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They call it Giant because everything in this picture is big, from the generous running time (more than 200 minutes) to the sprawling ranch location (a horizon-to-horizon plain with a lonely, modest mansion dropped in the middle) to the high-powered stars. Stocky Rock Hudson stars as the confident, stubborn young ranch baron Bick Benedict, who woos and wins the hand of Southern belle Elizabeth Taylor, a seemingly demure young beauty who proves to be Hudson's match after she settles into the family homestead. For many the film is chiefly remembered for James Dean's final performance, as poor former ranch hand Jett Rink, who strikes oil and transforms himself into a flamboyant millionaire playboy. Director George Stevens won his second Oscar for this ambitious, grandly realized (if sometimes slow moving) epic of the changing socioeconomic (and physical) landscape of modern Texas, based on Edna Ferber's bestselling novel. The talented supporting cast includes Mercedes McCambridge as Bick's frustrated sister, put out by the new "woman of the house"; Chill Wills as the Benedicts' garrulous rancher neighbor; Carroll Baker and Dennis Hopper as the Benedicts' rebellious children; and Earl Holliman and Sal Mineo as dedicated ranch hands. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (62)

The quintessential Texas epic loaded with stars!
This 202-minute slow-paced drama exemplifies the lives of three generations of cattlemen on a grandiose west Texas cattle ranch at the onset of the oil boom. Being a native Texan with relatives living close to the area near Marfa, Tx where GIANT was filmed, I LOVE this movie for the sheer drama and myth of our state. (and yes, there ARE some exaggerations) But it's also a well-crafted movie with exemplary performances by Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor, James Dean, and a very young Dennis Hopper! Viewers seeking a fast-action adrenaline-pumping film probably will be bored by GIANT, but viewers who enjoy classical performances, historical sagas, (and old movies) will cherish this movie. It's sort of like a western "GWTW"! They don't make 'em like this anymore!

A gigantic screen presence
What about this movie isn't big? Big stars (Elizabeth Taylor and Rock Hudson); big state (Texas); big ranch (2 million acres of prime cattle land), and big length; at 202 minutes, this film runs about 45 minutes too long. The story is the familiar one about grandiosity run amok; the moral, which has been done to death, is that the simple life is the one best worth living. We've seen it all before. So why see this movie? In two words: James Dean. In his last film before his tragic death on the Freeway at the age of 24, Dean showed that he was what his legion of fans always claimed: a true genius. Try to imagine anyone else in the role of Jett Rink , and the character remains a cipher - lifeless, dull, nothing. It took Dean to bring it to life and make it his own. In this movie, James Dean and Jett Rink become indistinguishable from each other. And perhaps only an actor as brilliant as Dean could turn Rink from a character we love in the first half of the film, to a character we hate at the end. His drunken tirade near the movie's end is a tour de force. Dean's magnificent performance doesn't take away from the very creditable acting by Rock Hudson as the millionaire rancher Bick Benedict, Elizabeth Taylor as his wife Leslie, the young Sal Mineo, and especially Mercedes McCambridge as Bick's bitter, sexually frustrated sister with an unrequited passion for Jett Rink; but next to Dean's knockout performance, they pale into mere adequacy. Forget everything else; this is Dean's movie.

This is Texas?
I recently decided to view this film. Let's see - a reference to Neiman-Marcus - some wide open spaces, some cattle and oil wells. O.K. - but this film does not really tell about Texas and Texans. Thankfully, Chill Wills (from Seagoville, TX) was in it. He was the most Texan thing about this film. I wish I had something more positive to say - but I don't.

Giant Is Not A Widescreen Film
The product information here should be carefully read, as it reveals that this edition of Giant has been transferred in a 1:1.66 letterbox transfer. This is a travesty. Giant was filmed and released in the classic 1:1.33 "Academy" aspect ratio, which also happens to be the aspect ratio for NTSC analog television. George Stevens disliked widescreen processes, although he was forced to use them by studios on later films.
The time has come to put a stop to these unnecessary, phoney "restored" versions of classics. It's just a marketing ploy to squeeze more money out of old warhorses. Going back to the good old days of the laserdisc, I never much cared about the extras that were first introduced by Criterion and later imitated by the major studios. I've always responded to a high quality video transfer taken from the best film elements available. Getting the aspect ratio wrong and mutilating the images of Steven's classic film makes everything else irrelevant.
Thank goodness I still have my laserdiscs. Failing that, grab a copy on VHS.

FANTASTIC!
The DVD is superb -- I do not know what all the complaints about sound, etc. are all about! My goodness, this film is almost 50 years old -- and I think it is in wonderful shape!

I purchased this video because I have become a big James Dean film, but the acting of Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, Carol Baker, and Dennis Hopper were splendid.

To think that Hudson was a mere 29, Taylor 23, and Dean 23 and could play characters who age 30 years with such reality is a true testament to their genius! Of course, the makeup artists must also receive recognition.

The most disturbing portion of the film to me is when Hudson confronts "Sarge" the restaurant owner in a fist fight and when "Sarge" lands into the juke box, "The Yellow Rose of Texas" begins to play. However, this epic film is full of irony and subtle twists and nuances -- to really grasp the entire message this film needs to be viewed more than one time.

The irony of the Mexican children singing The National Anthem during the funeral of Angel (played by a very young Sal Mineo) touched me. Little Angel was a person who died for the United States and yet was the focus of bigotry from his impoverished birth until his death.

Or course, in my opinion, there was and never will be another James Dean -- it is heartbreaking to watch this dramatic genius in the final film performance before his untimely demise. Like Buddy Holly, I will always wonder where Dean's career would have gone.

Carol Baker is fantastic in her first film role and the very young Dennis Hopper's performance is equally memorable.

This film speaks to the injustices of racial bigotry that unfortunately will always exist except in a utopian world.

The additions to this DVD make it a must-buy!

Please don't hesitate to purchase -- this DVD is worth every penny -- and then some!

Oh, the editorial review refers to Elizabeth Taylor as a Southern Belle and this is incorrect. Leslie Benedict is from Maryland and even makes the comment to Hudson and his crownies that she was from the "Center of Politics" when Hudson tries to push her aside so the men can talk "Business and Politics". ... Read more

Reviews (66)

The Longest Story Ever Told
Having seen this movie twice now on TCM (in widescreen, no less), I still found my attention wandering away from the characters and towards the magnificent scenery. George Stevens last film was considered the biggest box office flop in Hollywood history until "Heaven's Gate" came out in 1980.

And no wonder, while Max Von Sydow is fine as Jesus of Nazareth, the supporting cast and cameo appearences run the gamut from inspired (Ed Wynn as an blind old man) to the insane (John Wayne as a thoughtful Roman centurian).

At times, this film seems more like a stylized retelling, rather than a faithful account. Take for example the scene of Jesus riding into Jeruselam on a donkey. Notice how nearly everyone is wearing spotless white garments. I guess the laundromat was just off camera.

But the major problem is the elephant-walk pacing of the film. It simply takes way too long to tell it's story, despite how great it is.

However, if there is a standout, it's the incredable scenery shot in perfect color hues and tones. What's even more inspired is that the film was shot on location in the American southwest. The mountains in the backgroud actually augment the "more than human" atmosphere that is the life of Jesus.

So, while it takes forever to get there, we at least get to take the scenic route.

Jesus Christ Never Existed.
'The Greatest Story Ever Told' is a famous film some people have seen or at least heard about. Most people fail to realize all of that doesn't matter because Jesus Christ never existed!! Jesus Christ is a mythological figure the church has exploited for hundreds of years and now the film industry has for almost a hundred years. There is absolutely no archeological or historical evidence that Jesus Christ existed. Even if he did exist, it would be highly unlikely he would have received that kind of punishment.
It is a shame that con artists like these filmmakers are using this mythological figure to make millions of dollars. People have to start swaying away from the manipulations of the church and the filmmaking industry and start looking at the hard facts. Jesus Christ and his crucifixion never happened.

a majestic, beautifully filmed epic
This film is often compared with the 1961 "King of Kings", and "Jesus of Nazareth", but this one is by far my favorite of the three, because of the exquisite beauty of it, and Max von Sydow's powerful portrayal of Jesus; his performance has a strength and boldness that is lacking in the other two, and therefore for me much more believable. Sydow was only known to fans of Ingmar Bergman's films at the time, having starred in the Swedish director's "The Seventh Seal" among others, and was a surprise choice to play Jesus, and a good one. He does a marvelous job, and I especially like the scene after Lazarus has died...it is brilliant, and very moving.

George Stevens' vision of the story has a stark majesty, and is taken at a leisurely pace; it is also quite verbal, with some of the major events in the gospels not pictured, but spoken of instead.
Filmed in Arizona and Utah, the cinematography by Loyal Griggs, who took over from William Mellor when Mellor passed away during filming, is glorious. There are scenes that have the composition and balance a fine painting, with extraordinary detail, often framed by doorways or windows, and it's a film I never tire of just looking at. Graphic artists should make a point to see this film, as there is much that can be learned from it. Alfred Newman also wrote a lovely score (with a little help from G. F. Handel) which adds to the aesthetic appeal of this film.

In the huge star-studded cast, some performances are truly memorable, like Claude Rains as a bitter and devious Herod, and Jose Ferrer excellent as his son Herod Antipas; Charlton Heston's ferocious, wild-man John the Baptist is impassioned and perhaps more like the actual Baptist than some of the tamer portrayals.

With its huge budget (over 20 million in 1965 dollars) it was a critical and commercial failure when it was released, but it has had a long life, and is being watched today while some successful films of the mid-'60s quite forgotten, and will continue to be appreciated by everyone who likes Bible epics. It was however, nominated for 4 Academy Awards: Best Art Direction/Set Decoration, Color Cinematography, Costume Design, and Original Score, losing out in all those categories to "Doctor Zhivago". There is "artistic license" taken with the story, but overall, it is a reverential, fairly accurate telling.
Total running time is 196 minutes.

huh?
Okay-- this is the movie on 1 disc ... no extras ... that's it. Why did they bother? You can still buy the 2-disc edition and get all the extras. Very confusing marketing move. I'd also like to see the complete 260 minute version.

the films not great but this is a beautifully acted christ
this film has an absolutely beautiful, poignant performance from max von sydow as christ.more than robert powell, defoe or clavell von sydow gives us a poetic, highly nuanced performance as a human, sensatively emapthetic christ. von sydow does more with facial expressions, his eyes and gestures than defoe did with his writhing or clavell did with his masochism.
powell came close but the quintessental acting role of christ belongs to von sydow.
the film itself has an abundance of flaws, most notably all the star cameos, but watch it for sydow ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Outstanding Movie And Excellent Book
For starters this movie depicts everything that is detailed/explained in the original title "Native Son". I do not know precisely which movie one of the previous reviewers from Decatur, Georgia was watching, but I can most definitely assure that it was not Native Son.

The cast performed almost as good as the cast members in the original story. I think the book and the video are an excellent combinational method for those reading the novel and attempting to visual what the entire concept of this novel is all about. In short I think the video is well deserving of a 4 star rating.

NATIVE FLOP
The cinematic presentation of Richard Wright's classic is once again another flop. Although it is far better than the original adaptation of the book into a movie (filmed in 1949), it fails to capture the essence of Bigger Thomas. How can such a film with a star studded cast fail so miserably? After all, now you have actors who can really act!

Native Son lacks passion.Bigger comes across as poor Black boy gone wrong with his cowardly behavior. His white liberal benefactors personalities are benign. Jan (Matt Dillon) just doesn't impress me as an ardent communist. Mary Dalton ( Elizabeth McGovern) comes across as a bubble head. Even Oprah Winfrey's begging plea to let her son live, is a sham. Where is the political and heated fervor of the era? John Karlen's role as Max, the lawyer for Bigger, was a waste of time. He wasn't convincing as a passionate lawyer out to save this oppressed black boy.

Most film adaptations of books fall short in staying true to the author's story. This second adaptation falls through period. I found it a great disappointment in the acting as well as the script. Someday, somehow, some one will do this great novel justice and present us with a blockbuster film filled with not only passion but with a sense of what formed this Native Son. I recommend this movie to put in your video archive along with its original version.

Big Letdown From the Book
After reading the book, the movie leaves a lot to be desired. There were just way too many things left out of the movie.

The film did have an exceptional cast, and the acting was terrific. I was somewhat suprised at how well Matt Dillon play Jan Erlone. The setting was pretty good too. The scenery was put together nicely, as it did look like the 1940's.

Unfortunately, the editing from the novel made the film seem quite choppy. Having read the book, you got into the minds of the characters, especially that of Bigger's. The movie skipped over too many things, not allowing you to do this, which was a fairly big letdown.

Not reading the book might leave you with a different impression of the film, because, once again, the acting is wonderful. But, having read the book, I couldn't enjoy the movie. Way too many important scenes were taken out of it. It is really not a good adaptation.

Book better than movie
Well, after reading Native Son, I thought it would be a good idea to rent the movie to get visual of what happened in the book. Well, that was all I got out of this movie...

There wasn't anything wrong with the acting or set, it was the script. They simply cut way too much out of the book. Here are some examples:

-After Bigger killed Mary and they found the bones in the furnace, Bigger ran from the house (as he did in the book), and then all of a sudden he's on roof tops getting chased and then caught. In the book he was on the run with Bessie for a few days and then he killed her. -In the book, they had two inquests and in the movie they only had one...no mention of Bigger fainting in the first inquest. -They completely cut out the trial in the movie, only playing soundbytes. They only showed the sentencing. In the book, Bigger's lawyer gave a 16 page statement on Biggers behalf. -Bigger's mother (Oprah Winfrey) assumed the role of both his mother and the priest in the movie.

Well, those are a few examples. If I hadn't read the book I wouldn't have known what was going on in Bigger's head, which was what made the book so good. I don't think Richard Wright would be too impressed with this movie. ... Read more

Reviews (162)

Gordon Gekko gets his comeuppance--big time!!!
Less than a full year before A PERFECT MURDER (1998) was released, Michael Douglas starred in THE GAME (1997), which is not simply a Michael Douglas movie, it's a David Fincher film-and you know what that means! From a screenplay by John D. Brancato & Michael Ferris, THE GAME is classic Fincher: dark, mysterious and with a constant sense of brooding danger in which lets you know that somehow, somewhere, something is not quite kosher.

In THE GAME, Douglas is Nicholas Van Orton; a man of great wealth and power and totally devoid of any human compassion (as evidenced by the cold and callous way in which he fires a longtime employee). If this sounds like Gordon Gekko to you, it's because Michael Douglas, at this stage in his career, plays cold callousness like no one else. Call it typecasting; I call it brilliant acting ability and being smart enough to stick with what works. However, Gordon Gekko in the legendary Oliver Stone-directed WALL STREET (1987) didn't have a younger brother; Nicholas Van Orton does. On Nick's 48th birthday (the same age at which his father died, hint hint), his black-sheep-of-the-family brother Conrad, as brilliantly played by Sean Penn, visits him in his sprawling, cherry-wood office and hands his older sibling his birthday present: a business card with the name Consumer Recreation Services (CRS) on it. "What is this," Nicholas cynically asks. The sly answer given by Penn is one of my favorite lines in the film, and one that tells us that his elder bro's life will never be the same, once he begins to play THE GAME.

Along the way, Nicholas Van Orton encounters CRS and its primary spokesman (or so he thinks) Jim Feingold (played with disarming confidence by character actor James Rebhorn), a mouthy cocktail waitress (Deborah Kara Unger) who seems to hold the secret to THE GAME, and a spooky-looking full-size inanimate clown who appears to watch everything he does. Also along the way are near-brushes with death that culminate with Conrad Van Orton's tearful admission that he "didn't know what the $#@! he had gotten them into" when he had signed his brother up for THE GAME. But that's still just the beginning...

Everyone is superbly cast in this film, including BABY DOLL (1956) herself, Carroll Baker, and the always-watchable Armin Mueller-Stahl. But the real star here is David Fincher; he is so adept at guiding us down a labyrinthic path of which only he knows the end, that all we can do is hang on and enjoy the rollercoaster ride on which he breathlessly takes us. He primarily relies on small, subtle signs of foreboding to generate suspense, as opposed to full-blown violence and gore. Although this is one of those films that relies on first-time viewers' lack of knowledge of what to expect, and thusly loses something on repeated viewings, it is still a very good film to re-visit on occasion, if only to experience Fincher's unique style (this film and A PERFECT MURDER are miles apart in this respect, believe me), Douglas and Penn's acting and the production values, which are first-rate.

See and experience THE GAME for yourself.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

CULT MOVIES 57
57. THE GAME (thriller, 1997) On the day of his birthday millionaire businessman Nicholas (Michael Douglas) is visited by his brother Conrad (Sean Penn) with a gift. The gift involves Nicholas signing up for a mysterious company which offers a 'game', which in turn offers the participants a series of surprises that "provides whatever is lacking" in their lives. Though a rather pessimistic and somber individual Nicholas accepts in the hopes of escaping the memory of a solitary childhood and witnessing his father's suicide. When the surprises the 'game' issues become seriously deadly Nicholas wants out. But this particular game offers no escape.

Critique: Nerve-wracking, high wire act of a movie directed with guile precision by David Fincher ('Seven', 'Alien 3'). So far all of David Fincher's films have been good which is rare for someone who has been dubbed as a purely commercial director. The sort of tagline that is a deathnail for anyone seeking true legitimacy in Hollywood. Michael Douglas is good in the role of another heartless tycoon type character in the mold of Gordon Gekko from 'Wall Street'. Douglas gives the character just a slight insidious turn and taking him into Twilight Zone territory. It's also good seeing Sean Penn in a first rate mainstream movie for a change. Film is made in such a way that every detail has to be dissected in order to make a logical progression of events. Which otherwise would seem chaotic and purely coincidental. Towards the climax it all makes perfect sense and provides a most welcome escape ending. When the credits roll and you know it is truly over it is strangely satisfying and disappointing.

QUOTES: Conrad: "What do you get for the man who has everything?"

The initiation of a millionaire
Nicholas Van Orton (Douglas) thinks that he has everything - this is true only is we consider material possessions (a vast house, millions of dollars, an enviable reputation, etc.). What he is lacking is the access to the sacred and to his true Self. CRS is there to help, courtesy of his brother Conrad (Penn). But Van Orton will have to get rid of all that he previously stood for and accept to lose himself in the unknown. While some viewers have objected to the film's outrageous events and progression, this is precisely what draws me to it: its willingness to dispense with 'believable' developments makes Van Orton's quest all the more powerful. The movie could have been subtitled 'The initiation of a millionaire', because Van Orton undergoes numerous archetypal trials: he is stuck in a car underwater (in the belly of the monster); he is buried alive; his descensus ad infernos is such that he (literally) has to make a death-defying jump in a garbage dump; he has to find his way through mazes and use secret keys; most scenes take place in darkness. By the time he becomes a new man late in the movie, he has already died three or four times! Perceptive viewers will discover far more than a strandard thriller here, if they allow themselves to dig under the surface... a remarkable film.

Birthday that you'll never forget
Can you imagen a movie with no victims and yet it's one of the best thrillers ever made?! When I heard that director is David Fincher who is responsible for hits such as Seven or Fight Club and that Michael Douglas has leading role, that was more than enough for me to buy it. And I didn't regret it: This film is one wild ride through every aspect of your mind. Just in the moment you think - It's all clear now, next one will leave you with your mouths open. Every scene is one big surprice for you and for main character Nicholas, who is cold rich businessman, who cutted all bonds between him and his family and friends just for power and more money. But his brother's present for his birthday will change everything. One moment, he's on the top of the world, next one he is down in rags, fearing for his life; confused and with no confidence in anyone. That is the price when you are in The Game. Michael prooved that he worths dozen Oscars and Sean Penn is also very good. If you like fast, confusing and surpricing thrillers, this is a movie for you. Note: Ending is unforgetable!!!

Where's The Director's Cut????
This was a great movie with an excellent story to go with it. It's too bad the dvd shares the same fate of others with weak features and no behind the scenes or commentary. This is one dvd that deserves an overhaul like the one that panic room received. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

This could be the most depressing movie ever made!
This could be the most depressing movie ever made! Don't watch it with a loaded gun in your hand.

Hard to sit through
Jack Nicholson normally plays roles of blistering intensity, but in 'Ironweed', he plays an aging, burned out bum. Nothing wrong with that, but Nicholson didn't seem right for it. Maybe DeNiro would have been more convincing. Nonetheless, the story is about a bum who keeps having flashbacks of his younger days when he was fighting working man. Apparently he accidently killed three people in his lifetime. All the killings were show in chronological order as 'Ironweed' progressed. I wasn't able to see the last killing because I couldn't finish the film. Only for die-hard Nicholson and Streep fans.

Breathtakingly sad & beautiful
Where do you start with a movie like this? The cinematography & art direction are stunning. Every single shot, every frame, is a Hopperesque masterpiece: colors, lighting, composition. It grabs you way way deep inside. The writing is of a rare pureness: concentrated & intense & head-spining. The excellent writer William Kennedy wrote the screenplay from his Pulitzer prize-winning masterpiece of a novel. You can't get better than that. And then the acting. What acting! Where to start? Tom Waits who sings even when he acts. Jack Nicholson always reaching - out & deep inside - tremendous! Never better. And the exquisitely divine (sorry, can't help it) Meryl Streep: beautiful, heartwrenching, pathetic, laughable, lovable & real. The part of a lifetime, no not just a lifetime, the part of an entire movie-making era. Lastly the direction by the masterful Hector Babenco. Thank you Snr. Babenco. You belong in the pantheon with Von Stroheim, Renoir, Fellini. Thank you. So why has this film fallen into the void of video oblivion? I guess because it's an honest no melodramatics or histrionics depiction of bums - real people who represent the alternative lives that all of us could be leading but would really prefer never be reminded of.

To Comfort The Dead
In highschool I came across a poem called The Projectionist's Nightmare, I don't recall the name of the poet but the poem's message is still very much with me. It described a wayward bird inside a movie theatre, where an audience was watching two poeple "being nice to each other". The bird crashes into the screen, its blood slithering onto the image, the spell is broken, the fantasy dispelled and the audience screams. Hector Babenco had already made this poem in substance in 1985s Kiss Of A Spider Woman where his lead character, a prisoner, escaped his miserable surroundings through memories and fantasies of a propaganda film. Two years later Bebanco would make Ironweed, and his lead character Frances Phelan (Jack Nicholson) is well past the dreaming stage, the only fantasies he has are of ghosts from his past.

Ironweed is a film many people would find slow. Nothing much happens and the characters don't change. The stark grim atmosphere and the dead end conditions unrelenting. There is no hope in the story of Frances Phelan. He has abandoned his family 22 years ago after dropping his 13 year old baby to its death. The film starts with him visiting his dead baby's grave for the first time, and then follows him around as he joins his companion Helen Archer (Meryl Streep) and his friend of sorts Rudy (Tom Waits). All three of them are alcoholics, and we watch as they wade through the alleys of Albany 1938 looking for a place to sleep . They get robbed, they see a homeless prostitute from Alaska die of cold and they get into fights. But there is no emotional release in their anger or in their better moments. You'd expect there to be emancipated joy when Streep sings in a bar in front of a full house, or rage when a bunch of kids rob them of all their money. But Streep is quickly back to her depression, and Nicholson shrugs off the robbery. All the characters in Ironweed are infact dead, they live off their memories, do what they have to do to stay alive as they await their physical death. Meanwhile there are quietly affecting scenes of closure as Nicholson visits his abandoned family and Streep remember her "musical days". Nicholson's and Streep's Oscar nominated performance are among their best.

Babenco holds his camera on his characters for a long time, as if waiting for them to crack. They never do because Ironweed is not angry, it doesn't have an agenda, it is just mournful. As I watched it for the first time tonight I became aware that the episodic cyclic nature of the film develops in the end to a complete whole. When the end credits roll you feel like you were standing too close to a painting, and now for the first time you are far enough to see it for the sad beautiful image it is. The famed author John Fowles said that we are all poets but few of us can write it. From the rhetorical dialogue of these hobos, the ugly poverty they endure, the dark allyways they inhabit and the ghosts that haunt them, Ironweed emerges as a sad and deeply affecting poem.

By far, this is Jack Nicholson's best performace
This film never received the attention it deserved. Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep both have fine performances, but Nicholson's stands out as he demonstrates a range of emotion and pathos not seen in his other work. The cinemaphotography and lighting as he drifts from the dreary reality of life on the streets to his inner world of neurotic fears, joys, and memories is fantastic. You will not forget this movie. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Hey, Paramount! You got it wrong once again!
What a shame! This wonderfully trashy movie deserved better treatment on DVD! When Paramount released "The Carpetbaggers" on LaserDisc years ago, they used the "censored" US version instead of the more "racy" European cut. I was one who wrote them about this, but apparently no one at the office took notice or cared, so here is the US cut once again. What is missing is Ms. Baker's nude back sitting in her budoir when her stepson comes in to tell her that she is now a widow. Ms. Baker's almost nude back is also displayed in the short montage in Paris before she goes down with the chandelier; in the scene missing she poses on a divan for a group of painters. (This image was even depicted on an American lobby card! People must have wondered where it went!) Not much to cry about maybe, but fun in any case! If these scenes were not to be found in the Paramount vaults in Hollywood, they could have asked for them from any surviving European print - existing in decent condition in state archives in both Sweden and Denmark.
Sad is also the fact that the print used for DVD transfer is absurdly grainy! The LaserDisc was much better in this respect! The speckles and dirt are gone, but I'd rather keep them for a smooth film-like image quality.
Now, please let us have other Paramount trash classics on DVD from this era: "Harlow", "Sylvia" and "Where Love Has Gone", to mention just a few! But please make sure they're mastered from first class complete prints! Is this asking too much?

"The Carpetbaggers" AKA "Is he crazy folks?"
I just finished watching the "The Carpetbaggers" on AMC; I thought the 'C' part of that acronym was "Classic", but now realize that perhaps 'Cornball,' 'Contagious,' or 'Compelling' may substitute since this movie seemed to be all of this. But, hey, maybe that's just the gin talkin. It is one of those movies that you cannot wait to end, so you can find out just who these B-film actresses really were - yet you continue to watch. But when it does end, you are somewhat saddened that it is over. Partially sad because you have been drawn in by this charismatic yet utterly ruthless SOB Jason Cord (George Peppard), but mostly just sad because AMC DOESN'T GIVE YOU THE CREDITS! that's why I'm here...finding out that the actresses were Caroll baker (as Rina Marlowe, the not-so-lovable Hollywood star; and Elizabeth Ashley (as Monica Cord) - the impossibly forgiving ex/not-so-happily-ever-after-wife of the unmarriable-unlovable-unrelenting-insanely ambitious Jason. Bob Cummings gets accolades as the fiendishly charming scumbag who plays Dan Pierce - most probably a very typical Hollywood agent. Someone who would put a rattlesnake in your pocket and then ask you for a match if he could get 10% of your blood in doing so. Go ahead and watch the dern thing (4/5 stars) - You'll understand. But hey - don't forgit the gin.

Devoid of Interest
I suppose THE CARPETBAGGERS may hold the same cult-film appeal for some views as such awful movies as VALLEY OF THE DOLLS hold for me--but I've quite been able to see it. Loosely based on Harold Robbins' trashy bestseller which was itself loosely based on the life of Howard Hughes, the film gives us glimpses of such performers as George Peppard, Elizabeth Ashley, Diane Baker, and an aging Alan Ladd, but even their presence can't spark up the deadly dull script. Give it a miss.

--GFT (Amazon.com Reviewer)--

CAN'T HELP MYSELF
C'mon. Admit it. Embarrasing though it may be, you probably have one. One of those films that by almost any standard of good taste is considered to be pure trash -- but you adore it just the same. Well, "The Carpetbaggers" is my source of shame and delight. Yes, it's cheap and tawdry, unintentionally laughable at times, and held together (barely) by a script with many a line in need of a rewrite. It sports hair styles and costumes that, although undeniably lavish, are often anachronistic to the 1920's and 1930's (those decades in which the story is set). Performances range from extreme and over-the-top to downright comatose. But this early 1960's contribution to the breakdown of the American cinema's once strict moral code never loses its ability to do what Hollywood does best -- to entertain. It's a film filled with a grand potpourri of characters ranging from an arrogant and ruthless Jason Cord (a wooden George Peppard) to a lushly lascivious Rina Marlowe (a questionably sexy Carroll Baker), from a charmingly unctuous (i.e., villanous) Dan Pierce (Bob Cummings) to a bubbling and bouncy Monica Winthrop Cord (a totally engaging Elizabeth Ashley). Classic character actors and actresses (e.g., Charles Lane, Tom Tully, Audrey Totter) abound. And Elmer Bernstein's jazz score boasts a main theme that is pulsatingly decadent. Yes, "The Carpetbaggers" is all flash and fire with very little substance. But I love it. Can't help myself.

Not frequently mentioned: A complex movie!
This movie starts out with a bang in the first five minutes. Itkept me on the edge of my seat throughout the entire movie. It is a movie that I have remembered since I saw it the very first time years ago. George Peppard and Carol Baker are at thier top performance levels, and the movie keeps moving with intricate subplots going at all times. Many reviews mention the tycoon who is cruel and calculating, the insights into the movie business, complex personal relationships, but few mention the situations that created these characteristics in him, one being a incident that is never totally shown or explained, but partially shown then implied, not explained thoroughly. This particular subplot may then get missed and is psychologically of great impact if one looks for and finds it.

For music fans, the soundtrack is fabulous, I have had it on Lp for almost 15 or more years, and it is one of very few soundtracks where I am willing to just listen to the music without always seeing the movie, it is wonderful all on it's own. Just on it's own, the music is well worth buying the movie. I sincerely appreciate Amazon for still carrying what many might consider an old, and outdated movie. I don't believe times have changed that much, much of it would still apply today. For anyone that likes phychological plots and mystery this is a movie for you, even if not, the other subplots make it a very worthwhile movie to have. I would recommend it to anyone, and especially George Peppard fans. END ... Read more

Amazon.com

Cheyenne Autumn is a beautiful title to grace John Ford's finalWestern, but the film falls short of the occasion. The great director's ambitionto tell the story, for once, from the Indians' point of view is only partiallyfulfilled. He's unambiguously sympathetic to the Cheyennes' resolve to bolt thereservation and trek back to their ancestral lands, while most of white society,the military, the bureaucracy, and the sensationalist press come off asinsensitive, foolish, or downright hateful. However, the Cheyenne are noblywooden (and played by non-Indians), and it's sympathetic cavalry officer RichardWidmark and Quaker missionary Carroll Baker through whose eyes most of the epicnarrative unfolds. The video release restores the entirety of the caustic DodgeCity interlude (featuring James Stewart as a thoroughly disreputable WyattEarp)--truncated after the New York roadshow opening--but William H. Clothier'smajestic Panavision compositions have yet to be letterboxed. --Richard T.Jameson ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Northern Cheyenne rates this movie!
I bought this vcr tape a few months ago. Sure the movie is NOT all correct for Cheyenne dress and habits but John Ford did bring the Cheyenne's plight and disgraceful treatment to the big screen. I view the movie at least once a month and never get tired of it. Excellent movie and beautiful scenes in the movie. Wish John Ford was alive to direct another such movie!
This Northern Cheyenne give this movie 5 stars and a thumbs up.

Did you know...?
That this film was shot on the Navajo reservation and the Indians in the film were Navajos? That the dialogue that was supposedly in Cheyenne was actually in Navajo and had little to do with what was supposedly being said?

All in all, it was a good attempt for its time, and a story that needed to be told. Perhaps someday an Indian director will remake it with Indian actors. As effective as it is, it could be so much more so.

John Ford's attempt at making history...
Granted, it might not be a glorious John Ford movie as his earlier works, but in this one attempt one might recognize the soul of the director, a troubled soul.

He had always depicted the native Americans as being merely a detail in American history, and now, having reached the sunset and the winter of his own life - and probably some wisdom as well, he comes out in the open and seems to ask for forgiveness.

It is a touching attempt at redemption and as such it should be considered. Ford was deeply religious, even though he never openly admitted it and here it shows.

Of course it is at times naive, at times superficial and at times kitsch, but this is also the the true and touching opening of an old man who has realized that his own world has changed and the views of the people have changed.

He is desperately trying to get in touch and in synchrony with this new world and admits the faults and mistakes that some of his forefathers have committed against defenseless and hopeless people.

This movie is probably more his own introspection before his death and at the same time is the heritage he wanted to leave us before his demise.

This is why I wouldn't be so harsh as to trash it so swiftly.

Even though somewhat naive in its views, the story of the Lakota/Dakota tribes being deported and so shamelessly persecuted by the American Government in those far away days is absolutely true.

It is a piece of American history that so many Americans would like to see being forgotten but occasionally pops up to hunt us as a reminder that any civilization can produce unspeakable horrors, especially when it feels socially superior.

What I would mostly criticize is the fact that all American native parts were cast with other minorities, especially of hispanic origin (Gilbert Roland and Ricardo Montalban, two of the best and finest actors of Latin origin who, unfortunately for those years, were so many times misused and typecast).

But all this does not come as a surprise if one consider that certain racial practices were still in effect in those days. We are four years away from 1968 and Martin Luther King and the road to parity for American natives will be even longer than that...

The film is slow paced on purpose, in order for the audience to absorb the atrocity of the situation in which the American natives, in this case the Cheyennes, are forced to live.

The U.S. Government is not depicted as one homogeneous force as it may have been later on in history, but rather as a bunch of newly arrived groups of Europeans who intend to take a foothold on the American Continent in order to pursue an all out colonization of the Land.
A very similar situation to that of the British confronted with the Zulus in South Africa.

Right or wrong is not contemplated in this movie. History here is what it was, crude and cruel. It's the affirmation of one Society over another. People don't count...

But this is exactly where this movie is highly revealing: the people involved. History is just a poor excuse to handle people as cattle.

It's the interior conflicts of the people that appear in this work that make it so worthwhile. Whites, as well as American natives, seem uncomfortable with the situation at hand and struggle uneasily against the winds of Power.

A Power always felt but never seen. An Evil force that drives people to do what they do because they are meant to do it. But this evil force is never clearly seen and never takes a firm foothold in one or more people.

This is why everything in this movie seems to be at once so confused and at the same time so desperate. The movie asks who these people really are and what they really want from life, but also shows us that they all are pawns in this immense chess game and no one can really do what he would like to do.

Here, John Ford's image of his interior struggle taking place is very clearly recognizable. It's as if he's trying to tell us that he has always tried to do what was right but never really what he truly wanted to do... and that he was probably sorry never to be able to unchain himself from the system.

The true message to us and the legacy he is trying to convey is not to allow others to take us as hostages but rather to fight such people with all our strength because otherwise we might land up as slaves.

In as much, the movie is revolutionary for its times. In other words this is a multilayered work of art that is well worth watching in its subtle net of subplots that hide messages reserved to those who can read them.

It's much less a Western than a History lesson, but so much more a last "J'accuse" from the author of the most memorable Westerns ever made and the most controversial director of his times.

If you know how to read John Ford, then this movie will reveal him to you like none other before.
If you're out for another conventional John Ford movie than this is certainly not it.

It's up to you, but remember, great directors reveal themselves in movies that are usually atypical from their regular genres or themes.

Could've been great!
Cheyenne Autumn is the tale of a group of Cheyenne, who are so badly treated on the rez they decide to escape and return to their tribal lands. On their journey, they must brave the elements, the army, and the depredations of evil Anglo cowboy scalp hunters.

The director attempts to draw parallels between the young and impulsive Cheyenne warrior and the equally young, and impulsive Cavalry officer (Smith)? But this sublot falls flat, after being prolonged for over two hours

Several meaningless subplots occasionally intrude... One. Involving the romance between a Quaker school marm and an Anglo cavalry officer. And Two... A minor plot involving Wyatt Earp.

While this movie lacks a certain depth, and characterization, there are a few good points. Mainly the interaction between the tribal elders, and the beautiful cinematography.

Overall, this movie was worth watching once, but would've been much better if it focused more on character development.

Not a classic, but worthy of a look-see!
Legendary director John Ford's last film, while not as good as earlier efforts, does possess some striking photography, a brilliant Alex North score, and good acting. Stalwart Richard Widmark does well as the cavalryman with a conscious; Karl Malden is fine as the duty-bound fort commander; and Edward G. Robinson does his patented perfection as a politician who tries to placate the situation. Even the politically incorrect casting of non-Indians Ricardo Montalban, Delores Del Rio, Sal Mineo, and Gilbert Roland can be excused as a sign of the film making times. Veteran character actor Sean McClory is also quite memorable as the fort doctor who confronts Captain Malden about the mistreatment of the Indian prisoners. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

A Little Off the Beaten Path...
This is not the movie you want to watch with a bunch of friends on a Saturday night. This is a movie for people who liked "Ghost World," "Devil's Advocate," or "Feeling Minnesota." It's quite strange, but I saw it once and fell in love with the accents, the irony, and the drummer from Red Hot Chilli Peppers, who plays a gangster. True, many of these actors never went anywhere. But it features some great dialogue and amazing realism.

fast & exellent condition!!
Tank you.
I get to supreme used VHS!!

Good study of human nature
I own this film already and would have to say that it is a rather interesting study of human nature. The "what would I do with..." it is a character study of the lottery in general and how people react and how it turns into cause AND effect.

It was the worst I've seen in a while.
I stopped watching it 1 hr into it because it was painfully unfunny. We have taken to calling the movie, "you lucky bastard," and comparing other terrible movies to it. ... Read more

Reviews (63)

Great premise, poor execution! Dull & boring!
I dunno--this movie just didn't do a thing for me! "Watcher in the Woods" was made at a time when the Disney Corporation was trying to break into the adult market. They produced a number of disjointed, unsatisfying films: "Tron;" "Something Wicked This Way Comes;" "Tex;" "The Black Hole;" and "Watcher," among them. They were really trying to find their way and eventually hit paydirt with "Splash." Alas, "Watcher" is much ado about nothing. The great Bette Davis is completely wasted in a thankless role. Basically, it's a hoary old plot about "something in the woods" that, uh, "watches." Oh, and it also likes to follow you around while you're biking. Is it a ghost? A monster? Answering that question would give away the ending, which (according to lore) was reshot twice. This is definitely After School special stuff--replete with zooms, horrid acting by "typical" kid stars, cheesy special effects, and flacid attempts at shock (a screeching cat, snarling dog, little girls talking in someone else's voice, yada-yada). You've heard and seen it all before. Scary? Nope! Dull? Yep! This is surprising, since "Watcher in the Woods" was directed by John Hough, who also helmed the terrifically spooky "Legend of Hell House." "Watcher" has a nice video transfer and received the deluxe treatment from Anchor Bay. But it's significant that Disney hasn't even bothered to rerelease "Watcher" (and other of its pre-Splash attempts) on their own label. They've all been licensed to Anchor Bay. If Disney doesn't believe in their own material, why should you?

A great scary slumber party movie!!!
Two young girls and their family move into a big old mansion with an interesting past!!!I remeber watching this as a child and just being absolutely fascinated and frightened. It is so fun and suspenseful and scary! I would reccomend this for age 9 and up for a super scary slumber party or nightime movie!! I cannot wait for my seven year old to get old enough to watch it, but right now she is too prone to nightmares after semi scary movies! Also recommend, "The Labrynth" for a fifth grade slumber party movie! Oh the memories!

OK movie, but a must for DVD collectors
The Out-of-Print Anchor Bay version of the WATCHER IN THE WOODS DVD is up there with the first, one-day release of the LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS (w/the original ending) as the Holy Grails of DVD collectors.

This version has two Alternate Endings which has more special F/X, explains the story better and actually shows what the Watcher in the Woods looks like (the original version you never actually see the Watcher or know its origins). The alternate endings also make more sense (as we follow Jan going into the other Watcher's Homeworld and bringing the unaged Karen back). The movie itself is so-so, but the special features in this rare DVD find makes it worth it.

20 years later, still scared.
When my parents bought their first VCR, I was allowed to rent any Disney movie I wanted. I chose this one, and I had nightmares for YEARS. There are very scary, abrupt images of a trapped, blindfolded girl in random mirros--frightening for a child. It is a very, very creepy film. Parent should preview it before showing it to children 10 and under.

Another Twilight Zone Story from Disney
If you've looked at my reviews, you know that I have an affection for Rod Serling. Most of my favorite films are Twilight Zone types of stories and this one is no exception.

Disney has fluctuated between outstanding animated features and some very good live-action films. At one point, the studio lost some of its direction (after Walt died, by the way), and the animation became less than perfect, the live-action films strayed from being family classics (in the sense of Swiss Family Robinson, Old Yeller, etc.) and called up a darker side of the studio. This story, along with Black Hole, Something Wicked This Way Comes, and Child of Glass, is of that era, or should I say, flavor. All four films are not your standard Disney fare. Of them, only Child of Glass remains in the vault, possibly because it was made for television, rather than for the theater. It is well worth looking for and hopefully the studio will release it some day in the future.

Back to the present. This one is due for rerelease in August, 2004. I have it on DVD and as a one-time video store employee, I would recommend it for someone who wanted to see something different in the way of suspense and horror. And, like the good suspense film it is, it does not resort to violence, but a collection of oddities which seem more surreal and strange than supernatural.

Ironically, the original release (and the Anchor Bay DVD has all the alternate endings and other goodies - I can't speak to the new release) has one of the strangest twists at the end that one can imagine. Thank you Disney for doing it this way, instead one of the alternatives, for it truly remains the best approach, even if the FX needed to pull off the other approaches had been available and perfected. This is the best and it turns out to be something different!

Science Fiction.

Huh?

Yes. The ending is purely science fiction in nature and scope. Something that you wouldn't expect given the gothic setting of the story and yet, that is exactly what it is. I won't reveal how, but not one customer came back and disagreed with me after watching the film.

A note on my rating. Normally, I would have given this five stars, but after watching this a couple of times, I found Holly's voice to wear thin and grate on my nerves. As the story progresses, her voice correctly shows the tension that she is developing as the mystery deepens. It reaches a shrillness that is seldome used as she approaches her own breaking point. Unfortunately, the increasing shrillness works only with the alternate endings. With repeated watchings (it isn't noticeable in the first watching) it fails to work well with the selected ending, even though the ending was the best choice as I mentioned earlier. It is unfortunate that the studio didn't go back and remix her voice to correct the problem, but they were running out of time once the producers realized they couldn't pull off the original ending. As I mentioned, you probably won't notice the problem on your first, or even second watching, but it is there.

One final word. Even on the third and forth watchings, I still tended to jump out of surprise... and that's something that's a rarity. ... Read more

Reviews (62)

The quintessential Texas epic loaded with stars!
This 202-minute slow-paced drama exemplifies the lives of three generations of cattlemen on a grandiose west Texas cattle ranch at the onset of the oil boom. Being a native Texan with relatives living close to the area near Marfa, Tx where GIANT was filmed, I LOVE this movie for the sheer drama and myth of our state. (and yes, there ARE some exaggerations) But it's also a well-crafted movie with exemplary performances by Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor, James Dean, and a very young Dennis Hopper! Viewers seeking a fast-action adrenaline-pumping film probably will be bored by GIANT, but viewers who enjoy classical performances, historical sagas, (and old movies) will cherish this movie. It's sort of like a western "GWTW"! They don't make 'em like this anymore!

A gigantic screen presence
What about this movie isn't big? Big stars (Elizabeth Taylor and Rock Hudson); big state (Texas); big ranch (2 million acres of prime cattle land), and big length; at 202 minutes, this film runs about 45 minutes too long. The story is the familiar one about grandiosity run amok; the moral, which has been done to death, is that the simple life is the one best worth living. We've seen it all before. So why see this movie? In two words: James Dean. In his last film before his tragic death on the Freeway at the age of 24, Dean showed that he was what his legion of fans always claimed: a true genius. Try to imagine anyone else in the role of Jett Rink , and the character remains a cipher - lifeless, dull, nothing. It took Dean to bring it to life and make it his own. In this movie, James Dean and Jett Rink become indistinguishable from each other. And perhaps only an actor as brilliant as Dean could turn Rink from a character we love in the first half of the film, to a character we hate at the end. His drunken tirade near the movie's end is a tour de force. Dean's magnificent performance doesn't take away from the very creditable acting by Rock Hudson as the millionaire rancher Bick Benedict, Elizabeth Taylor as his wife Leslie, the young Sal Mineo, and especially Mercedes McCambridge as Bick's bitter, sexually frustrated sister with an unrequited passion for Jett Rink; but next to Dean's knockout performance, they pale into mere adequacy. Forget everything else; this is Dean's movie.

This is Texas?
I recently decided to view this film. Let's see - a reference to Neiman-Marcus - some wide open spaces, some cattle and oil wells. O.K. - but this film does not really tell about Texas and Texans. Thankfully, Chill Wills (from Seagoville, TX) was in it. He was the most Texan thing about this film. I wish I had something more positive to say - but I don't.

Giant Is Not A Widescreen Film
The product information here should be carefully read, as it reveals that this edition of Giant has been transferred in a 1:1.66 letterbox transfer. This is a travesty. Giant was filmed and released in the classic 1:1.33 "Academy" aspect ratio, which also happens to be the aspect ratio for NTSC analog television. George Stevens disliked widescreen processes, although he was forced to use them by studios on later films.
The time has come to put a stop to these unnecessary, phoney "restored" versions of classics. It's just a marketing ploy to squeeze more money out of old warhorses. Going back to the good old days of the laserdisc, I never much cared about the extras that were first introduced by Criterion and later imitated by the major studios. I've always responded to a high quality video transfer taken from the best film elements available. Getting the aspect ratio wrong and mutilating the images of Steven's classic film makes everything else irrelevant.
Thank goodness I still have my laserdiscs. Failing that, grab a copy on VHS.

FANTASTIC!
The DVD is superb -- I do not know what all the complaints about sound, etc. are all about! My goodness, this film is almost 50 years old -- and I think it is in wonderful shape!

I purchased this video because I have become a big James Dean film, but the acting of Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, Carol Baker, and Dennis Hopper were splendid.

To think that Hudson was a mere 29, Taylor 23, and Dean 23 and could play characters who age 30 years with such reality is a true testament to their genius! Of course, the makeup artists must also receive recognition.

The most disturbing portion of the film to me is when Hudson confronts "Sarge" the restaurant owner in a fist fight and when "Sarge" lands into the juke box, "The Yellow Rose of Texas" begins to play. However, this epic film is full of irony and subtle twists and nuances -- to really grasp the entire message this film needs to be viewed more than one time.

The irony of the Mexican children singing The National Anthem during the funeral of Angel (played by a very young Sal Mineo) touched me. Little Angel was a person who died for the United States and yet was the focus of bigotry from his impoverished birth until his death.

Or course, in my opinion, there was and never will be another James Dean -- it is heartbreaking to watch this dramatic genius in the final film performance before his untimely demise. Like Buddy Holly, I will always wonder where Dean's career would have gone.

Carol Baker is fantastic in her first film role and the very young Dennis Hopper's performance is equally memorable.

This film speaks to the injustices of racial bigotry that unfortunately will always exist except in a utopian world.

The additions to this DVD make it a must-buy!

Please don't hesitate to purchase -- this DVD is worth every penny -- and then some!

Oh, the editorial review refers to Elizabeth Taylor as a Southern Belle and this is incorrect. Leslie Benedict is from Maryland and even makes the comment to Hudson and his crownies that she was from the "Center of Politics" when Hudson tries to push her aside so the men can talk "Business and Politics". ... Read more

Reviews (59)

A big Western with a stupendous music score.
I loved this movie as a kid when I saw it in the theatre back in 1958 or 1959 and I still love it. The movie score by Jerome Morass is absolutely magnificent. Gregory Peck plays a pacifist Easterner who's trying to avoid getting caught up in the land dispute his fiance's (Carol Baker) family is having with a local clan. His shallow fiance and her father (Charles Bickford) interpret his unwillingness to fight as a sign of weakness. Charlton Heston and the beautiful Jean Simmons are fine in their roles. Burl Ives won an Oscar for his portrayal of Rufus Hennesey, the leader of a very large extended family. Last, but not least, Chuck Connors (of the Rifleman TV series) turns in his finest film performance. A big movie with big stars made by a big-time director (William Wyler who won best director Oscars for Ben-Hur and The Best Years of Our Lives). A fine film with a good message about the futility of fighting in order to resolve conflicts.

Good performances in a beautiful Hollywood Western
THE BIG COUNTRY is a very good Hollywood Western, with all the strengths and weaknesses that implies: a first-rate cast and fine production values, but a less-than-imaginative script written by a studio committee. The story is a variation on the tried-and-true "Eastern Dude Tames Wild West" theme. Co-produced by director William Wyler and star Gregory Peck, it strives a bit self-consciously for epic grandeur, and lacks the comparatively gritty realism of John Ford's thematically related THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE.

As the transplanted Easterner, Peck's understated performance is a pleasure to watch. Jean Simmons is fine as the schoolmarm, and the two Chucks (Conners and Heston) are equally good in their roles. A supporting actor Oscar went to Burl Ives, but the standout performance belongs to Carroll Baker as Peck's spoiled fiance. Franz Planer's cinematography is quite good, too, but like the script, performances, and pacing, it's just a little bit too self-conscious. The picture feels more like OKLAHOMA! than like THE SEARCHERS--altogether too theatrical to sustain the suspension of disbelief.

Yet this is a very entertaining movie--at least for those who value character, conflict, and beautiful imagery over car chases, explosions, and other special effects. And fans of Westerns in particular should appreciate the many virtues of this near-Classic. Four solid stars.

Atticus Finch goes West
This is a sprawling, glorious saga that will be appreciated by people who don't even like the Western genre. With fabulous cinematography, an excellent script, and two of my favorite actors, it's a film I never tire of watching.
Gregory Peck is the sea captain with principles who goes west to meet his future bride, only to find feuds and fighting, and some lawless varmints who need his "non violent" ways of resolving territorial issues. He is terrific as James McKay, who is sort of an Atticus Finch in boots, and looks mighty fine as well.
Charlton Heston has the smaller part as Leech, a foreman who is seething with jealousy and obeys the orders of his unscrupulous boss (rancher Terrill, played with subtle menace by Charles Bickford) as he yearns for his daughter. Heston is brilliant as this rather complex character, and would a year later star in director William Wyler's next epic, "Ben Hur", which is perhaps my all-time most viewed and enjoyed film.

Both female leads are wonderful, and are portrayed with enormous strength; Jean Simmons, with her luminous eyes is the schoolteacher, and Carroll Baker is the tough daughter of rancher Bickford, and is too much like her daddy to make a suitable bride for Peck.
Among the many strong performances in the supporting parts are Burl Ives, and received a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his gnarly old Rufus, Chuck Connors is his bad to the bone son, and Alfonso Bedoya, is a delight as Ramon, who along with a horse named "Old Thunder", provides some of the humor in the film.
The score by Jerome Moross is lovely (and received an Oscar nomination) and the cinematography by Franz Planner spectacular. The film was shot in the Yuba and San Joaquin Counties in California, as well as canyon country in Chinly, Arizona, and it is breathtakingly beautiful.

If you like a good screen fight like I do, this has a great one, "mano a mano" between Peck and Heston; it initially has no music, just the pounding of the fists and the men gasping for breath, and is very effective.
Romance, drama, and lots of action make this a film that appeals to many, and is suitable for the whole family. Total running time is 165 minutes.

A good Western movie

Director: William Wyler
Format: Color
Studio: Mgm/Ua Studios
Video Release Date: May 2, 2000

Cast:

Gregory Peck ... James McKay
Jean Simmons ... Julie Maragon
Carroll Baker ... Patricia Terrill
Charlton Heston ... Steve Leech
Burl Ives ... Rufus Hannassey
Charles Bickford ... Major Henry Terrill
Alfonso Bedoya ... Ramon Guiteras
Chuck Connors ... Buck Hannassey
Chuck Hayward ... Rafe Hannassey
Buff Brady ... Dude Hannassey
Jim Burk ... Blackie/Cracker Hannassey
Dorothy Adams ... Hannassey Woman
Chuck Roberson ... Terrill Cowboy
Bob Morgan ... Terrill Cowboy
John McKee ... Terrill Cowboy
Slim Talbot ... Terrill Cowboy
Donald Kerr ... Liveryman
Carey Paul Peck ... Boy
Jonathan Peck ... Boy
Stephen Peck ... Boy
Ralph Sanford ... Party Guest
Richard Alexander ... Party Guest, (Oceans)
Harry Cheshire ... Party Guest

It is said that Gregory Peck and William Wyler, erstwhile friends who had previously worked together successfully had a falling out over this film and never spoke for years afterward. Both were co-producers, and Peck became agitated over the fact that Wylie was working too slowly and the film was going 'way over budget. Wylie resented anyone else telling him how to make a movie. It also appears that three of Peck's children had children's parts in the film.

The fight seen between Peck and Heston is one of the high points of the film that has caused much comment, as it was filmed from a great distance, rather than close-uo.

Such details aside, the story depicts a sea-captain, James McKay (Peck) coming West to marry Patricia Terrill (Carol Baker). He walks straight into a personal vendetta between Major Henry Terrill (Charles Bickford) and Rufus Hannassey (Burl Ives) over an old grudge, and the usual battle over water rights typical in many Western stories. McKay is a peaceful man who tends to avoid resorting to violence, causing his would-be bride to accuse him of cowardice.

Buck Hannassey (Chuck Connors) and Steve Leech (Charlton Heston) play supporting roles, each of whom has designs on the leading women in the story, leading to antagonisms. Ramon (Alphonso Bedoya) plays his part well, as a Mexican ranch employee. He was better in the Treasure of the Sierra Madre, I think, but he always turns in a good performance.

This is a good Western, with the usual scenery typical of the West. The plot is somewhat hackneyed, but is well-played and comes off well, thanks to the staff.

Joseph (Joe) Pierre

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

The only Western that I highly recommend watching
Although my tastes in film are very broad, I am not fond of Westerns. However, "The Big Country" is an excellent film. It is a Western, but in many ways it doesn't FEEL like a Western. The film's intelligence, strong characters, and reliance on humanity provide a superior storyline to the traditional shoot-'em-up mentality so common in Westerns.

The basic premise concerns retired sea captain James McKay (Peck), who travels West to marry his fiancé Pat Terrill (Baker), whom he met while she was visiting Baltimore. He is quickly thrown in the middle of a huge family feud between the wealthy Terrills and the struggling Hannasseys, presumably over water rights at the Big Muddy, a dormant ranch owned by the lovely schoolteacher Julie (Simmons). However, McKay, the intelligent outsider, sees through the feuding patriarchs (Bickford and Ives). What follows is, in my opinion, one of the most effective showdowns in Western cinema (forget "High Noon").

The characterization in this film is particularly strong. Gregory Peck is very good, as always, even though his McKay character has a level of integrity that may be just a BIT hard to swallow. Carroll Baker's role as the spoiled only child is sickeningly good. Jean Simmons is sweet and demure, but strong and self-sufficient, a perfect contrast to her friend, Pat. Charles Bickford's egotistical role as Major Henry Terrill is great, and his questionable relationship with his daughter raised my eyebrows. Charlton Heston's role is relatively small, but he provides the necessary tension and jealousy between himself, Baker, and Peck. In addition, his character's loyalty to Terrill, although misplaced, is touching. Chuck Connors' character as Buck Hannassey is vile, trashy, and degrading, but his performance is one of the most credible in the film. And, saving the best for last, Burl Ives is absolutely superb in the role of Rufus Hannassey, the overweight, bullying patriarch who simultaneously loves and hates his son Buck. He deserved the Best Supporting Actor Oscar that he won for this role.

There is one flaw to this film that stands out, and another reviewer mentioned it below: watch the canyon barricade scene near the end. The Terrill bunch HAD to see that coming, yet they acted surprised. Wyler missed it there, I think, but overall the film is a beautiful piece of cinema.

One last praise: the score. From the opening credits, this beautifully motivating music resounds throughout the film and is one of my favorites. Just beautiful. ... Read more

Reviews (37)

Arnold goes to school.
I love this movie. I have seen many more times than I could possibly count. Arnold plays a tough detective who is sent to a small town in Oregon because the criminal he is after is rumered to be heading there to find his son. Arnold is there for servalence, but his parner(Pamela Reed) gets sick and can't cover her assignment. Her assignment is teaching kindergarten at the local school in hopes of finding the mother and the money she took. Arnold goes in her place and the results are hilarious. He finds himself in the crazy world of little kids and he seems hopeless. Of coarse he eventually finds his way as a teacher. This movie is a great mix of comedy, drama, and action. Arnold does some of his best acting in this film. His self-parody is brilliant. The supporting cast is good, as is the direction. I just really like this movie. Fans of comedy, drama, action, and Arnold will all get a kick out of this movie.

Whose your daddy, and what does he do?
This is by far one of Arnold's all time funny movies. I personally love his comedies and this rates close to "True Lies" and "Twins". During his undercover police work some of the funniest stuff occurs when he must sub a Kindergarten class. I fell out of my chair when he said, "Whose your daddy, and what does he do?". Many of his lines can be found at soundbyte sites since they are so funny. One site even used them in a hysterical phone prank. Don't miss this movie. The rest the cast including Penelope Ann Miller as his partner and Linda Hunt as the school principle are great too. Seeing this huge muscular man trying to teach little Kindergarten kids how to march and sing is often comical. Once he finds that he can't be so gruff and the children realize he won't body slam them they are well on their way to learning. Good story, direction, and music make it one of the better comedy cop movies. I highly recommend this reasonably priced DVD.

Good Film - Bad Amazon
I wanted a widescreen version of this movie. Amazon had widescreen for $29.99 and full screen for $13.01. Wal-Mart has Full Screen for $9.44. So I paid these rip-off artists the $29.99 plus postage. Guess what? Like so many orders before, I received the Full Screen version. After weeks of writing, Amazon agreed to refund my money, but five months later, no refund has been received and mail is not answered. This is at least the third or fourth time I have been cheated. If Amazon would screen their actions and those of their sellers, they would probably do a lot more business. After this has happened to me so many times, I feel sure that anyone who wants to rip-off people will find Amazon a good hunting ground.

Dig the heck outta it....
....the stubbled Dirty Harry styled undercover cop runs for cover from rampaging six year olds. Fuuun-neee! Best scene: Kimble catches kid eating everyone's lunches..."you eat der lunt-ches?" Kid is scared stiff as Kimble gives him the eye to eye. "Stop it!" Kimble shakes and drops kid like he would a drug dealer off the roof of a five story and walks off. I always get a kick outta that! See it once more. Good movie.

The Governator at his best
One might not think this movie would have ever worked. 1990 was a pretty good year for Arnold with Total Recall and one might not have put him in this movie. It paired him back up with Twins director Ivan Reitman and I don't think mainstream America could see Arnold in this film.

John Kimble(Schwarzenegger) is a detective that loves his job. He is trying to bring down a drug lord Crisp(Tyson). To do that he must find Crisp's ex-wife and child. They have the evidence he needs to do that, but nobody is quite sure where they are. They are found though and they are living in the small town of Asotria, Oregon. Kimble then teams up with his new partner Phoebe(Reed) to go there and find them.

They go to Oregon and have arrangements made for Phoebe to go undercover at the local school. They know Crisps kid would be five and should be in kindergarten. There is only one kindergarten class so he has to be there. After Phoebe gets sick somebody has to fill in and Kimble steps up. He'll take her place and pretend to be a kindergarten teacher.

The plan quickly backfires in his place. He barely makes it through his first day. If it werent' for another teacher Joyce(Miller) he wouldn't have made it. I'm not going to reveal anymore of the plot because it spoils the movie and this really is a fun movie.

Arnold Schwarzenegger is the man in the movie. You have to love watching him interact with the kids in the movie. He is so much bigger than all of them, most of them are only up past his knees. You get to see a softer side of Arnold and at this point this was only the second family oriented movie he had made other than Twins. A lot of people didn't think he could interact with the kids and he shines.

The kids are fantastic in the movie. This kind of movie all depends on the chemistry of the kids and the star. You can tell the kids loved working with Arnold and why wouldn't they have. At this time in his carear he was the biggest action star in Hollywood. All the kids are great and they will leave you laughing and smiling.

Some have said this really isn't all that of a kids movie. I have to agree with them in some ways. I saw if for the first time at 8 years old and I had no problem with it. Some kids might not understand why the mom and kid are running and thats up to parents to explain that to them. Parts of the movie are a little violent and there is some swearing but it's all PG-13 stuff.

I love this movie. I've enjoyed it for over a decade now. Arnold is the man and this movie is one of the reasons why. Everybody should see this comedy at least once. So go get it and be prepared for a good time. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Overlooked, yet worth your time
Star80 is a very overlooked movie despite excellent performances from both Mariel Hemingway and Eric Roberts.

Mariel Hemingway portrays Dorothy Stratten, famous model who marries a lunatic played by Eric Roberts. He will stop at nothing to dominate her life and career, and it all ends with tragic circumstances. The last 10 minutes are quite possibly the saddest scenes I have seen in a movie.

The Australian DVD is thankfully presented in its original widescreen presentation (and anamorphic too) unlike the American pan and scan version.

I'm surprised Mariel Hemingway's career didn't take off because she is an exceptional actress.

Not a great DVD but a great film
Okay since we are in the DVD forum, and we are supposed to be writing about the DVD, lets get that out of the way. If you are looking for neat features like audio commentary, deleted scenes and the like, you will not find them here. Only chapter selections on a pan and scan format. It did not include the pictures for the scene selections and that was a bit frustrating to navigate when I tried jumping into the miiddle of the film. So as far a DVD goes, thumbs down.

If however you are looking for a great film, you have hit the jackpot! Fosse's writing is amazing and is carried off by some excellent acting. Eric Roberts balances one challenging role. As the husband/manager living off his wifes fame and popularity, he comes across as a second rate Ike Turner. The man is a slime and you still manage to find some sympathy for him. Watching his behavior his fascinating, and we have seen his like in one form or another. One who portrays what he thinks a rich and glamourous life style is by spouting off ham-handed dialouge and wearing tacky clothes who doesent realize the joke is on him. When finally does, it ends with tragic results. I've not been a big fan of Roberts until this movie.

Hemingway is also very effective as the centerfold with the heart of gold. The contrast of her and Roberts works nicely. She may not be the smartest person but at least she knows who she is. Her flaw is that she tries to please everyone and that