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Steven Spielberg produced this underwhelming 1986 effort at a slapstick spin on Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House. The pre-Oscar Tom Hanks stars with Shelley Long as a married couple whose efforts to finish construction on their home are sabotaged by costly and sporadically funny accidents. The unfinished domicile becomes a metaphor for their troubled relationship, as evidenced by Long's character's attraction to a madman violinist (Alexander Godunov). Hanks is the only reason at this point to check this film out. Richard Benjamin (My Favorite Year) directs but with no flair or distinction. --Tom Keogh. ... Read more

Reviews (60)

Classic, Classic Tom Hanks
My wife and I have seen this movie MANY times and we laugh harder each time we see it. This movie must be a cult classic, mainly because if we act out a piece of a scene or speak a line from it (as we often do) many people are 'in' on the joke having seen it repeatedly themselves. Alexander Gudenov really steals the scenes that he's in portraying Shelly Long's ex-husband/Symphony conductor. I love it when he admonishes the orchestra at lunchtime after a lackluster rehearsal and tells the members to '...go stuff yourselves, I hope you choke!' (in that wonderful accent).
I highly reccommend this film to anyone, especially if you own a house. Those laughing the loudest will have had home repair experience I'm sure. Tom Hanks at his funniest. You won't be dissapointed!

Favorite moments:

bathtub scene (with pop-up thermometer in the turkey)
raccoon scene
The Shirk brothers contractors
All of the Alexander Gudenov scenes
'The Cheap Girls' band
borrowing money from 'Benny'
Hanks and Long fighting in front of the contractors

.....the list goes on......

Simply too funny
"The Money Pit" may have been a disaster at the box office and with critics at the time but this movie is just too hilarious. This is one of the few movies that makes me laugh until tears starts rolling down my face. My personal favorite moment is when Shelly Long finds a raccoon in the dumb waiter and it leaps at her. Seeing her running around screaming with a raccoon on her shoulder is hysterical. Of course just watching Tom Hanks' character try to fix the house is equally funny, particularly when he hears Shelly's character screaming and he runs...or tries to run up the poorly built staircase. The classic moment is when he falls into that hole and is stuck there for most of the day, missing out on an important meeting with a contractor and then seeing Shelly Long's expression when she finds him stuck in the hole. "The Money Pit" remains one of my top favorite comedies of all time as well as favorite Tom Hanks film.

home blech home!
Tom Hanks and Shelly Long star in this 1980s Steven Spielberg movie as Walter and Anna, a Manhattan couple who are unceremoniously evicted from her ex-husband's apartment and must search for new housing. They find what seems to be a steal -- a huge million-dollar mansion for next to nothing --- and move in, only to be besieged with a collapsing staircase, chocolate-brown "water", rotting wood, exploding doorbell, you name it. Probably one of the funniest scenes I have ever seen is when Tom Hanks sinks through the rug into a hole in the den floor and gets stuck.

Broke and cranky from sinking more and more resources into the money pit in which they live, Anna and Walter snipe at each other. The shady contractors they hire say they can get the job done in 2 weeks -- and continue saying that four months later.

The house may or may not get rebuilt, but will Walter and Anna survive as a couple? Being a typical 1980s comedy which paved the way for everything starring Meg Ryan for 16 years, you already know the answer. But it is still a hilarious movie to watch, depsite its predictability.

Sigh sigh
When I watched this movie for the very first time, I was 18 yold. It was and it is one of the most loved movies I ever seen in my whole life and it meant so much to me because I felt like Tom Hanks when I was rising up my new house and I seen myself in that movie with all the hard time to make the house of my and her dream nice and cozy. We did it but I miss those times.

Thanks "The money pit".

Luca

One of my all-time favorites!
Who wouldn't want to see Tom Hanks stuck in a hole in the floor? This movie is hilarious right from the start - Shelley Long and Hanks play off each other well. Well worth a few bucks to have your own copy at home! ... Read more

Reviews (24)

Gymkata- 80's Cult Classic
GYMKATA starring gymnast Kurt is not the best action-adventure film, and Kurt Thomas isn't the greatest actor in the world, but the last half hour of the film is worth its weight in gold. A small third world nation, Parmistan, teetering on the edge of going towards communism, stages an athletic contest to see which country would best represent their presence there. Kurt Thomas as Jonathan Cabot is chosen to represent the U.S. in the contest. It is a deadly obstacle course in which in which the natural elements as well as human intervention are the obstacles. Kurt Thomas' athletic gymnastic abilities are the highpoint of the film in which gymnastics and martial arts are fused together as a form of self defense ...hence the name "gymkata". The style is reminiscent of comic book super hero fighting and Kurt Thomas pulls it off convincingly. The film is a little slow in te beginning trying to establish the characters, the situation in Parmistan, as well as a tiny romance between the Jonathan Cabot (Thomas) and Princess Rubali (Tetchie Agbayani). However, the meat of the film is when the deadly contest/obstacle course starts. The climax and best part of the film is at the end of the obstacle course athletes must go through a strange village filled with violent, psychopathic peasants bent on killing any stranger who comes through the village. They swarm towards their prey like zombies with pitchforks, hatchets, and other farm handtools. This is when Kurt Thomas turns on his gymkata fighting skills and it is a very tense and exciting piece of film making. Overall, an entertaining film made at the time when martial arts films were at a decline.

Classic Crud
When I was growing up, it seemed like every other movie on cable television was either called Iron Eagle or Gymkata. I had no use for Iron Eagle. Sorry. Gymkata, however, was a altogether different story. I must have seen this movie a few hundred times between grades 10-12--generally at three in the morning, stumbling in, stumbling out--less of a choice, more of a compromise. As if the pay channels didn't milk the Gymkata cash cow dry, local stations decided to make it their duty to keep it in heavy rotation on a weekly basis. The only movie that came close in its domination of b-string broadcasting was the 1972 classic, Gargoyles. But I digress. Gymkata is about a martial artist (Kurt Thomas) who loses his military papa (Eric Lawson). He goes to a small fictional nation that encompasses every cliché relating to villains from the 1980's. There's intrigue, a great feast, and more intrigue. There's an exotic princess who, to this day, still looks pretty good. The best part of the movie is the game of death--mostly because there isn't a great deal of dialog. As other reviews have mentioned, the asylum/village has some classic moments (the cackling woman comes to mind). Long story short, an olympic wannabe offers up a textbook example of why his acting career went nowhere. Of course, who am I to judge? I have yet to make a single movie about ninjas or good cops gone bad.

One last question: Why isn't this movie on DVD?

Unintentionally hysterical
Kurt Thomas as a gymnast turned lethal martial artist? Only in Hollywood! The idea only works if every time Thomas gets into a fight there just happens to be a piece of gymnastic equipment nearby (parallel bars, pommel horse, etc.) and of course the bad guys attack one at a time, but I guess that's just a martial arts movie tradition. The acting is brutal, the plot could've been thought up by a ten year-old, and there's a village of insane killers. Put it all together and it all adds up to a hilarious movie.

Lousy But Fun
As a serious film, this one is a real dud. However, as a piece of hilariously inept production, it's a real winner. The plot is ludicrous, and the acting is equally poor. Still, some of the scenes are rather good, particularly the bizarre sequence which takes place in the village of the lunatics. Of course, the greatest lunatics are the people who produced this silly little film. No stars for quality, but 2 stars for pure comedy value.

Gymkata is a low-rate film second to none
What can one say about Gymkata?

If you want to see the worst action film ever committed to vinyl, you couldn't go wrong here. The plot is a laugher, the acting is worst, and everything else in the film falls somewhere between the two.

However, this film is so bad it will probably become a cult favorite in the years to come. It makes Ed Wood Jr look like Steven Spielberg. Simply put, Gymkata has no equals when it comes to low-rate films. That's why it should be ported to DVD and every person who likes films SHOULD have a copy of this movie. But I feel the distributor should PAY the viewer to take a tape or disc of this film off their hands, instead of the other way around.

Gymkata will make you laugh more than most comedies. The action scenes are predictable, unrealistic, etc...And look for some good flubs, too. Although the characters are supposed to be native to some remote areas of Asia/Europe, the blond antagonist often reveals a strong New York City accent. Hysterical! And watch closely how nervous that same guy looks riding a horse - obviously a first timer. You will laugh so hard you'll cry.

... Read more

Reviews (22)

This is my favorite movie of all time
The beauty and power of the rainforest juxtaposed to the beauty and power of "civilization," on of my favorite themes. Who is the true savage? Powers Boothe plays a construction engineer building a dam in the rainforest that is increasingly changing the structure of the most valuable real estate on earth. Not only is it effecting the plants and animals, creating desert where there was once rich vegetation, but it is affecting the indigenous tribes in horrendous ways. Charley Boorman plays the beautiful young son who is kidnapped by the leader of the "Invisible People." His father and mother (played by the beautiful Meg Foster) spent the next ten years searching for the boy as he is being raised in tribal customs.

Meanwhile, as the living space for the tribes grows increasingly smaller, the "Invisible People," who are basically good hearted, land loving indigenous people who keep to themselves and only want to survive, are increasingly threatened by the "Fierce People," a carnivorous, cannibalistic tribe who are desperately seeking space for themselves.

We watch Tomme grow up, learn from his new "father" who loves him dearly and was perhaps initially attracted to the tyke's golden blond hair and his own need for a son. We watch Tomme go through a ritual rite of passage that sends him on a dangerous quest for the special green rock that allows what are now his people to become "Invisible." It is in this quest that Tomme and his father cross paths again, and a lesson is learned about the cost of the damage civilization has brought to what is truly a beautiful and rich country better off left alone.

For a long time I couldn't find this movie anywhere. Not even at amazon.com. I cherish the copy I did finally find. I am thrilled to see that it is now available on DVD, but would like to see a DVD created with educational "special features" about the rain forest and the fight to preserve it. That's really what this movie is all about. See it now, before it gets away again.

ENTERTAINMENT'S EMERALD
A dam-builder is in the rain forest one day with his family, showing off his stuff. Suddenly his young son takes off to the woods and is never seen again. For the next few years the father leads a double life. Half the time he's building this dam, while the other half he's picking up his machine gun and running into the jungle to find his son. Pretty interesting life and a pretty interesting idea. And it's based on a true story. Some of the natives are truly weird, trying to put elongated bones into a machine gun that they find. There's a neat scene where they learn about either barbed wire or electricity. Another part I liked was where the native scales a small multi-story building with nothing but his bare hands and feet. The climax is really ironic. Very rarely do I see a movie where I watch it once and immediately want to see it again. This is one of those movies. I haven't seen it in a while, but my mind wanders back to it quite a lot. Definitely worth buying.

"Do you know my people?"
John Boorman's "The Emerald Forest" marks the director's return to nature a decade after "Deliverance" (1972). Once again, Boorman so ably captures the essence of the outdoors that it almost becomes a tangible supporting character. Nature in the cinematic world of Boorman is an entity to be revered and feared if you know what is good for you.

Bill Markham (Powers Boothe) is an American engineer who is in Brazil to help oversee the construction of a dam. While inspecting the construction site, tragedy strikes when his young son, Tommy (William Rodriguez) disappears. Haunted by his loss, Markham returns to the rainforest every year for ten years in search of his lost son. He eventually finds the adult Tommy (Charley Boorman) - now know as Tomme - living with the native "Invisible People." As Markham tries to re-establish his relationship with his son, he slowly learns of the devastating ecological and cultural consequences his industrial world has had upon the area.

"The Emerald Forest" sometimes comes across as too heavy-handed in its critique of modern society's threat towards the natural world. Yet, despite its labored message, the film's central story of Markham's searching for his son is involving on an emotional and dramatic level. Furthermore, the scenes with the natives are an insightful venture into an unfamiliar way of life that is as compelling as it is informative. Chalk up "The Emerald Forest" as another little nugget from the Eighties.

So . . . what did he say?
I have to give this film five stars for all the reasons that the other fans of this movie discuss. This commentary is on an unusual glitch that I discovered with the DVD. I'm referring to the MGM "Contemporary Classics" edition (in case there's another version out there).

I was surprised to discover that, when the native people were speaking, some of the subtitling was left off. Moments of indigenous dialogue were left un-subtitled in the VHS version (moments when a character appeared to be saying something like "Move" or "Hey, look."). However, with the DVD, there was one scene where a bit of dialogue that was significant to the development of the plot went unsubtited, and we were all left in the dark. It happened in only one significant scene, that I noticed, and eventually it was apparent what the character had said, but it was still frustrating and strange.

However, I still recommend that you get the DVD. When comparing scenes between the DVD and my old VHS copy (in order to see what had been said during the previously mentioned scene), I discovered that the old pan and scan version occasionally cut out almost 50% of the screen! With a film this beautiful, this is intolerable!

If you have this on VHS and are considering upgrading to DVD, I recommend that you do so - the visual pay-off is great! But keep your hands on the old VHS copy, unless you know the dialogue from memory.

Western ideaolgy versus indiginous values
I loved this movie in the theatre, bought the vhs in pan and scan and then the dvd in wide screen. I also have the sound track. This movie represents the values of western culture versus the indiginous culture. I have been to Las Amazonas 5 times and have seen what is happening. This movie compares the two cultures. This movie has a message about what indiginous people have and are happy with versus the destruction and modernazation of the western culture. Please, see the video and understand that western culture has something to offer but is not necessarily the panacea for the indiginous. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A new high in lows
This is possibly one of the worst movies ever made, and hence deserves cult-status. A stunningly self-conscious performance by Neil French is just one of the reasons to watch it. There is, however, a quite charming dog in one or two scenes. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

funny and touching
Parts of this movie had me laughing myself off the couch.

It is an understated and unpretentious film, basically a love story or a coming of age story - I guess a mixture of both.

I had to give it 5 stars, it is not a 5 star movie even though Tetchie Agbayani looked totally delicious, but I figured the other reviewer gave it 4 stars, now it averges out at 4 1/2 - just about right.

Well worth seeing. It is part of my library and I bring it out as a special treat for company that I know can appreciate it.

A Good Laugh - Aussie Style
This movie is a typical Aussie sleeper. It starts out slow, with laffs at the expenes of the local police, and then moves out of town and North to ??????? All the characters are excellently cast in their roles and provide continuity in the trek North for gold and adventure. If you enjoyed the first "Crocodile Dundee" you will definitely enjoy this. ... Read more

Reviews (22)

This is my favorite movie of all time
The beauty and power of the rainforest juxtaposed to the beauty and power of "civilization," on of my favorite themes. Who is the true savage? Powers Boothe plays a construction engineer building a dam in the rainforest that is increasingly changing the structure of the most valuable real estate on earth. Not only is it effecting the plants and animals, creating desert where there was once rich vegetation, but it is affecting the indigenous tribes in horrendous ways. Charley Boorman plays the beautiful young son who is kidnapped by the leader of the "Invisible People." His father and mother (played by the beautiful Meg Foster) spent the next ten years searching for the boy as he is being raised in tribal customs.

Meanwhile, as the living space for the tribes grows increasingly smaller, the "Invisible People," who are basically good hearted, land loving indigenous people who keep to themselves and only want to survive, are increasingly threatened by the "Fierce People," a carnivorous, cannibalistic tribe who are desperately seeking space for themselves.

We watch Tomme grow up, learn from his new "father" who loves him dearly and was perhaps initially attracted to the tyke's golden blond hair and his own need for a son. We watch Tomme go through a ritual rite of passage that sends him on a dangerous quest for the special green rock that allows what are now his people to become "Invisible." It is in this quest that Tomme and his father cross paths again, and a lesson is learned about the cost of the damage civilization has brought to what is truly a beautiful and rich country better off left alone.

For a long time I couldn't find this movie anywhere. Not even at amazon.com. I cherish the copy I did finally find. I am thrilled to see that it is now available on DVD, but would like to see a DVD created with educational "special features" about the rain forest and the fight to preserve it. That's really what this movie is all about. See it now, before it gets away again.

ENTERTAINMENT'S EMERALD
A dam-builder is in the rain forest one day with his family, showing off his stuff. Suddenly his young son takes off to the woods and is never seen again. For the next few years the father leads a double life. Half the time he's building this dam, while the other half he's picking up his machine gun and running into the jungle to find his son. Pretty interesting life and a pretty interesting idea. And it's based on a true story. Some of the natives are truly weird, trying to put elongated bones into a machine gun that they find. There's a neat scene where they learn about either barbed wire or electricity. Another part I liked was where the native scales a small multi-story building with nothing but his bare hands and feet. The climax is really ironic. Very rarely do I see a movie where I watch it once and immediately want to see it again. This is one of those movies. I haven't seen it in a while, but my mind wanders back to it quite a lot. Definitely worth buying.

"Do you know my people?"
John Boorman's "The Emerald Forest" marks the director's return to nature a decade after "Deliverance" (1972). Once again, Boorman so ably captures the essence of the outdoors that it almost becomes a tangible supporting character. Nature in the cinematic world of Boorman is an entity to be revered and feared if you know what is good for you.

Bill Markham (Powers Boothe) is an American engineer who is in Brazil to help oversee the construction of a dam. While inspecting the construction site, tragedy strikes when his young son, Tommy (William Rodriguez) disappears. Haunted by his loss, Markham returns to the rainforest every year for ten years in search of his lost son. He eventually finds the adult Tommy (Charley Boorman) - now know as Tomme - living with the native "Invisible People." As Markham tries to re-establish his relationship with his son, he slowly learns of the devastating ecological and cultural consequences his industrial world has had upon the area.

"The Emerald Forest" sometimes comes across as too heavy-handed in its critique of modern society's threat towards the natural world. Yet, despite its labored message, the film's central story of Markham's searching for his son is involving on an emotional and dramatic level. Furthermore, the scenes with the natives are an insightful venture into an unfamiliar way of life that is as compelling as it is informative. Chalk up "The Emerald Forest" as another little nugget from the Eighties.

So . . . what did he say?
I have to give this film five stars for all the reasons that the other fans of this movie discuss. This commentary is on an unusual glitch that I discovered with the DVD. I'm referring to the MGM "Contemporary Classics" edition (in case there's another version out there).

I was surprised to discover that, when the native people were speaking, some of the subtitling was left off. Moments of indigenous dialogue were left un-subtitled in the VHS version (moments when a character appeared to be saying something like "Move" or "Hey, look."). However, with the DVD, there was one scene where a bit of dialogue that was significant to the development of the plot went unsubtited, and we were all left in the dark. It happened in only one significant scene, that I noticed, and eventually it was apparent what the character had said, but it was still frustrating and strange.

However, I still recommend that you get the DVD. When comparing scenes between the DVD and my old VHS copy (in order to see what had been said during the previously mentioned scene), I discovered that the old pan and scan version occasionally cut out almost 50% of the screen! With a film this beautiful, this is intolerable!

If you have this on VHS and are considering upgrading to DVD, I recommend that you do so - the visual pay-off is great! But keep your hands on the old VHS copy, unless you know the dialogue from memory.

Western ideaolgy versus indiginous values
I loved this movie in the theatre, bought the vhs in pan and scan and then the dvd in wide screen. I also have the sound track. This movie represents the values of western culture versus the indiginous culture. I have been to Las Amazonas 5 times and have seen what is happening. This movie compares the two cultures. This movie has a message about what indiginous people have and are happy with versus the destruction and modernazation of the western culture. Please, see the video and understand that western culture has something to offer but is not necessarily the panacea for the indiginous. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

INDIO - A must see movie
I have seen this movie three times and it is well acted. Marvin Hagler has great acting appeal for being an ex-boxing champ. However, the real star of this movie is Francesco Quinn, who plays a half-breed Ex-Marine named Daniel Morel.

Daniel comes home to South America to find opportunist raiding and ravaging the jungle he once called home, for the purpose of building a road. People are killed and used as slave labor for the road to be built. However, Daniel will stop at nothing to save his home and people from these poachers. This marine goes into immediate action and from then on, its non-stop action that will keep you watching from beginnig to end.

This actor done such a good job playing a U.S. Marine, I actually believed he was a real one. Who knows, he might be.

He is an actor to definitely watch for. Not only is he handsome, but he can act. He also stars in other movies, such as: Platoon, Dead Certain, Red Shoe Diaries, and others. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Two Brothers Face off in the Ultimate Martial Arts Battle
Family fortune, beautiful mistresses, and control of an international smuggling operation are at stake as two brothers rumble for control of the family company.

In a world where dirty fighting is expected, evil step-brother Chang frames Jack in a prostitute's murder. Then family rivalry turns to rage as the brothers meet in one final battle...a deathfight, from which only one will walk away. ... Read more

Reviews (22)

This is my favorite movie of all time
The beauty and power of the rainforest juxtaposed to the beauty and power of "civilization," on of my favorite themes. Who is the true savage? Powers Boothe plays a construction engineer building a dam in the rainforest that is increasingly changing the structure of the most valuable real estate on earth. Not only is it effecting the plants and animals, creating desert where there was once rich vegetation, but it is affecting the indigenous tribes in horrendous ways. Charley Boorman plays the beautiful young son who is kidnapped by the leader of the "Invisible People." His father and mother (played by the beautiful Meg Foster) spent the next ten years searching for the boy as he is being raised in tribal customs.

Meanwhile, as the living space for the tribes grows increasingly smaller, the "Invisible People," who are basically good hearted, land loving indigenous people who keep to themselves and only want to survive, are increasingly threatened by the "Fierce People," a carnivorous, cannibalistic tribe who are desperately seeking space for themselves.

We watch Tomme grow up, learn from his new "father" who loves him dearly and was perhaps initially attracted to the tyke's golden blond hair and his own need for a son. We watch Tomme go through a ritual rite of passage that sends him on a dangerous quest for the special green rock that allows what are now his people to become "Invisible." It is in this quest that Tomme and his father cross paths again, and a lesson is learned about the cost of the damage civilization has brought to what is truly a beautiful and rich country better off left alone.

For a long time I couldn't find this movie anywhere. Not even at amazon.com. I cherish the copy I did finally find. I am thrilled to see that it is now available on DVD, but would like to see a DVD created with educational "special features" about the rain forest and the fight to preserve it. That's really what this movie is all about. See it now, before it gets away again.

ENTERTAINMENT'S EMERALD
A dam-builder is in the rain forest one day with his family, showing off his stuff. Suddenly his young son takes off to the woods and is never seen again. For the next few years the father leads a double life. Half the time he's building this dam, while the other half he's picking up his machine gun and running into the jungle to find his son. Pretty interesting life and a pretty interesting idea. And it's based on a true story. Some of the natives are truly weird, trying to put elongated bones into a machine gun that they find. There's a neat scene where they learn about either barbed wire or electricity. Another part I liked was where the native scales a small multi-story building with nothing but his bare hands and feet. The climax is really ironic. Very rarely do I see a movie where I watch it once and immediately want to see it again. This is one of those movies. I haven't seen it in a while, but my mind wanders back to it quite a lot. Definitely worth buying.

"Do you know my people?"
John Boorman's "The Emerald Forest" marks the director's return to nature a decade after "Deliverance" (1972). Once again, Boorman so ably captures the essence of the outdoors that it almost becomes a tangible supporting character. Nature in the cinematic world of Boorman is an entity to be revered and feared if you know what is good for you.

Bill Markham (Powers Boothe) is an American engineer who is in Brazil to help oversee the construction of a dam. While inspecting the construction site, tragedy strikes when his young son, Tommy (William Rodriguez) disappears. Haunted by his loss, Markham returns to the rainforest every year for ten years in search of his lost son. He eventually finds the adult Tommy (Charley Boorman) - now know as Tomme - living with the native "Invisible People." As Markham tries to re-establish his relationship with his son, he slowly learns of the devastating ecological and cultural consequences his industrial world has had upon the area.

"The Emerald Forest" sometimes comes across as too heavy-handed in its critique of modern society's threat towards the natural world. Yet, despite its labored message, the film's central story of Markham's searching for his son is involving on an emotional and dramatic level. Furthermore, the scenes with the natives are an insightful venture into an unfamiliar way of life that is as compelling as it is informative. Chalk up "The Emerald Forest" as another little nugget from the Eighties.

So . . . what did he say?
I have to give this film five stars for all the reasons that the other fans of this movie discuss. This commentary is on an unusual glitch that I discovered with the DVD. I'm referring to the MGM "Contemporary Classics" edition (in case there's another version out there).

I was surprised to discover that, when the native people were speaking, some of the subtitling was left off. Moments of indigenous dialogue were left un-subtitled in the VHS version (moments when a character appeared to be saying something like "Move" or "Hey, look."). However, with the DVD, there was one scene where a bit of dialogue that was significant to the development of the plot went unsubtited, and we were all left in the dark. It happened in only one significant scene, that I noticed, and eventually it was apparent what the character had said, but it was still frustrating and strange.

However, I still recommend that you get the DVD. When comparing scenes between the DVD and my old VHS copy (in order to see what had been said during the previously mentioned scene), I discovered that the old pan and scan version occasionally cut out almost 50% of the screen! With a film this beautiful, this is intolerable!

If you have this on VHS and are considering upgrading to DVD, I recommend that you do so - the visual pay-off is great! But keep your hands on the old VHS copy, unless you know the dialogue from memory.

Western ideaolgy versus indiginous values
I loved this movie in the theatre, bought the vhs in pan and scan and then the dvd in wide screen. I also have the sound track. This movie represents the values of western culture versus the indiginous culture. I have been to Las Amazonas 5 times and have seen what is happening. This movie compares the two cultures. This movie has a message about what indiginous people have and are happy with versus the destruction and modernazation of the western culture. Please, see the video and understand that western culture has something to offer but is not necessarily the panacea for the indiginous. ... Read more

Reviews (22)

This is my favorite movie of all time
The beauty and power of the rainforest juxtaposed to the beauty and power of "civilization," on of my favorite themes. Who is the true savage? Powers Boothe plays a construction engineer building a dam in the rainforest that is increasingly changing the structure of the most valuable real estate on earth. Not only is it effecting the plants and animals, creating desert where there was once rich vegetation, but it is affecting the indigenous tribes in horrendous ways. Charley Boorman plays the beautiful young son who is kidnapped by the leader of the "Invisible People." His father and mother (played by the beautiful Meg Foster) spent the next ten years searching for the boy as he is being raised in tribal customs.

Meanwhile, as the living space for the tribes grows increasingly smaller, the "Invisible People," who are basically good hearted, land loving indigenous people who keep to themselves and only want to survive, are increasingly threatened by the "Fierce People," a carnivorous, cannibalistic tribe who are desperately seeking space for themselves.

We watch Tomme grow up, learn from his new "father" who loves him dearly and was perhaps initially attracted to the tyke's golden blond hair and his own need for a son. We watch Tomme go through a ritual rite of passage that sends him on a dangerous quest for the special green rock that allows what are now his people to become "Invisible." It is in this quest that Tomme and his father cross paths again, and a lesson is learned about the cost of the damage civilization has brought to what is truly a beautiful and rich country better off left alone.

For a long time I couldn't find this movie anywhere. Not even at amazon.com. I cherish the copy I did finally find. I am thrilled to see that it is now available on DVD, but would like to see a DVD created with educational "special features" about the rain forest and the fight to preserve it. That's really what this movie is all about. See it now, before it gets away again.

ENTERTAINMENT'S EMERALD
A dam-builder is in the rain forest one day with his family, showing off his stuff. Suddenly his young son takes off to the woods and is never seen again. For the next few years the father leads a double life. Half the time he's building this dam, while the other half he's picking up his machine gun and running into the jungle to find his son. Pretty interesting life and a pretty interesting idea. And it's based on a true story. Some of the natives are truly weird, trying to put elongated bones into a machine gun that they find. There's a neat scene where they learn about either barbed wire or electricity. Another part I liked was where the native scales a small multi-story building with nothing but his bare hands and feet. The climax is really ironic. Very rarely do I see a movie where I watch it once and immediately want to see it again. This is one of those movies. I haven't seen it in a while, but my mind wanders back to it quite a lot. Definitely worth buying.

"Do you know my people?"
John Boorman's "The Emerald Forest" marks the director's return to nature a decade after "Deliverance" (1972). Once again, Boorman so ably captures the essence of the outdoors that it almost becomes a tangible supporting character. Nature in the cinematic world of Boorman is an entity to be revered and feared if you know what is good for you.

Bill Markham (Powers Boothe) is an American engineer who is in Brazil to help oversee the construction of a dam. While inspecting the construction site, tragedy strikes when his young son, Tommy (William Rodriguez) disappears. Haunted by his loss, Markham returns to the rainforest every year for ten years in search of his lost son. He eventually finds the adult Tommy (Charley Boorman) - now know as Tomme - living with the native "Invisible People." As Markham tries to re-establish his relationship with his son, he slowly learns of the devastating ecological and cultural consequences his industrial world has had upon the area.

"The Emerald Forest" sometimes comes across as too heavy-handed in its critique of modern society's threat towards the natural world. Yet, despite its labored message, the film's central story of Markham's searching for his son is involving on an emotional and dramatic level. Furthermore, the scenes with the natives are an insightful venture into an unfamiliar way of life that is as compelling as it is informative. Chalk up "The Emerald Forest" as another little nugget from the Eighties.

So . . . what did he say?
I have to give this film five stars for all the reasons that the other fans of this movie discuss. This commentary is on an unusual glitch that I discovered with the DVD. I'm referring to the MGM "Contemporary Classics" edition (in case there's another version out there).

I was surprised to discover that, when the native people were speaking, some of the subtitling was left off. Moments of indigenous dialogue were left un-subtitled in the VHS version (moments when a character appeared to be saying something like "Move" or "Hey, look."). However, with the DVD, there was one scene where a bit of dialogue that was significant to the development of the plot went unsubtited, and we were all left in the dark. It happened in only one significant scene, that I noticed, and eventually it was apparent what the character had said, but it was still frustrating and strange.

However, I still recommend that you get the DVD. When comparing scenes between the DVD and my old VHS copy (in order to see what had been said during the previously mentioned scene), I discovered that the old pan and scan version occasionally cut out almost 50% of the screen! With a film this beautiful, this is intolerable!

If you have this on VHS and are considering upgrading to DVD, I recommend that you do so - the visual pay-off is great! But keep your hands on the old VHS copy, unless you know the dialogue from memory.

Western ideaolgy versus indiginous values
I loved this movie in the theatre, bought the vhs in pan and scan and then the dvd in wide screen. I also have the sound track. This movie represents the values of western culture versus the indiginous culture. I have been to Las Amazonas 5 times and have seen what is happening. This movie compares the two cultures. This movie has a message about what indiginous people have and are happy with versus the destruction and modernazation of the western culture. Please, see the video and understand that western culture has something to offer but is not necessarily the panacea for the indiginous. ... Read more

Reviews (60)

Classic, Classic Tom Hanks
My wife and I have seen this movie MANY times and we laugh harder each time we see it. This movie must be a cult classic, mainly because if we act out a piece of a scene or speak a line from it (as we often do) many people are 'in' on the joke having seen it repeatedly themselves. Alexander Gudenov really steals the scenes that he's in portraying Shelly Long's ex-husband/Symphony conductor. I love it when he admonishes the orchestra at lunchtime after a lackluster rehearsal and tells the members to '...go stuff yourselves, I hope you choke!' (in that wonderful accent).
I highly reccommend this film to anyone, especially if you own a house. Those laughing the loudest will have had home repair experience I'm sure. Tom Hanks at his funniest. You won't be dissapointed!

Favorite moments:

bathtub scene (with pop-up thermometer in the turkey)
raccoon scene
The Shirk brothers contractors
All of the Alexander Gudenov scenes
'The Cheap Girls' band
borrowing money from 'Benny'
Hanks and Long fighting in front of the contractors

.....the list goes on......

Simply too funny
"The Money Pit" may have been a disaster at the box office and with critics at the time but this movie is just too hilarious. This is one of the few movies that makes me laugh until tears starts rolling down my face. My personal favorite moment is when Shelly Long finds a raccoon in the dumb waiter and it leaps at her. Seeing her running around screaming with a raccoon on her shoulder is hysterical. Of course just watching Tom Hanks' character try to fix the house is equally funny, particularly when he hears Shelly's character screaming and he runs...or tries to run up the poorly built staircase. The classic moment is when he falls into that hole and is stuck there for most of the day, missing out on an important meeting with a contractor and then seeing Shelly Long's expression when she finds him stuck in the hole. "The Money Pit" remains one of my top favorite comedies of all time as well as favorite Tom Hanks film.

home blech home!
Tom Hanks and Shelly Long star in this 1980s Steven Spielberg movie as Walter and Anna, a Manhattan couple who are unceremoniously evicted from her ex-husband's apartment and must search for new housing. They find what seems to be a steal -- a huge million-dollar mansion for next to nothing --- and move in, only to be besieged with a collapsing staircase, chocolate-brown "water", rotting wood, exploding doorbell, you name it. Probably one of the funniest scenes I have ever seen is when Tom Hanks sinks through the rug into a hole in the den floor and gets stuck.

Broke and cranky from sinking more and more resources into the money pit in which they live, Anna and Walter snipe at each other. The shady contractors they hire say they can get the job done in 2 weeks -- and continue saying that four months later.

The house may or may not get rebuilt, but will Walter and Anna survive as a couple? Being a typical 1980s comedy which paved the way for everything starring Meg Ryan for 16 years, you already know the answer. But it is still a hilarious movie to watch, depsite its predictability.

Sigh sigh
When I watched this movie for the very first time, I was 18 yold. It was and it is one of the most loved movies I ever seen in my whole life and it meant so much to me because I felt like Tom Hanks when I was rising up my new house and I seen myself in that movie with all the hard time to make the house of my and her dream nice and cozy. We did it but I miss those times.

Thanks "The money pit".

Luca

One of my all-time favorites!
Who wouldn't want to see Tom Hanks stuck in a hole in the floor? This movie is hilarious right from the start - Shelley Long and Hanks play off each other well. Well worth a few bucks to have your own copy at home! ... Read more