Reviews (4)

Great Comedy classic with Sal Mineo
One of the brightest comedies of the 1950's,"The Private War of Major Benson", features brilliant performances by Charlton Heston, Julie Adams, and "scene stealer", SAL MINEO, in one of his first featured roles.Heston is "Major "Bernard Benson. A tough battle-scarred officer whose inappropriate comments to a magazine almost get him kicked out of the service. Instead, as a last resort, he is transferred to the Sheridan Military Academy for boys, aged 6-16. Demanding and unsympathetic is how he seems towards the boys, and they retaliate towards Benson. And the school nurse, Kay (Adams), is concerned that Major Benson's unorthodox methods have much to be desired. Many HILARIOUS moments fill this uproariously funny film. Eventually, nurse Kay falls for the stoic, yet big-hearted Benson. A young SAL MINEO steals the film, as Cadet Colonel Sylvester Dusik. He gains much respect for Major Benson, and has some truly comedic moments. Especially in the scene where Sylvester tells the training troups, in a frenzy, "Does everybody in this school have two left feet? Alright you guys, you're gonna keep on drilling till you do it right!" The delivery of these lines, shows Sal also had a terrific flair for comedy, and shows why he was such a meteoric rising young star! Also notable, is 6 year old actor, Tim Hovey, adorable in the role as Tiger, one of the youngest cadets at the academy. Directed by Jerry Hopper, "The Private War of Major Benson" is a true comedy classic.

Gentle Comedy Scores a Touchdown!
Charlton Heston is generally thought of as the hero of epic-style films. But in this family-style comedy, filmed after The Ten Commandents and before Ben-Hur, he proves he has comedy chops. As a hard-driving Army major, he is "punished" by being sent to work at a boy's milatary school. Perhaps unique to the times, the love interest of this film is not, as Major Benson first supposes, a nurse . . . but a full-fledged doctor, beautifully played by Julie Adams. A trove of child actors from that period, plus wonderful William Demarest and quite a few other recognizable familiar faces (including a very young David Jansen, in the first few minutes) round out the cast. A good script and delightful theme song (used also for another Tim Hovey movie, Toy Tiger) make this a very enjoyable experience.

Never mind Charlton Heston...
It's pretty boy Sal Mineo who's hard to take your eyes from..he was so adorable!..I would've let him keep his shoes under my bed any ol' time!...Handsome Harry From Honolulu

A classic comedy for all time.
Charlton Heston outdoes himself again as the war-hardened, whisky drinking Major who discovers his sensitive side after taking command of an ROTC school in California. Classic lines include: "You'll do it until you get it right." If you love Charlton Heston, you've got to see this movie. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Talk about cultural curios. That's exactly how Tickle Me wasregarded when it was released in 1965, the same year as the Beatles'Help! There was a musical revolution going on, but you wouldn't have known it from this would-be comedy, in which the King plays a rodeo championforced to take a job on a combination dude ranch/fat farm. Naturally, all of the women tumble at his feet; even when he's pitching hay, he's liable to burst intohip-swiveling song. What little plot there is deals with his romance with the ranch's exercise instructor (Jocelyn Lane), who happens to hold the key to afortune in gold hidden in a nearby ghost town. Nary a recognizable Elvis hit isto be heard in the score, and as for his acting, well, Elvis looks as though hehappened to be wandering past the set and was pressed into service at the last minute. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Pure Elvis delight!
"Tickle Me" might be underrated by movie censors, but it's funny, full of good songs, beautiful women, and some good fight scenes. Elvis is singing rodeo rider Lonnie Beale who, until the next rodeo season starts, is hired by Vera Radford (Julie Adams) who owns a spa/dude ranch called "Circle 'Z'". Lonnie takes an interest in the aerobics instructor Pam (Jocelyn Lane). Pam has a will that thugs are looking for because it is linked to $100,000 in gold left to her by her grandfather that is stored in a nearby ghost town. Lonnie is caught kissing the boss which upsets Pam. The next rodeo season begins. Lonnie can't keep it straight. After a long rodeo season, she still isn't speaking to him. Lonnie, Stanley (Jack Mullaney), and Pam end up at the ghost town and have to spen the night in the hotel. All night guys in goon masks, beast masks, a ghost in a rocker try to frighten away the hapless trio. They soon take down these thugs and learn they were from the ranch and were the suspicious ones. They find the money, and take down the sheriff who was behind it all. Lonnie and Pam marry in the end...with Stanley accidentally getting a free ride in the back of the jeep in the washtub. Elvis looks handsome and tough in "Tickle Me" and something you should see at least once. Go for more if you enjoy it!

Elvis Presley works at a ranch in Tickle Me
The company of this movie is Allied Artists. During the 60's, Allied Artists was in the red. And they figured if they could make thier own Elvis Presley movie, they might get out of the red, and keep making movies.

Lonnie Beale (Elvis Presley) is a rodeo cowboy. He hits a town and gets a job at a dude ranch. He was disovered by a woman named Vera Radford (Julie Adams). She puts him in with a man named Stanley Potter (Jack Mullaney). Lonnie falls for another worker named Pam Merritt (Jocelyn Lane).

The staff complains to Vera when Lonnie starts singing and takes away the girls away from working with them. But when Pam catchs Lonnie kissing his boss, she gets mad with him. Turning the rodeo season, Lonnie calls Pam and hangs up on him. When Stanley shows up, he asks Lonnie why he hasn't been writing her, and Lonnie says "What is this a ham sandwich?" The letter got marked Return to Sender. But when Lonnie and Stanley find Pam they check into a hotel. The late Gene Siskel aways loved to ask, "Is this movie better of a documentary of the same actors having lunch?" Watch out if somebody askes you what you are watching, and if you say Tickle Me, you might get tickled. I recommend this film if you have resevations.

The `Butt' of the Elvis Filmography
If you want the primest footage of the posterior of the lovely Merry Anders, who appears in tight hot pants [about 7 years before such pants got into vogue} then get this film. Her plush, plumeflous backside is the only reason for the one star! Otherwise, this is one the dorks on Mystery Science Theater 3000 will never get a hold of, even thought it's perfect for them, because Priscilla will never, ever let them!

Tickle Me...Usual Elvis Fare with a Slight Twist.
To paraphrase an Elvis quote about his movies..."I'm sick of singing to the guys I beat up...." A mindless, forgettable Elvis flick with forgettable songs. The title itself is mindless! However, it is entertaining nontheless. The Pelvis plays a rodeo star(Lonnie Beale) who is hired as a part-time ranch hand/entertainer at a western health resort with lots of women running around in tight half-tops and skimpy shorts. He befriends one of the health instructors, Pam Merritt (Austrian actress,Jocelyn Lane) who is involved in a search for hidden treasure at a nearby ghost town. Her great-grandfather has left her a letter/treasure map and certain baddies want that letter. There are the usual Elvis-movie type fistfights and the usual segues into song with girls oggling Elvis and guys green with envy. The plot is atypical Elvis boy-gets-girl, gets-her-mad, and has-to-win-her-back storytelling. However, the last part of the movie which involves the search for treasure at the ghost town could have been the inspiration for the all the plots of the SCOOBY-DOO cartoons. Overall, a fun forgettable Elvis movie, with good comedic moments, lots of pretty girls,fisticuffs, decent songs, and the usual Elvis charm.

Presley and "Tickle Me" Stink
I know not why Elvis Presley is big star. He look silly with big sideburns and very tall hair on head. He sings very stupid songs. This movie "tickle me" is very ridiculous. Me from Japan and I dont understand why Presley so popular. He is what Americans call hick. Me think he stinks very large. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Besides being a terrific movie in its own right--and the second entry in a remarkable eight-film series teaming director Anthony Mann and star James Stewart--Bend of the River is also fascinating as a variation on one of the greatest Westerns. With or without anyone else's knowledge, screenwriter Borden Chase reworked scenes, character configurations, and much of the structure of Red River, the screenplay of which he had cowritten (from his own novel) for director Howard Hawks six years earlier. Seeing what Hawks and Mann did with some of the same scenes--a spooky night skirmish with Indians, for instance--makes for a compelling lesson in the transformative power of directorial style.

Instead of Texas and the Chisholm Trail, Bend of the River is set in the Oregon river country, with a wagon train substituting for an epic cattle drive. Wagonmaster Stewart, a man with a secret past he's determined to redeem, rescues another, not-so-ex-renegade (Arthur Kennedy) from a lynching. Stewart finds Kennedy a powerful ally in a fight but ultimately has to face him as a mortal enemy--and to revert to his old savage ways in order to save his adopted community. Along the trail, they are variously companioned and/or menaced by the likes of slick gambler Rock Hudson (compare the Cherry Valance part in Red River) and hard cases Harry (then Henry) Morgan, Royal Dano, and Jack Lambert. There's knockout scenery, as usual with Mann, and fight-to-the-death action as bracing as a plunge into an icy river. --Richard T. Jameson ... Read more

Reviews (15)

NOT "modified to fit your screen." DVD is OAR
The movie is a solid 50s western--decent entertainment but not high art like, say, High Noon. It's true star is Mt. Hood, Oregon, shown sparkling in every other shot.

Despite the disclaimer at the beginning of the DVD, this film was NOT "modified to fit your screen." It was shot in 1952, when most films were "full frame," and well before widescreen became standard. In fact the Technicolor process used here never made the transition to widescreen, and that's why the full-frame presentation is correct. (The same is true for Shane, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, and the Wizard of Oz.) You'd think the studios would not insert the bogus disclaimer, since it's a dumb mistake that can cost them sales, but this error is actually pretty common on DVD packaging.

The DVD transfer is from a clean source that looks and sounds great. Unlike many later color films, the color is vivid and unfaded. Some scenes do show registration problems, but that's hard to avoid with Technicolor materials (fixing it is $$$$$).

Summary: a potboiler western with pretty pictures at a budget price.

Pioneers struggle to survive in the great Northwest
This western is a film of great visual beauty that has a great cast headed by James Stewart whose task is to guide a wagon train of pioneers through the Northwest Territory to their new settlement in Oregon. Stewart's Glyn McLyntock has a troubled past but also a conscience and a sense of fair play and justice that saves a gunslinger from a hanging. The ungrateful Emerson Cole repays McLyntock with treachery and gun-play and gets involved in swindling the settlers out of their needed winter supplies that have been seized by an unscrupulous owner of a steamboat and saloon. The rugged terrain of the Oregon countryside and dangerous river rapids lend realism to this story, and there is an interesting sub-plot that has McLyntock and Cole fighting Shoshone warriors at night. Julia Adams is pleasing to the eye as a pioneer girl and old hand Jay C. Flippen is a straight shooter who knows a bad apple when he sees one. The rough and tumble action has shoot-outs between the settlers and gold-crazed miners and hired double-crossers who aim to steal the supplies and sell them at a profit. Rock Hudson is a gambler who's handy with a six-gun.

No complaints from me!

It seems that many are complaining about the DVD version. I saw the VHF, and concentrated on the story rather than screen flaws, and so like other Stewart films, I was delighted and entertained.

This is a 1950s movie, when Stewart was in his hay day, and the story (screenwriter Borden Chase wrote the screenplay from his own novel) was a superlative story of the Oregon country, including scenery around Mt. Hood and the Columbia River.

This is one of the series of eight films directed by Anthony Mann and starring the late Brig. General James Stewart, USAF, in his youth.

Rock Hudson played a youthful gambler from California, and Arthur Kennedy a former Kansas border raider and the leading bad guy, after acting as a Stewart supporter. Stewart was also a former border raider from Missouri who was trying to forget his past. Supporting players included a youthful Harry Morgan and some other rowdies I didn't immediately recognize.

This is one of the old-time "straight" Westerns that I grew up loving, with plenty of gun play, with good and bad guys easily recognized (but not necessarily by their hat color).

If you are a fan of those old-time Westerns, you'll probably love this one, which was filmed in Technicolor.

Joseph (Joe) Pierre

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

One Of The Best Westerns
Jimmy Stewart is a great actor.This is a great western with plenty of action.i like westerns of the 1950,s and 1960.s

This is a decent western but it's not great.
I would say it's good or about average. There is some good scenery and it isn't slow. It just doesn't have a lot of punch as far as I'm concerned. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Western that has it all!
The Lawless Breed stars the young Rock Hudson who plays Wes Hardin, an outlaw who wrote his own story after he was released from prison. The story spans over 20 years and you see Rock Hudson from a young man aging gracefully. Julia Adams, John McIntire and Hugh O'brian also star in this film. This western tells a true story and shows two sides of every story and how exagerated stories in the west developed. There was romance, struggles with family, families pulling together when needed, courage, and some comical scenes also. A must see for lovers of westerns. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Peter and Francis are Always Fun, Even in "WACs"
This isn't my favorite of the Francis films -- it just struck me as being an obvious excuse to crank out another quick money maker. But that's okay, 'cause it's still fun. If you're following the series expecting cohesion to prior plot points, however, forget it! Peter is supposed to be a West Point graduate, but in this installment he's working in a bank and is quite upset about being called out of the reserves into active duty. Go figure. If a mule can talk, a West Point graduate can work in a bank, I guess! Contrasting Peter's traditional shyness with women in the previous films, in this one he's stuck in with a whole platoon of 'em, and he handles it all quite nicely, thank you, stutter and all. We do get a chance to meet Francis' voice, Chill Wills, playing the role of a visiting General, so that's a treat! Not the best in the series, but still a fun way to spend an hour and a half! And in my opinion, Francis is still better than an awful lot of what masquerades as light entertainment now!

Stars in the rating don't matter. Look at the star(let)s!!
How did this movie escape my attention for so long?

Production values? Direction? Plot?

Feh.

Buffs and especially B-movie fans should examine the cast:
Julie Adams! Mamie Van Doren! Allison Hayes! Mara Corday!

Enough said.

Arguably the best Francis movie; lots of laughs
Newspaper critics in '54 said this was the funniest Francis... and they were right. Donald O'Connor plays the mule's pal a bit more broadly than usual, and the script situations are amusing (you can imagine the complications when O'Connor is drafted into the Women's Army Corps by mistake). One of the best bits has Francis heckling the cast members when O'Connor has to masquerade as a WAC nurse -- it's very funny. Chill Wills dubs the mule's dialogue expertly, and you'll be amazed at how good the synchronization is when Francis talks. A fine cast helps: Lynn Bari, Julia Adams, Mamie Van Doren, and especially the fluttery ZaSu Pitts. The video opens with the original coming-attractions trailer, but it gives away some of the jokes, so the viewer might fast-forward past this part. Picture is excellent, sound is very good (a few parts sounded a little thin but still listenable). A fun show from Universal.

Likable silliness.
Donald O'Conner as Pter Sterling is re-called from the reserves to active duty. But an early computer error (we're talking a 1954 computer error) send him to a WACS unti. While there he is re-joined by his old army buddy, Francis. Suspected of being there to sabotage the women's unit during war game exercises, Peter must prove himself to the unit's commander. Francis gives plenty of advice to help Peter save his honor and get the girl. Chill Wills does double duty as the General and as the voice of Francis. As you might suspect, this mule makes a better general than a person! Emma liked seeing Chill Wills in order to put a face with the voice. She also liked the fact that the girls were able to beat the guys! Dad likes seeing the old military gear and uniforms. Dad gives it 2 1/2 stars and Emma gives it three. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

What ? Huh . . . . ?
It's just too bad the natives only had stick cameras, they probably could have done a better job. I watched this movie because I wanted to see what caused Dennis Hopper's demise with the studios after the success of "Easy Rider". Disjointed, boring, interesting somewhat, really bad lighting and sound. It's a star-studded borefest. Would be great if Mr. Hopper would re-release a new version that made sense. But maybe that's the point. I am grateful Dennis Hopper survived "The Last Movie" to give us what is, to date, a rich an entertaining body of work. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

What a series! Blond-haired, blue-eyed Hebrews!
Never before in the history of mankind has there been more blond-haired, blue-eyed Hebrews in the Middle East! I say this tongue in cheek ofcourse. This short lived TV series, which may go by two titles on the web, was filmed in Paige, Arizona in the late 1970's. The continuous use of practically the same set every third episode and a minority of extras as a crowd of hundreds of thousands of Jews should give the viewers an indication of the budget.

The Review: Lot splits with Abraham and moves toward Sodom, gets captured, freed and eventually rises to some degree of leadership in Sodom. Lot eventually meets up with glowing angels and they shoot laser beams. Wow, that's neat! Sodom is destroyed and Lots wife turns into "BEST YET Salt" but I'm not sure if she's iodized (iodine treated description on BEST YET products). This low budget series features Ed Aames (Lot) and Gene Barry (Abraham) was an interesting idea for an episode and should've stayed just an idea. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Chandler gets my Vote any Day
AWAY ALL BOATS is a great WWII film set in the Pacific. Jeff Chandler gives one of his best performances ever as the Captain. He was the best choice for this role because it brought out his best qualities. He is a thinking man's Captain in the best tradition of the genre. There is also a lot of WWII jargon that has been lost from films for many years now. They don't make them this way now days. Our loss.

DVD is less than average
I saw this DVD at a local retailer at a discounted price and couldn't resist the bargain. It's a total waste of money. The picture qaulity is pretty good, but it's a pan and scan transfer, the sound is mono and not that great, and there are no special features save the usual French + Spanish subtitles and scene index. Typical GoodTimes style disc.

A Study in Naval Leadership
This is a story of a ship, its captain and crew, as they are melded into one. Chandler is great (I agree with other reviewers: we lost him way too young), but it is the story that is fascinating.

As the son of a WWII Chief Petty Officer, I was glad to see that the film captures the Chiefs as the "backbone of the Navy."

It is a must have for a WWII film library.

A great Clint Eastwood film!!
Can you find him? Mr. Eastwood plays a bit part in this pretty good WWII movie. I gave it 5 stars because I think everyone should see it at least once.

# 1 reviewer has it right, good for a rainy day
I was a great fan of Jeff Chandler when I was young. I did not even see this movie until years after his death. He was underrated as an actor, and died way to young (at 42 of blood poisoning following surgery in 1961). Men will probably appreciate this as a "war film" more than women. Women will only appreciate it if they were fans of Chandler in their youth. Most people don't know about him. He is all but forgotten today, and was in the mid-fifties one of the highest paid actors of his day. Check out the tribute sites to Jeff Chandler on the web, and buy Esther Williams new bio "Million Dollar Mermaid" due out Sept. 14. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Jack Arnold's horror classic The Creature from the Black Lagoon spawned not one but two iconic images: the web-footed humanoid gill-man with a hankering for women and the leggy, luscious Julia Adams, the object of his desire, swimming the lagoon in a luminous white bathing suit. Not since King Kong has the "beauty and the beast" theme been portrayed in such sexually charged (though chaste) terms. Arnold turns an effectively B-movie plot--a small expedition up a remote Amazon river captures a prehistoric amphibian man, who escapes to wreak havoc on the team and kidnap his bathing beauty--into a moody, stylish, low-budget feature. The jungle exteriors turn from exotic to treacherous when the creature blocks their passage and strands them in the wilds. Much of the film is shot underwater, where the murky dark is animated by shimmering shards of sunlight, creating images both lovely and alien (the studio-built sets of the creature's underground lair are far less naturalistic, but serve their purpose). As with most of Arnold's '50s genre films, he's saddled with a less than magnetic leading man (in this case the colorless but stalwart Richard Carlson) and a conventional script, but he overcomes such limitations by creating a vivid and sympathetic monster (helped immeasurably by a marvelous suit of scales and fins) and establishing a mood thick with atmosphere. The film was originally shot in 3-D. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (59)

The Demon of the Amazon
The classic feature "The Creature of the Black Lagoon" is the latest DVD in Universal's Classic Monster Collection. In a forbidden lagoon on the Amazon, a scientific expedition searches for the fossilized remains of an "amphibious missing link" and discover a living specimen that falls for the head scientist's female assistant. When attempts to capture the creature failed, the powerful beast plots his revenge upon the scientists. Though not the scariest feature in the Universal Monster Collection, "The Creature of the Black Lagoon" is a solid and effective Sci-Fi film that features one of the most inventive movie monsters. This 1954 film contains a well-paced storyline, interesting characters and great underwater photography. The "Gillman's" scaly design is quite remarkable. The cast includes Richard Carlson, Julie Adams and Richard Denning.

Universal earns high marks for giving a classic monster feature a great DVD presentation. The film is presented in its original fullscreen format. The DVD contains a stunning B&W picture quality with great clarity. The 2.0 Dolby Digital sound is well preserved and surprisingly clear. The DVD also includes audio commentary with film historian Tom Weaver, theatrical trailers and "Back to the Black Lagoon" featurette. With such fine picture quality and interesting supplements, "The Creature of the Black Lagoon" earns a solid "B".

THE GILL-MAN OF THE AMAZON.....
Probably the most celebrated monster film of the 50's (it even had a small role in "The Seven Year Itch"), "Creature from the Black Lagoon" deserves re-issue along with it's two sequels "Revenge of the Creature" and "The Creature Walks Among Us". The legendary tale of an ill-fated expedition up the Amazon after the discovery of a humanoid claw fossil remains a favorite for so many reasons. The Gill-Man monster suit and the leading lady Julie Adams are two reasons in my book. The Creature still looks good on film and Adams was the perfect heroine in her short-and-halter top oufits and, of course, that white swim suit. The underwater scenes of the Creature swimming underneath her in the lagoon have stayed in my memory all these years. Director Jack Arnold created a lasting film that may not hold up as well as it once did, but it's a treasure for sci-fi/horror fans all over the world. Richard Carlson and Richard Denning provided the stalwart male drama and heroics but the Creature's pursuit of Julie Adams is what gives this classic that strange sort of sex appeal that lies underneath the terror. It's a beautifully photographed b&w thrill ride for those of us who never get tired of watching it. Out of print? For now maybe. But he'll be back. And maybe with his sequels...

Should have included a Field Seqential 3-D version!
Not that many people are aware of the Field Sequential 3-D.
This is a 3-D TV system that uses special shutter glasses that can be purchased here through Amazon in a set that includes 3 DVD's using this process. This system Is the only way to view a 3-D film effectively on TV to date. The result is about 90% close to the effect you will see in a theatre showing.. like IMAX and Disney and Universal.
These glasses are made of sturdy plastic and clear not these cardboard red and blue pieces of garbage, so you can view the film without constricted to seeing red and blue colors and with this system you will see more actual 3-D depth with the films true colors.. It's really amazing!
For some add reason the big studios haven't adapted to include a separate version of a 3-D title in this great format.
Films like:
"House of Wax","Kiss Me Kate","Friday the 13th Part 3", "Robot Monster, "Cat Woman on the Moon", "Creature from the Black Lagoon" and "Jaws 3" are all now in 2-D DVD, but were originally shown in 3-D and could have been included using the Field Seqential 3-D system on the same disc with the 2-D version.
In Japan in the late 80's there were a few 3-D titles released using Field Sequential and can be found on e-bay converted to DVD and VHS.
Why aren't the studios producing these now!
I boycott any film DVD release that was originally intended to be seen in 3-D that's only presented in a 2-D version or anaglyph (Red and Blue Glasses).

Since this is out of print maybe we can hope that Universal will wake up and produce a new version containing Field Seqential 3-D!
The studios should really be awaken to this great 3-D system.

Good thing it was made in the 50's
This movie is one of the best horror/scifi/monster movies ever! Its shows how good monster movies could be even after the Golden Age of Universal's horror into the fifties where there were more chessy than classy monsters terrifying audiences. A marine humanoid goes after a human girl for whom he is attrached to. May sound hoaky but this movie is nothing of the sort. If it had been made today, it would proably be another crapfest like "Sabertooth" or "Reptilian" made by the Sci Fi channel. The characters wouldn't be likable (Yeah I think Mark's a jerk) and the Creature would just have no pride. This movie was good enough and the Creature is cool enough to be included alongside Dracula, Frankenstein, the Wolfman, the Mummy, the Invisible Man, the Bride of Frankenstein and the Phantom of the Opera. To stand alongside such a classy work of Gothic art like Dracula or the first two Frankensteins is pretty good. This movie got me into old horror movies. Now I am a classical horror fanatic thanks to this movie. Above are the eight characters I think of when I think of horror

Better than I thought it would be, now one of my favorites.
First of all, I am fairly new to these classic monster movies. I have seen Dracula before but that was it. I knew that the Creature dvd was out of print and considerably rare, so when I stumbled upon it for $25 I knew I had to give it a shot. I am glad because it turned out to be a great movie, a true classic to be sure.

The story revolves around a scientist who discovers the hand of some unknown creature in the rocks. Knowing it was a water based creature, he heads back to get an expedition together to further explore his finding. The thought was that this creature could be the link between man and aquatic animals. When two scientists dive into the black lagoon they encounter the creature, and one of the scientists becomes determined to kill the creature in order to get the credit for this find. Later Kay, played by Julie Adams, goes for a swim in the lagoon and becomes the object of the creature's desires. That is all I will say about the plot, but you need to see this classic for yourself because it has such a great story, great acting, and the underwater scenes look terrific.

I love this movie now, and I am sure any fan of classic monster movies will too, that is if you havent seen it already. I was lucky enough to find this for a reasonable price but since it is out of print it is in high demand, selling for around $60 and up on Amazon/Ebay. Also there are some great extras on the disc, such as the 40 minute Back to the Black Lagoon which goes behind the scenes for The Creature and two sequels made after it. There are also theatrical trailers and posters which are interesting to see. Since I liked this so much I will view The Monster Legacy set, but I am sure the Creature will rank right at the top with the best of them. Get this if you can, you won't be sorry you did.

(...) ... Read more

Reviews (1)

From the back cover - just the facts (plotline) -
Sam Paxton (Ernest Borgnine) is devastated when he returns home to his ranch to find his only son murdered and his daughter apparently kidnapped by Army deserters. On a mission of revenge, Sam gathers a small posse and seeks the help of an old friend, a tracker, to locate his daughter. Zeke Smith (Sammy Davis Jr.) an experienced frontier scout with a will of his own, shows up instead of Sam's friend. Sam questions enlisting Zeke, fearing that they will disagree on how to find his daughter but, despite Sam's reluctance, Zeke joins the posse. Soon the posse deserts Sam after learning that the kidnappers are not Army deserters but renegade Indians. Sam is left to depend solely on Zeke to help him retrieve his daughter. Produced by Sammy Davis Jr. ... Read more

Reviews (59)

The Demon of the Amazon
The classic feature "The Creature of the Black Lagoon" is the latest DVD in Universal's Classic Monster Collection. In a forbidden lagoon on the Amazon, a scientific expedition searches for the fossilized remains of an "amphibious missing link" and discover a living specimen that falls for the head scientist's female assistant. When attempts to capture the creature failed, the powerful beast plots his revenge upon the scientists. Though not the scariest feature in the Universal Monster Collection, "The Creature of the Black Lagoon" is a solid and effective Sci-Fi film that features one of the most inventive movie monsters. This 1954 film contains a well-paced storyline, interesting characters and great underwater photography. The "Gillman's" scaly design is quite remarkable. The cast includes Richard Carlson, Julie Adams and Richard Denning.

Universal earns high marks for giving a classic monster feature a great DVD presentation. The film is presented in its original fullscreen format. The DVD contains a stunning B&W picture quality with great clarity. The 2.0 Dolby Digital sound is well preserved and surprisingly clear. The DVD also includes audio commentary with film historian Tom Weaver, theatrical trailers and "Back to the Black Lagoon" featurette. With such fine picture quality and interesting supplements, "The Creature of the Black Lagoon" earns a solid "B".

THE GILL-MAN OF THE AMAZON.....
Probably the most celebrated monster film of the 50's (it even had a small role in "The Seven Year Itch"), "Creature from the Black Lagoon" deserves re-issue along with it's two sequels "Revenge of the Creature" and "The Creature Walks Among Us". The legendary tale of an ill-fated expedition up the Amazon after the discovery of a humanoid claw fossil remains a favorite for so many reasons. The Gill-Man monster suit and the leading lady Julie Adams are two reasons in my book. The Creature still looks good on film and Adams was the perfect heroine in her short-and-halter top oufits and, of course, that white swim suit. The underwater scenes of the Creature swimming underneath her in the lagoon have stayed in my memory all these years. Director Jack Arnold created a lasting film that may not hold up as well as it once did, but it's a treasure for sci-fi/horror fans all over the world. Richard Carlson and Richard Denning provided the stalwart male drama and heroics but the Creature's pursuit of Julie Adams is what gives this classic that strange sort of sex appeal that lies underneath the terror. It's a beautifully photographed b&w thrill ride for those of us who never get tired of watching it. Out of print? For now maybe. But he'll be back. And maybe with his sequels...

Should have included a Field Seqential 3-D version!
Not that many people are aware of the Field Sequential 3-D.
This is a 3-D TV system that uses special shutter glasses that can be purchased here through Amazon in a set that includes 3 DVD's using this process. This system Is the only way to view a 3-D film effectively on TV to date. The result is about 90% close to the effect you will see in a theatre showing.. like IMAX and Disney and Universal.
These glasses are made of sturdy plastic and clear not these cardboard red and blue pieces of garbage, so you can view the film without constricted to seeing red and blue colors and with this system you will see more actual 3-D depth with the films true colors.. It's really amazing!
For some add reason the big studios haven't adapted to include a separate version of a 3-D title in this great format.
Films like:
"House of Wax","Kiss Me Kate","Friday the 13th Part 3", "Robot Monster, "Cat Woman on the Moon", "Creature from the Black Lagoon" and "Jaws 3" are all now in 2-D DVD, but were originally shown in 3-D and could have been included using the Field Seqential 3-D system on the same disc with the 2-D version.
In Japan in the late 80's there were a few 3-D titles released using Field Sequential and can be found on e-bay converted to DVD and VHS.
Why aren't the studios producing these now!
I boycott any film DVD release that was originally intended to be seen in 3-D that's only presented in a 2-D version or anaglyph (Red and Blue Glasses).

Since this is out of print maybe we can hope that Universal will wake up and produce a new version containing Field Seqential 3-D!
The studios should really be awaken to this great 3-D system.

Good thing it was made in the 50's
This movie is one of the best horror/scifi/monster movies ever! Its shows how good monster movies could be even after the Golden Age of Universal's horror into the fifties where there were more chessy than classy monsters terrifying audiences. A marine humanoid goes after a human girl for whom he is attrached to. May sound hoaky but this movie is nothing of the sort. If it had been made today, it would proably be another crapfest like "Sabertooth" or "Reptilian" made by the Sci Fi channel. The characters wouldn't be likable (Yeah I think Mark's a jerk) and the Creature would just have no pride. This movie was good enough and the Creature is cool enough to be included alongside Dracula, Frankenstein, the Wolfman, the Mummy, the Invisible Man, the Bride of Frankenstein and the Phantom of the Opera. To stand alongside such a classy work of Gothic art like Dracula or the first two Frankensteins is pretty good. This movie got me into old horror movies. Now I am a classical horror fanatic thanks to this movie. Above are the eight characters I think of when I think of horror

Better than I thought it would be, now one of my favorites.
First of all, I am fairly new to these classic monster movies. I have seen Dracula before but that was it. I knew that the Creature dvd was out of print and considerably rare, so when I stumbled upon it for $25 I knew I had to give it a shot. I am glad because it turned out to be a great movie, a true classic to be sure.

The story revolves around a scientist who discovers the hand of some unknown creature in the rocks. Knowing it was a water based creature, he heads back to get an expedition together to further explore his finding. The thought was that this creature could be the link between man and aquatic animals. When two scientists dive into the black lagoon they encounter the creature, and one of the scientists becomes determined to kill the creature in order to get the credit for this find. Later Kay, played by Julie Adams, goes for a swim in the lagoon and becomes the object of the creature's desires. That is all I will say about the plot, but you need to see this classic for yourself because it has such a great story, great acting, and the underwater scenes look terrific.

I love this movie now, and I am sure any fan of classic monster movies will too, that is if you havent seen it already. I was lucky enough to find this for a reasonable price but since it is out of print it is in high demand, selling for around $60 and up on Amazon/Ebay. Also there are some great extras on the disc, such as the 40 minute Back to the Black Lagoon which goes behind the scenes for The Creature and two sequels made after it. There are also theatrical trailers and posters which are interesting to see. Since I liked this so much I will view The Monster Legacy set, but I am sure the Creature will rank right at the top with the best of them. Get this if you can, you won't be sorry you did.

(...) ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Another STINKEROO!
You'd really have to be desperate to waste time on this one. One of the worst Alamo films of all time, unless you count THIRTEEN DAYS TO GLORY. (Gaaaggghhh) Historical accuracy is just not there! Decent acting, absent. Believeable plot, dead on arrival.
I've heard of B-grade Westerns, but this one doesn't even come close. If you are a glutton for punishment, go for it. Just don't operate heavy machinery after watching this bilge, you'll be too mind numbed.

Movie for western and Alamo fans
While not a great movie, The Man From the Alamo is still an interesting flick to watch. Glenn Ford stars as John Stroud, the man who left the Alamo to go and protect the families of the other defenders of the mission. Obviously this doesn't sit well with Texans who brand him a coward. This is not the most accurate Alamo movie(they seem to be fighting in a big box) but this wasn't meant to be an Alamo movie. Stroud's involvement in the battle is only a jumping off-point for the rest of the movie. Co-starring Chill Wills and Julie Adams. Not the most accurate film, but still very entertaining.

Hollywood gets it all wrong again!
This is probably the most inaccurate Alamo movie ever made. To begin with, all the defenders are huddled inside the Alamo chapel (the rest of the fort doesn't exist in this version) surrounded by Santa Ana's army, when the desperate need for a messenger presents itself. The Indians are on the warpath and someone has to warn the settlers along the Pecos. Glen Ford reluctantly is convinced to undertake the mission, promising to return as soon as everyone has been warned. The results are, of course, that Ford fails in his mission AND fails to return to the Alamo in time, thus being branded a traitor and a coward. All this takes place in the first part of the movie, and the rest of the story is Ford convincing everyone that he really isn't a dirty low-down varmint for going off and leaving Davy, Jim, and all the rest to die without him. Typical B western but look very closely and you will notice that ALL THE ALAMO DEFENDERS ARE CARRYING SIX-SHOT REVOLVERS. No wonder Santa Ana's losses were so heavy. Way to go, Hollywood! ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Chandler gets my Vote any Day
AWAY ALL BOATS is a great WWII film set in the Pacific. Jeff Chandler gives one of his best performances ever as the Captain. He was the best choice for this role because it brought out his best qualities. He is a thinking man's Captain in the best tradition of the genre. There is also a lot of WWII jargon that has been lost from films for many years now. They don't make them this way now days. Our loss.

DVD is less than average
I saw this DVD at a local retailer at a discounted price and couldn't resist the bargain. It's a total waste of money. The picture qaulity is pretty good, but it's a pan and scan transfer, the sound is mono and not that great, and there are no special features save the usual French + Spanish subtitles and scene index. Typical GoodTimes style disc.

A Study in Naval Leadership
This is a story of a ship, its captain and crew, as they are melded into one. Chandler is great (I agree with other reviewers: we lost him way too young), but it is the story that is fascinating.

As the son of a WWII Chief Petty Officer, I was glad to see that the film captures the Chiefs as the "backbone of the Navy."

It is a must have for a WWII film library.

A great Clint Eastwood film!!
Can you find him? Mr. Eastwood plays a bit part in this pretty good WWII movie. I gave it 5 stars because I think everyone should see it at least once.

# 1 reviewer has it right, good for a rainy day
I was a great fan of Jeff Chandler when I was young. I did not even see this movie until years after his death. He was underrated as an actor, and died way to young (at 42 of blood poisoning following surgery in 1961). Men will probably appreciate this as a "war film" more than women. Women will only appreciate it if they were fans of Chandler in their youth. Most people don't know about him. He is all but forgotten today, and was in the mid-fifties one of the highest paid actors of his day. Check out the tribute sites to Jeff Chandler on the web, and buy Esther Williams new bio "Million Dollar Mermaid" due out Sept. 14. ... Read more

Description

Police lieutenant resigns from the force to track down some big dope dealers involved in killing a couple of police officers. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

A pretty good 70's cop flick.
John Wayne tries to be Dirty Harry, even down to a "signature gun", in this case the Ingram MAC-10 machine pistol.For a Wayne movie, its very hard on "the System", showing corrupt cops and cops who just don't give a damn about justice. Good performance by Eddie Albert as a PO'd police captain, half the time you think his head is going to explode off his shoulders!Fantastic stuntwork at the end, making the slow spots worth the effort.

One of the Duke's last, one of the Duke's best!!!
Sure Clint Eastwood's Dirty Harry series is in the fore-front of all cop movies. But McQ is right up there. Highly underrated, it has a great plot (not necessarily original, but) and the action is well paced. It has that darkened 70's feel to it, which works very effectively. John Wayne made a mistake turning down the Dirty Harry bit, but he shows what might have been in this movie. McQ and Dirty Harry and Bullitt are all great movies. If you haven't seen all of them, then what are you waiting for?

ROGUE WAYNE
THIS WAS THE DUKE'S EFFORT AT PLAYING THE ROGUE COP IN THE WAKE OF THE 'BULLIT' AND 'DIRTY HARRY' CRAZE.
WAYNE TURNS IN A TRUE TO FORM PERFORMANCE. YOU COULD ALWAYS COUNT ON HIM TO MAKE A SATISFYING FILM AND TO RATE ANY WAYNE MOVIE AT LESS THAN FIVE STARS WOULD BE SACRELIDGE.
HE TRADES HIS SADDLE AND SIXGUN FOR A BADGE AND A MAC-10.
LON MCQ IS A SEASONED DETECTIVE WHO TIRES OF THE POLITICAL RED TAPE AND RESIGNS TO PURSUE HIS PARTNERS MURDER AS A P.I.
HE SLOWLY FINDS OUT THAT HIS TRUSTED FRIEND WAS DIRTY
ALONG WITH SOME OTHER BROTHERS IN BLUE. BUT THE DUKE ALWAYS FINISHES WHAT OTHERS START AND HE PLAYS IT OUT TO THE END.
EDDIE ALBERT TURNS IN A SUPRISINGLY GOOD SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE AND SEE IF YOU CAN SPOT THE ACTOR THAT WAS DESTINED TO BECOME FAMOUS AS TOM SELLECKS SIDEKICK ON T.V.
MCQ GETS A NEW PARTNER IN A TEXAS MADE MAC-10 SUBMACHINE GUN AND WREAKS HAVOC ON THE BAD GUYS WITH IT.
CRITICS HAVE ALWAYS ACCUSED WAYNE OF JUST PLAYING HIMSELF AND NOT REALLY ACTING. BESIDES BEING A GREAT ACTOR, WAYNE PLAYING HIMSELF IS EXACTLY WHAT THE PUBLIC WANTED ANYWAY, SO WHERES THE SIN?

MCQ IS A SIMPLE SOLID FILM STARRING A LEGEND AND DIRECTED BY ANOTHER. IT CERTINELY BELONGS IN ANY 'DUKE' VIDEO COLLECTION.

McQ. John Wayne
Loved the movie, It's a little different to see the Duke in civilian atire as a investigator on the hunt for the people who took out not only cops but a good freind as well . One of the highlights for me was seeing the early 70's Trans Am that the Duke was driving ripping up the streets of Seattle, great looking car for the era. Another thing that I noticed was no profane language in the movie, quite refreshing and enjoyable for anyone to watch who likes action movies and the Duke.

Not Bad
Not Bad, Police drama starring John Wayne and Eddie Albert in a story of tough cops trying to stop the drug trade. Wayne's performance is okay, but Clint Eastwood made these type of movies much better. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

a thrilling old-fashioned adventure
the running time on the VHS version that i've got says 102 minutes, approximate. it's on Vestron and on the back of the cover is two rows of three pictures: John Turturro, Jodie Foster, Dean Stockwell, Fred Ward, Dennis Hopper, and Vincent Price. Charlie Sheen makes an appearance as does Joe Pesci in a major role, yet he's not credited...but this movie is a good one. frankly, i could care less about the technical stuff behind the scenes about which version is which and all that...the VHS i have is just perfect and that's fine with me. the story is about a woman {Foster} who sees a mob hit and the Mafia {Avoca, played by legend Vincent Price} sends a hit-man {Hopper} out to kill Foster's character {Anne Benton}. hit-man Milo falls for Benton instead and soon the police get involved {Fred Ward is hilarious even though he's not suppose to be!}. Milo and Anne find themselves running from the police AND the mafia {Dean Stockwell appears as Avoca's mouthpiece throughout the whole film since Vincent only has three very brief scenes}. yes, Bob Dylan appears in the movie too! the film was made in 1989, according to some Vincent Price items i've read over the years. THEN, the film was re-released in 1991 on Showtime as "Catchfire"...then in 1992 it was called "Backtrack" again for the VHS i'm reviewing!

An average thriller with a superb cast
As a big-time Jodie Foster fan, I try to watch any movie she appears in, yet I left BackTrack sitting on my shelf for basically several years before popping it in the old VCR (and, for the record, I have the 1992 Director's Cut version on VHS). After hearing a reviewer I respect heap praise upon this film, I knew there must be something there that never came across to me on the box cover. Actually, the film was better than I expected, yet it is not a film that distinguished itself in my eyes as anything very special. Jodie Foster is, of course, terrific as always; Dennis Hopper does not wig out too many times; and a most interesting cast of characters come and go along the way. The problem I have is with the characterization, which is not sufficient in my eyes to describe the transformation of Jodie Foster's character in the course of the events that play out.

Foster plays Anne Benton, an up-and-coming young artist (who uses a most unusual medium for her art) who forgets all about the front tire that blows out and almost causes her to wreck her car when she accidentally witnesses a gang-land hit. Luckily, the Mafia bad guys in this movie can never seem to hit a moving target, so Anne escapes and goes immediately to the police, unaware of the true nature of this particular homicide until two hit men break into her home in an attempt to kill her and the police start expounding upon the virtues of the federal witness protection program. She decides to make a run for it and try to build a new life elsewhere on her own. The police want her as a witness, and the Mafia family run by Mr. Avoca ( an aged Vincent Price) just wants her silenced. The Mafia man for the job is Milo (Dennis Hopper), an accomplished hit man who begins tracking Anne down as she moves across the country. By the time he finds here, though, Milo has fallen in love with her, which is something of a no-no for a man in his profession. He and Anne do not seem to be a natural match by any stretch of the imagination, and thus their evolving relationship just never makes complete sense to me, especially from Anne's perspective, and this is my main point of contention here with the film. Anyway, the movie-long chase has to end somewhere, and the filmmakers do succeed in pulling off a pretty satisfying conclusion.

BackTrack does deserve better than the relative obscurity in which it has lain, although I would not consider this a great film by any means. It is worth a look just for the surprising number of famous faces that grace the screen; besides Foster and Hopper you will see Charlie Sheen, Dean Stockwell (who speaks in one of the most ridiculous put-on voices I have ever heard), the aforementioned Vincent Price, Joe Pesci, and none other than Bob Dylan. I love Bob Dylan and his music, but he really does not possess the charisma or talent necessary to be an actor. Still, it is quite a hoot to see him pop up unexpectedly in the film in a small but quite memorable little scene. All told, BackTrack does have a few interesting things to show the viewer above and beyond the sight of a young Jodie Foster working her magic in front of the cameras (without her clothes at one point, for those who care about that sort of thing). I would not rush out and try to find a copy of the movie, but if it ever passes your way, it is certainly worth a couple hours' of your free time.

Gimme a break
BACKTRACK is unbelievably dopey. Its only redeeming factor is that Jodie Foster shows an eye-popping amount of flesh - and it's no body double. And what a great set of legs! That's why I'm awarding two stars, one for each gam, which just goes to show the sophistication level of the film (AND my review of it).

Anne Benton (Foster) is a "conceptual artist", which means, in the wacky Southern California milieu in which she has her gallery, she creates pieces using message board displays. You know, those where one line of illuminated text moves right to left across a long and narrow screen. Anyway, one night after experiencing a flat tire on the freeway, she witnesses a mob hit on the premises of an oil refinery. (For those LA viewers, it's the one just off the 405 south of LAX where the freeway curves to the east above Palos Verdes.) Like a good citizen, she goes to the police, who realize that they have in Benton a valuable witness against organized crime, and specifically against Big Boss Mr. Avoca (Vincent Price). But after her apartment is invaded and her boyfriend (a quickly expendable Charlie Sheen) shot to death, Anne realizes neither the cops nor the Feds can protect her, so she flees town and establishes a new identity and career. To hunt her down, mob goodfella Leo Carelli (Joe Pesci) hires the saxophone-playing assassin Milo (Dennis Hopper), who tracks her across the West using computer databases. The thing is, he begins to obsess about Anne after finding photos of her (un)dressed in dominatrix accessories. Milo has issues.

The plot has a Keystone Cops quality as law enforcement seeks to retrieve Benton by following Milo. And after the latter severs communication with his employers in favor of his own agenda of infatuation, Leo's thugs go after Milo and Anne by following the cops. Even then, the storyline might've been redeemable if it hadn't taken such a Bonnie and Clyde twist, and the conclusion (at that same refinery) is positively ludicrous.

Hopper as Milo is almost the caricature of a mob hit man. Where did he get those clothes, that hat, and that accent? And speaking of accents, Leo's lawyer John Luponi (Dean Stockwell) has to be one of the most over-acted roles in recent memory. If it didn't get a Razzie Award, it should've.

Perhaps even the cast realized what a disaster BACKTRACK is. Joe Pesci, whose role is not insignificant, isn't even listed on the ending credits. I wonder if he tried to buy up all the prints?

A dedicated Jodie fan will perhaps wax rhapsodic over her nude shower scene. Beyond that, don't bother.

Odd, but intriguing
This film starts off a bit slowly and wastes undue time on characters not terribly important to the overall story. Once you get to the things between Foster and Hopper's characters then this gets interesting. To see how obsession and a covert admiration gets turned into a romantic [one-sided] affair for Hopper's 'Milo' reminds me a little of 'The Professional' with Jean Reno and Natalie Portman. Seeing how a very mature man who essentially operates alone deals with, then adores the new woman in his life and will do anything to protect her is a lure to watch in itself.

This movie is not fully in league with 'The Professional' but, flaws aside, it has its own charms. Kudos as well for filming part of it in New Mexico instead of some other big-name places. The budget might not have allowed extravagance but it might have ruined this particular film. Anyone who has been to New Mexico will likely know how I feel.
Ultimately, you can spend your money on a far worse film than this one.

Jodie's Leg Fan's Will be Disappointed by Cut Scene's
If your a male fan of Jodie Foster's and you saw this movie on cable, this version is a disappointment. A couple of the scene's showing her dynamite leg's were cut from this version. It's rated R, they show her topless, but they cut out the best leg scene's, go figure? ... Read more

Reviews (15)

a thrilling old-fashioned adventure
the running time on the VHS version that i've got says 102 minutes, approximate. it's on Vestron and on the back of the cover is two rows of three pictures: John Turturro, Jodie Foster, Dean Stockwell, Fred Ward, Dennis Hopper, and Vincent Price. Charlie Sheen makes an appearance as does Joe Pesci in a major role, yet he's not credited...but this movie is a good one. frankly, i could care less about the technical stuff behind the scenes about which version is which and all that...the VHS i have is just perfect and that's fine with me. the story is about a woman {Foster} who sees a mob hit and the Mafia {Avoca, played by legend Vincent Price} sends a hit-man {Hopper} out to kill Foster's character {Anne Benton}. hit-man Milo falls for Benton instead and soon the police get involved {Fred Ward is hilarious even though he's not suppose to be!}. Milo and Anne find themselves running from the police AND the mafia {Dean Stockwell appears as Avoca's mouthpiece throughout the whole film since Vincent only has three very brief scenes}. yes, Bob Dylan appears in the movie too! the film was made in 1989, according to some Vincent Price items i've read over the years. THEN, the film was re-released in 1991 on Showtime as "Catchfire"...then in 1992 it was called "Backtrack" again for the VHS i'm reviewing!

An average thriller with a superb cast
As a big-time Jodie Foster fan, I try to watch any movie she appears in, yet I left BackTrack sitting on my shelf for basically several years before popping it in the old VCR (and, for the record, I have the 1992 Director's Cut version on VHS). After hearing a reviewer I respect heap praise upon this film, I knew there must be something there that never came across to me on the box cover. Actually, the film was better than I expected, yet it is not a film that distinguished itself in my eyes as anything very special. Jodie Foster is, of course, terrific as always; Dennis Hopper does not wig out too many times; and a most interesting cast of characters come and go along the way. The problem I have is with the characterization, which is not sufficient in my eyes to describe the transformation of Jodie Foster's character in the course of the events that play out.

Foster plays Anne Benton, an up-and-coming young artist (who uses a most unusual medium for her art) who forgets all about the front tire that blows out and almost causes her to wreck her car when she accidentally witnesses a gang-land hit. Luckily, the Mafia bad guys in this movie can never seem to hit a moving target, so Anne escapes and goes immediately to the police, unaware of the true nature of this particular homicide until two hit men break into her home in an attempt to kill her and the police start expounding upon the virtues of the federal witness protection program. She decides to make a run for it and try to build a new life elsewhere on her own. The police want her as a witness, and the Mafia family run by Mr. Avoca ( an aged Vincent Price) just wants her silenced. The Mafia man for the job is Milo (Dennis Hopper), an accomplished hit man who begins tracking Anne down as she moves across the country. By the time he finds here, though, Milo has fallen in love with her, which is something of a no-no for a man in his profession. He and Anne do not seem to be a natural match by any stretch of the imagination, and thus their evolving relationship just never makes complete sense to me, especially from Anne's perspective, and this is my main point of contention here with the film. Anyway, the movie-long chase has to end somewhere, and the filmmakers do succeed in pulling off a pretty satisfying conclusion.

BackTrack does deserve better than the relative obscurity in which it has lain, although I would not consider this a great film by any means. It is worth a look just for the surprising number of famous faces that grace the screen; besides Foster and Hopper you will see Charlie Sheen, Dean Stockwell (who speaks in one of the most ridiculous put-on voices I have ever heard), the aforementioned Vincent Price, Joe Pesci, and none other than Bob Dylan. I love Bob Dylan and his music, but he really does not possess the charisma or talent necessary to be an actor. Still, it is quite a hoot to see him pop up unexpectedly in the film in a small but quite memorable little scene. All told, BackTrack does have a few interesting things to show the viewer above and beyond the sight of a young Jodie Foster working her magic in front of the cameras (without her clothes at one point, for those who care about that sort of thing). I would not rush out and try to find a copy of the movie, but if it ever passes your way, it is certainly worth a couple hours' of your free time.

Gimme a break
BACKTRACK is unbelievably dopey. Its only redeeming factor is that Jodie Foster shows an eye-popping amount of flesh - and it's no body double. And what a great set of legs! That's why I'm awarding two stars, one for each gam, which just goes to show the sophistication level of the film (AND my review of it).

Anne Benton (Foster) is a "conceptual artist", which means, in the wacky Southern California milieu in which she has her gallery, she creates pieces using message board displays. You know, those where one line of illuminated text moves right to left across a long and narrow screen. Anyway, one night after experiencing a flat tire on the freeway, she witnesses a mob hit on the premises of an oil refinery. (For those LA viewers, it's the one just off the 405 south of LAX where the freeway curves to the east above Palos Verdes.) Like a good citizen, she goes to the police, who realize that they have in Benton a valuable witness against organized crime, and specifically against Big Boss Mr. Avoca (Vincent Price). But after her apartment is invaded and her boyfriend (a quickly expendable Charlie Sheen) shot to death, Anne realizes neither the cops nor the Feds can protect her, so she flees town and establishes a new identity and career. To hunt her down, mob goodfella Leo Carelli (Joe Pesci) hires the saxophone-playing assassin Milo (Dennis Hopper), who tracks her across the West using computer databases. The thing is, he begins to obsess about Anne after finding photos of her (un)dressed in dominatrix accessories. Milo has issues.

The plot has a Keystone Cops quality as law enforcement seeks to retrieve Benton by following Milo. And after the latter severs communication with his employers in favor of his own agenda of infatuation, Leo's thugs go after Milo and Anne by following the cops. Even then, the storyline might've been redeemable if it hadn't taken such a Bonnie and Clyde twist, and the conclusion (at that same refinery) is positively ludicrous.

Hopper as Milo is almost the caricature of a mob hit man. Where did he get those clothes, that hat, and that accent? And speaking of accents, Leo's lawyer John Luponi (Dean Stockwell) has to be one of the most over-acted roles in recent memory. If it didn't get a Razzie Award, it should've.

Perhaps even the cast realized what a disaster BACKTRACK is. Joe Pesci, whose role is not insignificant, isn't even listed on the ending credits. I wonder if he tried to buy up all the prints?

A dedicated Jodie fan will perhaps wax rhapsodic over her nude shower scene. Beyond that, don't bother.

Odd, but intriguing
This film starts off a bit slowly and wastes undue time on characters not terribly important to the overall story. Once you get to the things between Foster and Hopper's characters then this gets interesting. To see how obsession and a covert admiration gets turned into a romantic [one-sided] affair for Hopper's 'Milo' reminds me a little of 'The Professional' with Jean Reno and Natalie Portman. Seeing how a very mature man who essentially operates alone deals with, then adores the new woman in his life and will do anything to protect her is a lure to watch in itself.

This movie is not fully in league with 'The Professional' but, flaws aside, it has its own charms. Kudos as well for filming part of it in New Mexico instead of some other big-name places. The budget might not have allowed extravagance but it might have ruined this particular film. Anyone who has been to New Mexico will likely know how I feel.
Ultimately, you can spend your money on a far worse film than this one.

Jodie's Leg Fan's Will be Disappointed by Cut Scene's
If your a male fan of Jodie Foster's and you saw this movie on cable, this version is a disappointment. A couple of the scene's showing her dynamite leg's were cut from this version. It's rated R, they show her topless, but they cut out the best leg scene's, go figure? ... Read more

Book Description

As a baby, Moses is sent down the Nile in a basket. As a man, Moses is called to save God's people and leads the Israelites across the Red Sea. God gives His people the Ten Commandments. Animated, 23 minutes. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A real sleeper....An old NEW family classic!
William Powell is wonderful in this adaptation of a story abouta poor child, David, that encompasses greed, wealth, poverty, love,and hate. Some old west excitement in California. One of those...why don't they make them like this anymore movies! If you wish to be entertained......this is your movie... ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Grow a real beard!
Starring Gene Barry (Abraham, with a really bad wig and beard), Ed Ames (Daniel Boone) and Ross Martin (Wild, Wild West).

This episode starts with the accidental killing of an enemies son by Abraham, is this in the Bible? Hmm? And continues on with the plot of Hagar and her uncle (Martin) first trying rescue Ishmael, a very passive (toward Isaac) but precocious Ishmael (weird) and then attempting to supersede Abrahams desire that Isaac be the inhe