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Sissy Spacek won a much-deserved Oscar for her lead in this entertaining biography of country-music legend Loretta Lynn. British director Michael Apted (Gorillas in the Mist) brings fine texture to the Kentucky backwoods section of the film, where the teenage Loretta meets her future husband (Tommy Lee Jones), who ultimately pushes her into show business. Lynn's adult life is well covered, from her spouse's philandering to her own on-stage crackups; but between the chapter-and-verse recollections, the script by Thomas Rickman is layered with life and moments of great humor. No wooden portrait, this is a vibrant film made outstanding by the colorful performances of the two leads, as well as Beverly D'Angelo and the Band's Levon Helm. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (52)

Best Country Bio Picture Ever Made .Loretta is the QUEEN !
I never grow tired of this movie. I have seen it over 100 times since it was released in 1980.I own it on laser disc,VHS and hope to find it on DVD. Sissy Spacek did a outstanding job playing the "Queen Of Country Music," Loretta Lynn. She more than earned the Oscar & golden globe awards show won. The soundtrack album is also a winner ! Everyone cast in this film was perfect. This film received 7 Academy Award nominations includeing BEST PICTURE. Loretta Lynn is still going strong 20 years after this movie was released. I seen her in concert recently and she still rules as the "QUEEN." I look foward to a sequal to this all time favorite film.

Diamonds From Coal.
I LOVE this movie. This heartwarming, true rag-to-riches film about the life of Loretta Lynn took even the most sophisticated audiences by surprise when it was first released. Sissy Spacek is wonderfully accurate in her portrayal of the legendary but still humble and approachable country music star. This film made people who HATED country music take a second look. The story of the backwards, backwoods, painfully shy little girl whose simple, self-penned, biographical songs made her a huge star with almost unequaled # 1 country hits, is just as touching and great as when it was released. Tommy Lee Jones is perfect as "Doo", the man who stood by his woman, and Beverly D'Angelo gives a memorable performance as the legendary Patsy Cline. The fact that Spacek and D'Angelo so effectively do all their own singing, considering the shoes they had to fill, just makes this film all that much of a wonder. Levon Helm, of The Band, is also very good as "Lorettys" daddy. Just an all- around terrific film, with many touching moments from a by-gone time, when a little girl with a record could tap on the radio station window one day, and be a star a week later. Sissy Spacek's Oscar winning performance makes for a total class production about a total class lady. Loretta Lynn became one of this city boys favorites since seeing this film, and she remains so... a true, greatly admired, humanitarian *star*, who could teach most other celebrities a thing or two about "stardom". A perfect film for the whole family, the ultimate "feel good" movie. Thanks Loretty !! (And Sissy, too.) Just GREAT!!

Mostly Sexual Slurs
I can't fault Sissy Specak's outstanding performance or her superb rendition of Lorettta Lynn's songs but this movie has more sexual overtones then a peep show.
To suggest rural women are totally worthless aside from making babies {Lynn's fictional husband says "We finally found something you can do", when she gets pregnant.}and singing insults the audience's intelligence. This is not a "take your kids to movie".
A very minor point but worth a mention is that the movie left out Lynn's half sister Chrystal Gayle but included Patsy Kline.

FINALLY! Loretta on DVD
I remember being 10 years old and seeing this movie in the theater. Every time it came on TV I watched it. When we got a VCR, I retaped it every time it played just to have a fresh copy. I owned the VHS and now FINALLY after all these years, I have it on DVD.

This is one of the best movies ever made. The acting was so real it was amazing. I never thought of the characters as Sissy and Tommy Lee, I always thought of them as Loretta and Doo. It's one of the string of "Biography" movies to come out, like La Bamba, Sweet Dreams and The Buddy Holly Story.

The music. 'nuff said! The performances are just incredible. The old Grand Ole Opry gang was still alive and they were in the picture such as Ernest Tubb, Minnie Pearl, & Roy Acuff. Of course, Loretta... I mean Sissy's performances were stellar. In the DVD bonus interview with Loretta, she said that she taught Sissy how to play and sing her songs. And boy did she do a good job! All the way from the nervous but cute Loretta in the honky tonk singing "There He Goes" to the lovely queen of country music singing "Coal Miner's Daughter", the sound of her voice and the music perfectly imitates Loretta.

Someone said that they wanted a 5.1 soundtrack to the movie. Well... the movie was recorded in stereo. The country songs in the movie for the most part were in glorious 1950s one-speaker mono to give that authentic 1950s country sound. It plays mostly through the center channel and that's good enough.

The bonus materials also show Loretta's Coal Miner's Daughter museum. It houses alot of pieces from her past as well as alot of stuff from the movie. It will be interesting to go actually see this and be able to see it in person.

If you love CMD, get this DVD! If you haven't seen it yet, what are you waiting for? DO IT!

Enjoyable whether you like country music or not
Whether or not you have an appreciation for Country Music or Loretta Lynn herself, you'll surely be entertained by this rags-to-riches biopic in the same vein as, 'La Bamba,' and, 'Sweet Dreams.' Great performances are in no short supply here with Sissy Spacek and Tommy Lee Jones in what would turn out to be career-making performances for the both of them. As good as Spacek and Jones are the supporting role that 'steals' the film in my book is Beverly D'Angelo's spirited performance as Patsy Cline.

While the video transfer quality of this 2003 released DVD is excellent, what baffles is the lack of a Dolby Digital 5.1 mix. Surely a movie dripping from start to finish in vibrant Country music deserves more then the Dolby 2.0 Mono audiomix on the disc. Very puzzling indeed. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Clint Eastwood's 1978 comedy introduces Filo Beddoe, a truck driver and mechanic whose daily life is an absurd grind. He's constantly coming up short on money, love, and anything else to help him get through the day, while also saddled with a loony mother (deliciously played by Ruth Gordon), a best friend (Geoffrey Lewis) who's not too swift on the uptake, and an orangutan named Clyde who fights almost as well as Clint. While moonlighting as a bare-knuckle fighter, Clint finally meets the girl of his dreams (Sondra Locke), a snooty country singer who rebuffs him even as he pursues her, trailed by bikers and brawlers. It's Eastwood's magnetism and charm that make this more than a mere string of comic sketches, and things move along quickly enough to be entertaining, if a little thin. Clyde is a natural scene-stealer, but it's Ruth Gordon's crazy, cranky old coot who steals the movie. --Robert Lane ... Read more

Reviews (14)

THANK GOD IT FINALLY MADE ITS WAY TO DVD!!!
This is one the best (and most profitable) of all of Clint Eastwoods movies. It has everything, comedy (Ruth Gordon alone is worth the price) action, a great soundtrack, and yes Clyde the Orangutan, But never let this be seen as just a "Guy with an Ape" movie, that would really do it an injustice, it has SO much more to offer than that. An absolutely great movie. ...

One of Clint Eastwood's most successful films!!!!
Like "Smokey & the Bandit" before it, this movie had the same kind of charm, & despite being set in Los Angeles, it had a down home southern feel to it, offered to Clint to give to his pal Burt Reynolds, Clint liked it so much he asked Burt why he should do it, Reynolds told him to do one, & like "Bandit" did for Reynolds, this one did for Eastwood, who stars as Filo Beddoe, a truck driver who falls for a local singer in a nearby bar only to discover that she has a questionable past, this is pretty much the plot that has a series of running gags where Filo pals around with an ape known as Clyde who basically steals the movie as does Ruth Gordon as Filo's mother who constantly curses Clyde, Filo's run-in with a local motorcycle gang is funny to watch as the leader has a look on his face as to how he ended up with such misfits, as Filo searches for love he encounters all kinds of misfits, in addition to the gang, he runs afoul two idiot cops, & bar room brawlers, a fun movie that was a change of pace for Eastwood, & featured his then-girlfriend Sondra Locke who has a secret all her own, if you liked "Smokey & the Bandit", you will love this one!!!

Great Film. Ape Death Story Is Bogus
Fantastic film which represents a by-gone era in films. The films of the 1970's were simply better because while Hollywood was still interested in making a buck, they still wanted to make good films. Now it's all about the buck, who cares if it's good as long as it turns a profit. Pick this one up and keep it in your library as a monolith of better times gone by.

By the way, it is my understanding the original Clyde died of natural causes. The "donut beating" story has been circulated by the PETA Extremists for their hate filled fodder.

Good Film and it works in my Region 2 players!!!!
One line to sum the film up - "This film is a classic"

I have been waiting to get it for ages, and I finally bought a Multi Region player (We have 3 Region players as well). The film arrived, I watched it - and then decided to try it on the other players - and to my amazment it worked. I tried Any Which You Can in the Region 2 players as well and it worked.

I got another R1 DVD and that didnt, so I guess its a one off of this DVD.

Poor "Clyde"
Interesting that none of these reviews mentions the fact that Clyde (who was named Buddha by his trainers) was beaten so severely (for stealing doughnuts on the set) by his trainers that he died of brain hemorrhage. They replaced him, quietly, for the sequal. Primates are brutally dominated by their trainers in order to do the smallest actions (like smiling, which is a sign or fear in the wild). It isn't entertaining, it's cruel. Don't spend money on films that exploit animals. Grow up. ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Still Delightful After All These Years
High Spirits is the kind of movie that the whole family can enjoy. Although the title would indicate that this may be a ghost story, there is nothing to fear. The ghost sequences are only the slightest bit "creepy" and soon lose all their edge when we meet the ghosts themselves. (Liam Neeson and Daryl Hannah) Most folks would probably not mind being haunted by one of these two!

This movie has two BIG things going for it. Number one is the cast, all of whom just shine. Big names of Guttenberg, Hannah, Neeson, D'angelo and most notably O'toole can almost guarantee a good time. Peter O'toole, as always, is especially endearing.

The other thing this movie has is pure charm. Its a good old fashioned almost disneyesque kind of film. Its a love story with enough fun in it to keep everybody entertained. Its MAIN charm comes from the setting. A quaint old "haunted" Irish castle where the servants have a beautiful old fashioned brogue. I found myself wishing I was there on several ocassions. Some will say it is insipid and has no social value. This is true. Its just good old fashioned movie fun. Sit back, kick off your shoes and enjoy. :)

Fabulous Phantoms!
Despite the critics views, I love this movie.... Peter O'Toole is wonderful as a titled Irishman trying to keep his family castle by infesting it with home-made ghosts (the castle staff) to attract an international, phantom-following clietele. A bickering couple from America (Steve Guttenberg and Beverly D'Angelo) discover that there really are authentic ghostly denizens of the castle (Liam Neeson and Daryl Hannah--- he murdered her 200 years before in a fit of jealous passion, and they are doomed repeatedly to reenact the event)-- Steve Guttenberg falls for Daryl, and Liam is randy for Beverly D'Angelo. Peter O'Toole's relationship with his dear old deceased Dad-- wonderful... Entertaining(at times hilarious!), engaging and original; A Might-Have-Been-Great, but still WAY Entertaining movie--- and one I was lucky enough to find on video!

My favorite movie of all time.
It really is! I think everyone has that one movie they never tire of watching whether it's an Oscar winner or not and this is mine. When life gets me down I can pop this DVD in and get lost in this wonderful haunted castle. No other movie I've found has so much "castle" ambiance. I love the large cast as well, only wish more time was spent portaying the wacky Irish staff. Watching it for the first time on my 60" widescreen was a double delight in that all the background detail unnoticed on a smaller set becomes evident, adding new dimension to the film. I even plan on visiting Castle Dromore someday which is the castle this movie was set in. It really is a shame that Neil Jordan's career began a downward spiral after this movie was released with such terrible reviews. Gutenberg and Hannah were probably the real reasons for the bad reviews, not the direction. Luckily he made a comeback years later with another favorite of mine, Interview with a Vampire. Any fan of castles or 80's comedy will really enjoy this one.

Indescribably funny
To save his castle from becoming an attraction in Malibu, Peter Plunkett (Peter O'Toole) came up with a scheme to turn the castle into castle most haunted in the area. Unknown to him is that the castle is haunted and visitors are really really really going to find out just how haunted it is. And if that is not enough Martin Brogan (Liam Neeson) had warts, his feet stank, and he squished.

Be sure to purchas the MGM DVD and not the poor quality Video Treasures VHS

O'Toole and Cast are hilarious!!
This is one of the funniest films I've ever seen. Peter O'Toole and this amazing cast have cooked up a class-act comedy with lots of spooks galore. A must have for the comic collector! ... Read more

Amazon.com

You know exactly what you're getting in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation: another goofball, slapstick comedy of chaos and catastrophe with Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) and family. This time, there's no traveling involved: Clark and Ellen (Beverly D'Angelo) prepare for a nice Christmas with the kids (played by none other than Juliette Lewis and Roseanne star Johnny Galecki), when their home is invaded by backwoods cousin Eddie (Randy Quaid) and his brood, along with assorted other crazy and/or stuffy relatives. Complications, of course, are inevitable. The film is preceded by National Lampoon's Vacation (1983) and National Lampoon's European Vacation (1985) and followed by National Lampoon's Vegas Vacation (1997). Directed by Jeremiah Chechik, who went on to do Benny & Joon and the Sharon Stone remake of Diabolique. --Jim Emerson ... Read more

Reviews (209)

A Christmas Classic!
The film that inspired a whole generation of exterior illuminators! Subsequent to the release of this film, houses soon began Christmas-light makeovers, which I think really adds to the atmosphere of the season! Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo are superb in this John Hughes classic Christmas comedy - as is Randy Quaid. Clark W Griswold Jnr is anxious to have the 'perfect' old fashioned, fun, family Chritmas. But, as usual, nothing goes according to plan: Getting stuck under a truck in the opening minutes... becoming psychotic over the failing of the thousands of lights he's added to the building... ruining the Christmas of Tod and Margo (their yuppie, bourgesois next door neighbours)...Eddie (Quaid) kidnapping Clark's boss because Clark didn't recieve his bonus cheque, needed to pay for a swimming pool...a storm sewer exploding (and the poor cat!)...the tree getting burnt...etc...Leading to the house teetering on 'the threshold of Hell'! There are many great moments in this movie. My personal favourite is when he takes Eddie and the kids sledging: a silicone-based kitchen lubricant Clark's company invented is smeared onto his sledge, propelling him like a rocket! The scenery is so Christmassy here. I have a selection of Christmas movies I stack around the video at this time of year. Christmas Vacation takes prime position. I have seen it *so* many times yet I am still not bored with it. Note: There is mild bad language in the PG version, but for those with younger children, some versions have worse. I really don't know why Hughes had to do this; this film could be accessible to all, as with Miracle On 34th Street (Hughes' remake). As is usual with John Hughes, those typical huge mansions (as with Home Alone, Ferris Bueller and Uncle Buck) feature. The photography is very Christmassy and it just might get you in the mood... The DVD has the trailer (including the other Vacation trailers), different language options, production notes etc... I am glad to have found a site that sells those reindeer egg nog glasses too!

At Long Last!!!!!!!!!!
Finally, after all this time, Warner Brothers have come to their senses. On October 7th, we will be treated to a heftly helping of one of the greatest Christmas films to ever grace the silver screen............in WIDESCREEN.

I was extremely disappointed with the previous DVD release of this film which contained a pan & scan presentation and nothing more than a theatrical trailer in the extras department.

What we have here is a special edition of this great movie, which will contain audio commentary from both Beverly D'Angelo and Chevy Chase, a "making of" featurette, as well as other stocking stuffers which have yet to be disclosed at this present time.

Being a huge fan of this movie, I honestly can't wait for this release. "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" has become a holiday tradition in my home, and to be able to see it the way it was intended to be seen is truly a treat for me.

Aside from the features of the disk, the film itself is the true gift. One of the funniest movies today which still withstands the test of time even 15 years later. The premise is simple. Clark W. Griswold (Chevy Chase) is hell bent on having an old-fashioned family Christmas in his home, relatives and all. Of course, the hilarity kicks in when things start to go awry. There are so many hilarious scenes in this movie, it would be difficult to list them all. You have everything from an electrocuted cat, to a house with the brightest Christmas light display known to man. Let's not forget the dried up turkey, the saucer sled and the dog/squirrel chase! There's so much more I could say to praise this movie, but if you haven't already seen it, [I won't say more]

The Griswalds are great
The group at national lampoon have a real winner in this one. It is the christmas from hell, and about the greatest christmas comedy there is. It is decided to have an old fashion christmas... all the family on both sides gathering together to celebrate christmas, and the joy of family. Well, it is national lampoon, so you know thats not all together whats going to happen. When you mix in-laws, snooty neighbors, alcohol, and the less desirable part of any family, you get something great! It's 97 minutes of National Lampoons best!

Phenominal
This has to be one of the best "Vacation" movies made yet. I cannot express this enough. It's definitly on my list of all time Christmas Classics, and you can still watch it throughout the year!

The "Vacation" movies really dig into almost any typical American's search to make the perfect vacation, life, experience for their family. Chevy Chase and Beverly DiAngelo just highlight it and make it all funny. I have had many friends and neighbors we could dub "the Grizwolds" over the years because of the bumbling things they've tried to do and these movies hit home, especially Christmas Vacation.

Buy it, love it!

The Griswold Family's Christmas From Hell
It's amazing that Chevy Chase wasn't maimed or killed during the making of this movie. I know, there were plenty of stunt players who fell off the roof, crashed through the attic, were flung about into brick walls, etc.---but still! Chevy, who had a well-publicized stint in the Betty Ford Clinic for addiction to painkillers (due to extreme back pain caused by, of all things, his numerous falls on "Saturday Night Live" in the 1970's while spoofing then-President Gerald Ford---how ironic is that???), certainly took on a certain level of risk in reprising his role as the perpetually clumsy, but good-intentioned, WASP patriarch Clark Wilhelm Griswold, Jr. in this, the third installment of the VACATION series by Chase's old comedy troupe, National Lampoon.

Having not seen (as of yet, believe it or not) either VACATION or EUROPEAN VACATION, I was a bit unfamiliar with the main characters; however, CHRISTMAS VACATION got me to know them real fast. I have to admit, I have not been a Chevy Chase fan since the '70's, during and immediately after his SNL days. (Let's face facts, the show made him an instant star, but he was never really one of the funniest members of the Not-Ready-for-Prime-Time Players.) However, I believe that he gives a truly inspired comedic performance in CHRISTMAS VACATION. I'm not even referring to the copious physical comedy he displays. I'm actually talking about his comedic acting! I love the manic energy with which Chase infuses his role, and the crazed look in his eye when his character is pushed over the edge. Beverly D'Angelo, as patient but frequently unamused wife Ellen, provides a good low-key foil for his over-the-top antics. She's well-cast and, I must say, beautiful.

As far as acting talent goes, this film has no shortage in this department. A pre-stardom Juliette Lewis is welcome as Griswold daughter Audrey, and a very young Johnny Galecki is engaging as her kid brother Russell (three years before he was cast as Darlene's lazy boyfriend David on the hit TV show "Roseanne"). We also get memorable performances from E.G. Marshall, Doris Roberts, an unrecognizable Dianne Ladd, and a hysterically funny William Hickey. Rounding out the mix is Randy Quaid as filthy slob Cousin Eddie (who parks his trailer in the driveway), Nicholas Guest and Julia-Louis Dreyfus as the bland and stuck-up neighbors next door, and Brian Doyle-Murray who serves up good moments as Clark's old crabby boss.

The problem with CHRISTMAS VACATION is that, while it does contain some very funny scenes with lots of great, memorable one-liners, it is marred by inferior direction on the part of first-time director Jeremiah Chechik. He tends to interlace the fast-paced physical scenes with long, slow ones that grind the movie to a dead halt every time. While I didn't expect the level of non-stop, lightning-paced zaniness a la AIRPLANE!, these extended slow breaks (that usually focus on a character staring dreamily into the sky) are awkwardly placed and paced, and thereby create an uneven viewing experience. However, John Hughes' smart and wickedly funny script pretty much saves the day. I wouldn't add this to the list of perennial must-see Christmas films (such as A CHRISTMAS STORY or IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE), but CHRISTMAS VACATION does offer a lot of fun for the whole family (except for kids under the age of 10, as the language is well-seasoned with four-letter words). If it does nothing else, this film should make you feel a lot better about your Christmas!

MODERATELY RECOMMENDED ... Read more

Amazon.com

Edward Norton was nominated for a 1998 Best Actor Oscar for his role asDerek Vinyard, a thoughtful kid turned neo-Nazi after his father is slain.Edward Furlong plays his younger brother, Danny, determined to follow in his brother's footsteps.The easy routes the film seems prepared to take never materialize.It continually makes Derek's transformation both in and out of his racist beliefs believable and persuasive.Stacy Keach is given the head vampire role of the local skinhead chapter, Cameron, and he's the closest this film comes to an overt overstatement.Norton, however, is fantastic, embodying a person who roller-coasters through hatred like he can't wait to ride again.His diatribes are not unlike what can be heard on any given conservative radio station on any given day, but he doesn't spew them as cant or screed.Only when his violent emotions take charge, negating any sense or stand, is the underlying fallacy and nature of his beliefs made plain. This film was undermined by the film's own director, Tony Kaye, who made such a braying ass of himself and his work that it distorted the public's view of what is an interesting social and psychological lesson in the war between ideas and ideologues, reason and racism. --Keith Simanton ... Read more

Reviews (555)

This film was flat out amazing!!
Derek Vinyard (Edward Norton) loses his father Dennis (William Russ), who is a firefighter , that died putting out a firefighter in a crack house. Ever since then, Derek has been filled with hate, rage, violence, and racism. He joins up with Cameron Alexander ( Stacey Keach) who is the leader of the Nazi movement in Los Angeles. One night Derek catches three African American men breaking into his car, and he kills them. Derek is sent to prison for six years. While inside, Derek reluctantly becomes friends with an African American prisoner named Lamont (Guy Torry). Over time, Lamont causes Derek to realize that all his hate and anger never made his life any better. Now he is out and a changed man. Unfortunately , his brother Danny ( Edward Furlong) is headed in the exact same direction Derek was, and loves the life of a Nazi. Now it is up to Derek to save his brother and teach him the true meaning of redemption.

"American History X" is one of the best films that I have ever seen. The story is amazing, all the actors are outstanding, and the script provides for shocking scenes and great dialogue overall. The film takes an extremely controversial look at racism and shows just how damaging it can be. Watching the film unfold will leave you in awe. The parts dealing with Derek's past are shot in black and white to give them more of an ominous appeal. The present is shot in color to give the appearance of hope. Edward Norton gives the performance of his career as Derek Vinyard. He plays both sides of the character great. He is very convincing as a skinhead, and after prison shows that redemption is possible. Edward Furlong in my opinion did the best job in the movie. Furlong supplies extremely realistic emotion to let the audience know the inner conflict that his character is dealing with. The reason the character has such an impact on the film is because he is only trying to be like his brother. The rest of the cast was filled with excellent actors that include Stacey Keach, Avery Brooks, Ethan Suplee, Beverly De Angelo, and Fairuza Balk.

"American History X" is a highly controversial and disturbing film. It has shocking scenes and a realistic look at racism. But the story and characters are emotionally driven, and Derek's fight towards retribution is inspriring! It is an entertaining film, but an important one as well. A truly memorable classic.

Racism learned and unlearned
Wow. I didn't want to watch this movie at first, but it has since become one of my all-time favorites. It is incredibly graphic in almost all areas (nudity, violence, language), but only to hammer the lifestyle these characters live home.

The movie stars Edward Norton as Derek, a Neo-Nazi skinhead in the city of Venice Beach, Cali. Angered by his father's death and the circumstances surrounding it, he turns to a path of race hatred culminating in the brutal killings of 2 black men. In prison, he learns that his rhetoric and propaganda won't save him here - he must rely on bribes paid to other race groups to survive. After a brutal rape by fellow skinheads, he renounces his racist views and, once released from prison, must prevent his younger brother Danny from following in his footsteps.

This is a very powerful movie, with scenes that can shock and sicken. It carries the highest possible RSAC ratings for violence, language, and sexuality. Beyond all that, however, you'll find an excellent film with a powerful message.

Incredible Film
This movie will, quite simply put, blow you away. An incredible look into the mind of Derek Vinyard(a skin head) and his little brother Danny Vinyard(a up coming skin head). You will find yourself repulsed at times as you catch yourself actually findng their convoluted arguements for white supremecy to make sense. Edward Norton took this part and made it his own and drags you into the movie in such a way that by the end you really feel like you've known the characters for years. This is not for those with weak stomachs, nor those who, for example, have trouble sitting through the first few scenes of a movie like Clockwork Orange, it has near the same gut wrenching effect. But like a Kubrick film, once you get past the initial nausea you truly learn something about a societal battle. This is an amazing work on the foundations of racism in America and how a family overcomes it.

listen close
this movie has a lot of skinhead philosophy in it.some crips try to steal a guys truck that his father who was killed by crackheads.he father was putting out a fire in thier crack den during the rodney king riots when a black dude shot him.so,the guy goes down and chases them off.things get intense and a few would be car jackers get killed by the skinhead dude.the crazy guy in fight club is the skin head.most people will be too offended by this movie to allow thier kids to watch it.it is the best movie involving racism ive ever seen.there is one very nasty part where some guys in prison rape the skinhead.once again,there is no place for this in movies.no one likes rape.no one like guys doing it.so why must we be forced to watch this?oh!its because the black guys who made this movie wanted to take a cheap shot at whites as if to say "if you are a white racist we will rape you but its perfectly alright to be a black racist."i think all racism should be taken out of movies.the slaves were freed over 130 years ago.ww2 was over 50 years ago.jfk officialy made everyone eqiual in the 60s.so,get the hell over it already!its old news.the chick from waterboy is the skinhead dudes ol lady.they get busy but no nudity.they do show guys butts in prison.ok,as long as youre reading this,WE LOVE BOOBIES AND HATE NAKED AND PARTIALY NAKED MEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!the message here is cant we all just get along?or at least shut up about it?fight club is better.this one is way better than waterbot though.its good but will rub a lot of people the wrong way due to its inability to take a side.

amasing...nothing like it
this movie is the most amasing movie ive seen. there is no other movie like it. This movie shows how anyone can change and that u shouldnt judge people by there race. i could watch this movie over and over again. this movie is remarkable. its sad its mean its basicly everything a movie can be. i think this is edward nortons greatest movie and the same with edwark furlong. i think that everyone should watch this movie no matter what ages. even if it is graphic anyone can learn from this movie. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

This is *the* 80's movie!!!!
This is one of the greatest movies ever made in the 80's. It is so funny. Ally Sheedy is great as the spoiled Jessie Montgomery who goes from riches to rags and Beverly D'Angelo is excellant as fairy godmother Stella whom Jessie calls a 'major whacko!' (It's so 80's!) The best part would have to be when Merry Clayton (who plays the maid Audrey) belts out a 'lovely little ballad' called 'I can Still Shine!' That song is so good but I can't find it anywhere. Valerie Perrine and Dick Shawn are also good as Jessie's employers Mr. and Mrs. Starkey (Mrs. Starkey kind of reminds me of my yearbook advisor) but that's ok! Great movie! A must-see!

A fairy godmother helps a spoiled little rich girl grow up
Any movie that has Beverly D'Angelo as the fairy godmother is going to be my kind of movie. I have been a fan of D'Angelo's ever since she played Patsy Cline, including doing all of her own singing, in "Coal Miner's Daughter," and when I saw "National Lampoon's Vacation" I was not disappointed to discover that the film's R rating did not involve nudity because of the scene with Christie Brinkley in the swimming pool. Besides, when you throw supporting performances by Tom Skerritt and Merry Clayton into this film, you can forgive a lot of the shortcoming of "Maid to Order."

D'Angelo's fairy godmother is named Stella (interesting, since D'Angelo got rave reviews for a television production of "A Streetcar Named Desire" in which she played Stella Kowalski), who shows up to deal with spoiled little rich girl Jessie Montgomery (Ally Sheedy) who needs to learn a lesson. This means going the riches to rags route by coming home from a party one morning and discovering that nobody remembers her, including her father (Skerritt). It looks like Jessie is going to have to try to make it on her own and the future does not look bright.

Jessie eventually manages to get a job as a maid (saw that one coming, did you?) for rock 'n' roll promoter Stan Starkey (Dick Shawn) and his airhead wife Georgette (Valerie Perrine), who are attempting to redefine new money vulgarity. Slowly but surely Jessie learns to do her job and starts to connect with the downstairs staff, who take pity on her even though there is very little to like initially. This includes the cook, Audrey James (Clayton), the maid Maria (Begona Plaza), and the handsome chauffer, Nick McGuire (Michael Ontkean), who become the closest thing Jessie has to family and friends in the brand new world in which she has to live.

"Maid to Order" is fairly predictable and while we never really believe that Jessie was evil rather than stupid, there are a couple of heartfelt moments when she realizes that whatever she was it was wrong to be that way. The strength of the film remains the relationships she forms with the rest of the staff, which matters in the big magical moment when she has the opportunity to wish for anything in the world and she actually thinks of her friends instead of herself. This 1987 film might be predictable, but at least "Maid to Order" never gets stupid, which means this sweet little comedy comes from Amy Holden Jones out ahead in the end.

What a story!
I first saw this on TV, I think it was on UPN Local TV. I have since gotten ahold of the DVD. Beverly D'Angelo plays a stunning role as Ally Sheedy's Fairy Godmother; Ally Sheedy becomes poor and must get a job as a maid. Everyone she had always known is now under a spell and does not recognize her including her friends, her father, his workers, and his friends and colleagues. It is a bit of a tear jerker but there's a lot of humor mixed in mostly aimed a reality, "Life is not fair". All in all it is a dose of the real world for Ally Sheedy! On the DVD, the only options are to play the movie and to select a scene, but most mid-eighties movies are like that with no special features. I find that they usually update them with an anniversary DVD depending on how well it does. Being that it just came out about a year and a half ago on DVD, it may be a while before there is an anniversary DVD, perhaps in 2007 as a 20th anniversary DVD!*****

1980s tale of riches to rags
Brat Packer Ally Sheedy plays rich girl Jesse Montgomery who is careless about her finances and other people-- when cut off by her well-meaning dad, she borrows money off the butler -- who works for a living unlike her! I love how Jesse is supposed to be so cool and fashionable because in retrospect those 1980s hair and fashion are so heinous.

When her father says he wishes he never had her, a fairy godmother (Beverly D'Angelo) makes it true. Jesse is rebvorn as someone with no past. Her family, friends and dog have no idea who she is and she is ordered off the property. She has no money and only the fancy dirty dress she wore to her last party. Now she has to look for work.

She goes to a temp agency that has just received a call for a white maid. ("There is no such thing as a white maid in Los Angeles", says the woman seconds before Jesse appears with no credentials and experience. Such a racist premise as comedy could only come from the 1980s.)

Jesse is placed with a wealthy family that knows her father, but she was be subservient to all of them. Her ineptitude and idiocy make her realize how badly she has behaved in the past and that, since she does not know when if ever she will go back to her old life, she better learn to be a good maid and quick.

If you like a good 1980s romp that is feel-good, this is for you!

Taking The Road Less Traveled
Maid To Order is one of those small budget movies that proves that it is worth its weight despite its simplicity.

The movie stars Ally Sheedy (Breakfast Club, St. Elmo's Fire) and was filmed during the 80s. Ally plays a spoiled rich brat named Jesse.

She could careless about her life and those around her. She spends her father's money without care. Her dad doesn't control her because he just wants to make up for her mother's death.

Tom Skerritt(Alien, Contact) plays dad to Ally Sheedy, and he starts to learn that his daughter has no conscience.

He becomes so fed up with her disrespectful behavior that he wishes that he never had a daughter. His wish is granted by a fairy godmother named Stella played by the one and only Beverly D'Angelo (National Lampoon's Vacation).

Jesse doesn't take the situation seriously but learns quick when her father doesn't recognize or acknowledge her. Jesse is forced to take care of herself. Jesse pleads for Stella to fix the situation but Stella knows that Jesse is completely insincere.

Stella tells Jesse that if she wants her old life back, she needs to make some improvements. Jesse asks how and Stella bluntly tells her to get a job.

What does a kid that has never had to work a day in her life do with herself? She becomes a maid. Ironically, she becomes the maid of a rich Beverly Hills couple.

Of course, you know that this movie serves the purpose to teach you a lesson, which is about taking responsibility for your actions and your life.

However, I won't say anymore and let you discover things for yourself.

Watch this movie! It is funny, sweet, and charmy. It's a feel good movie.

The only reason I give this movie 4 stars is for the lackluster transfer of the movie to DVD.

However, I am just amazed they decided to release this film gem on DVD. Thanks to Artisan for releasing this wonderful 80s movie. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

The Age of Aquarius is brought to life by the filmmaker who made Amadeus a household word. Milos Forman directed this version of James Rado, Gerome Ragni, and Galt MacDermot's landmark musical in 1979 between his Oscar-winning films One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Amadeus. With mixed reviews (Gene Siskel named it that year's best film) and lukewarm box-office grosses, the film all but disappeared from the collective consciousness. Yet the film beautifully delivers on its promise to bring the '60s back to life. Hair re-creates a colorful world of counterculture finding an anvil to pound on: the Vietnam War. Forman and his design team allow the film to wash over you, starting at the free-flowing opening in which masses of hippies, police, and even their horses eagerly groove to the familiar beat of "Aquarius." In the best work of his career, Treat Williams makes his leading- man debutas Berger, the leader of the Central Park troop who takes draftee Claude (John Savage) under his wing on his trip through New York City and the apex of what the '60s was. The new recording of the music is quite fine, with Chicago band member Don Dacus's rendition of the title song a highlight. As Berger's pièce de résistance number says, "I've Got Life"; so does the film, right down to its poignant declaration to "let the sunshine in." --Doug Thomas ... Read more

Reviews (65)

Beautiful Score, Amazing Choreography
"Hair" boasts one of the most beautiful scores in Broadway history. While the film changes the plot, it keeps most of the songs and even adds some stunning dance numbers.

Set in the 60's, filmed in the late 70's, the film shows its age. Still the amazing score shines. Some of the best numbers include:

*the still popular "Age of Aquarius" and "Let the Sun Shine" both of which became anthems for an era.
*the haunting "Easy to Be Hard," sung by Cheryl Barnes with cutaways of a little boy that will break your heart
*"Good Morning Starshine" sung primarily by Beverly D'Angelo (the Mom in Chevy Chase's Vacation Movies!)
*"Hair" the title song performed by one of the lead singers of the band Chicago

Twyla Tharp, pre her major fame, choreographed much of the movie. It shows.

As for the plot, well it's thin and it has been changed from the play. An Oklahoma boy wanders into Central Park, a few days before he is to ship off to boot camp for Vietnam. He befriends some "hippies," led by Berger "Treat Williams" and falls in love with Sheila (Beverly D'Angelo), a debutante who ride her horse through Central Park. It's all an excuse for the songs-HOWEVER, the final scenes-including one of hundreds of soldiers marching into a plane heading to Vietanm-turn darker and are far more thought provoking.
I would recommend this movie to those individuals who crave 60's entertainment in any form. Also-if you enjoyed "Moulin Rouge," you probably will like this movie.

Hair: Revisiting the Age of Aquarius...
Ever since it opened off-Broadway in 1967, the Tribal Love Rock Musical "Hair" has been spreading it's message of love, harmony, understanding, and mystisism everywhere. It's catchy and well written music brought musical theatre into the new decades. Still, today, there continues to be a following throughout the world for this musical.

This film was directed by Milos Formann, who is famous for "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and "Amadeus." This film was made in 1979, a decade after the musical's debut. The music was influenced greatly by the 1970's pop funk and disco entanglements. (The original musical was a more rock-based sound, which unfortunatly is not captured in this film's revival of the score.) Starring here, is Treat Williams as Berger, John Savage as Claude, and even Nell Carter, who is in the ensemble.

Every time I watch this, I have to cringe at the plot structure of this film. It leaves behind the organized chaos of the original musical, and turns it into something that they thought would be "exceptable" to the movie-going audience. Indeed, the cast getting undressing completly, and showing drug-induced hallucinations, are barely filmable, but the script of this is ridiculous at best. We turn Claude into an Oklahoma enlistee, and Berger into a hippee, who gets sent off to war in his plce. Sheila is no longer a protestor but a rich school girl. What many people have found strange about this film is that the script incorperates touches from the musical, that make no sense on film. As a reason to put nudity into this film, the writers added a skinny dipping scene. An in place f the drug-hallucinations, Claude has a bizarre envisionment of he and Sheila getting married, in a confusing and irevalent dance sequence. (When you see the movie, you will see what I mean.)

The portrayals are excellent, however. John Savage is an interesting Claude, but his singing throughout the film was a bit confused. Treat Williams is literally, a treat (sorry for the pun), when it comes to his amazing voice during the songs "Donna" and his solos in "Let the Sunshine In." His acting was just as good, but one admits to wishing that he had better material to work with. Beverly D'Angelo is a sweet Sheila, and her rendition of "Good Morning Starshine" is very cute. I would have liked to see her perform the part, as it was written in the musical. She would have had a much better chance of getting noticed as a wonderful actress.

The music is, of coarse, excellent. The score is still unmatch when it comes to rock-musicals. The lyrics echo the spirit of the time period, and the music mirrors the rebelious personality of the people of the era. The only qualm I have is that this movie makes Hair seem a bit outdated. The entire score has been redone to fit a disco-flavour mood, that does not capture the poignancy of the original.

Overall, this is a film to be watch on moderation. Watch it on a Friday afternoon before leaving to a night out. It isn't the type of thing you will want to see over and over, but it leaves an impression on you. Most people will enjoy it as a film - not as a valid representation of the musical. I hope that you watch it in that light. Otherwise, you will find yourself a bit disapointed at the end.

hair
the most underrated musical of our time. Anyone who loves great music will love this movie. A powerful score keeps the movies heart thumping throughout, definetly worth the wait to see on dvd.

Ready for another generation
We showed this movie to our young daughters last night. Prompted by a growing sense of anti-war feelings we're experiencing with the daily reports of growing death tolls in Iraq, we felt it was appropriate. They were rapt. I think it was primarily the music and Twyla Tharp's choreography; however, the girls asked a lot of questions, and I think it gave them a little better understanding of what many teenagers felt during the Viet Nam War.

The movie version of this story is a worthy effort, made great by Milos Forman. The quality is not as I remembered it back when I saw it in the movie theater in 1980. And while our expectations of quality may have changed, our expectations of a good, entertaining film have not. Hair has grown into another generation of viewers who can appreciate it on many levels. It's worth another look.

it was a good effort
This is a prime example of a great director, Milos Forman (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Amadeus) making a film that doesn't quite pull together. It's a good effort though. Start with one of the great musicals of all time, Hair. It is one of those that needed to be put on film (like the more recent Chicago). But in this case it didn't quite transfer successfully to film. One problem I think was casting Treat Williams as Berger. The acting was a little off. The dialogue was a little off. And the musical numbers didn't quite mesh in with the film (like they do in Grease, Chicago, or Moulin Rouge). I applaud the effort by Forman, if not the finished project. ... Read more

Reviews (31)

Scary flick!
"The Sentinel" is a grand 1970's horror film staffed with a cast rivaling the pictures made by Robert Altman or Irwin Allen. I can't remember the last time I saw a film with so many recognizable faces--Christopher Walken, Chris Sarandon, Beverly D'Angelo, Burgess Meredith, John Carradine, Jerry Orbach, Jeff Goldblum, Ava Gardner, Martin Balsam, Jose Ferrar, Eli Wallach, Arthur Kennedy, and Tom Berenger all pop up in roles both major and minor throughout the film. "The Sentinel" obviously takes films like "The Omen," "Rosemary's Baby," and "The Exorcist" as its role models, and it holds up surprisingly well in comparison. When I stumbled over this film a few months ago, I was quite astounded I had never heard of it before considering I am such a fan of 1970's horror films dealing with satanic influences. Michael Winner, the director who presented us with such classic cinema as "Scorpio," "Death Wish," and "The Mechanic," gives us his all in this chilling story about a gateway to Hell and the poor souls entrusted to protect the rest of us from the evil spirits dwelling there. The movie is an adaptation of a book written by Jeffrey Konvitz.

A model named Alison Parker and her successful lawyer boyfriend Michael Lerman (Christina Raines and Chris Sarandon respectively) begin their descent into madness when Parker rents a room in a creepy old apartment building from mysterious real estate agent Miss Logan (Ava Gardner). The model soon discovers her new dwellings possess a decidedly sinister atmosphere--a blind priest sits and stares out of the window of the top floor apartment, an elderly creep spouting cryptic comments (Burgess Meredith) keeps dropping by, and a couple of females in an extremely close relationship live in a neighboring apartment. Within a few days of moving in, Parker begins to hear strange noises, starts having vivid memories of a suicide attempt she made as a child, sleepwalks, and discovers a few hideous secrets about the other tenants in the building. By the time Alison starts having fainting fits during fashion shoots, her boyfriend Michael steps in and starts investigating the strange apartment building. Lerman's nosing around brings in a couple of detectives (Wallach and Walken) who remember well how Michael's first wife died under mysterious circumstances. When bodies start turning up, "The Sentinel" becomes a race to discover what evil lurks in the apartment building before the cops pin the weirdness on Lerman.

Winner's film evokes shudders on numerous levels. You'll gasp in surprise several times during the film, from the eventual revelations about the strange residents to what Beverly D'Angelo's character does when Alison Parker pays a visit (I had to replay that scene a couple of times just to convince myself that I did really see that. Purely from an academic aspect, of course. Honest.). I've seen several films where Burgess Meredith works hard at being weird--"Burnt Offerings" is an excellent example--but I don't remember him ever attaining the level of bizarre he does here. He's downright disturbing as the elderly neighbor who drops in on Raines's character from time to time. The conclusion of the film definitely constitutes one of the more disturbing endings I have seen in a horror film, and it does so with a lot less gore than you would expect. I thought the plot of "The Sentinel" was a good one, a plot both frighteningly offbeat and effectively eerie.

I had a lot of fun watching for famous faces. Most of the actors who appeared in the film weren't that well known yet, and they look younger than you could ever imagine. Jeff Goldblum plays a pushy fashion photographer, Beverly D'Angelo turns up as a lesbian with a penchant for showmanship, and Christopher Walken plays a cop. Walken especially is humorous to watch. He only has about two lines in the entire film yet still manages to exude his now famous sense of weirdness. Chris Sarandon has since become a better known actor through such roles as the vampire in "Fright Night," and Jerry Orbach made a name for himself as a character actor in films ("Brewster's Millions") and as one of the cops in the television show "Law and Order." The only real mystery here is Christina Raines as Alison Parker. Here's an actress in the lead role in a film loaded with young and old talent alike, and she barely makes a splash. In fact, she hasn't made a movie or television show since the late 1980s. What happened? Personally, I didn't care for her character in the movie or how she played the part. Even worse, considering she's supposed to be playing a big buck fashion model, she isn't very attractive. You will have a better time watching the interesting mix of actors and actresses instead of focusing on Raines's histrionic performance.

"The Sentinel" doesn't provide much in the way of extras outside of a trailer and some production notes. Even the picture transfer isn't all that good, unfortunately. You would figure a movie loaded with so many once was and would be stars would get a better treatment. Oh well, give the movie a shot if you love horror. Creepy, grotesque, and shocking--"The Sentinel" managed to surprise me, a jaded horror aficionado, more than a few times. Let's hope they rerelease the movie on a DVD with a better picture transfer, more extras, and perhaps a commentary from the likes of Sarandon.

Great atmosphere, a stunning cast, well worth watching!
This is a classic '70s style horror film, probably quite shocking at the time, and still very effective today. Atmosphere is everything in this film, but be prepared for a few truly shocking jolts as well.

The story is pretty straight forward. A young woman moves into a new apartment where strange occurrences begin to take place...but the story is in the details, and the wonderful performances of an amazingly chosen cast that consists of a who's who of veteran stars and up & coming talent. Trust me, you'll have a field day spotting such familiar faces such as Chris Sarandon, Burgess Meredith, Eli Wallach, Christopher Walken, Martin Balsam, John Carradine, José Ferrer, Ava Gardner, Arthur Kennedy, Jeff Goldblum, Jerry Orbach, Sylvia Miles, Beverly D'Angelo, William Hickey, Tom Berenger , & Nana Visitor. They don't put together cast like that anymore, even some of the smallest parts have outstanding actors & actresses playing them.

The film features a very effective performance by Cristina Raines that shouldn't be missed.

Excellent Horror Classic; curious difference in story
I have just purchase the DVD from Goodtimes Video of the 70's horror classic. As other customers have noted, it is really worth having, and there is indeed a lot that you will see that is cut out of "TV" versions. However, there is at least one scene missing from the DVD, and I wonder if other viewers have noticed this..that is the scene or scenes that pertain to the group of priests who call themselves "The Brotherhood of the protectors" who had been disbanded from the church for their beliefs. The is at least one scene showing a meeting of the "brothers" that is in my age-old tape of a television broadcast of the film that is not shown in the DVD. However, in the beginning of the DVD, the movie begins in Northern Italy with a group of priests discussing the "danger" as do the "brotherhood" in the "other" version. I also note the another DVD version is set to be released on September 7, 2004 by Umvd. So, I await this release to see if the deleted scene is included. I wonder if anyone would like to comment on this oddity? Aside from this curious detail, I thoroughly enjoyed the DVD from Goodtimes Video.

Look Out For Lippy!
This film was a bit above the standard genre fare being released at the time. I remember going to see it after reading the book and it really freaked me out. Towards the end, when all the "poor souls from hell" appear, they actually used some disfigured people (saving money on fx make-up?). There was this man from Coney Island, we used to call him "Lippy," that scared the hell outta me when I was a kid (in the 60's). He was probably a nice man, but I after the 1st time I saw him I had nightmares for months. I did a double take when I saw him in this movie... it was incredible to have one of your childhood fears realized like that... got me again dude (lol). So look for Lippy at the end of the film...ya can't miss him ; )

Still scary
I remember watching this movie as a kid. It was so eerie and horrifying, and many of the scenes stayed embedded in my head. But I didn't know the title and I had never seen it replayed, or heard people talking about it. It was as if it never even existed. For the last 10 years, I've been going back and rewatching the old horrors I grew up with--like the Omen and Rosemary's Baby--only to be disappointed over and over again (they just aren't scary to me anymore). For years I wanted to watch the Sentinel again, but in a sense I was afraid to ruin the experience I remembered (like seeing the old man stare out the window high up). Finally, after explaining to a friend the five or six things I remembered about the movie, she told me the name of it and I ran to the video store. Surprisingly enough, it was still scary and eerie! ... Read more

Reviews (14)

THANK GOD IT FINALLY MADE ITS WAY TO DVD!!!
This is one the best (and most profitable) of all of Clint Eastwoods movies. It has everything, comedy (Ruth Gordon alone is worth the price) action, a great soundtrack, and yes Clyde the Orangutan, But never let this be seen as just a "Guy with an Ape" movie, that would really do it an injustice, it has SO much more to offer than that. An absolutely great movie. ...

One of Clint Eastwood's most successful films!!!!
Like "Smokey & the Bandit" before it, this movie had the same kind of charm, & despite being set in Los Angeles, it had a down home southern feel to it, offered to Clint to give to his pal Burt Reynolds, Clint liked it so much he asked Burt why he should do it, Reynolds told him to do one, & like "Bandit" did for Reynolds, this one did for Eastwood, who stars as Filo Beddoe, a truck driver who falls for a local singer in a nearby bar only to discover that she has a questionable past, this is pretty much the plot that has a series of running gags where Filo pals around with an ape known as Clyde who basically steals the movie as does Ruth Gordon as Filo's mother who constantly curses Clyde, Filo's run-in with a local motorcycle gang is funny to watch as the leader has a look on his face as to how he ended up with such misfits, as Filo searches for love he encounters all kinds of misfits, in addition to the gang, he runs afoul two idiot cops, & bar room brawlers, a fun movie that was a change of pace for Eastwood, & featured his then-girlfriend Sondra Locke who has a secret all her own, if you liked "Smokey & the Bandit", you will love this one!!!

Great Film. Ape Death Story Is Bogus
Fantastic film which represents a by-gone era in films. The films of the 1970's were simply better because while Hollywood was still interested in making a buck, they still wanted to make good films. Now it's all about the buck, who cares if it's good as long as it turns a profit. Pick this one up and keep it in your library as a monolith of better times gone by.

By the way, it is my understanding the original Clyde died of natural causes. The "donut beating" story has been circulated by the PETA Extremists for their hate filled fodder.

Good Film and it works in my Region 2 players!!!!
One line to sum the film up - "This film is a classic"

I have been waiting to get it for ages, and I finally bought a Multi Region player (We have 3 Region players as well). The film arrived, I watched it - and then decided to try it on the other players - and to my amazment it worked. I tried Any Which You Can in the Region 2 players as well and it worked.

I got another R1 DVD and that didnt, so I guess its a one off of this DVD.

Poor "Clyde"
Interesting that none of these reviews mentions the fact that Clyde (who was named Buddha by his trainers) was beaten so severely (for stealing doughnuts on the set) by his trainers that he died of brain hemorrhage. They replaced him, quietly, for the sequal. Primates are brutally dominated by their trainers in order to do the smallest actions (like smiling, which is a sign or fear in the wild). It isn't entertaining, it's cruel. Don't spend money on films that exploit animals. Grow up. ... Read more

Description

Haunted by the memory of his mother's death, Sean is suspicious of his father's new flame and her ' 'son.' ' But their marriage, followed soon after by his father's mysterious death, leads Sean to uncover a plot that can only be solved by entering the widow's lair. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

BEV IS JUST SO HOT
BEV IS SO HOT!!!!!!! SHE JUST CAN'T QUIT!!!!!! THIS MOVIE IS A REALLY AAAA++++ HOT HOT HOT!!!!! PEOPLE OF BEV'S FANS SHOULD GET THIS ONE. SHE IS A REALLY GOOD ACTRESS!!!! HER BOD IS 110% PURE NATURAL. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK BEV

This movie is red hot!!
This murder mystery is just sizzling hot. Bev D'Angelo and Mackenzie Astin are both hot and gorgeous in this film, and the chemistry between the two of them is just delicious!! The supporting cast is great as well. A great overall plot, plus, an awesome film to get you all "hot and bothered"!

Bev in her hottest film
Bev D'Angelo, a favorite of mine for a long time, is at her HOTTEST when she seduces a rich man for his money. After the man's death she expects to inherit the fortune, she discovers the fortune has been bequeathed to her step son. Her seductive voice, luscious body and sweet but sexy personality makes this film a must have for any Bev fan. My only complaint was there was only one nude scene and it was brief. Also too much time is spent following around the son when it could have been following Bev around in sexy outfits. ... Read more

Reviews (114)

The movie is great but the DVD falls short
I love the National Lampoon's Vacation movie with Chevy Chase and the movie is wonderful and we all know that. My problem here is this 20th anniversary DVD Warner Bros put out First O.K the movie looks great the picture is wonderful and everything that's not the problem it is the real lack of special features that makes me rather dissapointed the best special feature the the commentary it is pretty entertaining there is alot of information that is useful but Harold Ramis who as you hear recorded his away from everyone else probably has the most useful information the others like Chevy Chase Dana Barron Anthony Michael Hall who is basically mute through out the whole darn thing and Randy Quaid and Matty Simmons once in a while come out with some good tidbits but they joke around too much. They talk about that alternate ending when they go to Roy Wally's Mansion instead make him and some people sing and dance for there dime's worth of entertainment and that is how the movie originally ended with no trip ever to Wally World with the Roller Coasters and such and no John Candy in the original ending and they tested the ending with a test audience and they laughed through out the whole film but got Strangly Quiet and never laughed again and just walked out sad. Guess What that alternate ending never made it on the DVD! You think after 20 years with so many loyal fans of this film they would release that ending for at least for interest just to see rare footage of this film. They just drive you nuts here on this DVD all of the special features except the Commentary which is cool everything else stinks. Where is the FEATURETTE? Where is the Making of...? Maybe some outtakes would have made this a bit more cooler and most of all for crying out loud release the alternate ending! What does Warner Bros got to lose! You also get on this DVD this family truckster gallery thing I don't know what else to call it you get this map of that ugly station wagon from the film and you pick highlighted things off of this picture of this wagon and just kind of guess what there going to talk about and it's not that great. I laugh because on that gallery they talk about 10 minutes in different galleries to Christie Brinkley? about her big scene and what she did on her SUMMER VACATION! Also talks to Dana Barron about "Why the heck she was missing from the other films"? also talks to the stunt guy who jumped that ugly station wagon in the desert and there some other stuff like the Theatrical Trailer OOH! and basically that's the movie your best here is the film itself and the commentary other than that it could have been a HECK of alot better maybe they redo the DVD and add better things because what is up with those bits of Chevy Chase Randy Quaid and Matty Simmons sitting with Atari sticks on the couch they act like they had to much to drink they don't make any sense.

The Holiday Road...
It's hard to imagine now, but there was a time when Chevy Chase was cool and funny. In "National Lampoon's Vacation," Chase stars as Clark Griswold, a man determined to drive his family cross-country to see Wally World, "America's Number One Family Theme Park." In the opening scene, Griswold gets stuck with a monstrous (and monstrously ugly) automobile-like contraption dubbed the "Family Truckster."

Unfortunately for him, that's the highpoint of his trip down the holiday road.

Everything that can go wrong does so as the Griswold clan weathers hubcap theft, a sportscar-driving temptress, two deaths and an endless variety of indignities heaped upon Clark himself as the result of his obsessive need to be the perfect husband and father. Chase's wild-eyed expressions as he approaches the brink of insanity are hilarious.

Harold Ramis directs a script by John Hughes (who would later team-up with costar Anthony Michael Hall for a few 80s teen comedies). Beverly D'Angelo tags along as Griswold's long-suffering wife. In-laws and outlaws sharing in the misfortune include Imogene Coca (as cranky Aunt Edna),a hilarious Randy Quaid (they had to bring him back for the last two sequels), a briefly seen Brian Doyle-Murray and swimsuit superstar Christie Brinkley.

This is one of those classic American comedies you really need to have seen by now. It's worth owning inany format. Also watch for John Candy in a brief role near the end... and listen for Harold Ramis' distinct voice (he has one line).All that, and a nude D'Angelo, too; after all, this was the 80s.

The family vacation series of all time
This is one great movie the 1st from the Griswalds all 4 were funny they took a road trip to California.Blah Blah Blah
Yada Yada Yada this was a great movie to see funny Chedder.
Story 10 Acting 10 Directing 9 Action 10 Entertainment 10
Overall=49/50 wich is 98% a lot of laughs in this one

Buy if you like movies this is pretty insane for you.

4.5 stars - a comedy classic
INTRODUCTION:
National Lampoon's Vacation was the first film in the Vacation series of films. For many years, the film has been hailed as a comedy classic. And according to most viewers of this series, the first film is the best one of all. Are they right? And is this twentieth anniversary edition of the DVD a worthwhile buy if you already got the original DVD issue? Read on for my review.

BASIC PLOT:
The storyline of the film goes something like this. A middle-aged man working in the food preservation industry (Chevy Chase) wants to take his wife (Beverly D'Angelo) and children on a road trip to Walley World, one of the nation's biggest and best amusement parks. And he wants to do this in the new car he has ordered. But the vacation turns into a disaster almost instantly - the car company sends him the wrong car, and even once the vacation is in progress, one thing after another goes wrong - with each experience being even more devastating than the last.

FILM OPINIONS:

Anyone who calls this film a comedy classic is right. It's very rare that a film this funny comes along. The acting (Chevy Chase's in particular) is great, and the simplistic storyline prevents things from getting confusing. As has been previously stated, this film predated the Motion Picture Industry of America's PG-13 rating, so even though it's an R rating, it's really not much worse that a modern PG-13 is. If you haven't seen this movie yet, and you're a fan of comedies, what are you waiting for?

DVD:
The so-called "special edition" version of the DVD is a huge disappointment - this is why this set loses half a star. The commentary track is pretty bland, and the "new extras" are pretty much worthless. I recommend getting the original DVD release of the movie, as it is generally priced lower, and NO, you won't be missing anything if you get that version.

OVERALL:
Overall this film is a comedy masterpiece. Sure, the DVD could have been WAY better, but the movie itself more than makes up for this. Movies don't get a whole lot funnier than this one - so what are you waiting for? See it if you haven't yet!

Enjoyable, funny comedy
"Vacation" is an enjoyable, funny comedy that has spawned several sequels, but none have been as good as this one, the original. Chevy Chase is perfectly cast as "Clark Griswald," the determined father who leads his family from Illinios to see an amusement park in California. Along the way they encounter hilarious and sometimes truly bizarre situations. The remainder of the cast, with the exception of Christie Brinkley, are also excellent. I felt Brinkley's appearances in the movie were a distraction from the story, rather than adding to it. One cameo would have been okay, but not more than that.

Despite what you might think, "Vacation" is really not suited for little kids. The film is rated "R" because it has a fair amount of profanity, some of it quite strong, some nudity, and mature themes. ... Read more

Description

When an exclusive role in a Scorsese film is being cast, how far will a group of friends go to get the part and how often will they stab each other in the back? With friends like these...who needs enemies? Year: 1998 Director: Philip Frank Messina Starring:Adam Arkin, Robert Costanzo, Beverly D'Angelo, Elle Macpherson ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Low budget, Big Heart
A group of actor friends test their relationships when all secretly vie with each other for the same role that could be "the one." What transpires is an amiable slice-of-the-barely-working-actor-in-Hollywood life tale, failed only by it's tepid pacing.

The performances are all good -- with a talented cast that includes Amy Madigan, David Straitharn, Elle Macpherson, Lara San Gicomo, Beverly D'Angelo, among many others. The humor is a bit offbeat and neurotic but never strays very far from it's core issues of faith and trust - and what you do when you find your's has been shaken by those you know and love.

Beverly D'Angelo steals every scene she's in, including those with the incomparable Bill Murray (in an unbilled cameo). And Elle Macpherson once again proves she's a quite capable actress when working with good people. If she's still taking acting lessons, I'm sure she got a greater education through osmosis on this set.

Unfortunately, this director seemed less certain of his pacing than he did of his performers, and as a result the film stumbles in places. Luckily, that mistake doesn't overwhelm the overall quality of this highly enjoyable film.

For viewing, I recommend a bowl of popcorn and a companion who appreciates low budget, big heart comedy. ... Read more

Reviews (50)

Better the second time around!
The thing that makes "National Lampoon's European Vacation" stand out from its original predecessor "National Lampoon's Vacation" is the lush, green European scenery combined with the dialogue between the film's characters. Add the delightful comedic talents of Monty Python's Eric Idle, and you have the makings of a hilarious movie, with Idle adding an element of slapstick, screwball physical comedy that occurs with each accident that brings with it a style only Chevy Chase's character, Clark Griswold can create. Dana Hill and Jason Lively fit into their roles as brother and sister Audrey and Russ Griswold quite nicely. Let's not forget the lovely talents of Beverly D'Angelo as Ellen Griswold, whose shower scene in the movie is sort of on the risque side, but ends up being hysterical when she finds it advertised on an Italian billboard due to Clark's accidental videotaping! I did find the kissing scene between John Astin's game show emcee character and the Griswold daughter (Dana Hill) character to be totally inappropriate for a film that the whole family can watch together. If you're into scenic films with a good dose of comedic dialogue and action-adventure, then "European Vacation" is the movie for you! Highly recommended

Funniest Movie, Ever
First I would like to disagree with all the neagtive comments about this movie. I have probbaly seen it a good 500 times. I have worn out 4 videotapes, so to my surprise and delight, it is finally coming out on DVD. I have searched high and low and always wondered why all the other vacation movies were out but not this one..
Anyway, the entire Vacation series in a nutshell, are brillaint, light hearted movies. Though European was the best. There are fun characters and amazing one liners. I love Clark in Germany and on Pig in the Poke... The kids were cool, I love that Rusty, but Audrey made me ill! Can you pass the crousaints, and the butter and the jelly...yuk.
Overall the plot was fun, they win a trip to Europe, on a fluke...Clark, Thats right..Clark, of Lewis and Clark...And the Griswalds' are our grand prize Pig in a Poke winners...and they allow us access to the American disfuncional family life. I think you can relate cause we all have had family vacationos like that, where dad is frustrated, mom is trying t