M. Fischer ... Yoke
John Mitchum ... Al
John Davis Chandler ... First Bounty Hunter
Tom Roy Lowe ... Second Bounty Hunter
Clay Tanner ... First Texas Ranger
Robert F. Hoy ... Second Texas Ranger
Madeline T. Holmes ... Grannie Hawkins
Erik Holland ... Union Army Sergeant
Cissy Wellman ... Josey's Wife
Faye Hamblin ... Grandpa Samuel
Danny Green ... Lemuel
Kyle Eastwood ... Josey's Son
Richard Farnsworth ... Comanchero

Josie Wales' family was murdered and his home burned by union redlegs, so he joins Bill Fletcher's border raiders on the confederate side of the war and does his share of getting even. When Fletcher turns in his men for money (except Wales) and they are all killed, Wales becomes an outlaw on the run from union authorities. They hunt him clear into Mexico, where things come to a head. Josie Wales single handedly surrounds the entire union army and the Indian nations.

This is a good story, well acted by all concerned, and very well directed by Eastwood, as are all of his films.

Joseph (Joe) Pierre

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

Josey Wales - Fastest gunslinger in the West!
Clint Eastwood's movie, The Outlaw Josey Wales, is a classic in the Western genre. This movie is one of the best Western movies that I have ever seen.

The story of the movie goes like this. Josey Wales(Clint Eastwood) is a peaceful farmer in Missouri with a family in the middle of the Civil War. One day some Union Soldiers burn down his house (with his son in it) and kidnap his wife. Angry and Furious, Josey Wales joins some confederate guerillas and fights hard. When Confederacy surrenders, Josey Wales refuses and heads west. He travels to Texas and along the way picks up odd group: couple of Native Americans, an Old Grandmother, a beautiful woman and two servants. At the same time they are chased by Union soldiers.

I will not reveal the story further. However, what makes this movie a classic is the depth and dimension to the characters and superb action.

The character of Josey Wales is really complex. He turns from a peaceful farmer to a tobacco chewing, hell raising, gunslinger. However his humane side is seen through his hard attitude at times. He saves a native american girl from couple of scoundrels. He also saves travelers from another group of bandits. At the same time, he is a tobacco spitting hard man. Josey Wales spits on everything, from a scorpio to a union officer. The other characters are not as intensely developed, which is understandable since Josey Wales is the primary focus of the movie.

The action in the movie is just amazing. I will summarize three great scenes which will make you, the reader, want to just watch the movie. In first scene Josey Wales is carrying food and confronted by four soldiers... In another one Josey Wales(and his six-shooter) all by himself is up against 10-15 bandits...In the last one, Josey Wales and his Six-shooter, go toe-to-toe against tens of horse-riding soldiers...

I will leave the action for you to watch.

Also this movie is directed by Eastwood himself. He is as good as a director as he is as an actor.

FYI: This movie is based on the book "Gone to Texas".

Classic Clint!
If you could only watch two of Clint Eastwood's westerns, "The Outlaw Josey Wales" and "Unforgiven" would by my choices!

Chief Dan George and Clint have a chemistry that adds humor and depth to the main story line of revenge, retribution, and a journey for justice. Sandra Locke, with her doe-eyed innocence, adds a little gentle feminity to the picture.

The movie is exciting, suspenseful and rewarding. No one is better as a wronged-man-evening-the-score than Clint Eastwood and this is one of his most memorable roles. ... Read more

Description

A teenage boy, a set of rollerblades and an interschool athletic rivalry are the ingredients for a whiz-bang comedy sparked by astounding feats of skating pyrotechnics. Year: 1993 Director: Rob Bowman Starring:Shane McDermott, Seth Green, Brittney Powell ... Read more

Reviews (52)

A good time... to the EXTREME!
I grew up in Cincinnati, so in the Fall of 1992, when I heard that a major motion picture was about to start filming near my neighborhood, I jumped at the opportunity to witness a talented filmmaker at work.

While parts of "Rain Man", "Traffic", and the underrated "The Public Eye" (Joe Pesci) were filmed in Cincinnati, "Airborne" was the first big-budget movie filmed entirely on location in the Queen City (aka Cincinnati, Ohio).

"Airborne" tells the story of Mitchell (played by newcomer Shane McDermott), a California surfer boy, that is sent to Cincinnati to live with his aunt (the DELIGHTFUL Edie McClurg), uncle (the very funny Patrick Thomas O'Brien), and cousin (Seth Green from "Austin Powers").

Mitchell quickly realizes that he's not in California any more. Ha! Sounds like "The Wizard of Oz", doesn't it? Well, the similarities stop there.

Mitchell was the "cool guy" in school back in California, but now that he's attending school in Cincinnati, he is teased for his radical clothes, his tubular hairstyle, and his surfer lingo. When Mitchell hears about an opening on the roller hockey team, he sees this as an opportunity to win over his fellow classmates. Using his surfer know-how, and his charming Californian ways, Mitchell quickly becomes the hero of the team, and begins to attract the attention of the team captain's girlfriend. UH OH!

When the captain finds out about his girlfriend's extra curricular activities, he challenges Mitchell and friends to a death-defying Roller blade race down "Devil's Backbone". Mitchell agrees to the dangerous challenge - anxious to impress his new love, and settle the score once and for all with his arch nemesis.

"Airborne" is an accurate portrayal of what life is really like in Cincinnati. When I was in high school, many disputes were settled with a challenging Roller blade race (although, in my day, they were roller SKATES), or at the bowling alley.

Filled with exciting stunt sequences, witty dialogue, and a breakthrough performance by Seth Green, "Airborne" is sure to please the extreme sports (and Cincinnati) fan in all of us!

Simply a great movie!
Airborne is truely a great piece of cinema. The young and the old alike should enjoy this movie. If you judged this movie just by looking at the cover you would assume that Airborne was just a mindless rollerblading movie. It's not! True there is rollerblading and the end of the movie focuses on a rollerblade race, but the rollerblading is just a "backdrop" to the film. Airborne mainly focuses on an out-of-town kid from California who tries to make the best of a bad situation while he stays with his cousin in Ohio. In doing so he becomes close to his cousin and falls in love with a girl who is a town local. He also makes some enemies during his stay in Ohio. Can he win the love of the girl he longs for? Can he make friends of the people that bully him in school? Can he survive the harsh winter in Ohio!?! Well, you'll have to rent or buy the movie to find out!

AWESOME!!!!
BEST MOVIE EVER!!!!!! I have watched this movie hundreds of times and i never get sick of it. Rollerbladers shreding down "Devil's Backbone", crazy pranks and the ocassional jack black thrown in there really makes for a funny movie. I love the story about a sufer that ends up in Clevland, smack dab in the middle of a snow storm, booya! Mitchell tries to fit in but the guys dont seem to buy it but the ladies sure do. Snake also has a 1.1 GPA. Always a good time with the sufer dudes, but dont forget the po dunk ghetto kids and then the preps. Hockey is the sport, Wylie's dad drives a zambonie. Wrong goal surfer dude, BAP!, gets creamed and then some. Sand in the locker, wet tp and some iching powder can't hurt the mahurushi. So Mitchell gets his blades and then tears up the city making friends as he goes along, then aaaawww, there is the love of his life, better show off, oops cracked my skull, lets go look at plants and flowers, you better know your stuff because its a test. Ladi dodi, its time to depants some preps...hmmm. Crazy sufer kids!! DEVIL'S BACKBONE, its a race to the death with only one thing on their minds, who gets the chicas, nope, first team to get three across the line wins. Sucka!!, sufer dude rules the air and shows off his incredible talents by flying through the air making sure to pose for the camera and eventually throwing king prep into the water. The end

A rather intermittent experience with Moral Fiber
For all of you 'nay-sayers' I got two words for you: Moral Fiber. Yes, you heard me correctly. That is what Airborne provides, my friends. You may think I am a mentally deficient human-being for enjoying this movie, but lend me your ears. If you look at it from my perspective you will see a whole new world of Airborne.

Quite frankly this movie is one of the most allegorical movies I have ever seen. This movie is so intellectually jampacked with references to the second World War, I nearly wet myself during the first showing. For example, Micthell is the U.S., and those bullys are the Japanese. Seth Green's character is obviously the British, and I will take a venture to say that Jack Black's character is probably the French.

The bullys also represent the Germans. I spent myriad hours examining the movie, and I can't truly identify who Hitler is meant to be. I watched to the whole movie in reverse and discovered in scene 36, where Mitchell's toliet paper is sabotaged (this represents the German invasion of France, duh!)that the bully's say 'Axis freedom, down with the Allies'. If you play it in reverse you will see as well.

The roller hockey game where Mitchell pulls down the bully's pants clearly represents the Battle of Normandy, where the Allied troops stormed the beaches. The race down Devils Backbone is obviously the final battle of WWII in which the underdogs won.

I have one minor quibble: the guy who won the race. ...? By the way, the man who made the analogies with Jack Black and shining after a shower- you are right on my good sir.

I hope you see the movie in a different light with my guidance.

Do the words "Best Movie Ever" mean anything to you?
this movie has made me wanna be a better man. Mitchell is in a word "bangin" and jack black shines like my skin when i'm out of the shower. the one chick is doable and i find the rollerblading action extreme. the special effects were out of this world. i would recommend this movie to anyone looking for a good time. if u like this movie, be sure to view "the monster squad." ... Read more

Reviews (21)

Now isnt that him???
The first time I saw this movie ,someone told me that there is actually a scene in which Mario Lanza does indeed appear.... after about the third time, I think I found it....It is the scene in the cathedral after the King dies and the Prince is singing "I'll walk with God". Not the close up, mind you, but the very long wide angle shot. That said, regardless of why Lanza was fired or quit or got too fat(All stories that go around).This is a delightful old fashioned film. Edmund Purdom does an admirable job(especially of the dubbed songs)in a really tough turn.Ann Blyth is a perfect Kathy and the supporting cast is among the best.What a hoot to see Richard Anderson and John Ireland as the leaders of the rival corps. I dont suppose they could really sing either,but...
An all around good time!

Beautiful music...Heartbreaking Story
I will not recap the story behind this beautiful musical....other reviewers have done this well. All I want to say is be prepared to be delighted by the music and destroyed by the ending of the story. No matter how many times I've seen The Student Prince I end up a whimpering mess at it's conclusion. Very bittersweet and all too real, impossible love situations destroy me. That look on Ann Blyth's face, as the Prince she loves but cannot have visits her one last time, haunts me well after the film concludes, at which time I'm crying like a baby. In fact, as I write these sentences I'm crying again!! Too bad that Mario Lanza was not given the acting role (for whatever reason). We do get to hear his glorious singing voice dubbed with actor Edmund Purdom doing a credible acting job. But it is the radiant Ann Blyth (with her own beautiful singing voice) that steals the show for me, and I'm a gay man!! I only hope the DVD will follow soon.
Recommended for all lovers of romance. Have the tissues ready for the ending.

Mario's Voice and Edmund's Body
Mario Lanza was slated to star in this great movie. Unfortunately, he gained a lot of weight and was replaced - not just directorial differences, but Lanza's eating/drinking were taking him over - a sad by-product of fame for some. Edmund Purdom is not Lanza but he does make a handsome prince. When I first saw the close-ups, I noticed that the synching wasn't quite in-synch...but one soon forgives and forgets. This is a lovely story with outstanding music - in all, a delight.

excellent musical.
"The Student Prince," with Ann Blyth and Mario Lanza is a wonderful and beautiful film. I so enjoy it. It's colorful such a great fairytale and some of the best songs. Mario Lanza and Ann Blyth are great actors abd singers. The costumes and scenery deserve a award. A must see film well worth watching many times.

Lanza Was Right... the Directing is Terrible!
This is the worst film to feature Lanza in any way. Lanza and the Director just couldn't get along and I can see why. The Director has poor Edmund walking his wooden way through this film while incongruously opening his mouth and emitting all of the unrestrained passion of Lanza's voice. Lanza wanted to play the Prince evolving from a disciplined Prussian into a passionate lover. The Director would not allow the metamorphosis. Lanza would have been great in this role, but he just couldn't tolerate what he thought (correctly, I believe) was the absurd juxtaposition of the sometimes sentimental other times pleading or romantic music/lyrics... with the Director's insistence that the lead be played almost devoid of emotion. It was Director vs. Mario and the result was that this is the film marks the beginning of the tragic end of Lanza's painfully brief career. ... Read more

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America's pastime gets a Faustian twist in this 1958 studio musical, which recounts the ballpark bargain struck by an aging Washington Senators fan obsessed with helping his team trump the Yanks. With echoes of the real-life 1919 Shoeless Joe Jackson scandal, and tart observations on the tradeoffs between youth and experience, Damn Yankees fuses a classic dramatic dilemma with musical comedy to often charming effect.

In transferring George Abbott's Broadway hit to the screen, codirectors Abbott and Stanley Donen are smart enough to retain Richard Adler and Jerry Ross's clever songs, Bob Fosse's sizzling choreography (with Fosse himself on camera for the sultry mambo number), and stars Ray Walston and Gwen Verdon, reprising their devilish turns as the Horned One himself, Mr. Applegate, and his temptress, Lola. Where the team strikes out, unfortunately, is in their concession to marquee politics, handing the pivotal role of Joe Hardy to handsome, vapid, celluloid heartthrob Tab Hunter, whose thin voice and unsteady screen presence argue that he should have stayed in the dugout.

Walston is reliably spry and acerbic as the canny archangel, and Verdon, in one of her rare starring screen turns, confirms the comedic timing and sexy, muscular grace that made her a deserved draw in subsequent stage hits including another Fosse triumph, Sweet Charity. With her combination of feline grace and alternately steely, flirtatious femininity, Verdon makes you believe her when she sings, "Whatever Lola wants, Lola gets." --Sam Sutherland ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Whatever Lola wants she gets!
The film version of Gwen Verdon and Bob Fosse's first success together. With Ray Walston as the devil and Verdon as his muse, Lola, this film can not fail to please. An excellent example of Fosse's early choreography. Unfortunately, its producers thought that they could cut "The Game", a wonderful song sung by the Senators. A must for any musical video collection

Hollywood's Hall of Famer: a Grand Slam!
Forget about carping reviews. If you like: musical comedies; baseball;Gwen Verdon; selling your soul to the Devil; great dancing; happy endings; ironic gambits reaffirming olde time(pre-PM) morality, DAMN YANKEES is grand slam hit.This film adaptation of Broadway's World championship rendering of "The Year The Yankees Lost the Pennant" is classic Americana(It's more like"The Devil & Daniel Webster" than Goethe's Enlightenment epic,"Faust"). Tab Hunter does a fine job as guileless, baseball-loving, middle-aged dreamer who sells his soul to Mr.Applegate (My Favorite Devil/Martian; "Paint Your Wagon" schemer,Ray Walston).

Star of the show is Gwen Verdon. She's the devil's 007-ette,LOLA with"license to get-down".Down and sassy-classy she bedazzlingly is,as she funks; punks;Bob Fosse's-n-weaves/"sleezes" her way on Applegate's satanic service to seduce Superstar Joe Hardy into "eternal contract".WHATEVER LOLA WANTS (ultimately)she doesn't get. Because...like the show's theme banners...YOU GOTTA HAVE HEART! In The Ninth,Verdon's not-so-wicked witch of the West(like this superbly entertaining; funny; full-of-good-will fun flick) has Valentine Heart to the max.If you're a Yankee fan (as lovers of baseball begrudingly become)catching a glance of baseball legend Mickey Mantle in the film is a nice touch recalling innocence in values that've been lost to the Real Applegate and cohorts.Being from Houston, I look forward to some Yankee greats pitching for us next year. Until then, DAMN ASTROS(er)YANKEES is a Hollywood Hall-of-Famer well worth checking-out and cheering on.

SONG LEFT OUT!!!
This movie has been one of my top 20 favorites for a long time. I first saw it on television in the mid sixties. The very first song that begins the movie during the opening credits is "Think About The Game". When the home video was released, this song, sung by the Senator's while Joe Hardy was busy with the Shifty McCoy trial, was, without explanation or reason, was stupidly left out of the video version. I feel cheated and wanted my money back. Can anyone tell me why?

Thank-you.

Good soul-searching musical.
This is another film which would probably be better rated if it wasn't so slavishly compared to its stage original. It does its job just fine, thank you, but you must remember that stage and film are two different media. In the conservative postwar 50's there was very little controversy shown (or allowed to be shown) in the film and TV media; a Faustian book made into a film musical probably scared the Hays moral office to death! That said, the Abbott-Donen collaboration does a more than competent job of telling the story, and scores an extra base hit retaining most of the Broadway cast of the show in the first place. I've read that the studio tried to lure Marilyn Monroe into playing the Lola role (and assuring box-office returns), but the producers were smart enough to know that the role needed a real dancer-actress combination. In short, it needed Gwen Verdon. It needed her special brand of eccentricity, sexiness, and heartbreak. And it got her. If you're still not convinced, take another look at the exquisite cafe' dance of "Two Lost Souls."

How Lola can he go?
Shoeless Joe from Hannibal, Mo is the mysterious "Joe Hardy" who makes a pact with the Devil to be young again and the greatest baseball wonder the Washington Senators have ever seen. His agreement comes with an "out" clause but hired temptress, "Lola" uses all of her most beguiling tricks in order to put the vamp on innocent Joe and keep him from short-changing the Devil of another hard-earned soul.

Gorgeous boy Tab Hunter plays the part of quiet, innocent and unpretentious Joe, an easy soul target for the Devil and his indebted temptress, played by Gwen Verdon. Although the singing was slightly less than what it could have been, the dance parts were terrific.

Unfortunately, this famous Broadway show was placed before a movie camera and little was done to take it from the ranks of the contrived enthusiasm of a play to the artful poise of a feature film. The scripts made for stiff dialogue and the sets were composed as they would have been on a fixed stage. What could have made for a very entertaining musical became a stage play adapted by convenience with no consideration for creative filming. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Some people may sneer at this 1965 musical, but the truth is the film has earned its status as a perennially watchable romantic-drama, largely on the strength of a fun story and chemistry between stars Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. Veteran filmmaker Robert Wise (The Day the Earth Stood Still) mostly stays out of the way of the film's appealing elements, which include a based-on-fact tale of Austria's von Trapp family, who fled their Nazi-occupied country in 1938. Andrews is delightful and even fascinating as Maria, who sheds her tomboyish ways as a novice nun to accept the mantle of adulthood, becoming matron of the motherless von Trapp clan. Plummer is matinee-idol handsome and gives a smart performance to boot, and the cast of young people and kids who make up the singing von Trapp children make a strong impression. Based on the Rodgers and Hammerstein stage musical, the score includes such winners as "Maria" and the future John Coltrane hit "My Favorite Things." --Tom Keogh ... 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

While 2003's Daredevil was a conventional superhero movie, the 2005 spinoff, Elektra, is more of a wuxia-styled martial arts/fantasy flick. Elektra (Jennifer Garner) has returned to her life as a hired assassin, but she balks at an assignment to kill a single father (Goran Visnjic, ER) and his teenage daughter (Kirsten Prout). That makes her the target of the Hand, an organization of murderous ninjas, scheming corporate types, and a band of stylish supervillains seeking to eliminate Elektra and tip the balance of power in the ongoing battle of good vs. evil.

As the star of Alias, Garner has proven that she can kick butt with the best of them, and some of the visual effects are impressive, but the action sequences tend to be anticlimactic, and there's not much to the story. Fans will notice numerous references to Frank Miller's comic books, but there's very little resemblance to Miller's cold-blooded killer (Elektra with an agent? Elektra referring to herself as a "soccer mom"?).

Is Elektra better than Daredevil? Not really, even with the distinct advantage of having all Garner and no Ben Affleck. That could be the spinoff's greatest disappointment: after Spider-Man 2 raised the bar for comic-book movies, Elektra lowered it back to Daredevil's level.Directed by Rob Bowman (the X-Files movie), and featuring Terence Stamp as the mysterious mentor Stick, Will Yun Lee (Die Another Day) as the chief villain, and NFL-player-turned-mixed-martial-arts-champion Bob Sapp as the immovable Stone.

DVD features
Ben Affleck's much-rumored cameo is one of the deleted scenes on the Elektra DVD.It's a one-minute throwaway, and while he's supposedly appearing as Matt Murdock (who romanced Elektra in Daredevil), the barrage of celebrity gossip makes it impossible to see him as anything other than Jennifer Garner's real-life boyfriend.There's also a making-of featurette, which is mostly promotional hype other than a few interesting effects shots; four editing featurettes; and Jennifer Garner's videotaped message to ComicCon.--David Horiuchi

More on Elektra

Elektra: The Album (Soundtrack CD)	Elektra: The Movie (Comic Adaptation)	Frank Miller Comic Books
Daredevil (Director's Cut) (DVD)	Jennifer Garner stars in Alias (DVD)	More Superhero DVDs

... Read more

Reviews (163)

Not bad
I don't understand when people complain about Elektra being trashy. Com' on, you know you're watching a comic character, a character written from comics, how intellectual do you want the movie to be?

I love the trashiness of the movie.

More like E-Suck-tra...
This was one of the crappiest movie I have ever seen in the history of movies. The boss fights were stupid, the final boss, stupid, The tatoo guy that was supposed to be TOTALLY sweet died way way way too easily. She had this stiff pissed look the entire movie which just made me fell Stiff and pissed. I think the only part I found entertaining was how they died, If you want to laugh get this movie, if you want action(which is what you expect from this movie) Go try Samurai Champloo.

good dvd release but worst superhero movie i've ever seen
I'd never seen this movie in big screen, but one of my friends told me it was an average movie. when the dvd released, I Bought to put it near my daredevil DVDs (special 2 discs edition & directors cut), oh my... when i watched it... it was not an average movie but one of the worst superhero movies i've ever seen. too much lies! terrible actings and a boring story! not comperable with daredevil in any way, daredevil was a five star movie but this can hardly get one star! its just like one of jackie chan recent and cheap movies with a TV Worthy picture and special effects. it's not even worth to rent. don't be fool by the beautiful and kind of sexy photo on the cover of dvd! don't buy it even you are a super hero DVD Collector

Good acting , silly story
I was surprised that someone like Jason Isaacs would appear in a movie like this... special effects are very good, but still, the story wasn't very good. Goran Visnjic did a great job, excellent. But I don't know...watch it if you want to have some fun.

A Different Concept ?!!/ Disappointing and Medicore!!!!
I personaly am a comic book fan and can tell you from experience that the comics of Elektra are way better. The movie was somewhat weak with barely any action scenes!!! The only good part of the movie was Jennifer Garner which put some flavor into the movie and was in fact perfect for playing the part of Elektra!!! I place all blame on marvel who basically focused too much on setting up for the sequel and less on the action!!! This movie had so much potential but in the end it was barely amusing!!! If you want the truth the only reason I gave this movie 3 stars was because, of pitty and Jennifer Garner!!! It was a nobel effort but there are way better movies than this!!! The special features aren't that special either and not worth buying the movie over!!! Some hardcore Elektra fans will have a special place in their hearts for this movie!!! Don't buy this movie because of Jennifer Garner, if you want to see more of her just watch Alias/ or buy the first season!!! Marvel used to be about making comics and pleasing their main fan group, but now they have turned into a bunch of corporate business investors trying to make a profits!! The movie "Hulk" was even worse than this, which makes this look good!!! If you are looking for good movies from marvel here are some suggestion:

Spiderman
spiderman 2
X Men
X Men 2
The Punisher
Daredevil
The Incredibles

I hope Marvel is wise and makes more movies like the one's listed above!!! I suggest you rent this movie first to see if you truly want it!!! If you are a action fan like me you will probably not like it!!! Better luck on the sequel!!!

-Anonymous ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Technically ambitious but artistically underwhelming, this 1961 epic by Anthony Mann (Man of the West) stars Charlton Heston as an 11th-century hero who drives the Moors from Spain. The film has been described as "glum," and that is indeed apt for a story that focuses so much on its central character's losses in the face of his simultaneous, mythic approbation. Then again, Mann has always been interested in the hidden weaknesses in prevailing myths, so that's not unusual. What is unusual in El Cid is the degree to which technology takes over his filmmaking, as it does here with so many grandiose and bravura moments with a roving camera that don't add up to anything beyond spectacle. As an achievement of Hollywood's technical advancements in the postwar years, and also as part of the filmographies of Mann and Heston, the film is well worth a look. But it is not the artistic equal of other epics of its day, such as Lawrence of Arabia. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (60)

'The Perfect Knight' a PERFECT Film!
'El Cid' is the IDEAL film for any fan of great tales of Knighthood, the Age of Chivalry, and great tales of adventure! Directed by Anthony Mann with reverence to the best elements of the genre, shot on location in Spain, the mammoth production stars perfectly-cast Charlton Heston as Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, a warrior held in such respect by both friend and foe, that he is nicknamed 'El Cid' (The Man). Sophia Loren is luminous as his ladylove, Jimena (one might quibble that she NEVER ages through the film, but Loren is so radiant in the role, who cares?) The battle scenes are epically staged, the color photography is rich and tapestry-like, the sets and costumes capture the feel of medieval Spain, Miklós Rózsa's score is sweeping, wildly romantic, and, in its organ finale, triumphant; EVERY element in this film WORKS, and is a labor of love!

The screenplay, by Philip Yordan, Fredric M. Frank, and Ben Barzman, uses Vivar as the definition of Chivalry; noble, with lofty ideals, he opens the film by defending the Crucifix in a small Spanish town, defeating a band of Moors, then showing them mercy, which earns their respect, and gains the blessing of the Church (the symbolism of 'El Cid' and the Cross is clearly juxtaposed; he is truly sent as an answer to Spain's prayers!)

He and the beautiful Lady Jimena, daughter of the King's Champion, are to be wed, but when Vivar is forced to face him in a duel, killing him, as the elder attempts to defeat him by treachery, Jimena is sworn to avenge her father's death!

Inheriting by default the title of Champion, Vivar is immediately thrust into a spectacular combat against a rebelling city's Champion, fought with an array of medieval weaponry; this scene is the first of many highpoints of the film, and is incredible! The hard-fought victory 'vindicates' Vivar's new title, and Christendom and Spain has its true Champion against the Moor!

The film has all the classic elements; heroism and betrayal, pure love and jealous hatred, divine purpose and petty manipulations. Above all of this towers 'El Cid', whose lofty ideals are never compromised, whose only dream is to serve a united Spain. Nothing, not even death itself, will prevent him from fulfilling his destiny!

If you have only one film about Knighthood or Chivalry in your collection, this should be it! No other movie even comes close to 'El Cid'...it is truly a triumph!

A superbly crafted and highly under rated masterpiece
I saw El Cid soon after its release in 1962 when I was just 12. I was then in an armed forces training school at Dehradun, India, and the entire college had to march five miles to the theater to see it as an inspiring and motivational film for future military leaders. We had never heard of the Cid or any other Spanish hero till then. But, when we left the hall, after seeing this 3-hour magnum opus, we were never to forget him. Since then I must have seen this film on video and in theaters scores of times. On every occasion I was moved afresh by the heroism and sacrifice of 'the man who rode away into legend'- El Cid. I do not think, except for Ben Hur, Sound of Music and Titanic, any other English film has made such a lasting impact. Yet, surprisingly and sadly, El Cid has never figured in the all time greats of Hollywood. Both Charlton Heston and Sophia Loren have given splendid and unforgettable performances, probably their best ever. Their characters and role have been superbly etched by a screenplay, which has done justice to a long but very well knit story. Both the indoor settings and outdoor locales, in which the film was magnificently shot, are so beautiful and natural, that one is literally transported into Spain in the Middle Ages. The lance duel on the plains of Calahara is superbly picturized in the timeless tradition of Hollywood immortal scenes. By the time the movie reaches its unforgettable climax you feel a hollowness creeping into your heart, for you realize that the magic of one of the greatest cinematic epics is about to end and you have no choice but to return to the dreary everyday world! I eagerly look forward to replace my ageing video cassette with the newly released DVD, which I am sure will give me viewing pleasure for as many years ahead as the tape and film versions had given me in the past.

Preservation of a magnificent, splendidly cinematic event
My sentiments are pretty much identical with the ones of the gentleman Sri, from India. I am very disapointed that this magnificantly depicted story has not found favor with the DVD formating industry. After all stories such as 'Tale of two cities', 'Count of Monte Christo', 'Man in the iron Mask','Scarlet Pimpernel', the list goes on..;has been formated in DVD format. I can only wonder if the reason for not having 'El Cid' on disc was a matter of preference or economics at time of decision? I understand that not everyone may enjoy this 'Genre'but personally I believe it's one of the best re-telling of a magnificent, by-gone era and is certainly worthy of DVD formating-if for nothing else but to retain History. I truly wish that this masterpiece of cinamatic splendor would be re-formated and re-mastered digitally. It is such a great story and so masterfully depicted that it most certainly worthy of telling to future generations-and what better way to preserve this on DVD format, since it keeps a lot better than Tape?

DVD available on amazon.fr
This film deserves a Criterion DVD complete with a restored print. It certainly is a timely film and I find its vision of mutual tolerance and charity between Christians and Muslims particularly welcome at the present moment (especially with all those frothering neocons yapping about a clash of civilizations). It will be interesting to see Ridley Scott's forthcoming Crusades film, which looks to be an avatar of El Cid.
There is curently a DVD available from amazon.co.uk, but do not buy it. It is full screen, not widescreen. There is a DVD available from Amazon.fr, however, which does have widescreen. I saw the film when I was eight (for my birthday) in 1962 and saw it on television (wth a pan and scan edit) which butchered the 70 mm Technirama print. The fullscreen (tv) format gives one only less than two thirds of the actual frame. It's a wonder to see the French DVD version on my 23 inch flat computer screen. the only problems with htis DVD are that the print is not a great one--there are scratches every now nad then, and hte sound track is momentarily off for a few seconds. More troublesome is that the French subtitles were burned into the print, so they can't be removed when you watch the DVD in English (there is also a French dubbed version). And the various menu features don't work except for film and language tracks. Still, I'm glad I got it and recommend it until a DVD here becomes available.

Rodrigo's Christians against Ben Yussef's Moors
This grand, epic film tells many stories but the main thread is about the selfless, noble sacrifice of the gallant El Cid, Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, who was able to effect an alliance of Christians and Moors to defend Spain against Ben Yussuf and the very real threat of a Moorish invasion from North Africa. El Cid faces many trials and tribulations in his quest for peace and freedom in war-torn Spain, where palace intrigue and plots, treachery and assassinations threaten the country's stability. Charlton Heston's Rodrigo is a man of courage and bravery who is also just and sees the senselessness of killing Emirs and spares the lives of five captives after a battle in order to spare the citizens from Emirs seeking revenge for the killing of their soldiers. Thus begins Rodrigo's long, lonely and often thankless struggle to free Spain from the fear of Ben Yussuf. Rodrigo's battle to defend his father's honor against the slurs made by Chimene's father is only the first of many trials he faces until many years later when the final battle and victory against the Moors is at hand and will bring peace and unity to Spain. Sophia Loren is quite lovely as Chimene who finally embraces Rodrigo as her husband and realizes that it is he who represents Spain's only hope for peace and freedom. The battle scenes are well done, with much of the action shown in close-quarters combat and the beauty of Spain's castles and countryside is captured in beautiful widescreen Technicolor. The superb production has a wonderful music score by Miklós Rózsa that is evocative of the beauty and sorrow of this quixotic land on the Iberian Peninsula...a land of contradictions with its own unique character and mystique. ... Read more

Reviews (306)

cute kid's show
While Ice Age does have adult themes running through it (and a few adult jokes), it doesn't have the broad appeal that you find with Shrek, Toy Story, or Monsters, Inc. But it is a good movie to sit down with the whole family to watch. There's little violence and no sexual content. The animation is a little cartoony--but the animators aren't shooting for realistic here, they are looking for more of a 'Shrek' type look. It has its charm. It does have a strong cast. I'd never have pictured Ray Romano as a mammoth, but his dead pan delivery does fit well with the personality of a gigantic mammoth. Dennis Leary plays the saber-tooth tiger, but holding Leary back to a PG rating takes away from his appeal. Still, he does a fairly good job with what he has, and the funniest moments in the movie come from his interaction with John Leguizamo, who is brilliant as the sloth. Cedric the Entertainer, Jack Black, and Gorin Visjnic (casting him as the leader of the tigers was a stroke of genius, I wish there had been more scenes featuring him) have small supporting roles. The dvd contains all kinds of extras, but it is the short animation 'Bunny' that really makes this dvd worth buying (and the cave painting scene in the movie). You can see the animators genius there. This isn't a dvd you want to rush out to buy, but one you might want to put on your list of dvds to get.

Slow Start, But Turns Around Halfway Through
The Story: Manfred the mastodon (Ray Romano), Sid the sloth (John Leguizamo), and Diego the saber-toothed tiger (Denis Leary) are getting ready to migrate, separately, when fate brings them together and puts a human infant in their care. They travel through the brutal but starkly beautiful landscapes of 20,000 years ago, seeking the child's father, who is migrating with his tribe. Of course, the prey-predator factor complicates things, as man hunts everything, saber-toothed tigers hunt everything, sloths are usually prey, and mastodons are prize prey that are usually passed up because of their size. Oh, and along the way, a squirrel (?) tries to gather acorns for the (extremely long and harsh) winter.

Story Commentary: This is a computer-animated remake of "The Three Godfathers" but the first half seemed a LOT like "Shrek" meets "Monsters, Inc." transposed into the distant past. Then, something happens, and the movie became wondrous for me. The things that created this transformation were: the turmoil and complexity of Diego's emerging character as he discovers a different way of being; the whole scene in the ice cavern, and especially the wall-drawing of the mastodon that Manfred sees (and then imagines into a microcosmic summary of Ice Age life); the growing sense of duty, stewardship, and surrogate fatherhood. The ice cavern scene is the start, and is an unforgettable movie moment for me. The interspersed vignettes of the squirrel (coati mundi?) provided great comic relief, plus an ending to make one chuckle.

Technical Commentary: This film looks very different than did "Shrek" and "Monsters, Inc." but is on a par, technically, with them. The stark beauty of an Ice Age winter, turned into an icy playground with lethal traps and pitfalls, was a work of minimalist art.

At the halfway point, I would have given the film two to three stars, and complained that it lacked originality times three. The last half gets five stars.

Profound AND Funny
I got indignant when one of my favorite reviewers panned this film and decided to rise to its defense. Not only does this film work brilliantly as an allegory about bridging ethnic and cultural divides, but it is by turns hilarious and deeply touching. The story follows a group of migrating prehistoric mammals (a saber-toothed tiger which is a predator; and a sloth and woolly mammoth, which are prey species) who find a lost human infant and ultimately make the difficult and dangerous decision to reunite it with its human tribe. The personalities of all three are well developed, and their nonstop bickering is a riot. Naturally, there are many internal divisions, and the saber-toothed tiger is secretly plotting to ambush the group, but in the end the shared experience of bonding with the infant unites them. There is a highly entertaining scene where the group travels through an ice cave in which is embedded hilarious references to other life forms including extraterrestrials. There is a very touching scene in which the mammoth contemplates human pictographs of hunters killing a family of mammoths with spears, only to be comforted by the human infant in his care. The animation, especially the facial expressions for the animals, and of course the ill-fated squirrel whose attempts to gather and store nuts form a cruelly funny sub-theme, is incredibly clever. The film is just brimming with sly humor, tenderness, and witty sight-gags; I've probably seen it five times and haven't gotten bored yet.

Cold Laughs
This is a great movie. The characters and situations are just so funny. I really couldn't stop laughing. I highly recommend it.

very cute, and the squirrel is a riot!
A film by Chris Wedge and Carlos Saldanha

The first hint I had of what "Ice Age" would be was a preview long before the movie ever came out. The preview featured a squirrel trying to bury an acorn in the snow, but nothing was working and in the attempt to bury the acorn, the poor little squirrel inadvertently caused an avalanche. It was funny, and it was the one of the best previews that I had seen. Fortunately, this squirrel makes several appearances throughout "Ice Age" and steals every scene that he appears in (which is saying something for a piece of animation). However, the main story of the film has nothing to do with the squirrel.

A pack of saber tooth tigers are seeking to attack a human settlement in revenge for some of their own being killed by human hunters. The plan is to take the human baby of the lead hunter. The tigers attack, but the baby's mother manages to escape and dives into the river. With her last breath the mother places the baby at the feet of a mastodon who is standing by the riverbank.

This much is still set up for the primary story being told, and that is the story of Manfred the mastodon (Ray Romano) and Sid the sloth (John Leguizamo). Since the world is in the middle of an ice age, the animals are migrating south to get out of the cold. Manfred is initially going north to get away from everyone else when he comes upon Sid. Sid was left behind and he also needs protection. He's a sloth, but rather than being exceptionally slow, he appears to be more clumsy than anything else. The two animals end up traveling together (over the objections of the mastodon), and it is then that they come across the human baby. Manfred is ready to leave the baby behind, but Sid insists on keeping the child until they can find another human settlement. Enter Diego (Denis Leary). Diego is a saber tooth tiger who has been sent by his pack to reclaim the human baby as revenge for the pack. Even a tiger fears to go up against a mastodon, so Diego pretends to have the best interests of the baby at heart and now we have the rather strange group of Manfred, Sid, and Diego all trying to return the baby (except for Diego, who is only pretending).

"Ice Age" is a very cute movie, suitable for children of all ages. It is funny at times (any time the squirrel gets to make an appearance is a highlight for me), and it should be enjoyable for children and adults. Excellent animation and excellent voice acting. "Ice Age" is a good movie that should not be overlooked (even though it was overlooked in the theatre because of Pixar's "Monsters Inc"). ... Read more

Amazon.com

What keeps airplanes aloft? How do birds fly? How do pilots steer a plane? These questions and more are explored in this installment of the award-winning science videos from Scholastic. Ms. Frizzle's class is taking part in a model-airplane contest to explore the principles of aerodynamics, when Mrs. Frizzle shrinks herself and a few class members so that they can fly their plane themselves. When the remote control breaks, the kids in the airplane must learn to fly it. Those remaining on the ground must somehow turn the Magic Schoolbus into an airplane so they can rescue their classmates. Through trial and error, the whole class discovers that in order to fly, an object needs to have wings, moving air, power, and steering. They discover firsthand how birds' wings act as propellers, and how birds and planes steer with rudders and flaps. Finally, with some help from an eagle, they learn to take off, fly, and land. Kids will learn about aerodynamics by observing what works and what doesn't as the characters try to stay aloft. Or, as Ms. Frizzle puts it: "Sometimes you have to do the wrong stuff to find out what the right stuff is supposed to be." --Elisabeth Keating ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

On her first day of work, Sue Applegate (Ginger Rogers) has to escape the clutches of a lecherous client (Robert Benchley, whose favorite line is "Why don't you slip out of that wet coat and into a dry martini?").Fed up with the big city, Sue decides to head home to Iowa with the precious $27.50 train fare she's kept in a sealed envelope since her arrival.The fare has gone up, however, and she is forced to pose as a 12-year-old to buy a half-price ticket.On the train, she has to dodge the suspicious conductors and bursts into the compartment of Major Phillip Kirby (Ray Milland), who falls for Sue's masquerade and harbors her for the night.The situation is further complicated by the major's fiancée (Rita Johnson) and her savvy 12-year-old sister (Diana Lynn), the only one who sees through the ruse.Add a stay at the major's academy and some escapades with young, hormone-driven cadets, and you have an enjoyable, if not quite classic, silly comedy, well paced by Billy Wilder in his first directorial effort.Rogers's real-life mother appears in a small role as Sue's mother.Rogers is only occasionally convincing as a 12-year-old, but after all she was 30 at the time.--David Horiuchi ... Read more

Reviews (22)

Priceless Classic, lots of fun!
What a wonderful film! Billy Wilder has directed a cute and wonderful film that is timeless! When Susan Applegate (Ginger Rogers) has had it with the big city (New York) she discovers that while she was trying to build a career that her train fare has increased. The laughs begin there as she adapts her wardrobe to become a 12 year old half-fare customer. The suspecting conductors chase "Sue-Sue" as she hides and meets Major Phillip Kirby (Ray Milland). Major Kirby takes "Sue-Sue" to the home of his fiancée (Rita Johnson) and her 12-year-old sister (Diana Lynn). She is the talk of the cadets at the boys school, and causes a very lighthearted stir. Sue-Sue's relationship with the young girl (Diana Lynn) is impressive as is the insight of the young girl. This film is truly a classic!

Suspend Your Disbelief
This film has raised a few eyebrows over the years, since the subject matter is of a grown man falling in love with a woman pretending to be a twelve year old girl. However, upon viewing, you will discover that this comedy presents the material in such an innocent way, you simply have to suspend disbelief and enjoy the complications that ensue. Ginger Rogers is the woman/girl who pretends to be the child to get the child's fare on the train since she is short on cash, and Ray Milland is the officer she meets on the train who takes care of her. She ends up at the military school where he works, and she causes quite a sensation amongst the young cadets. But more than that, she stirs up things in the relationship between Milland