Amazon.com

Nunnally Johnson's Broadway comedy was brought to the big screen by director Jean Negulesco, built around a trio of female stars, Lauren Bacall, Marilyn Monroe, and Betty Grable. They play friends who come up with a plan to find and marry rich men. They rent a lavish penthouse and use it as their launching pad to lure men with money in the bank. But each eventually finds that love is more important that material possessions, though it takes a while. One running joke has Monroe so insecure about her looks that she refuses to wear glasses, though this means she bumps into furniture and walls. The other has Bacall rejecting suitor Cameron Mitchell because he doesn't wear a tie, assuming this means he's low-class when, in fact, he's the Donald Trump of 1954. Pre-feminist comedy captures the mindset of an era in which women's identities were based on the men they married. It has its moments, but much of the humor seems dated, though its take on sexual politics is occasionally acute. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (31)

High Society Fun
Lauren Bacall, Marilyn Monroe & Betty Grable are highly entertaining in this tale of models who set out to land a millionaire. Not having any of their own money, they come up with some off the wall schemes to live the lifestyle they are dressed for! All 3 are gorgeous and funny to watch. Each does a great job of playing the quirkiness of their characters. This is a timeless classic that's as appealing today as it was in it's day. A great girly movie. Lauren Bacall has a flair for humor that is delightful to watch.

Brilliant
This as definatly a feel good movie. A sweet romantic comedy (leaning heavly on comedy) about three models who take up a expensive penthouse in New York hoping to catch themselves some millionairs. Schatze Page (Lauren Bacall)is a woman who is through with marrying poor men, or as she calls them "gas pump jockeys" for the simple reason that poor men have broken her heart. She's the brains of the bunch. Bacall is wonderfull in this film. Pola Debevoise (Marlyn Monroe) is the blonde, and blind, one who is really just going along with what shounds like a good idea. In this role Monroe pulls off a stunning performance, marked by her sweetness and child-like inocence, as well as many commedic scenes. She is somewhat sill (she beleives that her glasses make her unatractive) but warm-hearted.
Loco Dempsey (Betty Grable)is a girl who has an appetite..... for food. She is nice, somewhat dumb but a good person. Her performance is good, but not as outstaning as Monroe's.

Overall this is a really sweet movie with alot of substance.

"How To Marry A Millionaire"
"How To Marry A Millionaire" is a comedy story of 3 girls living in a penthouse searching for meeting and marrying wealthy millionaires.The movie is alot of fun.And if you want to know "How To Marry A Millionaire" and if they do marry millionaires with their schemes then you will enjoy this movie.The movie is Marilyn's best movie.The movie was very popular that there was a syndicated TV version of the same name "How To Marry A Millionaire" starring Barbara Eden in the Marilyn role,Merry Anders in the Bacall role,Lori Nelson (1st 39 episodes) in the Grable role and Lisa Gaye (in episodes 40 thru 52) in the Grable role.

EXCELLENT! BRAVO! 5 STARS!
This is a magnificent movie. It is artful, filled with humor and it's just good clean fun. It is an excellent choice for parents who have girls--like mine--who idealize Marylin Monroe. I can let my 5 and 8 year old watch this classic without any qualms. Betty Grable is fabulous as is Laurne Bacall. The dialogue in the movie is worthy of being memorized. If you like old classics, you'll love this movie. We sure do.

Marilyn should get the millionare
Marilyn Mnroe shines in this movie and all three ladies add a great comedic touch. Definately worth your money, you'll want to watch it many times ... Read more

Description

Agatha Christie and an all-star cast make foul deeds fun when a malevolent matriarch is murdered on a 1930s Holy Land tour. Starring Peter Ustinov (as Hercule Poirot) Lauren Bacall and John Gielgud. Year: 1988 Director: Michael Winner Starring:Peter Ustinov, Lauren Bacall, Carrie Fisher ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Great
This is another Christie classic.There are great performances by Peter Ustinov,Lauren Bacall,Piper Laurie,Hayley Mills,and John Gielgud.Another great movie with Ustinov as Poirot.I recomend this.

Peter Ustinov's last as "Poirot".
After the success of Death On The Nile (1978) and Evil Under The Sun (1982) and three tv-movies Thirteen At Dinner (1985-tv), Dead Man's Folly (1986-tv), Murder In Three Acts (1986-tv), Peter Ustinov returns as Belgian Detective, Hercule Poirot for the sixth and final time in this motion picture, Appointment With Death (1988). Piper Laurie is a wealthy, well-to-do woman at the reading of a will by her attourney (David Soul, original "Starsky & Hutch" tv series) of her dead husband. There are two wills. One will means less money to the widow and the step-children get an amount. In an act of blackmail, the attourney is forced to destroy one of the wills. Why does this woman put her "medicine" in a poison glass bottle. David Soul, the attourney, is having a romance with one of the widow's adult step-children. Cast also includes: Lauren Bacall, Carrie Fisher, John Gielgud, Hayley Mills (The Moonspinners), Jenny Seagrove, Nicholas Guest. Filmed in Israel, London and Italy.

He's bacccccccccck
I really enjoyed "Evil Under the Sun" and "Death on the Nile". However, this one was a very big disappointment. Not much of a story, not a good cast, poorly written with a horrible sound track. There was no suspense and no characters I really care about (except the doctor and Gielgud who would be interesting if he just stood there). It was hard to stay with it but I did. Ustinov looks tired and the rest look bored. Sorry to say, unless you are a collector who wants all of the film Ustinov endeavors (as I did), you will not be missing anything if you dont buy it.

The Murder of a Matronly Matriarch
The matriarch of a brood of ineffectual children lords it over them and bullies them almost beyond enduring. They put up with their stepmother because their father's will left everything to her (or did it?) and the children are such wimps they cannot support themselves. Did I mention that the matriarch was once a matron in a women's prison? By the time ...gets bumped off, the viewer will be ready to cheer. But every child has a motive (the money), the means (access to mom's medicine for the overdose), and the opportunity (nobody has an alibi). There are even a few bystanders with ample motive. Not to fear, the redoubtable Hercule Poirot is on the scene to untie this whodunnit's Gordian Knot. He eavesdrops on everyone's conversations, rakes everyone over the coals with his scathing interrogations, and handily exposes the killer.

This all happens in the Middle East, as Poirot vacations in the Holy Land. The environs of Jerusalem provide some beautiful background, and the viewer visits the dusty digs at Qumran, the site of the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls. The movie follows the book pretty well, but I was disappointed that the producer moved the scene of the murder from Petra to Qumran. The beautiful architecture of Petra would have made for more satisfying visuals than the excavation holes of Qumran. Remember the fabulous building in the side of the mountain from "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade?" That's Petra.

Peter Ustinov serves as a passable Poirot, but he's too big and too unkempt to capture the charm of Christie's Poirot. David Suchet, star of the A&E Poirot series, sets the standard against which all other video Poirots must suffer. Lauren Bacall almost stole the show with her rendition of an American-born M.P. who tried to out-English the native born English.

poorly acted adaptation
Ustinov doesn't look remotely like Christie's Poirot, but never mind that. It is the ensemble cast that trashes this film, a group of summer actors who read their lines like they are reading graffiti on the rocks. The figure that should provide the menace of the book -- the evil Mrs. Boynton -- is laughable.

Skip it. Wait for a more modern adaptation or just reread one of the classic Christies. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Based on the chilling bestseller by Stephen King, Misery was brought to the screen by director Rob Reiner as one of the most effective thrillers of the 1990s. From a brilliant adaptation by screenwriter William Goldman, Reiner turned King's cautionary tale of fame and idolatry into a mainstream masterpiece of escalating suspense, translating King's own experience with obsessive fans into a frightening tale of entrapment and psychotic behavior. Kathy Bates deservedly won an Academy Award for her performance as Annie Wilkes, an unbalanced devotee of romance novels written by Paul Sheldon (James Caan), whose books provide Annie with a much-needed escape from her pathetic life and her secret, violent past. After Annie rescues the injured Sheldon from a car accident, she seizes the opportunity to nurse her favorite writer back to health, but her tender loving care soon turns to terrorism as she demands that Sheldon write his latest novel according to her wish-fulfillment fantasies. From this point forward, Misery percolates to a boil as equal parts mystery, thriller, and cleverly dark comedy, with the helpless author pitched in deadly warfare against his number one fan. While Bates carefully modulates her role from doting kindness to sympathetic loneliness and finally to horrifying ferocity, Caan is equally superb as the celebrated author who must literally write for his life. It's essentially a two-actor film, but Richard Farnsworth and Lauren Bacall are excellent in supporting roles as they investigate the writer's mysterious disappearance. Frightening, funny, and totally irresistible, Misery was such a hit that some of Bates's dialogue entered the popular lexicon (particularly her nagging reference to Caan as "Mister Man"), and its nail-biting thrills remain timelessly intense. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (100)

The Best Steven King Movie Ever
One of the best psychological thrillers ever made, "Misery" is a tride and true adaption of the classic Steven King bestseller, white - knuckle tale filled with suspense that only someone as brilliant as King himself could ever provide

Paul Sheldon (played flawlessly by James Caan) is the author of a very successful book series called "Misery". But after years of success, he decides to kill the character once and for all and get on with his life. He finishes his book, but disaster strikes on his way back to New York. He gets caught in a snow storm and crashes his car. He is on the verge of death when a seemingly harmless nurse named Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates in an Oscar - winning role), who claims she's his number one fan. At first, Paul really enjoys Annie's company. Then Annie has several outbursts (including the now infamous ankle - breaking sequence), and Paul becomes suspicous of her past. From here on it's a tense battle between cat and mouse. And if you've never read the book before, then you're in for one of the creepiest endings in your life.

No movie fan should be without "Misery". It is in a class of its own, different from other King classics like "Carrie", "Cuju" and "The Shining". If those films didn't do it for you, then "Misery" will get your blood pumping, your palms sweating and your heart racing in no time.

I Feel Your Pain!
I Feel Your Pain!

Misery is a 1990 suspense drama released by Castle Rock Entertainment, directed by Rob Reiner, with a running time of 107 minutes. Based on a Stephen King novel, this drama is considerably enhanced by the performance of its leads, James Caan (Paul Sheldon) and Kathy Bates (Annie Wilkes).
The tale is really very simple. Paul Sheldon is a successful writer whose career has been made on the back of a series of novels about a 19th century heroine that he is growing weary of, called "Misery." Although she has been the focus of a hugely popular series of novels, Paul wishes to 'retire' the character and focus on writing something more personal. After finishing his latest book, Paul sets out from a Colorado lodge nestled in the Rocky Mountains and begins his drive back to the city during a horrible snowstorm. Let's just say he doesn't make it.
As luck would have it, former nurse Annie Wilkes is passing by and drags him from the wreck. When he comes to, he is in bed being tended to by his 'number one fan' (Annie) in her home. Annie assists Paul in his recuperation, as both legs and an arm are broken as a result of his accident. His gratitude soon turns to concern though, as it become increasingly clear that her love of his Misery novels is far from normal. This unhealthy obsession is only too apparent as she finishes his latest manuscript where Misery dies. To say she becomes outraged would be an understatement. Her rage and insistence that he should rewrite the book leads him to becoming a prisoner in her home.
You would think that a movie centered on two characters in one room wouldn't offer much in the way of excitement, but you need to see this movie! As it becomes quite clear to Paul that help is not on the way, the movie takes on claustrophobic urgency. You find yourself yelling at him, trying to help him escape. As Annie spirals slowly into insanity, things begin to look even bleaker for Paul.
Kathy Bates deservedly took home an Oscar and Golden Globe award for her performance as Annie, and James Caan is wonderful in what must have been a difficult role to play, since he spends most of his time in casts lying in a bed.
Misery is not your typical dramatic movie. It will keep you on the edge of your seat and make you second-guess whether you would really like to be rescued, in a snowstorm, by a "good Samaritan." I give the movie a 4-star rating and recommend it for all viewers, especially Stephen King fans.

Fantastic
The scary thing about Steven King's novels is that they're not that ridiculous. This one in particular, could very well happen. Just remember the penguin always looks south.

Intense and very original.
Misery is by far one of my favorite movies. A writer gets in a car accident and ends up being held at this crazy nurse's home.Excellent plot & fantastic ending---A must've for any one into suspense and who loves S. king's books & movies.

"She can't be dead, MISERY CHASTAIN CANNOT BE DEAD!"
By now pretty much everybody knows the rule that the best movies made from Stephen King novels do not put his name above the title and do not trumpet the fact in the trailer. This would be film's like "Stand By Me," "The Shawshank Redemption," "The Green Mile," and, of course, "Misery." Director Rob Reiner did the first and last films on that list, so he would know. The idea in this 1990 film is fairly simple and one that obviously would send shivers up and down King's own spine: what if an author became the captive of his "number one fan," who, needless to say, is a psychotic maniac?

Paul Sheldon (James Caan) is a famous writer, who has been turning out historical bodice rippers about a heroine named Misery Chastain. As was the case with Arthur Conan Doyle, who killed off Sherlock Holmes at one point, and Edgar Rice Burroughs, who tried to kill off Tarzan's Jane, Sheldon has enough of his fictional creation and has killed her off in a book about to hit the stands. Meanwhile he has just finished a new novel about the slums in which he grew up that he hopes will establish his reputation as a serious writer. However, after he leaves the secluded Colorado Hotel where he goes to write his books his car crashes during a snowstorm and he is horribly hurt. But before he dies he is taken from his car and when he awakes he finds himself in a bed, both of his legs broken, and in the care of Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates), a nurse who gleefully informs Paul that she is his "number one fan."

Grateful to be alive and believing Annie's story that they are snowed in and that the phone lines are down because of the storm, Paul recuperates. He even lets Annie read his new manuscript, a privilege reserved for his editor, agent, and anybody who saves his life. But Annie does not like Paul's new novel and when she discovers he has killed off Misery she goes off the deep end. It becomes clear to Paul that if he has any hope of getting out of there alive, he is going to have to bow to dictates of his "number one fan" and bring Misery Chastain back from the grave.

Meanwhile, Paul's agent (Lauren Bacall) has called up the local sheriff (Richard Farnsworth) and alerted him to the fact that the writer, on his way to New York with a new manuscript, has disappeared. With the help of his plucky wife (Frances Sternhagen), the sheriff starts to search for Paul, who is trying to find some way of getting away from Annie, even in his hobbled condition. Unfortunately, the more he learns about Annie, the less he likes his prospects and the more desperate his condition becomes.

The original novel had a great irony in that under Annie's stern editorial guidance Paul is rather mortified to find the new Misery novel he is writing is the best thing he has ever done. But with William Goldman's script the novel he is writing is but a small part of the game of cat and mouse between Annie and Paul. Once it becomes clear Annie is insane Paul faces the daunting task of keeping on the slippery slope of her good side. Besides, Goldman knows that the whole bit that King did in the novel with Paul's typewriter, which keeps losing keys as his work goes along, would not translate to the film, so he did not even try.

This film represented the second time King created a female character who would be nominated for a Best Actress Oscar, the difference being that Kathy Bates won for "Misery" whereas Sissy Spacek did not for "Carrie." While Caan turns in a solid performance as a character bound to a bed or wheelchair for most of the film, ultimately it is Bates who makes this film work with the way that she goes from sweet to sour on the drop of a pin. Annie's is a many faceted lunacy and part of the terror is that Paul never knows which one will come walking through the door or back out of it again. "Misery" struck me as being a flip on "The Exorcist" in that instead of being afraid of what we would find when we walked through the door, this time we were afraid of what was going to open the door and walk through.

"Misery" is a relatively simple and rather intimate horror film. This time King's monster is a human being and that makes Annie Wilkes one of the scariest, especially as she is played by Bates. When you think of all the fine cinematic performances Bates has turned in since then, especially in "Dolores Claiborne" and "Primary Colors," you have to be glad that Bette Midler turned down the role of Annie when it was offered to her. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Barbra Streisand's self-absorbed remake of a 1958 French film stars Jeff Bridges as a college professor tired of sexual politics. He makes a deal with a dowdy colleague (Streisand) that they provide companionship for one another, with no thought of getting into bed. She agrees but soon becomes frustrated, the agreement only reinforcing her unfulfilled desire to have a complete relationship with a man. Mimi Rogers is on hand as Babs's striking sister, and Lauren Bacall received an Oscar nomination for her role as the heroine's selfish mother. The film is OK, but it becomes an irritating vanity piece for Streisand (who directed as well as stars). Her character constantly gazes upon her own reflection and is told at least a dozen times, one way or another, just how attractive she is. One wants to shout out, we get it already--you're pretty! The DVD release presents the film in both widescreen and pan and scan versions, plus a Dolby soundtrack. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (51)

Clever and cute.
I've never watched any other Barbra Streisand movies, and I don't listen to much of her music, but this movie struck a chord in me--I LOVE IT!

Lauren Bacall and Mimi Rogers really make the movie. They play Rose's (Barbra) extremely vain mother and sister, and they are truly funny. The movie is full of humor--not exactly high-brow, but well above the usual un-intelligent jokes in so many movies these days. The more I watch it, the more funny moments I catch!

There is some dialogue that gets a tad bit too deep for this movie, but it's limited enough that you may not even notice. Don't look to this movie for nuggets of infinite wisdom, but for a cozy night with popcorn and a blanket, it's a winner.

It's not for you if you don't like chick flicks. But if you have an affinity for corny, cute movies, this one might be for you! And finally, it hardly hurts to have Pierce Brosnan in the movie!

Finally, a love story with ADULTS!
I agree with most of the reviews criticizing this film for giving us neurotic, frumpy Babs vs. self-assured, Hollywood Babs. Pretty shallow. I also thought the college lecture scenes were embarrassingly unprofessional (BTW, I'm a community college prof. To the reviewer who said "well maybe at a community college," stop showing your ignorance. We're as professional as any professors out there). But, I'm cutting this movie some slack, because it's wonderful to see a good love story involving adults for a change! Overall, it is a good movie. I enjoy watching it each time I see it. Barbra Streisand and Jeff Bridges have chemistry and are really fun to watch. George Siegal is hilarious; I wish he'd been in more scenes. When you see gorgeous Lauren Bacall, you wonder why other stars don't just allow themselves to age as beautifully as she has, instead of having so much plastic surgery they wind up looking like bizarre androids. It's a treat to see her back on screen.

I'd watch this movie for the sumptuous scenery and well-crafted score alone, but the acting and story are fun, as well. Not perfect, certainly, but a wonderful love story for adults. I think it also does raise the issue of society's focus on ridiculously narrow definitions of female beauty and the effect it has on us all. I had a friend who use to say about a lot of men, "He missed the most gorgeous orchid because he wasted all his time looking for a rose." With all the superficiality and bad relationships out there, does make you think. But, most of all, it's a movie I can watch over and over again and enjoy it every time.

The Mirror Crack'd
Eight years after watching this film in its original theatrical run, I am sad to say that THE MIRROR HAS TWO FACES has not aged well. While its always a delight to see Streisand display her expert comic timing, this film is simply laden with the star's own vain notions and ramblings regarding true love and beauty and its "two faces". While the premise is interesting, the rest of the film rambles on as if Streisand herself wasn't entirely sure what her conclusions were to be. What does not help the process along is the final half hour's blatant "Hello gorgeous!" antics Streisand perpetuates ad nauseum. Its derivitive and vain and frankly quite dull.
Saving the picture are the wonderful performances by the supporting cast. Brenda Vacarro is given little screen time as Rose's pal who is "in the same boat" when it comes to beauty. Austin Pendleton and George Segal are a delight to watch (both of whom worked with Streisand in pictures in the early 70s). Last but not least is Lauren Bacall, who adds a wonderful teaspoon of vinegar to the portrayal of the seemingly vain mother (who ends up actually having a heart of gold).
If you can get past the "Streisand Vanity" which plagues this movie, then perhaps you will be in for an enjoyable viewing.

"I tried that once, he thought I had something in my eye."
Streisand's third directorial effort was greeted with surprisingly vicious reaction from both fans and critics, nearly all of whom immediately labeled it as an over-the-top vanity piece. It also had considerable difficulty at the box office. After opening with strong numbers, the $45 million budgeted film took a nose dive and did not recover. It ended up taking in $46 million domestically ($65 million worldwide), which was a respectable take, but far from the blockbuster status of films like A STAR IS BORN or THE PRINCE OF TIDES. When considering all of the above information, it's a bit surprising to discover that the film is nothing more than an entertaining and heart-felt romantic comedy. In hindsight, it's hard to understand why a such a harmless and light-weight film became such a lighting rod for scathing reviews and harsh comments.

While the storyline is predictable, the movie is actually very well-done with a brisk pace, compelling characters, and a witty screenplay. The finale may come down a bit heavy-handed on the "message" end, but the build-up is effective enough to merit this indulgence. Though MIRROR doesn't match her previous two directorial efforts, Streisand does once again pull off the various actress/producer/director roles with great efficiently, and this results in an effective star vehicle for the then-54-year-old film legend. Jeff Bridges received a lot of flack for his completely unselfconscious portrayal, but I admire how completely he throws himself into the silly role. Lauren Bacall is brilliantly biting and luminous in her turn as Streisand's mother, a role that earned her first (and so far only) Oscar nomination. Mimi Rogers is also fun as Streisand's (...)younger sister, as is Brenda Vaccaro as her self-deprecating best friend - although Pierce Brosnan is wasted as a gigolo-like suitor. All in all, an enjoyably fluffy film, undeserving of the criticism it routinely receives.

About the DVD: This was one of Columbia's first DVD releases, and while the picture and sound quality are great, there are no extras and the menus are hideous.

"The no-frills girl, right?"
Streisand's third directorial effort was greeted with surprisingly vicious reaction from both fans and critics, nearly all of whom immediately labeled it as an over-the-top vanity piece. It also had considerable difficulty at the box office. After opening with strong numbers, the $45 million budgeted film took a nose dive and did not recover. It ended up taking in $46 million domestically ($65 million worldwide), which was a respectable take, but far from the blockbuster status of films like A STAR IS BORN or THE PRINCE OF TIDES. When considering all of the above information, it's a bit surprising to discover that the film is nothing more than an entertaining and heart-felt romantic comedy. In hindsight, it's hard to understand why a such a harmless and light-weight film became such a lighting rod for scathing reviews and harsh comments.

While the storyline is predictable, the movie is actually very well-done with a brisk pace, compelling characters, and a witty screenplay. The finale may come down a bit heavy-handed on the "message" end, but the build-up is effective enough to merit this indulgence. Though MIRROR doesn't match her previous two directorial efforts, Streisand does once again pull off the various actress/producer/director roles with great efficiently, and this results in an effective star vehicle for the then-54-year-old film legend. Jeff Bridges received a lot of flack for his completely unselfconscious portrayal, but I admire how completely he throws himself into the silly role. Lauren Bacall is brilliantly biting and luminous in her turn as Streisand's mother, a role that earned her first (and so far only) Oscar nomination. Mimi Rogers is also fun as Streisand's slutty younger sister, as is Brenda Vaccaro as her self-deprecating best friend - although Pierce Brosnan is wasted as a gigolo-like suitor. All in all, an enjoyably fluffy film, undeserving of the criticism it routinely receives.

About the DVD: This was one of Columbia's first DVD releases, and while the picture and sound quality are great, there are no extras and the menus are hideous. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

John Huston (The Maltese Falcon) directed this smart thriller about a gangster (Edward G. Robinson) who holds a number of people hostage in a hotel in the Florida Keys during a tropical storm. Humphrey Bogart is the returning war veteran who takes on the villains, and Lauren Bacall is on hand as one of the people on the wrong end of Robinson's gun. Somewhat similar in tone to Howard Hawks's To Have and Have Not (which also featured Bogart and Bacall), this moody movie captures a certain despair offset by the bond between individuals united by common purpose. Claire Trevor won an Academy Award for her part as Robinson's alcoholic girlfriend. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (34)

Gangsters. A hurricane. Danger. Fine acting. Wonderful!
I've heard a lot about this 1948 film and had never seen it. I sure was in for a treat. Filmed in black and white, the tension starts right at the beginning and doesn't let up till it runs its full 101 minutes. It's the story of an ex-GI who visits a Florida Keys hotel run by the father and widow of a former buddy who was killed in action. The hotel, however, has been taken over by gangsters. And there's a hurricane brewing. Add some great directing by John Huston from a play written by Maxwell Anderson. Then throw in the stars of the day. What a mix! What a film!

I'm not a big Humphrey Bogart fan. I usually find him stiff and wooden. But he's better in this film, showing real emotion and animation on his face. Maybe it's because his leading lady is Lauren Bacall, cast as the widow. She fresh and young and beautiful and there is real chemistry between them. And then there is Edward G. Robinson. His gangster screen presence sure is real. He's the best of the best in this kind of role. All the performances were great but Lionel Barrymore, cast as the crippled owner of the hotel, is one of the best actors I've ever seen. With all this talent and terrific screenplay, though, the only academy award winner in the lot was Clare Trevor. She's cast as the gangster's girlfriend, aging and alcoholic. There's one scene in which she's forced to sing in order to get a drink. She's lost her voice but she pushes through the song as her small audience exchange knowing looks between them. It was more than an outstanding performance; it was absolutely sensational.

And then there's the hurricane. And a scene on a boat. All this was done so well that I didn't miss any high-tech special effects. The mood was set. The danger was there. There's even a great theme about good and evil and willing to put your life on the line. And it was all combined perfectly with the screenplay, the directing and some of the best acting to come out of that era.

I give this film one of my highest recommendations. It's a real treat. And a classic that has not only stood the test of time, but has aged like fine wine. Don't miss it.

BARE KNUCKLED BOGART & RUTHLESS ROBINSON
"Key Largo" is the exciting suspense/drama directed by the legendary John Huston. It features Bogie at his care worn, worldly best and pits him against the best mug since Cagney - Edward G. Robinson. Plot wise: when a retired war hero comes to tell the father of a slain soldier about his son's final days, he discovers that the hotel they are staying in has been over run by gangsters during one of the worst hurricanes to ever hit the Florida coast. This film costars Lauren Bacall and the fantastic Lionel Barrymore.
Warner Home Video's DVD is looking pretty darn good. The gray scale of this black and white movie is well represented and the blacks are definitely black. Shadow delineation and contrast levels are superb with fine detail promenantly evident throughout. Fine details occasionally shimmer and there is some minor edge enhancement but nothing that will terribly distract from your viewing experience. The audio is mono and, although at times strident, is well represented throughout. We get no extras on this disc, a real shame.

Edward G. Robinson at this best
Key Largo is just one of John Huston's many memorable films that somehow always seem to transcend the intention--the Hollywood intention being to make a few bucks--and to this day still plays very well and indeed appears as something close to a work of art. It features what I think is one of Edward G. Robinson's finest performances as Johnny Rocco, a sociopathic gangster holding the off-season personnel of a seaside hotel hostage as he concludes a counterfeit money deal.

The story begins as Major Frank McCloud (Humphrey Bogart) pays a visit to the family of one of his G.I. buddies who was killed in Italy during WWII. He finds the welcome from the hotel's only "guests" chilly except for Gaye Dawn (a funny and perhaps prescient Hollywood stage name) played by Claire Trevor who is drunk and befriends him. After a bit McCloud discovers that the hotel's owner Nora Temple (Lauren Bacall) and her invalid father-in-law James Temple (Lionel Barrymore) have been tricked into allowing Rocco's gang to stay and now, as a tropical storm begins to blow, are being held at gunpoint. McCloud's delicate task is to keep the megalomaniac and murderous personality of Rocco under some control so that he doesn't murder everyone.

Note that this is a splendid cast, and they all do a good job. Note too that Huston adapted this from a play by the versatile American playwright Maxwell Anderson. So the ingredients for a good film are clearly in place; and aside from some self-conscious mishmash with the Seminoles of Florida, this is a success. Anderson's desire to explore the psychopathic personality (some years later he adapted William March's novel The Bad Seed into a stage play) finds realization in Huston's direction and especially in Robinson's indelible performance. The utter disregard for the lives of others and the obsessive love of self that characterize the sociopath reek from the snares and callous laughter of the very sick Johnny Rocco. I especially liked the crazed and thrilled grin on his face when he emerges from the hold of the boat in the climactic scene, gun in hand, imagining that he has once again fooled his adversaries and is about to delightfully shoot Humphrey Bogart to death. What I loved about this scene was that Huston did not think it necessary to contrive a fight in which the good guy (Bogart) beats the bad guy by fighting fair. What happens is exactly what should happen, and without regard for the fine points of Marquis of Queensberry-type rules. Also good is Rocco beginning to sweat in fear of his life as the storm moves in while Bogey gives us his famous laugh and grin as he assesses the essential cowardice of the petty gangster.

Lauren Bacall, in one of her more modest roles, does a lot without saying much, and Lionel Barrymore is very good as the cantankerous old guy in a wheelchair. Claire Trevor actually won an Academy Award as Best Supporting Actress for her work, and she was good as the alcoholic moll with a heart of gold. Robinson won nothing, but he really dominated the picture and demonstrated why he was one of Hollywood's greatest stars.

Bottom line: watch this to see the gangster yarn meld into film noir with overtones of the psychoanalytical drama that characterized many of the black and white Hollywood films of the forties and early fifties.

Not the Best, But Good
I ordered the DVD of this film to replace my old VHS. First, the DVD quality is excellent, though I was never able to access the 'special features'. On my player, the movie just starts. As a fan of the Bogarts, I enjoy this movie like their others. However, I've always felt the parts for both Bacall and Lionel Barrymore were somehow, wrong. Bacall seems almost like she's on Prozac, so restrained is her performance. So many of Barrymore's movements and body language seem more suited to the stage than a movie--just a little too theatrical. However, I've never seen EG Robinson do better, and his toadies all give superlative performances. Claire Trevor deserved her Oscar for this movie, she's that good. Overall, it's still a movie worth having for any fan of the classics. I just don't think it's their best.

The calm before the storm...
Frank (Humphrey Bogart) travels to Key Largo to visits James Temple (Lionel Barrymore), the father of a dead friend who was killed in action during World War II. When Frank steps off the bus he is received by some hostile strangers. It appears that these strangers are from Chicago and are renting the Temple's hotel for the week and they do not expect any visitors. Nonetheless, Frank is warmly greeted by James and his daughter-in-law, Nora Temple (Lauren Bacall), whom he helps prepare for an incoming hurricane. However, it seems that there is something much more sinister lurking in the shadows than the approaching tempest that is over the dark waters of the Atlantic. The beginning obviously displays the calm before the storm, pun intended, as the two threatening elements in the film draw nearer. This sets up a suspenseful atmosphere that begins from the initial scene and lasts until the last scene. Huston was very well aware of what he was doing when he directed this film noir as it offers a good cinematic experience. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Douglas Sirk puts the opera back into soap opera in this exquisitely baroque melodrama, the epitome of Technicolor gloss. Rock Hudson (as wonderfully wooden as ever) and Lauren Bacall play stalwart examples of altruism, clean living, and good old American ambition, but Robert Stack and Dorothy Malone steal the film as white trash millionaire siblings stewing in self-pity. The plot reads like an episode of Dallas: Texas oil-baron playboy Stack steals good girl Bacall from best friend Hudson while Stack's sister Malone puts her slinky moves on Hudson, the strapping poor boy made good. Toss in impotence, jealousy, alcoholic binges, emotional blackmail, and backstabbing nastiness, mix vigorously with high style and expressionist flourishes, and you've got the most potent melodrama cocktail of the 1950s. Stack twists his arch delivery into the practiced bravado of a boozing womanizer nursing an inferiority complex while Malone sashays and flirts her way through an Oscar-winning performance as a slutty, sassy good-time girl. It's so over the top that it might seem kitschy at first glance, but former theater director Sirk subtly shades his vision in the shadows of film noir and uses the portentous angles and gaudy color to create a vivid, vivacious world of glossy surfaces and social masks cracking under the pressure of responsibility and the pain of lost love. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (26)

Searching for potency amidst the oil derricks.
Criterion's 2nd soaper from Douglas Sirk, *Written on the Wind*, is not quite as superb as the other film, *All That Heaven Allows*. I refer to Sirk's own comment that the line between Art and Trash is very fine one. Here, the Trash element nearly obscures that line altogether: there are moments when it seems that we're simply watching a Technicolor rendition of *Dallas*. The story is preposterous in the TV-drama vein: a rich oil magnate's two spoiled-rotten adult children (Robert Stack and Dorothy Malone) indulge in self-destructive behavior whilst two interlopers (Rock Hudson and Lauren Bacall) stand by helplessly and watch. Rock Hudson is the local boy from much less wealthy origins who befriends the brother and sister from childhood; Bacall is a secretary who Stack picks up and marries in a fit of attempted self-improvement. *Written on the Wind* makes sure that we like none of these people. Stack is a petulant, violent drunk, and his sister Malone is a nymphomaniac witch. As for Hudson and Bacall: Hudson, it soon becomes clear, rather enjoys his innate superiority over his childhood chums -- though that hardly prevents him from leeching off their prestige whenever it suits him. And Bacall, contra the reviewer just below me, is NOT intelligent or cool-headed -- she is obviously an airhead who has just enough sense to latch onto Stack's millions, despite the fact that she's dimly aware, right from the get-go, of what a destructive jerk he is. More than any other reason, the movie doesn't get 5 stars from me because of Hudson and Bacall, neither of whom were ever really good actors (the scenes with just the two of them are sort of tough to get through). But that's more than made up for by Robert Stack and Dorothy Malone: the former gives the performance of his life here; the latter is deliciously sex-crazed and mordantly destructive. (Malone deservedly won an Oscar.) And, once again with Sirk, we're left agog by the lurid Technicolor (the early scene in a Palm Beach hotel, with its purple and pink wallpaper, looks stunning), and the Freudian symbolism . . . the best of which occurs near the end, when Malone, alone in her dead daddy's office, contemplatively strokes a paperweight oil derrick. And Stack, drunk and fuming about his inability to get Bacall pregnant, racing in his sports car amidst the forest of oil derricks -- to say nothing of the loaded gun he keeps under his pillow at night -- is a veritable poster boy for male anxiety.

A melodrama for the ages
This is director Douglas Sirk's masterpiece, a brilliant work of cinema that functions as both a fiery melodrama and a piece of cool, detached irony. It all depends on how much subtext you want to read into this story of an impotent, alcoholic Texas oil baron and his middle-class nemesis. Although Rock Hudson and Lauren Bacall are little more than vacant statues filling up cinematic space, Dorothy Malone and Robert Stack more than compensate with rich, over-the-top performances that leave you shaking your head in disbelief. That Sirk could get away with this sort of storytelling audacity within the rigid confines of 1950s Hollywood says much about his skill as an artist, just as it does about his desire to bend film genres to the breaking point. He never quite gets there, though, which is what makes his films so fascinating and multi-layered. This is a flick for both film buffs and casual moviegoers. Not to be missed.

MOURNING BECOMES MALONE......
Sure does, she never looked better in them black courthouse duds ..... perfect control, perfect character modulation ....quite an acting lesson!

SAME goes for the riveting performance of ROBERT STACK ....not sure what gives here - there are SO MANY MANY interpretations since then ... sterile? homophobic? alcoholic? Impotent? ... this one says it all and very NOM worthy for the stunning Mr. Stack [very hunkworthy - those bedroom scenes with Bacall].

As a matter of fact - all the leads, HUDSON, BACALL, STACK AND MALONE, provide great eye-candy. A pristine version of the DOUG SIRK stunner by Criterion.

Photography. Costumes, Art Direction as well as the score - all superlative!

To go on would be pointless - considering the censorship during this era ... this one still shines.

Nice cameo by GRANT WILLIAMS as the pump jockey ogled by Malone .... if you like your drama slightly OEDIPAL give or take a smattering of O'Neill ... grab an eyeful here.

A soap opera on the big screen
This review is for the Criterion Collection DVD edition of the film.

This movie was groundbreaking in several ways. It can be descibed best as a soap opera.

It is the story of a family and their relationship with friend of one of the family members. A man falls in love with the sister of his best friend. Later both of them fall in love with a different woman who they fight over. She later marries one of them but when she becomes pregnant, the husband, believing himself to be sterile, accuses his friend of being the father.

The film deals with subjects rarely (if ever) mentioned in movies of the time and sparked controversey as a result.

The DVD has theatrical trailers for both this film and the film "All That Heaven Allows" which was also directed by Douglas Sirk and released by Criterion as well. There is also a huge presentation and slideshow of many of Douglas Sirk's other films.

Hello! MeloDrama!
No one moves a muscle in this film without dramatic music swelling around them- the bright 'nothing looks like that in real life' technocolor lends a hand in decorating this fairly ridiculous story.

While everyone was weeping & drinking & loving & longing, I couldn't help but wonder why Lucy (Lauren Bacall) married the drunk guy in the first place- it was never explained & everyone would have been saved a lot of grief if she had just kept her distance. But alas, there would have been no movie.

If you think there's drama in your life, watch this movie. You may not have the soundtrack to accompany your highs & lows- but it will teach you that even your burnt toast can be a true moment of despair if you just play it up a little.

Fun to watch, but hard to take seriously. ... Read more

Reviews (39)

Anti-human allegory
Not everybody will be able to understand and enjoy Lars Von Trier's first film in his "Land of oportunities" trilogy, "Dogville". It is long, unusual, intelligent, sarcastic, strong, tense and even violent, among other things. I'll try to explain these adjectives in the following paragraphs.

"Dogville" is long. Very long. Almost three hours in length, divided in more than ten chapters, showing a young lady, Grace (Nicole Kidman, good as ever) reaching a small and self-centered mountain town, named Dogville. Grace, at first, stirs the sameness in Dogville's citizens' lives, trading shelter and food for a job as a housemaid in the many houses of the village; then, as time goes on, Grace will be the cause of great troubles and disagreement. The viewer must have patience, because the movie is long; it is not, however, boring. Von Trier takes his time and explores all the features he wanted to portrait in his film.

"Dogville" is unusual and intelligent. I'ts unusual because of the setting. The little town of Dogville is nothing but a stage. The many buildings (the houses, the church, the mine, and such) are marked by white paint in the floor of the stage, like a blueprint that we may open atop a table. And that's why the movie is also intelligent; as the buildings have no walls, the viewer is able to see everything that goes "on stage", even if the scene is focused only in one or two characters (but the characters act as if Dogville was a common town, with walls on their houses). This way, the viewer feels almost like in a theater. The viewers are part of the play: they have, somehow, in a distant manner, to interact with the characters on screen. The viewers themselves become citizens of Dogville.

"Dogville" is sarcastic, strong, tense and violent. For sarcasm, the title Von Trier self-imposed to his trilogy: America, land of oportunities. In fact, what happens on Dogville could happen anywhere in the world, for the story deals with selfishness, intollerance, distrust and prejudice, emotions prone to every human being. Von Trier shows that, if the United States want to be the new "center of the world", they will have to deal with their own "ghosts in the closet", before attempting to judge other societies. That's why this is a strong movie: it deals with things that most people are not ready to consider being part of their own self behaviour. It's easy to judge others, but it's hard to accept others judging us, or for us to judge ourselves. "Dogville" is tense and violent (and even ugly) because of how the characters act, and because, while watching the movie, we consider that we may not be so different from the characters at all.

"Dogville" is a very well constructed movie, with an excellent script, great (stereothyped) characters played by effective not-mainstream actors (Paul Bettany, Patricia Clarkson, Stellan Skarsgard, among others) and a provocative direction. One of the great movies of 2003.

Grade 9.4/10

A lot of bite to this movie
I'm glad to see this movie has finally made it on DVD and VHS in the States. It took a long time to do so. Lars von Trier follows up Dancer in the Dark, with an even darker view of small town life in America. In this case, we find a town quite literally at the end of the road, buried in a hollow somewhere in West Virginia, where the denizens are reduced to having to pick up the scraps left behind by others and live out a marginal existence. But, in its midst there is a dreamer, Tom, who at first appears to be the moral bellwether of the community. He tries to convince the community to take in a fugitive, evocatively played by Nicole Kidman, and finds that he has to make certain concessions in order to do so.

This film unfolds on stage in a highly theatrical telling, lending to the story the strong sense of a parable. Von Trier has assembled an impressive cast including old favorites Lauren Bacall and Ben Gazzara. The story builds slowly, with some fascinating twists and turns before reaching its shattering climax. It reminded me a lot of Shirley Jackson's classic story, The Lottery, but seems to owe more to the small town vision of Sinclair Lewis and Thornton Wilder.

I suppose some will be turned off by von Trier's disturbing view of small town life, but this film is masterfully handled, and shows what an accomplished director he is, drawing the most from his actors, in particular Nicole Kidman.

"Are you for us or against us?"
Every so often, a director appears who seems determined to antagonize and challenge his or her audiences. One such filmmaker would be Lars von Trier, the creator of such uncomfortable viewing experiences as "Breaking the Waves" (in which Emily Watson's character had conversations with God and played both roles) and "Dancer in the Dark" (featuring Bjork as a guileless, nearly blind factory worker who winds up on death row, thanks to bad luck and poor communication).

His "Dogville," a parable about how community spirit can either elevate or destroy people, is lengthy chronicle of Depression-era America that's played out entirely on a large, sparsely furnished soundstage. Nicole Kidman, Paul Bettany, Lauren Bacall and others play their scenes not on actual sets, but inside chalk-drawn rectangles meant to symbolize various locations. While Kidman's character Grace Margaret Mulligan talks about finding herself in "a beautiful little town in the midst of magnificent mountains," all the viewer can see is a bunch of scattered chairs, a few wooden arches and a blank white scrim that serves as the backdrop. Locations with such picturesque names as Raccoon Road and Elm Street have no raccoons and no elms to offer.

This is, obviously, at heart a theatrical piece that's heavily dependent on lighting, sound effects and, more than anything else, the passion of the performers to put it over. For many viewers, "Dogville" will be nothing more than a curiosity piece that quickly exhausts the patience; for others, it may be a mind-bending experiment in determining exactly where stagecraft and the art of film can intersect.

It could all have been insufferably pretentious -- and at times, it comes perilously close to being exactly that -- yet the movie does have its own bitter humor, a few vividly etched characters and a kind of offbeat flavor that's admittedly an acquired taste.

Unfolding in nine chapters (plus a prologue), "Dogville" is the story of Grace, a pale young woman who hides behind her dishwater-blonde hair and tries exceedingly hard to please everyone around her, often to her own disadvantage. She stumbles into Dogville (population: approximately 15) after escaping some gangsters and she hopes to find shelter in the backwoodsy hamlet, even though the inhabitants don't seem to have much of anything to spare.

Local philosopher and would-be intellectual Tom Edison (Bettany) takes an immediate interest in the soft-spoken stranger, but most of his fellow Dogvillians (including Patricia Clarkson as a prissy sort, Phillip Baker Hall as a sickly physician, Jeremy Davies as Tom's dopey buddy and Chloe Sevigny as a curly-haired cutie) cast a wary eye in Grace's direction, at least until she volunteers to help out around the place. Suddenly, everyone is quite fond of her -- and why not, when she's willing to work for free? -- and Grace finds herself laboring day and night for mostly thankless bosses. "There's an awful lot to do here in Dogville, considering no one needs help," Grace muses, as she scurries from task to task.

In von Trier's eyes, the residents of Dogville represent not just the stereotypical "ugly Americans," but the very ugliest America has to offer: On the average day, they're merely suspicious, hostile and greedy, but when something really gets them worked up, they're capable of every kind of abhorrent behavior, including the enslavement of the weak and sexual humiliation.

Despite the vaguely 1930s setting, "Dogville" is very clearly designed as a skewering of the jingoistic, anti-foreigner sentiments that swept certain corners of the U.S. in the months following the 9/11 attacks. In the story, the community's happiest times come, not coincidentally, around July 4; not long afterward, circumstances cause most of Grace's new "friends" to turn on her. Even the children Grace has taken care of resort to blackmail to get what they want, as the adults begin barking slogans like, "Are you for us, or against us?"

Kidman, in a performance as emotionally stark as any she's ever given, makes Grace's journey achingly real, even though everything around her is deliberately artificial. Initially, Kidman and von Trier had planned to collaborate on a trilogy of stories following Grace's misadventures, but Kidman has since pulled out of that project. Considering what the director puts her through in "Dogville," it's not hard to guess why she didn't sign up for more.

Priceless lesson.
All angles of Von Trier's genius bursting in this movie have been more or less thoroughly explained in the previous posts. I'd just like to add one thing that wasn't much talked about, yet I thing it was the crown jewel of this movie.

Yes, the movie is a brilliant study of characters and (dark) human nature, but more importantly it gives viewer a priceless lifetime lesson. It displays a battle between moral purity, youthful idealism and unaware-of intellectual arrogance on one hand and pure-and-simple concept of responsibility on the other. It is in fact this battle that squeezes and twists our stomach throughout the whole movie; it is this opposition which, in all its clarity, finally unveils itself in the final dialogue. Intellectual exchange of argument defines the "winner". And leaves the viewer contemplating, speechless in awe.

A masterpiece that raised the bar of cinematographic creativity on a brand new level.

Flawed Masterpiece from Von Trier
I don't want to repeat what a lot of the reviews have said. Yes, Von Trier has done an excellent job, the set was a brilliant choice to film on, and the acting is all excellent. I just wanted to point out a few flaws I felt the film had.

First, it did not have to be 180 minutes long. I understand the long time Von Trier took to introduce us to the town of Dogville, because it made everything that followed in the story more powerful because of the understanding we had for the village and it's characters. However, Von Trier proved his point again, and again, and again. I felt between the two and a half hour point and three hour point that a lot could have been cut. The story lost its fury and steam through that half hour. It felt like rambling, and it could have been condensed in the screenplay to still showcase everything the filmaker wanted to.

Next, one of the reviewers said that critics "pounced" on this film for being anti American and gave it bad reviews. They didn't. Most reivews of Dogville are positive, and those that aren't clearly state problems with the film, and not the anti Americanism in it.

Finally, I felt like Von Trier took all this time, three hours to be exact, to construct this pretty darn good cry out against humanity, and not America, and then after the powerful ending the credits just let me down. I felt like Von Trier took all that time creating this masterpiece, only to side swipe it with a cheap jab at America. Those who say it's not anti American need to review it again. The end credits play over homeless people to the tune of David Bowie's I'm Afraid of AMERICANS. HELLO, thats a big clue people! The film itself is not anit American I believe, but the end credits really let you know what Von Trier thinks. The end creidts also felt like they had no relation to the film. After watching the bare bones scenery, set to classical music, the glam rock Bowie tune did not fit at all. It was cheap, sloppy, and unfortunate that it degraded such a fine piece of cinema. Bad choice Von Trier. It quickly numbed the sting I felt after the actual film ended, instead of letting it stay.

Overall, see this film if you are curious about it. It is a mini masterpiece from Von Trier, but a flawed one at that. ... Read more

Reviews (100)

The Best Steven King Movie Ever
One of the best psychological thrillers ever made, "Misery" is a tride and true adaption of the classic Steven King bestseller, white - knuckle tale filled with suspense that only someone as brilliant as King himself could ever provide

Paul Sheldon (played flawlessly by James Caan) is the author of a very successful book series called "Misery". But after years of success, he decides to kill the character once and for all and get on with his life. He finishes his book, but disaster strikes on his way back to New York. He gets caught in a snow storm and crashes his car. He is on the verge of death when a seemingly harmless nurse named Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates in an Oscar - winning role), who claims she's his number one fan. At first, Paul really enjoys Annie's company. Then Annie has several outbursts (including the now infamous ankle - breaking sequence), and Paul becomes suspicous of her past. From here on it's a tense battle between cat and mouse. And if you've never read the book before, then you're in for one of the creepiest endings in your life.

No movie fan should be without "Misery". It is in a class of its own, different from other King classics like "Carrie", "Cuju" and "The Shining". If those films didn't do it for you, then "Misery" will get your blood pumping, your palms sweating and your heart racing in no time.

I Feel Your Pain!
I Feel Your Pain!

Misery is a 1990 suspense drama released by Castle Rock Entertainment, directed by Rob Reiner, with a running time of 107 minutes. Based on a Stephen King novel, this drama is considerably enhanced by the performance of its leads, James Caan (Paul Sheldon) and Kathy Bates (Annie Wilkes).
The tale is really very simple. Paul Sheldon is a successful writer whose career has been made on the back of a series of novels about a 19th century heroine that he is growing weary of, called "Misery." Although she has been the focus of a hugely popular series of novels, Paul wishes to 'retire' the character and focus on writing something more personal. After finishing his latest book, Paul sets out from a Colorado lodge nestled in the Rocky Mountains and begins his drive back to the city during a horrible snowstorm. Let's just say he doesn't make it.
As luck would have it, former nurse Annie Wilkes is passing by and drags him from the wreck. When he comes to, he is in bed being tended to by his 'number one fan' (Annie) in her home. Annie assists Paul in his recuperation, as both legs and an arm are broken as a result of his accident. His gratitude soon turns to concern though, as it become increasingly clear that her love of his Misery novels is far from normal. This unhealthy obsession is only too apparent as she finishes his latest manuscript where Misery dies. To say she becomes outraged would be an understatement. Her rage and insistence that he should rewrite the book leads him to becoming a prisoner in her home.
You would think that a movie centered on two characters in one room wouldn't offer much in the way of excitement, but you need to see this movie! As it becomes quite clear to Paul that help is not on the way, the movie takes on claustrophobic urgency. You find yourself yelling at him, trying to help him escape. As Annie spirals slowly into insanity, things begin to look even bleaker for Paul.
Kathy Bates deservedly took home an Oscar and Golden Globe award for her performance as Annie, and James Caan is wonderful in what must have been a difficult role to play, since he spends most of his time in casts lying in a bed.
Misery is not your typical dramatic movie. It will keep you on the edge of your seat and make you second-guess whether you would really like to be rescued, in a snowstorm, by a "good Samaritan." I give the movie a 4-star rating and recommend it for all viewers, especially Stephen King fans.

Fantastic
The scary thing about Steven King's novels is that they're not that ridiculous. This one in particular, could very well happen. Just remember the penguin always looks south.

Intense and very original.
Misery is by far one of my favorite movies. A writer gets in a car accident and ends up being held at this crazy nurse's home.Excellent plot & fantastic ending---A must've for any one into suspense and who loves S. king's books & movies.

"She can't be dead, MISERY CHASTAIN CANNOT BE DEAD!"
By now pretty much everybody knows the rule that the best movies made from Stephen King novels do not put his name above the title and do not trumpet the fact in the trailer. This would be film's like "Stand By Me," "The Shawshank Redemption," "The Green Mile," and, of course, "Misery." Director Rob Reiner did the first and last films on that list, so he would know. The idea in this 1990 film is fairly simple and one that obviously would send shivers up and down King's own spine: what if an author became the captive of his "number one fan," who, needless to say, is a psychotic maniac?

Paul Sheldon (James Caan) is a famous writer, who has been turning out historical bodice rippers about a heroine named Misery Chastain. As was the case with Arthur Conan Doyle, who killed off Sherlock Holmes at one point, and Edgar Rice Burroughs, who tried to kill off Tarzan's Jane, Sheldon has enough of his fictional creation and has killed her off in a book about to hit the stands. Meanwhile he has just finished a new novel about the slums in which he grew up that he hopes will establish his reputation as a serious writer. However, after he leaves the secluded Colorado Hotel where he goes to write his books his car crashes during a snowstorm and he is horribly hurt. But before he dies he is taken from his car and when he awakes he finds himself in a bed, both of his legs broken, and in the care of Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates), a nurse who gleefully informs Paul that she is his "number one fan."

Grateful to be alive and believing Annie's story that they are snowed in and that the phone lines are down because of the storm, Paul recuperates. He even lets Annie read his new manuscript, a privilege reserved for his editor, agent, and anybody who saves his life. But Annie does not like Paul's new novel and when she discovers he has killed off Misery she goes off the deep end. It becomes clear to Paul that if he has any hope of getting out of there alive, he is going to have to bow to dictates of his "number one fan" and bring Misery Chastain back from the grave.

Meanwhile, Paul's agent (Lauren Bacall) has called up the local sheriff (Richard Farnsworth) and alerted him to the fact that the writer, on his way to New York with a new manuscript, has disappeared. With the help of his plucky wife (Frances Sternhagen), the sheriff starts to search for Paul, who is trying to find some way of getting away from Annie, even in his hobbled condition. Unfortunately, the more he learns about Annie, the less he likes his prospects and the more desperate his condition becomes.

The original novel had a great irony in that under Annie's stern editorial guidance Paul is rather mortified to find the new Misery novel he is writing is the best thing he has ever done. But with William Goldman's script the novel he is writing is but a small part of the game of cat and mouse between Annie and Paul. Once it becomes clear Annie is insane Paul faces the daunting task of keeping on the slippery slope of her good side. Besides, Goldman knows that the whole bit that King did in the novel with Paul's typewriter, which keeps losing keys as his work goes along, would not translate to the film, so he did not even try.

This film represented the second time King created a female character who would be nominated for a Best Actress Oscar, the difference being that Kathy Bates won for "Misery" whereas Sissy Spacek did not for "Carrie." While Caan turns in a solid performance as a character bound to a bed or wheelchair for most of the film, ultimately it is Bates who makes this film work with the way that she goes from sweet to sour on the drop of a pin. Annie's is a many faceted lunacy and part of the terror is that Paul never knows which one will come walking through the door or back out of it again. "Misery" struck me as being a flip on "The Exorcist" in that instead of being afraid of what we would find when we walked through the door, this time we were afraid of what was going to open the door and walk through.

"Misery" is a relatively simple and rather intimate horror film. This time King's monster is a human being and that makes Annie Wilkes one of the scariest, especially as she is played by Bates. When you think of all the fine cinematic performances Bates has turned in since then, especially in "Dolores Claiborne" and "Primary Colors," you have to be glad that Bette Midler turned down the role of Annie when it was offered to her. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

The last film of John Wayne could not have been more fitting, full of details that can't help but make one reflect upon his legacy in the movies and his life as a star. Wayne plays a career gunfighter in the autumn of his life, trying to hang up his pistols after he discovers he's dying of cancer.Boarding in the house of an attractive widow (Lauren Bacall) and her son (Ron Howard), Wayne's character opts for peace in his final days but is dogged by his reputation when a handful of killers seeks him out for a final fight. Howard is fine as a fatherless boy who needs the strong mentor the hero represents, and James Stewart--who costarred with Wayne in the great Man Who Shot Liberty Valance--plays the doctor who gives the big man the bad news. Don Siegel (Invasion of the Body Snatchers) thoughtfully directs a very special and sensitive production. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (38)

A tear-jerking Western classic from the Duke
In my opinion, this is one of John Wayne's most underrated films. Oh, people like it well enough, but few see it for what it really is: the twilight of a great epoch in American cinema. In it, Wayne gives one of his finest and most believable performances, and stars opposite a great cast of old contemporaries (like James Stewart) and up-and-comers (like Ron Howard).

This final film of the Duke could not have been more fitting. Wayne plays an old gunfighter who's dying of cancer. He knows he's dying, and tries to live out his final days in peace. The real tragedy of the story is that no one will let him--he is constantly harassed by would-be heroes, newspapermen, and people seeking to play a part in the death of a legend. The role is a different one for the Duke--he doesn't play the tough-as-nails cowboy this time--and yet he seems to fit it perfectly.

This is perhaps the most fitting farewell of a Hollywood legend conceivable. No matter what people think of him, few can deny the everlasting impact that John Wayne has had on American society. This film is the last hurrah, the blaze of glory. Wayne's character, and Wayne himself, senses the end of his era, and goes out with style.

The "Duke" Saves His Best For Last!
John Wayne's last film serves as an epitaph of his enormously popular career in film.

"The Shootist", directed by Don Siegel in 1976, went through numerous delays and battles before the film was finished. But what the audience is left here is nothing short of a masterpiece. This should serve (and in my opinion, it does serve)as the pinnacle of both John Wayne's and Don Siegel's careers.

Many people who are not John Wayne fans will get the exact same enjoyment out of this film as much as his biggest fans do. Simply because the film is beautifully shot and is deeply heartfelt and moving.

John Wayne plays J.B. Books, a gunfighter looking to retire. When he returns to Carson City 15 years after one of his greatest gunfights, he is a changed man. He is also an ill man. Doc Hostetler (played be Jimmy Stewart) is forced to tell Books the bad news that he is dying of cancer. (Unfortunately, Wayne truly was dying of lung cancer during the filming of the motion picture). Obeying Hostetler's orders, Books gets a room at Widow Rogers' (Lauren Bacall) boarding house and intends to live out the rest of his life in peace. This does not happen however as the rumour spreads quickly around the town that Books is dying and every gunfighter trying to make a name for themselves unsuccessfully try to shoot him down.

With just days before his 58th birthday, Books decides to "go out in style" (guns blazing). He gets Widow Rogers' son, Gillom (played by Ron Howard) to tell local gunfighters Cobb, Pulford and Sweeney that he will meet them at the Metropole Saloon on his birthday. It's just hours before the Rogers' realize what Books is planning to do.

The film does tend to become depressingly downbeat at times but in the end, this proves to be John Wayne's finest work. Wayne gives the performance of his career with this film and it's probably just as well that the "Duke" went out with this blaze of glory than say the sequel to "True Grit". (Not that "Rooster Cogburn" is a bad movie, but it doesn't even compare to this magnificent piece).

Also watch for excellent performances by Richard Boone (Sweeney), Hugh O'Brian (Pulford), Harry Morgan (Thibido), Scatman Crothers (Moses) and especially John Carradine as Beckum, the undertaker. (Surprise, surprise!!!) The scene in the barber shop between Books and Beckum is truly wonderful.

Parents, if you intend to show this film to your children, let them know there is some bloody violence and strong language (for a John Wayne movie). Otherwise, show them this fine work of art. That's right, this is art.

The Movie, the Cast, the DVD
This is the story of the last eight days in the life of John Bernard Books (John Wayne), a legendary gunfighter who pulls into Carson City, Nevada on January 22, 1901. Books is dying of inoperable prostate cancer. Knowing that all he has to look forward to in the few weeks left him is an undiginfied and agonizing death as his disease progressively worsens, and unwilling to go out that way, Books orchestrates one last glorious gunfight, himself versus the only three men in town who just might be able to kill him.

The Shootist has the cast from Hell: John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart, Lauren Bacall, Ron Howard, Harry Morgan, John Carradine, Hugh O'Brian, Richard Boone, Scatman Crothers, all in the same movie. Made on a shoestring budget of eight million (not a lot of money for a major Hollywood production even in mid-Seventies dollars) the only way The Shootist could afford such a cast was that everyone involved realized this would probably be Wayne's last picture, and wanted to be involved. Hugh O'Brian volunteered to play his part for free.

The only "extras" on the DVD are the original trailer which is mediocre and a "Making Of" feature that's absolutely excellent. In the latter it's revealed the filmmakers changed the ending of the movie from the book on which it was based. In the novel, J.B. Books is killed at the end by young Gillom Rogers (Ron Howard) after surviving the final gun battle. But the powers that were felt it would be awfully hard to have audiences like the Howard character after that. In hindsight they realize their decision weakened the movie. And they're right. That would have been the perfect ending to The Shootist, the ultimate act of love from Gillom to Books, to be the one who ended his pain when no one else could. The way the movie does end is great - The Shootist is fully deserving of its five stars - but it could have been even better.

While it would be difficult to make a case against either Once Upon a Time In the West, Red River, or The Outlaw Josey Wales being the best Western ever made, The Shootist is one of the very few movies even worthy to be mentioned in their class. It adds an immense amount of poignancy to Wayne's portrayal of J.B. Books, a strong man in the final stages of terminal cancer, to know the actor was in exactly the same situation at the time. This is arguably Wayne's finest acting job, understated and powerful. While some actors are great for a time, then degenerate into crap roles to finish out their careers (Basil Rathbone's last movie was Hillbillys from Outer Space, if you can believe it), John Wayne was a class act til the very end. The Shootist was the perfect way to cap his career: one last superb Western from the greatest Western star of all.

John Wayne's elegiac swan song; Farewell, Duke...
As movie genres come and go, the American Western was gasping for its last breath when John Wayne starred in "The Shootist" in 1976. This story about a dying gunfighter counting down his last days in the New World is loaded with an extremely heavy dose of symbolism. This is a quiet western, completely emphasizing dialogue over action. Directed by Don Siegel, a master of the western, the overall mood laments the passing of the Old West and its ideology. I agree with other comments that this film has a slightly made-for-TV quality about it, but it's clear this is supposed to be a delicate look at the death of a revered cowboy, and not a wide-open prairie epic. Like the character himself, John Wayne was dying, and provided for us what would be his final performance. The last words Wayne ever said onscreen at the end of this film are the same words I'd say to him if I had ever met him - "Thank you, sir."

Set in Nevada in 1901, Wayne plays John Bernard Books, considered one of the last infamous gunfighters of the Old West. Books settles into Carson City and learns he's dying of cancer. Hoping to live his last few days quietly, he is befriended by a strong-willed widow (Lauren Bacall) who owns a boarding house, and her impressionable son (Ron Howard). His presence becomes known, and enemies from his past emerge looking for a fight, while other so-called friends try to coax the legendary outlaw into letting a little fame rub off. Books soon develops a tender friendship with the Bacall character, while becoming a mentor to her eager son, even though the local Marshall is pressuring him to leave town immediately. Books soon figures out how to rid himself of his enemies and his debilitating condition in one swift stroke. The cast is a large who's-who of western actors and they do an all-around great job; Lauren Bacall looks a little less glamorous than usual, but fits right in as the stern yet feminine widow. Ron Howard gives a brash, "aw shucks" grown-up version of Opie, and Harry Morgan provides a little humor as the cowardly, trash-talking town deputy. There's also a small but fantastic supporting role by the eternal Jimmy Stewart as the doctor who informs Wayne of his ailment.

As the titular dying gunfighter, Wayne's role is not as complex as it was in "The Quiet Man" or "The Searchers", but this is still some of the best acting he's ever done. This is a solemn film, about someone reaching the end of their life and isn't afforded much time to rest and reflect because their past is catching up. The sad perspective of the Old West as an antiquated era also shows how we sometimes have trouble trying to stay with the times when the rest of the world is rapidly moving forward. This movie has grown in appreciation over time with many Wayne fans due to his calm, age-old performance. I can't think of another film that has served as such a fitting goodbye to an actor. "The Shootist" is - both literally and figuratively - the Duke's final bow.

THE ICON
I GREW UP WATCHING SATURDAY(OBVIOUS RERUNS)MORNING WESTERNS WITH MY DAD, AND I REMEMBER WITH GREAT FONDNESS THE OLD JOHN WAYNE MOVIES WHEN HE WORE TO MUCH MAKE UP. THESE ARE DAYS I REMBER MOST BECASE THEY WERE WITH MY DAD. HIS LATER MOVIES BROUGHT TO US A HERO THAT WENT THE EXTRA MILE, THAT DID NOT QUIT, THAT TRIED TO DO THE RIGHT THING. HIS YES WAS YES AND HIS NO WAS NO. THE SHOOTIST IS NOT MY FAVOITE MOVIE BECAUSE ALL THROUGH IT I KNEW IT WAS GOING TO BE HIS LAST, AND I DO NOT LIKE IT WHEN HE DIES IN HIS MOVIES. IT IS ONE OF HIS GREATEST. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Decent adaptation for a TV movie.
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler (Marcus Cole, 1995)

While doing the research on this film, I discovered that there have actually been two film versions of E. L. Konigsburg's delightful novel, with this one being the more recent. Most reviewers seem to prefer the 1973 version. Maybe they're right. But not having seen it, I have to say I liked this one well enough as a trip down memory lane.

Veteran TV director Cole (Beyond the Prairie: The True Story of Laura Ingalls Wilder) directs from Betty Goldberg (Trapper John, M.D.)'s script. Cole casts Lauren Bacall as the mysterious and un-first-named Mrs. Basil, Jean Marie Barnwell (Angie) as Claudia, and Jesse Lee (Bobby of the newer Brady Bunch stuff) as Claudia's brother Jamie. The story, for those of you who have been living under a rock for thirty years: Claudia feels neglected at home and wants to run away. She enlists the help (and money) of younger brother Jamie. The two of them, through a series of minor misadventures, end up hiding in New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, where Claudia becomes obsessed with a mysterious angel statue that may or may not have been carved by Michelangelo, and she sets about authenticating the piece.

Really, it's about what one would expect from a TV movie, in terms of direction, acting, etc. Nothing here that's going to win any awards. But who cares? For those of us who loved the novel, there's enough of it here to jog your memory (and hopefully you won't be too bogged down by the piece of it that mysteriously vanish). *** ½

Fine book and a Fine film!!
I, as most of the other reviewers, began with the book as a child and saw the film later. This was one of my favorite books as a child and I remember the film THE HIDEAWAYS that was made 30 years ago. I loved the book and the THE HIDEAWAYS was okay, although it has some noticeable changes from the book. When I purchased this more modern version of the book I did not think I would enjoy a more contempory version of the story. I was wrong! Sure there are some changes from the book but not enough to alter the story line greatly. What I really enjoyed were the characters. Lauren Bacall did a very good job in her role as Mrs. Frankweiler, as did Jean Marie Barnwell in the role of Claudia and Jesse Lee in the role of Jamie.

So, while there are some changes as others have noted, this film still maintains the best elements of the book. I only wish more films adhered to the books from which their story was taken. Also, this story stands up over time. My 9 & 7 year old son & daughter enjoy this story as much as I did and still do.

"Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler": Very disappointing film version
After reading E. L. Konigsburg's book, I was very excited to see this film adaptation of it. But it's not all that great--I was very disappointed. There are several differences between the movie and the book, one so much so that it ruined the whole picture for me.

The basic plot remains the same as the book: Claudia knew that she could never pull off the old-fashioned kind of running away...so she decided not to run FROM somewhere, but TO somewhere. And so, after some careful planning, she and her younger brother, Jamie, escaped. Soon, while exploring the Muesum, they set their minds to solving the mystery of Angel, a statue new to the muesum's collection, rumored to have been created by the ledgendary Michaelangelo.

But several minor details were changed. The entire character Saxonburg (although minor) has been deleted from the screenplay. Also, because of this, the way that Claudia and Jamie do eventually get home is different. (In the book, Saxonburg takes them home; here, their parents come and get them.) Also here, Jamie puts in a phone call to Mom and Dad, which sturs things up a bit. This was not done in the novel. An assortment of other things have been changed as well.

Lauren Bascall does a nice job as Mrs. Frankwiler, and the rest of the casting is good. But because of the changes from novel to screenplay, I dislike this version. Read the book (of the same name; winner of the Newbery Medal) first. Then try this, just to see how you like it. Also try the film "The Hideaways", another film version of this story. Hopefully it will be better!

An OURSTANDING movie!
I read this book when I was in 5th grade and I adored it. I was so excited when I found the movie and it was great too. Great job!

An OUTSTANDING movie!
I read this book when I was in 5th grade. I LOVED the book and I was so excited about seeing the movie. The movie was great. Even though there were afew minor changes in it. Great job! ... Read more