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Having developed his skill as a master of contemporary crime drama, writer-director Michael Mann displayed every aspect of that mastery in this intelligent, character-driven thriller from 1995, which also marked the first onscreen pairing of Robert De Niro and Al Pacino. The two great actors had played father and son in the separate time periods of The Godfather, Part II, but this was the first film in which the pair appeared together, and although their only scene together is brief, it's the riveting fulcrum of this high-tech cops-and-robbers scenario. De Niro plays a master thief with highly skilled partners (Val Kilmer and Tom Sizemore) whose latest heist draws the attention of Pacino, playing a seasoned Los Angeles detective whose investigation reveals that cop and criminal lead similar lives. Both are so devoted to their professions that their personal lives are a disaster. Pacino's with a wife (Diane Venora) who cheats to avoid the reality of their desolate marriage; De Niro pays the price for a life with no outside connections; and Kilmer's wife (Ashley Judd) has all but given up hope that her husband will quit his criminal career. These are men obsessed, and as De Niro and Pacino know, they'll both do whatever's necessary to bring the other down. Mann's brilliant screenplay explores these personal obsessions and sacrifices with absorbing insight, and the tension mounts with some of the most riveting action sequences ever filmed--most notably a daylight siege that turns downtown Los Angeles into a virtual war zone of automatic gunfire. At nearly three hours, the film qualifies as a kind of intimate epic, certain to leave some viewers impatiently waiting for more action, but it's all part of Mann's compelling strategy. Heat is a true rarity: a crime thriller with equal measures of intense excitement and dramatic depth, giving De Niro and Pacino a prime showcase for their finely matched talents. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (370)

Movie sizzle.. DVD extras fizzle...
HEAT is one of the best crime dramas ever made! Director Michael Mann's saga is simply a tried and true tale of good versus evil. Al Pacino plays an L.A. cop, who leads a team, that is hot on the trail of a band of criminals. The bad guys are led by mastermind Robert De Niro. Mann tells the epic with such precision and skill, that it is just flawless, from start to finish. Even though Pacino and De NIro do not share much screen time, the film has so much going on, that it almost does not matter. When the two mega-stars do act in the same scene, everything crackles with intensity, that is is almost palpable. The supporting cast is first rate. Val Kilmer, Diane Venora, Tom Sizemore, Ashley Judd, Natalie Portman, and JonVoight lead the way into putting this film in the "classic" catagory

The DVD is a major disappointment, due to the lack of any extras, save for a trailler and production info. I wish those in charge would consider a special edition reissue soon. The movie is a winner despite the DVD sans extras and should be part of anyone's film collection. Warner Home Entertainment GET CRACKING on HEAT 2 disc set!

Buy It!
This crime story contains one of the best scenes in movie history. Al Pacino sits down in a coffee shop and chats with Robert De Niro. One is an eccentric detective and the other a ruthless criminal. They talk about what they do for a living and how it effects them. It's a tense and dramatic moment and you have to wonder if the actors are actually talking about their character's lives or their very own. "Heat" is one of the most underrated crime/heist movies of the genre. It has extravagent action scenes, solid performances and cameos (Hank Azaria,Tone Loc,Natalie Portman) and an engrossing plot. My only complaint is the tacked-on ending which seems to belong in a B-movie. Warner Bros. did only an okay job bringing it to DVD so be warned. It's missing some of the special features we have come to expect (director's commentary, deleted scenes, etc). Michael Mann did an admirable job of showing the exploits of professional bank robbers and the detectives who chase them. It's rumored that one of the advisors to the film was one of the bank robbers who was later killed in the infamous North Hollywood Shootout in 1997. Enticed enough now? This is an action movie with class...buy it!

fantastic
this movie has some of the best acting i've ever seen. the plot is great and the action scenes are also great. the dvd i'm reviewing now lacks extras, but a special edition is supposed to come out later this year. some might not like it being three hours, but i think the three hours i spent watching were well worth it.

The best!
Great flick.....perhaps the best car chase scenes and most "tactically correct" fire and maneuver sequences ever filmed. Outstanding plot and great acting.

Long, but good
Pacino, De Niro, Kilmer, Voight all in one movie. Isn't that great? It is. This cop movie is not bad at all, especially the story and the personalities are well developed.

Pacino is sometimes a little too rude and the movie takes too long with 2 hrs and 45 minutes.

Still worth seeing if you have the sitting-flesh. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

like molasses, a little slow but very sweet
Based on Russell Janey's novel, the Ben Hecht/Quentin Reynolds script for this film is sometimes sappy and often uneven, but it's also a nice sentimental story, told in flashback, by William Dunnigan (played in a somber manner by Fred McMurray), a press agent who was never a very happy guy, and is burying the woman he loved (but was never able to tell her so).
The real reason to watch this film is to see Alida Valli play Joan of Arc, in a "film within a film" segment. She is luminous and incredibly beautiful, and would have made a terrific Joan. Coincidentally, the lavish "Joan of Arc" production starring Ingrid Bergman was released the same year as this film.

Another reason to view "The Miracle of the Bells" is to see Frank Sinatra, skinny as a rail, in the unlikely part of a soft spoken priest; this was five years before his success in "From Here to Eternity", and he is surprisingly good, but far from great. He sings "Ever Homeward", a cappella, as he sits among the grave stones; there's a lot of gloomy aspects to the film, one of them being that the setting is a poor coal mining town...though it all has a nice pay-off.
Lee J. Cobb is Marcus Harris, the film producer making "Joan of Arc", and he has the humorous moment in the film with his "I won't stand for any press agent miracles !" rant, which was funny enough to make me laugh out loud, a rarity for me.
Some might say it's improbable that headlines of "Nation Mourns For Movie Star" could ever happen, especially when the "movie star" is unknown, but seeing how today's media obsesses about inconsequential stories, and runs with them for days (nay, weeks !) on end, on a slow news cycle, anything could happen.
Total running time is 120 minutes.

Memorable Movie
Orginally, I saw this movie about ten years ago and it really left an impression on me. It brilliantly grabs the viewer's heart...You would have to be dead not to be touched by this film. I loved it and I'm getting ready to purchase a copy for my 15-year-old daughter to watch. I've shared with her many other classics I've valued in my lifetime, i.e. Jane Eyre (Orson Wells), Wuthering Heights, and Alice Adams. I hope she will treasure the classics as much as I do.

A Feel-Bad Christmas Movie
The first time I saw "The Miracle of the Bells" was a New Year's Eve party in 1980, and man, it was a bring down. Here is a somewhat nasty Fred MacMurray mourning the loss of Valli (from "The Third Man"), who had only just completed filming her Joan of Arc movie, the movie that would have catapulted this obscure nobody into a major star, it seems, but fate would have it otherwise, since she up and died. Frank Sinatra plays against type big time as a gentle young priest. I really disliked this movie, and I bet you would too.

Setzer's Amazing Vocals and Stronger Edge of Music, Yet...
On this '86 effort the Cats try for a little harder rock-a-billy edge.The only problem is that there is nothing really memorable that stands out (except for one country twang-like tune on which Brian Setzer's vocals soar). By '86 the public's interest with Stray Cat strut had started to become diluted. However, because of the type of music or genre the Stray Cats have mastered it is a true collector's keeper. While I do not own the c.d., my vinyl copy is flawless and the track listing is exactly the same (no extras or bonus tracks on the import c.d.).

kinda silly, kinda nice
One theme of this movie is the importance of becoming a movie star. Contrary to one review below, Sinatra does sing in this movie--and tries to act, too (he's pretty wooden, in my own humble opinion). The contention in the movie that the entire American nation would hysterically mourn the loss of an actress they'd never met, seen, or heard of, is, in a word, hysterical. But, all that said, this is a kinda fun movie to watch. VALLI is MAGNIFICENT! She should have played Joan of Arc--watch the movie and you'll see why. I've heard rumors that the film will be re-made with Tom Hanks as the actor and Meg Ryan as the agent! ... Read more

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Director Renny Harlin (Cutthroat Island) took the reins of this 1990 sequel, which places Bruce Willis's New York City cop character in harm's way again with a gaggle of terrorists. This time, Willis awaits his wife's arrival at Dulles Airport in Washington, D.C., when he gets wind of a plot to blow up the facility. Noisy, overbearing, and forgettable, the film has none of the purity of its predecessor's simple story; and it makes a huge miscalculation in allowing a terrible tragedy to occur rather than stretch out the tension. Where Die Hard set new precedents in action movies, Die Hard 2 is just an anything-goes spectacle. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (66)

Suprisingly Weak
The first, and worst, sequel to Die Hard, is terrorised by the same plot as the original. While waiting for his wife's plane to arrive at Dulles Airport (on Xmas Eve), McClane notices a few suspicious exchanges between a group of men amidst the busy yuletide passengers.

Before you know he is neck deep in trouble with an army of mercenaries, led by Colonel Stewart (William Sadler), who are hell-bent on setting free a corrupt South American General/Drug Baron (Franco Nero). There are more bad guys than before. And more suspension of disbelief is required.

There are so many plot holes and illogical moments that the film almost drowns in its own absurdity. But there is enough action and stunts to cancel it out and distract our attention. Though they not presented in a breathtaking or memorable way. It's all too generic and a bit mean-spirited. No audience nowadays would be satisfied with it so prepare yourself for 80's violence.

William Sadler and Franco Nero lack the callous efficiency of Alan Rickman. And a hero can only be measured by his nemesis. But most of the time McClane is just capping off nameless mercs. How boring. Tho this should not be blamed on Sadler, he has a threatening and intense presence and as he has proved himself in movies like Trespass and Demon Knight. Too bad his character here is so badly written and underdeveloped. I'm sorry but blowing up 250 people off-screen to show how evil you are just won't cut it.

This was Renny Harlin's second movie of 1990 (the other was Ford Fairlain) and it is without a doubt the movie that made him a certified action director. It was a tough, and huge, movie to pull off. He just pulled it off with no particular charm. Though he does a wonderful job of capturing the look and feel of an East Coast winter. The wide-open snowfields and ice-covered runways will definitely make you feel chilly.

Although this is another problem. The first Die Hard worked entirely within the space of Nakatomi Plaza. It was claustrophobic and almost plausible. The scale and scope of Die Hard 2 is too big for its own good. Similar to the problems of ID4, the staples of reality are ripped out with ignorance and over-confidence. The bulk of the film is nothing but one dumb action scene after another. It doesn't make for coherent viewing.

Die Hard 2 is a definite lag in between both of McTiernan's very strong outings. By today's standards it seems dated and very 90's. Which is a shame considering the original and 'With A Vengeance' are, in a way, 'timeless'. It's movies like this that inspired 'Last Action Hero'.

Filmed in Panavision, the 2.35:1 anamorphic picture is superb looking with true blacks (a lot of this film is set at night) and nice fleshtones. Fire effects and colors look beautifully orange and overall the quality is top notch aside from a few instances of minor pixelation.

The gunshots are loud and ferocious in both the Dolby Digital and DTS tracks. All explosions and every punch and kick are rendered with amazing clarity. Some of the surrounds tend to stick to mono but the plane crash in the middle of the movie will convince it is actually happening in your living room. Dialogue scenes tend to stick to the front speaker and the musical score by Michael Kamen is well recorded and is sure to excite.

Renny Harlin's commentary is much more interesting that John McTiernan's fatigued and labored effort on the first movie. Harlin talks about the characters more and how he prefers his movies to be in terms of motivation and why characters should smoke only if it is necessary. Among other things. Such as how many of the effects he did then, in many different ways, would be so much quicker and easier to do today in Digital CGI.

The Featurette was made for Fox TV back in 1990 and it is a bit better than the usual, self-congratulatory nonsense that bogs down most featurettes. But it still can't resist talking about how 'great' the movie is. Tho thanks to this extra we now know that most of the snow in the movie is shredded soap. A second, 4-minute, Featurette is basically an extended trailer.

There are a few deleted scenes that are not that interesting and it's easy to see why they were cut from the film. Although the alternate scene on how McClane gets to the Annex Skywalk (The Boiler Room) is quite cool.

The interview with Renny Harlin and the Villain's Profile are promotional titbits in which they discuss how to direct a high-concept sequel and how to be an evil bad guy.

Behind the scenes and storyboards focuses on 2 scenes. The first is 'Breaking the Ice' and the second is 'Chaos on the Conveyor Belt'. The storyboard and film comparison is for the 'Skywalk Ambush' sequence.

Visual effects breakdowns explore, in great length and tedious, repetitive slo-mo, the Ejector seat scene and the Airport Runway. These are basically green-screen evolutions. The other model effects scenes broken down are 'Chopper', 'Airplane Models' and 'Wing Fight'.

Fast-paced follow-up fueled by thrills...
While not as original or inspired as the first, "Die Hard 2: Die Harder" is still an action-packed, slick movie with twists and turns fit for a roller-coaster ride of pure mayhem! Bruce Willis reprises his role as John McClane, this time in trouble at a Washington D.C. airport, where terrorists have taken the air traffic control captive. With McClane's wife on one of the stranded planes, our hero races to kick the butts of the bad guys once again! This is a worthy follow-up to the 80s hit film, with some cool action sequences and some pretty decent scripting.

Almost as good as the original
Count me among the few, it seems, who believe DIE HARD 2 to be almost as good as the original DIE HARD. I personally don't understand why this sequel always seems to be undervalued in favor of the jaggedly uneven, incoherent DIE HARD WITH A VENGEANCE.

Certainly DIE HARD 2 is not as good as the original. It lacks the first film's grittiness and claustrophobic atmosphere (but of course a loss of the latter was expected when the scriptwriters expanded the playing field to an entire airport as opposed to one floor of a highrise); its villain is no match for DIE HARD's subtly chilling Hans Gruber; and director Renny Harlin disappointingly favors action over those little human touches that so distinguished the original, insteading favoring more action. (Besides, couldn't the screenwriters have come up with a more creative plot than simply recycling the general structure of the original? But hey, this is a Hollywood product, where it's best not to take too many chances in the quest to cash-in on a big success, which DIE HARD certainly was.)

All that being said, the action sequences are undeniably thrilling---the action of the second half, particularly, moves so quickly from one great setpiece to another that the momentum never lets up 'til the very end---and Bruce Willis is just as good as he was in the original, proving that he will always be John McClane in my mind. All in all, DIE HARD 2 is arguably even MORE entertaining viscerally than DIE HARD.

In short, DIE HARD will forever be a genre classic, but DIE HARD 2 is a worthy sequel when it comes to pure action---and when you are talking about action movies, isn't the action what's really important anyway?

A fan's review
I would like to start by pointing out that this movie gets a lot of crap. A LOT. This is in no way as bad as the reviews may make you think, and in fact this is my favorite Die Hard film.

I'm a huge fan of the series. I've seen them all plenty of times, and this one stands out for me. I'm not the only one, either; Ebert also claims this to be the greatest Die Hard. You've heard the same complaints about this movie a thousand times, I'm sure of it. But what tends to be left out is the amazing special effects, the truely die hard enemies, and the perfectly directed action scenes. This was directed by a different director than the other two blockbusters. Die Hard 2 also made the most money at the box offices. It really is the best!

Overreaches but still exciting
While this installment is the weakest of the three, it still has some exciting moments. All in all, I think the film tried so hard to top the first (best) Die Hard film, that the failure is that much more evident.

The characterizations are not as well fleshed-out as in the others. The action scenes become predictable and less exciting as the movie progresses.

I had to laugh at one of the BIGGEST continuity flaws I've ever witnessed in a big-budget movie: the plane that crashes is forced to the ground by lack of fuel. Why, then, does it explode in a HUGE fireball if it's out of gas? Somebody screwed up. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Hilarious
I saw this film twice when it came out in LA in '89 or '90 and almost got a hernia from laughing. Sandra is truly OVER the whole Westernized idea of self-concept; she has irreverence for almost everything in pop culture, and...well, who can blame her? I listened to the soundtrack from the show again last weekend twelve years later and still laughed. She really has a way of tempering one's desire for too much self-importance, and the way she skewers fame is just... charmed!

One of a kind
This movie, WITHOUT YOU I'M NOTHING, is based on Sandra's off-broaway, smash hit one woman show. Whew.. that was a mouthful. Anyway I wasn't familiar with Sandra's work before I saw this but after I saw this, I was floored. It's funny, touching, silly, and crazy. It's one of the best movies/shows I've seen. During WITHOUT YOU I'M NOTHING Sandra takes jabs at people but she's also an incredible storyteller/comedian. She also sings and dances thoughout. This movie is like no other. It's dark humor, crazy stories, and Sandra's eccentric attitude is sure to entertain.

You'll be memorizing the lines from this movie in no time.
Sandra Bernhard's Without You I'm Nothing, the movie released in the winter of early 1990, followed on the heels of her 1988 off-Broadway stage production ... what she and others refer to in the movie as her "smash-hit one-woman show." There were several changes in monologues and one-liners to update the comedic appeal of the show. And the movie version visually re-vamped the story, taking Sandra from a fabulous existence as a successful stage performer in New York, during what she calls her "superstar summer," to an illusory existence back in her home in Los Angeles - her fictional manager in the film refers to it as getting Sandra back "to her roots, to ... upscale supper clubs like the Parisian Room."

There's a point to be made here. Sandra tries to appeal her liberal worldview to an audience that doesn't completely see it. In L.A. she's playing to a predominantly black audience, trying to relate her ideas and comedy when all these people seem to want is "Shashonna," a Madonna-look-alike stripper. And even then, with Shashonna dancing to drum beats that resemble those from "Like a Virgin," there's not much to be said for the audience's enjoyment of the show. The scene in the club throughout the movie is dryer than a bone. A funny scene to catch is of a rotund man from the audience helping Shashonna out of her pants.

But, if she's going down, Sandra's going down with style and force, conveying everything from foul confidence to punctured vulnerability ... right to the point at which she's naked (literally), pleading with the audience for acceptance and, yet, somehow still swimming in the pool of her own transparent stardom. Her interactions with celebrities like Calvin Klein, Jerry Lewis, Bianca Jagger, Ralph Lauren and (what we're lead to believe is) Warren Beatty are fictional and hilarious.

Sandra begins her show in her most awkward moment, performing a quiet but mystifying rendition of Nina Simone's song "Four Women" while dressed in African garb, singing lines such as "my skin is black," "my hair is wooly," and "they call me Sweet Thing."

She resurrects and celebrates the ghosts of underworld art: "Leave it to Andy [Warhol] to have the wisdom and sensitivity into the hours and hours of toil and labor that went into the Indian product ... that they've been so lucky to cash in on this whole Santa Fe thing happening."

She expounds on the excessiveness of Hollywood, consoling a distraught friend then admonishing him, saying "Mister, if this is about Ishtar, I'm getting up right now and walking out of your life forever because that's too self-indulgent for even me!"

Sandra illustrates the expectations of women in the age of feminism. In retelling her young-girl fantasy, she eventually concludes in relief, "I'll never be a statistic, not me. I'm under 35, and I'm going to be married!"

And she extols the opening of sexuality in society: "When he touches you in the night, does it feel all right, or does it feel real? I say it feels real ... MIGHTY real." And, finally, she cries for change in American society by channeling disco greats Patrick Cowley and Sylvester and proclaiming, "Eventually everyone will funk!"

All this comes in the form of glitzy, schmaltzy but wonderful cabaret performances of songs written and originated by Billy Paul, Burt Bacharach, Hank Williams and Laura Nyro, to name a few. At the same time, the idealized, fictional incarnation of Sandra -- her self-generated mirror image -- floats around town, a beautiful model with flowing gowns and tight bustiers reading the Kabala, studying chemistry and listening to NWA rap music.

Without You I'm Nothing exposes Sandra in what was then her most intimate and direct engagement with an audience to date. She explores emotions and existences that, up until then, she'd only toyed with as a regular guest on Late Night With David Letterman. Her almost child-like enthusiasm for shock, exhibited throughout the '80s, is thrown aside in the face of a subtler allure, and her confidence in the face of materialism and American celebrity proves refreshing. This approach to comedy would change Sandra's direction forever and mark the more mature, more personable entertainer to come.

If you like subtle humor to the point of engaging in inside jokes about glamour, celebrity, sex, loneliness, despair and shallow expressions of love and kinship, this movie will keep you in stitches. But see it with a friend "in the know" because it's definitely funnier that way. Before you know it, the two of you will be trading Sandra barbs and confusing the hell out of everyone else.

A Masterpiece of Black Comedy: rent it, buy it, steal it
Sandra's off-the-cuff remark that "my father is a proctologist and my mother is an abstract artist: that's how I see the world" is an early warning of her often scatological, often surrealist commentaries on the conventions and pop culture of our time. The wild musical interludes, broken up by deadpan monologues, and hilariously backhanded commentary by her fictionized former agent and an old "friend", will never be forgotten by any viewer, whether fan or not.

In this earlier incarnation, Sandra was the foremost artist of emotional abjection. A character who encounters rejection and misunderstanding everywhere, yet one whom the viewer soon identifies as easily the most intelligent person in the room. It is neither her religion nor her sexuality which marginalize her, but the particular pitch of her wit and her kaleidescopic view of cultural phenomena.

Sandra's scatter-shot talents range from singing to dancing to acting to writing, but, as this film demonstrates, the sum of her brilliance is greater than any one (though also brilliant!) part.

Sandra is a national treasure who might just change and even save your life. She is tragi-comedy incarnate. Support her artistic productions: as a one-of-a-kind artist, she is certainly an endanged species.

It will change your life
My introduction to Sandra Bernhard, the ultimate sage of our times, came when I went to see "Without You I'm Nothing" in the movie theater when it was first released. I knew nothing about her and was blown away by her wit and insight into American culture. I have never been in a movie audience that laughed as hard and as often than when I saw this film. Sandra has that uncanny ability to be at once hilariously funny and deeply moving. Her stage performances are brilliant and "Without You I'm Nothing" captures her brilliance in an innovative and creative way - this film is not simply a multi-camera shoot of a stage performance, but utilizes fiction, documentary and stage elements all at once. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

One of my all-time fave cinematic guilty pleasures
Aw man, I've been waitin' for years to see this cinematic train wreck again (and what a wreck it is!)! Thankfully, I got my chance recently, and took full advantage of it! And now that I have-- twice-- I'm not ashamed to admit that 'No Holds Barred' has joined the ranks of my all-time-fave guilty pleasure movies! No wait, actually I AM ashamed to admit it. But it's too late; the cat's already outta the bag. But hey, how can ya NOT secretly enjoy a dumbed-down, wrestling-themed mix of the 'Rocky' and 'Karate Kid' flicks with a nice helping of other 'beating-the-odds' movie cliches thrown in for good measure? Throw in a little extortion by the evil corporate magnate guy, a ludicrous romantic subplot, a few horrifically choreographed street fight sequences (the wrestling/ultimate fighting parts were all right, though), and a few moments of unintentional humor that got me laughin' 'til the lack of oxygen made me dizzy, and you've got something for the whole family to enjoy. Um, granted all the members of the family had lobotomies first...

Anyhoo, I got a pretty good laugh outta the Hulkster's preciously inept efforts at acting (check out his unbelievably overdone mean streak during the "DOOOKEEYYY!" scene and you'll see what I mean). I mean, he's not even all that great at playing HIMSELF, which is what he's pretty much doin' here as the WWF champion Rip! Even Tiny Lister's work as Rip's nemesis Zeus shows greater acting range and emoting, and he spends most of his time grunting and yelling angrily as he puts the brutal beatdown on guys twice his size! I gotta tell ya, though: that blind lazy eye of his really adds a nice touch of menace to his character's presence... God, how creepy!

Adding to the fun is the guy who plays the rival TV network magnate who tries to lure our hero away from. The channel he wrestles on. Despite his less-than-Oscar-worthy lines, he came across as the perfect guy for the part! His weaselly look, his over-the-top glee at tormenting the hero... this dude hadda be one of the campiest, most cartoonish personifications of corporate evil I've ever seen in a cheeseball flick! Though I thought his 'come-uppance' was somewhat anticlimactic. Ah well-- ya can't win 'em all. Actually, now that I think about it, WWE owner/co-executive producer Vince McMahon would've been great in this part too! Unfortunately, he decided not to try out his thespian abilities (*snicker*) until the dawn of the WWE's 'Attitude Era' several years after this silly stinker hit the 'plexes...

Anyhoo, if you're willin' to catch a trashy sports/underdog-overcoming-the-odds-to-win-it-all flick that is sure to lose ya a few IQ points after one viewing, 'No Holds Barred' is the flick to see. Follow this up with one of the Hulkster's other "blockbusters" (*SNICKER*), and you'll be a regular crash-helmet-wearing short bus rider in no time flat!

'Late

Hulk Hogan Lives!!!!!
I just saw this movie on VHS and wondering why isn't it on DVD yet. This is a very good wrestling movie due to Hulk Hogan.
Hulk Hogan is the best wrestler for 30 years. I really enjoyed this movie a lot.
If you like Hulk Hogan riping shirt action this movie is for you. Get it were you can.

The Greatest Movie of 1989
No Holds Barred could be the best movie ever made. How did the Acadamy over look this movie for best picture in 1989. Not since Rocky III have we seen Hulk Hogan light up the big screen like he does in this movie. RIP Thomas (played by Hul Hogan) is a successful wrestling champion who is is forced to battle the ultimate oponent, Zeus (Tom "Tiny" Lister Jr.) The movie brings you to the edge of your seat with a climatic battle with Zeus and will leave searching for those tissues when RIP's brother (Mark Pellegrino("Murph Calzone in Drowning Mona") is tragically paralyzed. My favorite scene in the movie is when RIP is caught up in a violent robbery at a diner. Instead of surrending to the crooks, he throws pies and other baked goods at them. He through them so fast the robbers did not have time to fire their machine guns. I dont want to give to much away, if you have not seen this movie you are depriving yourself of cinematic genious! I am still waiting for the DVD version so I can see behind the scenes footage of thhis masterpiece.

No Holds Barred Is Just Plain Fun!
Over a decade before The Rock became a movie star in "Scorpion King", big Hulk Hogan got his chance to be a movie star. Who could forget his starring debut as WWF champion, Rip Thomas? Rip is the biggest star on cable and this is bad news for a competing network run by the evil Mr. Brell (played by Kurt Fuller), who demands Rip sign to his station. Rip won't do it though as he is signed with another company and "his word is his bond". When he is turned down, Brell looks elsewhere for talent and promotes a tough man contest where the winner gets a whole lot of money and a spot on his network. Enter Zeus, a convicted killing machine who takes out the competition.

While Zeus makes for huge ratings, Brell still isn't happy. He wants to promote a match between Zeus and Rip. He will stop at nothing to get it either as he hires a female assistant to seduce Rip and has Zeus hospitalize his little brother. This of course sends Rip on a rampage and results in the ultimate showdown between the two massive stars.

This movie is one of those "so corny, it's great" films and actually inspired several real-life matches between Hogan and actor Lister on WWF pay-per-view. Fuller as the scumbag network executive is just priceless and the scene where Hogan's Rip is getting pummeled while his brother watches from his wheelchair and sad music plays in the background is reason enough to pick up this forgotten gem. Hogan has never been better.

Tremendous!
THIS MOVIE OWNS! Best Hogan movie ever. We NEED a DVD release of it! ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Good ideas, bad form
Pinky shows the conflicted views of a black woman passing as white. We see her search for some identity while she is torn between the world of blacks and her heritage and the world of whites, those who persecute her ancestors.However; the film was a bit dull. There was an overall lack of action, and the ending was abrupt and poorly constructed. The ideas behind the movie were good, but the plot was almost too simple, and her internal conflict was resolved too quickly. They also neglected to show her lasting emotions for Tom, and it is unrealistic to think that she could drop contact with Tom so quickly and recover so well.

Pinky was a landmark film
And "Pinky" came 10 years before "Imitation of Life."

The criticism of casting "lily-white Jeanne Crain" for the part of Pinky is quite unjust.

I was born and raised in the South and and I saw nothing unbelievable in casting Ms. Crain in this part. Genetics - skin color, eye color and other physical characteristics are capable of being quite capricious.

The fact that this film was banned in the South should tell us something about the power in this movie "Pinky."

The movie itself was a wee bit over-acted as old dramatic flicks sometimes are, but I really enjoyed it. A lot of substance in the message - about how to define what we really are and how to define what makes a family and the power of unconditional love to heal and to save.

But my favorite character was Ethel Waters (the Aunt who raises Pinky). She was an incredible actress and completely believable in this role. Humble, gentle, self-sacrificing and ever-loving - while enduring her thankless jobs as nursemaid to a grouch and washwoman who worked for pennies - her part stole the show.

The white Negro and the concept of freedom
To be Negro does not always mean to be black, nor a black skin need remain black any more, nowadays...

Elia Kazan's irreverent and pervasive humour marks skin colour as a matter of the person's spiritual choice, between the world and one's own self-the spirit of temptation is again a character test ...

A natural white Negro is pressed (tempted) to forget (lose) oneself , stay on the better part of the world, reserved for "whites", and avoid the pains of conflict -- the same way professionals (not only actors) assume roles, wear new faces, cut new teeth and confront the lights with broad, lying smiles, thus becoming "images"...

The tragedy is that in one's quest to avoid pain, sometimes will suffer deep, and weep more, inside a persona encrusted on person and soul...

Human rights of a white Negro.

But in this film we follow a naturally white Negro girl who returns home (a town in the South), now a graduate nurse. She is angry, --- and her education allows her enough freedom to express her anger articulately --- for the social predicament in which she has to re-lapse, as a poor Negro woman, despite her brilliant education.
But, because of her rampant anger and her acquired quick reflexes to the challenges she faces, she fails to see other, fundamental aspects of life, that transcend the race-difference concept through which she experiences life, so painfully. This counts as a failure to communicate with her grandmother and friends. ("Nobody hates you, Pinky!")

This is one main theme of the story: Concepts, as the title of the film itself, ("Pinky") which is the name of the heroine, true to the reality of her skin colour, which can fit either of two races.
So, a white woman (as Pinky is taken for on appearance) is pressingly offered two white males' unsolicited patronage to exit the territory she is not supposed to walk about alone, in the Negro neighbourhood, for fear of molestation by the blacks. But when Pinky says she is in her very neighbourhood, there immediately arises the threat and violence of molestation by the white "protectors"-- the end concept being that woman is the Negro of the world, in any case...

These two women figures, the white mistress and her black faithful servant have evolved closely together, despite their colour, their class and even their educational differences. They seem different , but their spirit is revealed to be kindred.

They both care for Pinky, and they succeed to help in her spiritual development in their way.

As the grand mother says,"When you grow so old there is no such thing as a place you have to keep», you move to a unity that has no colour or class concept to keep people apart. So the old teacher, to whom Pinky near forcibly becomes a nurse, bequeaths her estate to her-to compensate her for her service-or/and to give her a reason to fight, an outlet for her anger-or/and to make a place for her in her own world , which she was so tempted to abandon, along with a part of her own self...

Pinky addresses the best in the lawyer who will defend her case in court. And though the trial is seen as preoccupied with the white peoples' view, the judge finally finds for the defendant, and admonishes the town folks who would not tolerate a Negro with substantial property among them.

Justice is done "but the community issues have not been served".

Now that her anger has been atoned, Pinky will answer the question what she really wants to do. She will not marry nor follow away the Yankee doctor she thought she loved, because she will not abandon the "black" part of her soul.

She stays, turns the house she inherited to a nurse school, thus finding her purpose of life.

These are the three main characters of the film, Pinky, the angry white Negro woman, her grandmother, the illiterate voluminous negro Mother who, by serving others and by the pains of her love, has earned wisdom; and the frail, brittle yet imperative white teacher, who little by little has earned the wisdom of the essential, to know the truth.

There are many lesser but memorable characters in the narrative:

The loving fiancé, who is ready to make big sacrifices for his love, Patricia, even when he discovers that she is Pinky, a Negro. He is a big-city man, ready to move away from "home", to another state, to avoid gossip about the "dark background" of his woman; there they can both "lose themselves" among an indifferent crowd, who need not know them...

Educated member of the community, the lawyer, a southern gentleman with a deep sence of honour, loyalty and duty, who makes sure Pinky receives a fair trial, and finally full justice, although he doubts if other matters of the community have been served by this confrontation.

There is also the vulgar and greedy, ripe yet dumb "belle", who would have inherited, who makes a spectacular point of putting Pinky in her place, of a coloured woman, in case she had forgotten or anyone else had not noticed...

There is the pathetic Negro clever dick, who "lives by his brains", serving the powerful and oppressing the needy.

Most comical is the scene of the arrest, by two policemen, who haste to protect a lady (Pinky) from the blacks that mistreat her. But when they are told that Pinky is black herself, their attitude becomes equally violent to all, regardless of sex...

As vivacity and functionality of a society is not just a matter of a corpus of legislation on oh Human Rights, but these qualities are measured by their fruits, the alleviation of pain and the incorporation of more individuality, we can reconsider the Yankee externality in comparison with the southern holistic interest in the person, when this is achieved of course, as in this story.

Kazan in this film must have had a hilarious ball, by miss- arranging all social preoccupations and certainties, north and south, to add at the end that people need love as they also need the law.

An elaborate, well articulated with real issues and dilemmas film by the genius director Elia Kazan, whose every film is a host of critical social matters, demanding philosophical examination.

Accept who you are...
I love the fact that when she came back home that she didn't hide her heritage. Pinky, who called herself Patricia when 'passing' as white. Came back to her hometown to see her grandmother and a patient, (who is her grandmother's employer) tells her to accept who she is. And that the black side of the town needed medical attention,and schooling young,black women to
become nurses also.

TO THINE OWN SELF BE TRUE...
This is a landmark film, as it tackled issues that were considered to be taboo at the time. Race hate, miscegenation, and passing for white are some of its themes. Unlike "Imitation of Life (1934), which in its own fashion dealt with the themes of passing for white and the unequal opportunities afforded blacks, this is not a sentimental tearjerker of a movie. Rather, there is an undercurrent of anger and righteousness that permeates it, and rightly so. It is a hard edged, no holds barred type of film. There is nothing sentimental about it.

Controversial in its time, the film is about a young bi-racial woman known as "Pinky" (Jeanne Crain), sent up north by her southern granny (Ethel Waters), so that she could receive an education. While up North, she begins passing for white inadvertently, as that is how she is apparently perceived, and makes no move to correct that perception. She studies and works hard, becoming a nurse. She then meets white Dr. Thomas Adams (William Lundigan), and they fall head over heels in love. He has no idea, however, of her background and knows her as "Patricia" not "Pinky".

Pinky, leaving him behind, returns home to the South one last time to confront her past and her personal demons. She ends up meeting bigotry head on, as down South where Pinky is known she is treated as blacks are treated, and does not like it one bit. It hardens her resolve all the more to return North and continue passing for white. She would like nothing better than to put as much distance as is possible between herself and her racial heritage. Helping out her grandmother, however, she ends up playing nurse to Miss Em (Ethel Barrymore), a crotchety, crusty, and ill eighty year old former plantation owner who has come down on hard times.

When Miss Em dies, she wills her estate to Pinky, creating a controversy that rocks the town when the will is challenged by distant relatives, the Wooleys. They are outraged and claim that the "colored girl" used undue influence over the elderly Miss Em. This galvanizes Pinky to stand up for her rights, enduring a mockery of a trial. Moreover, when Dr. Adams comes looking for her, Pinky finds herself taking a position with respect to their relationship that is a revelation to herself.

This is a film that at the time was highly controversial, due to its themes. It was a film that was certainly daring for its times. Why they cast a white woman for the part of a biracial character may seem puzzling to those of us in the twenty first century. I presume that this casting was mandated because there were love scenes between Pinky and her fiance, Dr. Adams, and this type of scene would have been forbidden in those days, if the actress cast for the part of Pinky were other than white. While a bi-racial woman was cast for the role of Peola, the woman who passed for white, in "Imitation of Life" in 1934, it was a safe bet to do so, as she had no love scenes with which to contend. Notwithstanding the casting of Jeanne Crain in the role of Pinky, this film was cutting edge stuff in 1949.

Wonderful performances are given by the entire cast. Ethel Waters, Jeanne Crain, and Ethel Barrymore all received Academy Award nominations for their roles in this film, though none of them won. While Jeanne Crain's casting was a stretch for her as an actress, she did give it her all, letting the viewer sense Pinky's discomfort and angst over the racial divide. Ethel Waters is superb as the hard working, humble soul who did the best that she could for her beloved Pinky. As the imperious Miss Em, Ethel Barrymore was perfectly cast and gives a superlative performance, imbuing the character with a humanity that a lesser actress may not have. All in all, this is a movie that lovers of classic films should enjoy and one that should be in any serious movie lover's collection. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

ANGELA starring Sophia Loren
This movie is in English and stars Sophia Loren as a mother who's baby boy is kidnapped by gangsters. She searches for him endlessly. Years later she begins to come alive again after she meets a charming younger man. They fall in love and begin an affair .......then they discover that he is her son. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This clunky road movie about three drag queens (Patrick Swayze, Wesley Snipes, and John Leguziamo) who get stranded in a sleepy Nebraska town on their way to a beauty contest, is too uplifting for its own good. Released during drag's mid-'90s heyday when RuPaul and the Wigstock documentary were all the rage, To Wong Foo aimed straight for the mainstream with its inoffensive camp and "can't we all get along" moralism. While gay-activist groups howled about straights getting the lead roles in To Wong Foo, in the end the filmmakers really couldn't have done better than this trio of actors. John Leguziamo provides real sass and bite as a Latino (or should we saw Latina?) drag queen, and Wesley Snipes is surprisingly fierce as the imposing leader of the pack. Saddled with a cloying Southern accent and off-kilter wig, Patrick Swayze barely holds his own with his costars, though. To Wong Foo is best viewed as a cultural artifact of a time when it seemed as though drag could rule all tomorrow's parties. --Ethan Brown ... Read more

Reviews (74)

Schmaltz In A Purple Wrapper
[Add a half-star if you don't mind being manipulated.]

All during the summer, in seeing previews, I was worried about To Wong Foo... being an American version or rip-off of Priscilla: Queen Of The Desert. Trust me, there are a lot of similarities; however To Wong Foo... stands on its own as an enjoyable movie experience. In the audience I sat in, there was laughter and applause throughout and I found myself laughing and applauding along. (I hadn't expected to.)

Patrick Swayze is Vida Boheme, a drag queen from Bala Cynwyd, PA living in New York City. Bala Cynwyd is pivotal in his story. So is Noxeema Jackson (Wesley Snipes). Boheme and Jackson are friends competing against Chi Chi Rodriguez (John Leguizamo) and others for "Drag Queen of the Year". Well, as luck would have it, Boheme and Jackson tie for the honors and both win an all-expense paid trip to Hollywood.

Well, Boheme is a queen with a heart. She can't stand to see Chi Chi, who lives in the same building, so upset about not winning the crown; so, Vida bullies Noxeema into trading their paid-for airline tickets for a car and, together, the three set off to drive cross-country. Shades of Boys On The Side.

Early on, the trio is stopped in the middle of nowhere by a county sheriff (Chris Penn in a hoot of a role). What happens next brings more remembrances of Boys On The Side.

Eventually, our fun-loving "females" end up in Snydersville, a small hamlet where everyone seems to have a problem and our girls have a solution for every single one of them. Despite this manipulation, To Wong Foo... delights at every turn. It's laugh-out-loud funny and not at all subtle. Normally, that would be a criticism, but in this case, it turns out to be a refreshing change of pace.

Of course, all of the elements in the story come together for a schmaltzy conclusion. But, that's OK. You'll get all wrapped up in it anyway, just like I did.

(Boy, was I surprised.)

[Originally written 10 September 1995]

A Fine, Fun and Snazzy Film, anything but a Drag!
This movie is one of those rare perfect films. Casting is brilliant (especially Stockard Channing, who only gets better and better as the years go by--and she was always totally incapable of less than a fantastic performance). The general plot line of the movie is a congenial road trip, as three drag queens drive from New York City to California to compete in a contest, and the themes are fulfilling.

In essence, the movie deals with the healing of "broken people." (For other such films, see such gems as "Batteries Not Included" and "Fried Green Tomatoes.") The unlikely angels? The three drag queens. The situation? Their car breaks down in a red-neck hamlet. Unlikely hijinks and dangerous confrontations lead to a satisfying conclusion.

And Julie Newmar was never better!

Uneven but when it's good it's GREAT
"To Wong Foo" seemed horribly miscast when you found out who was in it ... I mean, John Leguizamo had done drag before, proving himself to be very convincing and most definitely in touch with his "feminine side" -- but Wesley Snipes and Patrick Swayze??! Two macho movie stars pulling off parts as drag queens on a road trip?

But then you saw the movie ...

The three men do excellent jobs, Wesley Snipes in particular a total surprise in his role as Noxeema Jackson, drag queen with Attitude. Swayze, as Vida Boheme, is the "lady" of the trio who can get down and dirty when she has to -- and Leguziamo as Chi Chi Rodriguez is nothing short of perfection.

The plot is simple: At New York's Drag Queen of the Year contest, Noxeema and Vida tie for the crown. The title comes with a free airline ticket to Los Angeles, to compete in the Drag Queen of America competition, and the two "girls" couldn't be more excited. But then they meet little Latin Chi Chi Rodriguez, whose drag queen self-esteem was not at all helped by losing this competition. Vida, the kind of person who always believes in helping those less fortunate, talks a VERY disgruntled Noxeema into selling their plane tickets ... and using the money instead to buy a cheap car and drive to the L.A. contest. The night of the win, Vida spots an autographed photo of Miss Julie Newmar on the wall of the reataurant they are dining in, and reads the inscription: "To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar". For those not in the know ... for years actress/model Julie Newmar, best known for her role at Catwoman on the tv series "Batman," has had rumors floating around saying that she's a drag queen in real life -- not a woman. She's just too statuesque, her face too strong on bone structure, to be a real woman! When Vida sees the framed autographed photo on the wall, she takes this as a sign that the three of them will be blessed on their quest. She also takes the photograph.

Halfway 'cross country, in Nebraska, the threesome is stopped by a racist sheriff who notices their tail light is out. Taking Vide back toward his car, he comes onto her, thinking she is a real woman. When he reaches under her dress and learns the truth, Vida tries to break free ... and knocks the sheriff to the ground, where he conks his head. They drive off quickly, before he can come to and REALLY do them all some damage.

Soon after, their old Cadillac breaks down, and Chi Chi hitchhikes them all a ride into Snydersville, a town that makes Mayberry look like New York City. Tiny and hick and populated with small-town minds as well, Snydersville seems to be the LAST place three drag queens would want to get stranded (if they want to live, that is), but when these three are stalled there for the weekend, until they get their car repaired, they decide to make the best of it by making over the town's women, addding some spark to a Strawberry Social - and, in general, bringing tons of color to an otherwise drab existence. But little do they know that Sheriff Dollard (Chris Penn) - who is less than thrilled by being knocked unconscious by a "boy in a dress," is out to find them ...

The movie is uneven in spots - the scenes in the town go from hysterical to being too stage - but overall whenever Snipes or Swayze or Leguizamo are on-screen, you could never be bored. Funny and with some VERY sharp one-liners, the movie comes close (especially in the end) to turning sappy with its "why can't we all just get along" mind-set -- but never quite pushes that envelope. The three leads are EXCELLENT, and backed beautifully by a great supporting cast the includes Stockard Channig, Melinda Dillon, Chris Penn, Jason London - even "Alias" star Michael Vartan. Ru Paul and Robin Williams add both class and style to brief cameos ... as does the one and only Miss Julie Newmar herself.

Stylish and funny and just corny enough to work, this comedy is anything but a drag ...

Oh no girlfriend, did you just do a ue?
Nothing but praise for this great flick! Let's face it, while it may not be a movie that George Bush would ever watch (mind you if he did he could learn a thing or two about love and acceptance). I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to watch a great movie. Even after seeing it over five times I still laugh out loud and get a kick out of all three "ladies"! Robin Williams is hilarious and RuPaul makes a surprise visit! Rent it today and you will be glad you did!

"It comes down to that age-old decision: style or substance"
One year after the success of the 1994 Australian film "The Adventures Priscilla, Queen of the Desert", Amblin Entertainment and Universal Pictures joined to produce the 1995 American version, "To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar". Like the Australian film, which featured a trio of drag queens traveling across the rugged Australian outback from Sydney to the isolated resort of Alice Springs in a pink bus, the American version featured its own drag queen trio traveling from NYC to Los Angeles in an aging yellow Cadillac convertible; but the similarities end there. The drag queen trio featured in the American version was Miss Noxeema Jackson (Wesley Snipes), Miss Vida Boheme (Patrick Swayze) and Miss Chi-Chi Rodriguez (John Leguizamo). After Noxeema and Vida share the title of a drag queen contest, they invite (with Noxeema's reluctance) Chi-Chi to join them to participate in a national contest in Los Angeles. Not having enough money for all three to fly to Los Angeles from NYC, Vida convinces them to instead use their winnings to purchase a car that all three could travel in. The film's title comes from an autographed picture of Julie Newmar that Vida steals from a restaurant and places in the used yellow Cadillac convertible that the trio purchases. Similar to the Australian version, the car breaks down along the way, forcing the trio to stay a few days in a small, languishing town. There, they meet the town's assorted residents that include hotel owner Carol Ann (Stockard Channing), her abusive husband Virgil (Arliss Howard), Beatrice (Blythe Danner), the polite Bobby Ray (Jason London), Merna (Melinda Dillon), Loretta (Beth Grant), the aging Clara (Alice Drummond) and restaurant owner Jimmy Joe (Mike Hodge) to name a few. They also meet law enforcement officer Sheriff Dollard (Chris Penn) who wants to arrest them.

Though arguably not as well made as "The Adventures Priscilla, Queen of the Desert", "To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar" is still a very entertaining and engaging film that is sufficiently different from the former to not be redundant. Cameo appearances in the film include Julie Newmar, Robin Williams (as John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt), RuPaul (as Miss Rachel Tensions) and Naomi Campbell. Memorable scenes in the film include the restaurant, the used car lot, Vida seeing her mother (Margaret H. Flynn), Chi-Chi earning rites of passage, Sheriff Dollard, Noxeema's interactions with townsfolk, the clothing store, the beauty parlor and the closing scenes. Patrick Swawye received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Comedy/Musical, and John Leguizamo received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor in the Comedy/Musical. Sadly, Wesley Snipes did not receive a nomination for his excellent performance. Overall, I rate the film with 4 out of 5 stars. After watching the deleted scenes on the DVD, I concluded that they were best left deleted. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Joseph Heller's novel was one of the seminal literary events of the 1960s, but Mike Nichols's film ultimately proved too literal in its attempt to bring Heller's fragmented fiction to the screen. Still, Nichols, who made this on the heels of The Graduate, seemed the ideal candidate to tackle this Buck Henry adaptation. The story deals with bomber pilot Yossarian (Alan Arkin), who has flown enough missions to get out of World War II but can't because the number of missions needed for discharge keeps getting raised. The satire and absurdity of Heller's book get lost in Nichols's effort to give screen time to the members of his all-star cast, which includes Orson Welles, Jon Voight, Bob Newhart, Anthony Perkins, Richard Benjamin, and Martin Sheen, among others. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (35)

For a movie: BEST MOVIE Compared to book: NO CONTEST
I read 'Catch-22' first, and it instantly became my favorite book (as soon as I finally got through it). When I heard of the movied version, I was estatic, but in wonderment. How can such a complex book with no linear structure ever be adapted to movie form? My expectations were high, but weary...

First of all, casting was excellent. Alan Arkin played a perfect Yossarian, as well as Jon Voigt as Milo, and so on. The settings were great, really convincing from what I read from the book.

As far as the comparison to the book. If it stands true for one instance, the book is worlds better than the movie. As a reader, you get so much more out of Joe Heller's sardonic universe. The complex plot, the meticulous descriptions (in which he used words I never knew existed...either have a dictionary with you when you read 'Catch-22', or have a vast vocabulary!), and all the rest...

The movie does attempt to follow Heller's complex plot structure, hopping back and forth to unravel plot points with each pass. The movie does this well with Yossarian's epidemic with Snowden. Most of the ingeniously clever dialogue is brought to the screen, but that's what makes the book/movie so great.

At any rate, I highly recommend this movie, as well as anything from Joe Heller...the best writer of the 20th century.

an excellent dvd
"Catch-22" is a beautifully designed, shot and executed movie that, in the end, doesn't really work. However, it's too elaborately staged and too ambitious to be considered a "bad" movie. And the extra features that accompany the DVD help the film transcend a "thumbs up/thumbs down" rating.

First and foremost, it looks amazing. I loved this film when I initially saw it on tape in 1990, but it was only recently that I was able to see it in a widescreen format -- letterboxing reveals what a brutal disservice pan-and-scan does to the compositions of "Catch's" 2.35:1 aspect ratio. If you've only seen this movie in fullscreen, you haven't really seen this movie.

The transfer is also incredible. I'm so used to seeing the grainy print of my VHS copy that I hadn't realized how great a lot of the cinematography is. The use of front-projection during the air-combat scenes is astonishing and the detail and color really surprised me.

But the main reason to get this DVD is the commentary. Director Mike Nichols is joined by Steven Soderbergh to talk about "Catch-22" and through their discussion, one really gets a sense of how Nichols (who had just directed back-to-back hits with "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" and "The Graduate") took on this project with the best intentions and inspiration... and quickly got swallowed up by the massive project and even bigger budget. Soderbergh is, in my opinion, one of the best directors doing commentary these days (he gives a perfect mix of technical details and storytelling) and he really knows his "Catch-22" ---though I find it a little incredible that he never noticed the changing portraits in Major Major's office, as he claims while watching the scene.

This movie is a great mix of Fellini, Laugh-In, Welles and Salvador Dali. Some may feel there's not enough Joseph Heller here but it would take a mini-series to cover all the bases of such a deep, rich novel. At times, this movie can try your patience (like most Catch-22's often do) but it's definitely worth seeing and hearing in this new format.

A change
I take back most of the things I said. This is a great movie, and Milo is good.

A good film that should have been better
First, I was upset to see that the Hungry Joe's character from the book was all but not used, and that he didn't even die because of the cat, but instead suffered Kid Sampson's death from the book. Now...

I do admit, this movie is better than I thought it would be. I'm especially happy with Bob Newhart's Major Major, the Chaplain, and Major Danby. My only problem is that many of the characters aren't portrayed to the best of their abilities, considering how well the book fleshed them all out. The best example is Balsom's take on Colonel Cathcart. In the book, Colonel Cathcart is prim, proper, and insane. In the movie, he is simply a crude, crusty old soldier, reminicent of Ernest Borgnine in "All Quiet on the Western Front." Though he is good when interacting with Dreedle. Orr is good in this, but maybe just a touch creepier than he should be. Milo is just wasted, and a little bland. Orson Welles is surprisingly good, but that is in direct effect of the good writing of his scenes.
Alan Arkin gets off to a slow start, but becomes very good as the film picks up speed. The Snowden films are great.

My main problem with the film, however, is that two very important characters from the book are completely and utterly not in the movie: Clevinger and Dunbar. Clevinger, while only in the first few chapters of the book, had a lot of very interesting things to say about Yossarian's behavior, and would have just been a good character to have. Dunbar, on the other hand, actually had a very large part in the book, serving as Yossarian's side-kick. He also delivered the classic monologue about boredom being the key to a seemingly-longer life. A great piece of writing that would have worked well with the rest of the film.
All in all, I suppose the main thing that would have made this movie better is an extra half-hour, so that more of the classic scenes could have been used. But still, surprisingly good.

It's not the book - what movie is?
I read Catch-22 many years ago. Loved it. I've seen Catch-22 the movie several times. Loved it. But they are different. You are not going to get every nuance of the complex, convoluted book into the movie, but it is a good approximation. The movie works on its own, mostly due to the collection of oddball characters and circumstances. The long list of big named actors did a good job. However, the cinematography may be the star, here. As an "anti-war" comedy, this ranks near the top.

The reasonably-priced DVD has a so-so commentary by director Mike Nichols with Steven Soderbergh. ... Read more

Reviews (749)

The Greatest Mummy Film, a True Classic ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
Director/Screenwriter Stephen Sommers delivers this new take on the mummy legend. His mix of humor and horror is terrific! The casting was very, very worthy, and the plot was downright exciting! This film begins with a prolouge in ancient Egypt, where the priest Imhotep and the Pharoah's mistress Anck-Su-Namun murder pharoah Seti the 1st. He is condemed to be buried alive with flesh eating scarab beetles, and an eternity as one of the undead. Flash forwrd to 1926, were librarian Evelyn (Rachel Wiesz) and her brother Jonathan (John Hannah) recruit legionarre Rick O'Connell (Brendan Fraser) to lead them to the ancient city of Hamunaptra. In route they meet up with a group of American cowboys out to plunder the same site. The general bickering ends when they accidentally revive Imhotep's corpse, who needs the flesh of his desecrators in order to regenerate! More over, he unleashes the biblical ten plauges of Egypt. Before you can scream "Mummy!", Rick and everyone else are fighting for their lives and trying to save the world! Harrowing thrills and spectacular visual effects by Industrial Light and Magic, make "The Mummy", one of the most draw droppingly spectacular films of the year. Right up there with "The Matrix" and the highly over rated "Star Wars: Episode One: The Phantom Menace". See this film, you won't regrete it!

Mummy Dearest
This 1999 blockbuster harks back to the old 40's and 50's Saturday morning matinee serials. It also, and not too discretely, does the Indiana Jones thing too. The movie is totally cartoonish. Is that bad?. Of course not. The movie was meant to be a fun, entertaining ride, and it's just that. Brendan Fraser stars as our hero who is propositioned by Egyptologist Evelyn(played by the lovely Rachel Weisz), to guide her to the lost city of Hamunaptra. The City Of The Dead. It sounds charming. Once they start digging there, they find the mummified corpse of Imhotep. He was a man who was buried alive millions of years ago because he was sleeping with the pharaoh's daughter. Even back then men didn't know better. Anywho, he is revived by a spell Evelyn accidentally reads and all hell breaks loose. He plans on resurrecting his love, which includes a lot of gore and violence. He sucks the life out of the people who were there at the dig in order to be regenerated. Oh boy, there's always a catch!. The action scenes are fun and campy. There is a nice, quirky touch of humor throughout the film that is quite funny. The effects and make-up are all good. The cast is pretty solid, if not a tad mediocre. The sets are truly wonderful and are filmed wonderfully by director Stephen Sommers. It's a highly enjoyable and entertaining 'popcorn' flick that is only to be as such. The fun was sort of lost on the overstuffed sequel. Still, this is a entertaining movie.

This is a Indiana Jones of it's time!!
This movie is an Indiana Jones of it's time. It has romance, action, horror, and some drama to it in the beginning. It all starts with a sort of affair between Imhotep and the pharhoa's mistress Anck Su Namun. The pharohoa comes in on the while they make out. So, Imhotep hides. Then, Anck Su Namun and Imhotep kill the pharoh. The rest you much watch it's all very interesting and exciting. With the mummy sucking the fluids out of people and man eating bugs that devour people in second's, it all adds up to be very, on the edge of your seat type of movie. But, that's what make's it great and it's why it get's 5 golden star's!!

The Story of Imhotep and Anck Su Namun overshadows all!!!
The Mummy is a WONDERFUL movie, set during the interwar period in Egypt, dealing with the adventures of an unlikely group that has banded together for a variety of reasons in exploring the lost City of the Dead-Hamunaptra.
The acting is very good, the costumes are extraordinary, and the plot is GREAT! The Mummy successfully combines adventure, horror, humour and romance, but what really steals the show is the "villains" who had me rooting for them throughout the whole movie.
There is a very strong element of archaeology and mythology; what with the lost City of the Dead, the Gold Book of Life and the Black book of death, the gods Anubis and Horus etc.
Deserts, Pyramids, Heroes, and Villains are all about...
Strongly recommended to those who are fascinated with archaeology and history, especially those with a keen interest in Ancient Egypt. It is a definite "must see" together with the sequel The Mummy Returns, as well as the Scorpion King and Stargate, which also fall into the same category of movies, theme-wise.

A Nice Remake.
The Mummy is full of action and adventure as well as good acting. Usually I find when films are shot in the desert the plot gets old and boring (ex. Hidalgo) but not this film. This has a little Indiana Jones and a little bit of Alien mixed in. It is a really good popcorn movie. One thing I have to say is that I think they could've got a better actor for the lead role instead of Brenden Frazier. The british girl played a good role. The special effects were awesome and the story really grabs you. See this or rent it. I highly reccomend it. ... Read more

Description

A plastic surgeon and a model investigate the murders of three women, who were killed after being used as models for subliminal advertisements. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Unique
This is a rather unique film, though the commercials in the movie are rather cheesy, but funny which adds to the essence of the film. The music, acting and dialog are your typical 80's style. I guess that's why I love movies from the 1980's. I highly recommend this film who has a Sci-Fi interest. Albert Finney and Susan Dey do a great job.

Love this movie!
Yes, it's a little cheesy and so 80s. lol! But I really like it for some reason. I've always liked it since it came out years ago, especially the chemistry between Albert Finney and Susan Dey and the way a particular gun is used in the film. And I also like the theme song. I have this movie taped, but I might have to buy me one, because it's packed away somewhere. lol!

why they were doing it - response to ophomike
this is in response to ophomike's great featured review, wherein he felt there was an unanswered question. namely, why were they killing all the models if they just wanted to use computer doubles to get perfect performances?

i haven't seen the film recently, but i think - if i recall correctly - the reason was explained by coburn at one point. besides the issue of perfect performances, building computer models also meant that they didn't have to deal with the flakiness and mood swings of real actresses and - most importantly - they could use their image forever without ever having to pay them. they would pay the models to submit to the series of full body scans, do some filming in private, and then the models would die. since no one knew of their process, they would keep using the model's image indefinitely wthout ever paying anyone any royalties because everyone would assume all of the "filmed" content had been done prior to the model's death.

one of my favorite parts was susan dey in the scanning sarcophagus with all the grid lines projected onto her as she was rotated. it was in this creepy, dark, deserted lab - but her agency had arranged it, so she didn't ask any questions. haha. oh, and also the scene where a model feels she's being stalked in her own apartment, even though she doesn't see anyone (too many diet pills?) and she then proceeds to work herself up into a fever pitch until she manages to tangle herself up in the drapes and fall over and out the window... now, i can accept the fact that she was at some point zapped with the black-out gun and then lost bodily control, but please - her little model body did not weigh enough to rip those draperie hooks off the rod. haha.

i love this movie and forgive me if my memory has clouded about the details. as a kid, this film left a lasting impression on me and i'm sure it played a part in my fascination (my whole age group's fascination, perhaps) with sinister technology and corporate conspiracy.

Everyone will hate me for this, but...
I'm sorry, but I just didn't like Looker, and it wasn't [JUST] because of the cheesy mustache. It's a neat technological idea, and an insightful social warning of what is, has been, and will continue to happen in TV advertising, but it's missing that "something". Someone failed to sprinkle any "science fiction magical pixie dust" on the celluloid before it was sent to the lab for processing. It lacks any real depth and, although accurate with some parts of the amazing technology, displeasingly unrealistic in others. One thing they did tap into accurately was the creation of "perfect" computer models to take the place of real actors. Now, twenty-plus years later, that technology is quickly coming to fruition.

Having these actors in this movie is like having seasoned journeyman carpenters build a doghouse out of mismatched plywood scrap and bent nails while downing shots of Jagermeister and watching skimpy swimsuit videos. There is no essence of greatness here. From moment to moment, I continually anticipated the acting would suddenly turn good. It never did.

BUT...if you haven't seen it, I do recommend seeing it. It's not "horrible", it just totally lacks any of the magic found in things like The Forbin Project and Blade Runner.

Models & Media
I used to watch this film on cable ALL THE TIME growing up in the 80's. What I've found over the years is how close we are coming to the realities presented in this film. This film is becoming more and more ironic and brillant each year. It HAS to come out on DVD...PLEASE! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Perhaps if The Bishop's Wife had lapsed on its copyright and fallen into the public domain like It's a Wonderful Life, it would be as much a Christmas staple as that classic. It certainly deserves to be. Dudley (Cary Grant) is an angel sent down by the prayers of a new bishop (David Niven). The bishop is trying to build a new cathedral, and he's so entrenched in his fundraising that he's watching his own marriage crumble around him. Loretta Young is devoted, moist-eyed, and basically a great date for the tempted Dudley. They drink in the afternoon, go skating at night, and make impulse buys. The skating sequence beats mightily on one's suspension of disbelief, but the rest of the film is an absolute joy. Grant is suave, worldly, and enchanting. A wonderful present for anyone who has not seen it. --Keith Simanton ... Read more

Reviews (58)

Delightful Holiday Story
Cary Grant stars as an angel named Dudley who suddenly appears and befriends an Episcopal bishop (David Niven) who is completely focused on raising money for his new church, and the bishop's wife (Loretta Young), who has become lonely and unhappy as her husband has gotten lost in his work. Grant uses little bits of heavenly magic and loads of charm to help Niven raise money and to help Young rediscover the joy of life. He also helps Niven and Young rediscover each other and realize that love must be the highest priority for anyone, including an ambitious bishop who's devoted to his job.

The acting is superb, as one would expect from this stellar cast. The story takes place at Christmas and, while not shown as much as other Christmas movies, I think it's one of the best. Cary Grant, all charm and suave coolness, plays this part perfectly, and the viewer even sees a touch of wistful envy in the angel who cannot have the Earthly love and happiness he helps Niven and Young rekindle for themselves. Buy this one and watch it every Christmas (or any other time you need a happiness booster or a reminder of the importance of love and kindness).

P.S.: "It's a Wonderful Life" is a good movie, but definitely I prefer "The Bishop's Wife".

A Family Favorite!
This film is one of the best of the Christmas Classics. The Bishop's Wife tells a story of an angel (Cary Grant) who comes down to earth in answer to a busy Bishop's (David Niven) prayer. The angel helps the Bishop learn to adjust his priorities and comes close to falling in love with Julia, the Bishop's wife (Loretta Young). The movie includes a lovely Skating/ Dance scene that defies description. Make this movie a tradition for your family this year.

Christmas with Cary Grant.
I think overall, this movie is maybe my favourite that was set around Christmas time. It's better than the brilliant - although overrated - Capra classic, "It's a Wonderful Life". I am in no way meaning to compare the two though. "The Bishop's Wife" is not really like that movie. But both films remain the two greatest christmas time classics to come out of the 1940's.

The film is, as one would have already guessed, set around christmas time. The main plot of the story, is that David Niven is this Bishop, who prays for guidance, of how to get a new cathedral built. Dudley (Cary Grant) is an Angel, who has been sent to help, although the Bishop does not take to him being an Angel too seriously, for some time. Dudley helps everyone he meets, but not always in the way they might prefer, to start off with. Dudley spends a lot o