Reviews (1)

Awesome Video
If you like Charlie Daniels, you will love this video. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

John Travolta traded in disco duds for a cowboy hat in this corny love story about a working man who breaks up with his girlfriend (Debra Winger), then plays out their relationship's turmoil inside a huge honky-tonk called Gilley's. The story essentially parallels Travolta's prior hit film,Saturday Night Fever, in its blend of ordinary life, incomplete relationships, and personal pride channeled into niche stardom at a neighborhood club. But for all its regional flavor, Urban Cowboy never enjoys the immediacy and urgency of Fever, and after awhile you can't help but feel bemused by the macho silliness of ongoing "mechanical bull" competitions (basically a faux rodeo device only brave men can master at great chiropractic risk). The Travolta-Winger relationship is pure soap, as well. But this film really is a kind of time-capsule piece on a lot of levels--notably Travolta's career and late '70s Western kitsch--and while it's silly, it's certainly not disagreeable.--Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (52)

remember drive-ins
Watching this movie at the drive in Pasadena the age of five or six and actually remembering it means somethings. That it was great movie. Now some...I hate to say it, twenty years later. I still think it great. Growing up in Pasadena, and Houston. I can relate to this move. I ain't being biased, I'm just being honest. This movie actually tells the truth about relationships instead of sugar coating it like all the rest the Hollywood chick-flicks try to do. Instead of all the teen love storis and the rich kid and and poor girl from the wrong side of the tracks dying to be with the rich kid. Nope, this movie is as realistic as Hollywood can manage. Sissy and Bud(that is his name...right?) I mean Travolta's character was a spoiled, wanna-be macho redneck but at the end he forgets all that and finds himself still in love Sissy. And yes there are fights in honky-tonks. Aren't there also fights in any other bar. Then again aren't all girls not just country girls trying to get there guy jealous by dancing with other guys at bars also. I hate it when anyone who is not from the south or southeast making fun of people from here. WE are not all stupid inbreeders with a an IQ and education of fifth grader. I am going to end this with saying that this was and still is a great film.

John Travolta is not a country boy!
Urban Cowboy is a tale of idiot hollywood actors trying to be cowboys and cowgirls. This movie reveals I think country people in a bad way. I am a cowboy and I don't even do half the things that these people do in this movie. The writers have revealed country people as real hard dirty sleezy rednecks who go to places like gilleys everynight get into drunk fights have no respect for women and go around having sex with every cowgirl in the place. Then you have John Travolta who ought to be arrested for even putting on a cowboy hat and wearing cowboy boots and wrangler jeans we are talking about the same idiot who played New Yorker in shows like Welcome Back Kotter and lived in Brooklyn and danced in discos in Saturday Night Fever. I don't why anyone casted that guy for the role. Then Debra Winger is not to bad for the role but her character is dismissed in the story as some dumb southern cowgirl who goes around doing it with any cowboy she can find. Then last but not least you have the trashy other friends and actors who all posess Rotten teeth, smoke considerable amounts of cigarettes, and are playing and immatating country cowboys as people with rotten teeth with a third grade intelligence. These actors no nothing about honky tonks and how they are and these actors all come from cities they don't even live in the country so why do they continually act like real morons throughout the movie. The music is another bad ticket in this flop some moron who knows nothing about country music picked the sorriest collection I have ever heard like someone else pointed out in there review its hollywood country music. The only good song they actually picked was Lookin for love by Johnny Lee and to top it off you only hear half of it. Well anyway it gets two stars because it does follow some sort of story line but man is this pathetic.

Poor social message, but still irrestible!
I read some of the other reviews, and it's interesting the reasons that this movie was praised. Basically this movie presents very poor social messages. I mean, it implies that domestic violence, physical fighting with peers, drinking lots, and having sex with people you don't even know just because your mad, is the cool thing to do. So again, I don't approve of the social messages.
On the other hand, if you are between 25-37 years old, you may have a fond place in your heart for this movie, as I do! The characters are attractive, and in the end, love wins out! You see, I love this movie, only because when I first saw it, I was at the age of wanting to find out who I was. And it did seem cool to be around family and friends, dancing, pushing life a little too far, etc. I also think it's one of John Travolta's best movies. He's handsome, strong, and likeable!

A cowboy's must
John Travolta,who became famous for his role of Vinnie Barbarino on the ABC sitcom "Welcome Back Kotter",had two prior megahit starring films,"Saturday Night Fever" and "Grease". In his third megahit,this film,he is Beauford Uan "Bud" Davis,an URBAN COWBOY who moves to Houston from Spur,a small Houston suburb. He lands a job at an oil refinery where his uncle Bob works. Debra Winger is Sissy,who Bud met at Gilley's,the real-life Pasadena,TX honky tonk. Bud and Sissy fall in love and get married at the hot nightspot. Scott Glenn is Wes Hightower,a paroled convict who steals Sissy's heart and keeps it while she and Bud are separated and nearly divorce. Madolyn Smith in her debut,at least on the big screen,is Pam who is Bud's girlfriend during the separation. Country singer Mickey Gilley owns the nightspot with Sherwood Cryer(both appear as themselves in the film). In addition to Gilley,country artists appearing in the film are Bonnie Raitt,Johnny Lee and The Charlie Daniels Band. All four artists have contributed to the soundtrack album. This film was directed by the late James Bridges,whose prior films include SEPTEMBER 30,1955 and THE CHINA SYNDROME. Bridges subsequently directed MIKE'S MURDER also starring Winger,PERFECT,also starring Travolta,and BRIGHT LIGHTS,BIG CITY starring Michael J. Fox. Sadly,Gilley's was burned down in 1989 by a kitchen fire and was later re-christened as Gilley's Mechanical Bull & Nightclub. Travolta would have no megahit films following this one until 1989's LOOK WHO'S TALKING. He won an Oscar for his role in 1994's PULP FICTION and is still going strong in Hollywood today.

DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS
THIS IS A GOOD MOVIE I LOVE IT I ENJOY IT. IT WAS MADE HERE IN HOUSTON, TEXAS. THE BAR WAS IN PASADENA@ THE FAMOUS MICKEY GILLEY'S BAR. I LIKE THIS MOVIE IT REPRESENTS TEXAS AND ALSO IT IS A GREAT LOVE STORY YOU CAN'T BUT FALL IN LOVE WITH THIS MOVIE. DEBRA WINGER AND JOHN TRAVOLTA REALLY DO SOME GREAT ACTING IN THIS MOVIE AND I LOVE IT. I WOULD RECOMMEND YOU TO BUY THIS MOVIE IF YOU ARE A FAN OF JOHN TRAVOLTA OR IF YOU LIKE LOVE STORIES YOU CANNOT GO WRONG BUYING THIS VIDEO. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

This one is for the fans
I found the music of Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt and Steve Earle when I was 20 years old. By that time, Townes was dead, Steve had used 8 of his apparent 9 lives, and Guy was...well, Guy was still Guy. When I discovered these poets, I had the luxury to took look at their life's work, like knowing the end of the movie before you watch it. Heartworn Highways is a piece of americana music history, that offers you the chance to see these guys before they were anything bigger than wannabe musicians like so many of us are. If you are into americana music, you have to buy this right now. You can not pass on this one.

A time and place
This film is not a great documentary from a film standpoint but it is from the music standpoint. It captures a group of songwriters who were living in Nashville in 1975 during a period of amazing creativity. Most never became famous except to that small group of music afficionados around the world (my copy is Swedish!) who appreciate a songs lyrics. It is a joy to see a young Townes Van Zandt singing "Pancho and Lefty" and "Waiting Around to Die." Other gems are Guy Clark's "Desparadoes Waiting for a Train" and the underrated Steve Young doing a stirring rendition of "Alabama Highways." Rodney Crowell's work is fun to see and the final scene includes a teen-looking Steve Earle sitting at the feet of his elders. The documentary does capture a time a place and a sense of community. However it never gives us any context. We learn little of the people and the place other than some vignettes that usually work. But I wanted to know more about the songwriter world, the open-mics, etc. However, the music stands up and thank God it was saved. There are some good performances in the extras as well which have been thankfully saved.

Do not Hesitate...Buy this DVD.
HOLY CR*P This is a GOOD Film!!!!!!
Magic.....

AMAZING
Really incredible, I can't believe this film is not a household name. I was moved to tears by the scene with Townes Van Sant singing Waiting Round to Die. Beautifully shot.
A must have for any music lover

Excellent!
I am a songwriter based in Nashville and I'm so glad to see that this movie has made it to DVD. These guys, Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, Rodney Crowell, Steve Earle, etc., are the ones who made me want to become a writer in the first place and it's so great to see them so young and hopeful, like they might be able to do something new and inpired, heartfelt and intelligent. The most moving scenes, for me, are the ones with Townes Van Zandt. He had such a sparkle in eyes back then in '75.

The songs are wonderful and the performances are rough and real, like country music was for a time. Check it out! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

im gonna stuff you in one of these tail pipes!!
youre some kind of comedian, arent you? YOU DIDNT THINK I WAS GONNA LET EM SMASH MY BABY, DID YOU? OR MAYBE YOU DID. THATS JUST TO SHOW YOU HOW EASY IT IS. NOW I GOT A FRIEND WHO DONT LIKE PRIVATE DICKS, SO YOU GET YOUR BUTT ON A PLANE AND HUSTLE BACK TO NEW YORK. YOU HEAR? yeah, i hear you... WELL GO...! i'll let you know when i leave town. HEY, YOURE GONNA ... COME HERE!! ...(PUNCH!!!) howd you like that trip , cousin? ... Read more

Amazon.com

The classic Mark Twainbook The Adventures of Tom Sawyer ispresented here as an animated video featuring the voices and music ofcountry music stars Mark Wills, Lee Ann Womack, Rhett Akins, and HankWilliams Jr.Other famous voices include Betty White and Don Knotts.Twain'sgeneral plot is reproducedfairly faithfully: Tom falls in love with Becky, Tom and Huckleberry Finnwitness a murder and later risk their lives to save thefalsely accused Potter, and Tom and Huck eventually find Red Beard'sburied treasure.Subtle elements have been changed for either politicalcorrectness or plot convenience: for instance, the name "Injun Joe"has been changed to "Injurin' Joe" and Becky has gained an antagonist father.A not so subtle change is thepresentation of the characters as animals: Tom and Becky are cats, Huck isa fox, and Joe is a bear. The video is skillfully animated (much more so than the cover suggests) andthe voice talent is excellent. Pop-country music lovers will love featured songs such as "You Can't Keep a Country Boy Down" and "There's a Light atthe End of the Tunnel," although they seem more appropriate for adultaudiences than the 5- to 12-year-olds this video is aimed at.All inall, this is an entertaining, accessible presentation of a classic storythat kids will enjoy. --Tami Horiuchi ... Read more

Reviews (12)

An excellent animated version of an American Classic.
The animation itself is very well done, being on a par with1993's "Once Upon a Forest", and nicely conveys the variousmoods and emotions of the plot and characters. About the only real problem I noticed throughout was a slight continuity problem: sometimes Tom is barefoot in scenes where, a second before, he'd been wearing shoes. But this is just a minor thing.

While I'm not a "Pop-Country" fan, the music in this effort is, if not show-stopping, then at least pleasant to the ear without detracting from the plot and children will probably like some of the bouncier rhythms.

As a previous reviewer notes, the plot mostly follows the book with; as noted; certain concessions made to political correctness. But this does not detract from any of the characterizations or the "romance" of Tom's puppy-love-at-first-sight attraction to Becky Thatcher (and Amy Lawrence's transition from "woman-scorned" anger to resigned semi-acceptance of it is tastefully handled too) and the drama of Deputy Bean's murder by Injurin' Joe and his pursuit of Tom and Becky through Deadman's Cave.

So if you're a parent looking for a Video that both you and the kids might enjoy watching on a rainy afternoon, this is one that I can definitely recommend. (And if it gets the viewer [especially kids] interested in reading Twain's American Classics "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" and "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" too [as it did me!], then chalk that up as an added bonus!)

AWESOME ANIMATED MOVIE!
As a huge fan of American animation, I give this Disney-esque version of TOM SAWYER an "A." The backgrounds in the film are so beautiful & the characters are well drawn, too; reminded me "so" much of Disney's older films (Robin Hood, Fox & the Hound, Jungle Book, etc).

The music is awesome; the songs are very well written and a pure joy to listen to!

I still love cartoons & animation. And this version of TOM SAWYER is an awesome film that both children & adults can enjoy together.

Tom Sawyer is Great!
This movie is wonderful! I cannot believe that you can buy it new for as little as $4! It is full of great music, action packed animation and it just totally rocks.

Entertaining!
I bought this for my nephews and niece (3, 8 & 11) last Christmas. I don't care to review the animation, direction, voices or anything technical...this is just great entertainment for kids! My 3 year old nephew calls it "his movie" and we watch it 2-3 times a day. He knows the dialog, the songs and the sound effects, he LOVES IT and that is what counts!

Worth a look
Not an animated classic but a cut above a lot of the stuff that's out there. Nice animation and at least one good song (One Dream). ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great Family Movie
The editor's review above is incorrect--this film has nothing to do with Mississippi. The Lone Star Kid is about a compassionate eleven year old boy who becomes mayor of a small town in Texas when he witnesses an accident and a death due to lack of ambulance services. He is determined to bring big-town services to his small town. This movie is based on a true story and contains an excellent performance by James Earl Jones. If nothing else, it's worth watching for the score which is written and performed by Charlie Daniels. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

This one is for the fans
I found the music of Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt and Steve Earle when I was 20 years old. By that time, Townes was dead, Steve had used 8 of his apparent 9 lives, and Guy was...well, Guy was still Guy. When I discovered these poets, I had the luxury to took look at their life's work, like knowing the end of the movie before you watch it. Heartworn Highways is a piece of americana music history, that offers you the chance to see these guys before they were anything bigger than wannabe musicians like so many of us are. If you are into americana music, you have to buy this right now. You can not pass on this one.

A time and place
This film is not a great documentary from a film standpoint but it is from the music standpoint. It captures a group of songwriters who were living in Nashville in 1975 during a period of amazing creativity. Most never became famous except to that small group of music afficionados around the world (my copy is Swedish!) who appreciate a songs lyrics. It is a joy to see a young Townes Van Zandt singing "Pancho and Lefty" and "Waiting Around to Die." Other gems are Guy Clark's "Desparadoes Waiting for a Train" and the underrated Steve Young doing a stirring rendition of "Alabama Highways." Rodney Crowell's work is fun to see and the final scene includes a teen-looking Steve Earle sitting at the feet of his elders. The documentary does capture a time a place and a sense of community. However it never gives us any context. We learn little of the people and the place other than some vignettes that usually work. But I wanted to know more about the songwriter world, the open-mics, etc. However, the music stands up and thank God it was saved. There are some good performances in the extras as well which have been thankfully saved.

Do not Hesitate...Buy this DVD.
HOLY CR*P This is a GOOD Film!!!!!!
Magic.....

AMAZING
Really incredible, I can't believe this film is not a household name. I was moved to tears by the scene with Townes Van Sant singing Waiting Round to Die. Beautifully shot.
A must have for any music lover

Excellent!
I am a songwriter based in Nashville and I'm so glad to see that this movie has made it to DVD. These guys, Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, Rodney Crowell, Steve Earle, etc., are the ones who made me want to become a writer in the first place and it's so great to see them so young and hopeful, like they might be able to do something new and inpired, heartfelt and intelligent. The most moving scenes, for me, are the ones with Townes Van Zandt. He had such a sparkle in eyes back then in '75.

The songs are wonderful and the performances are rough and real, like country music was for a time. Check it out! ... Read more