Reviews (35)

A Coon Dogs Friendship!
This story is quite simple and is for both children and adults. The story is about a boys wish to get a coon dog. He lives in a part of the country where coons abound and its just natural to have coon dogs. The coons can be sold to England for money, so it is a trade for some. For others it is a contest to show how many coons there dogs can catch. Competition and sport becomes important to many who own coon dogs. The young boy is the main character in the story and his relationship to two dogs that he saves money to buy and than train is mostly half of the movie. The next half is a competition between other coon dogs to see who can win prize money and the trophy by how many coons the dogs can catch. The last part of the movie is sad and sort of hokey. I don't particularly like hunting as a sport so maybe that is why I couldn't get into this movie. The story revolves around animals being chased into trees and up roofs, etc. The cinematography is just beautiful and I would have loved to have seen this on the big screen. It sort of reminds me of the landscape in Songcatcher. That movie was based in the Applacians. The acting in the movie is pretty dry and not alot of affect in put into their characterizations. Overall, I rated it three stars. I love animals and this movie is all about the relationship about the boy and his pets but it just doesn't show that bond that I wanted to see. There were some scenes where the dogs looked so cute, especially when they were first learning to hunt coons. But that was not enough for me to up this to four stars...

The Worst Movie Ever
Wow! They can turn one of the best books ever into the worst movie I think I've ever seen. I read the book in my Language class. I thought that the book was alright for something that we had to read. But then when we watched the movie, it changed my whole perspective on Where The Red Fern Grows. The actors were horrible, the same with the special effects. And if you get this movie to watch what you read, you need to find something else. It leaves out some of the best parts of the book. I was disgusted with this movie. It may be the worst movie I've ever seen.

One of the best movies about friendship
I first saw this movie when I was in third grade and it is still one of the most heartwarming movies I have ever seen. About a boy who, during the great depression, skrimped and saved to buy a pair of coon hounds. After he finally got them he raised them to become the best pair of coon hunters in the county. What the dogs do for him proves an unconditional friendship to the end. I never fail to cry at the end. If I could give it more than 5 stars, I would.

So good I wish I could give it 10 stars ! - by Damaris
Now after all the movies I saw I have to say that Where the Red Fern Grows was the BEST one.I have never seen anything like it before.I thought the movie was very strong.The movie had a lot of emotional parts in it.I thought the boy who played Billy was the kind of boy who always agreed with his dogs and who never gave up on them. Now I've been reading other people's review of the movie, and most of them wrote that the movie was bad because it was not the same as the book.Well, I thought they were wrong. There might be someone who didn't like the book, so they'd want to see the movie and if it was exactly the same as the book, they want to see the movie! I am Happy the way the movie is.The people who made the movie did a great job.

Where the Red Fern Grows
Our seventh grade just read Where The Red Fern Grows. It was the best book ever and the rest of my friends think so too. It just became our new favorite book and then our teacher, Mr. Cutlip, asked us if we wanted to watch the movie. We said yes -- we were so excited and when we first starting watching it we were so excited but the more we watched it, the more we did not like it. We got so mad at it because it was leaving some real good parts out because the book was just so good we all figured the move was going to be real good. We all were wanting to know if you could go back and remake the movie all over BUT this time make it as close to the book as you can -- then you will have the best book and movie ever. And trust me everybody would buy it -- I would be the first one to buy it because your book is so good my mom is going to buy the book for me and there is not one book that I liked to read until now and it is Where The Red Fern Grows. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Two events force Kate (Jill Clayburgh) to confront the dissatisfactionsof her life: her father's impending wedding and a job offer that would take herfrom Chicago to New York. Her relationship with Homer (Charles Grodin) ispleasant but shallow. When she meets Ben (Michael Douglas) at the wedding'srehearsal dinner--he's her future stepbrother--there's an immediate spark. Theyflirt on the way home, finding themselves in an arcade where they both prove tobe intensely competitive. Their first encounter gets a little prickly, but soonthey find their relationship taking a deeper and more complicated turn. It'sMy Turn would never be made now; too many scenes of people talking, too manyunresolved questions. But the movie's attention to the details of humaninteraction, particularly the negotiations around a sexual encounter, make itrichly rewarding. Douglas gives a strong performance and Clayburgh is superb;it's delightful to rediscover how smart and sexy she could be. There's a generalimpression that dozens of women-centered movies were made in the late 1970s, butin fact movies that explore life from a woman's point of view are rare. Moreimpressive, though, It's My Turn was written and directed by women, andthe male characters are as fully developed and multidimensional as the women.It's a small movie--it covers a weekend in Kate's life and no tumultuousdecisions are made--but within that short span, a lot of life takes place.--Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A rating of MDA: Mawkish, Dopey, and Awful
The whole film, "It's my Turn", from beginning to end, is jive.

The characters portrayed in this film seem about as real as the two-dimensional cardboard likenesses of film stars that one might see in the lobby of a theatre. In contrast, Sesame Street's Bert and Ernie do a better job of appealing to greater intellect and provide more entertainment value, for sure.

The whole concept behind the movie is laughable. It's full of campy 70's feminist rhetoric, and about as deep as Barbie and Ken. Not much to think about here.

The dialogue sounds more like a set of mindless jokes. Did people really talk like that back in 1979?

Charles Grodin and Mike Douglas portray a couple of Archie and Jughead-types on the make. Jill Clayburg's performance is particularly laughable as a seventies version of everywoman who struggles with the mundane problems of life in Chicago and New York. A meaningless sub plot: Her father fails to comply with her beatific ideas of perfection!

I saw this film at the local cineplex over twenty years ago, and since then, I've never forgotten my feelings upon the conclusion of the film: I had just wasted two hours of my life on this piece of drivel.

At the time, I seriously considered breaking into the projection room, and taking the film from the projector outside to the parking lot, where I could then pour gasoline over it and burn it!

Watching this film was a truly hateful experience.

Surprisingly good
This is an engaging, thoughtful, funny film. Jill Clayburgh seems at ease with being ill-at-ease and it's fun to watch her struggle as the Michael Douglas character enters her life. Douglas, as usual, adds his own brand of male energy as the baseball star whose injuries have forced his retirement. Also, Charles Grodin is wonderful as the rejected lover.

A very sweet film
Jill Clayburgh is this film. It has a wonderful clamness to it and you can sit down and really enjoy watching it. Michael Douglas is great as the love interest. Those who are Yankee fans will love the shots of Yankee Stadium. ... Read more

Reviews (35)

A Coon Dogs Friendship!
This story is quite simple and is for both children and adults. The story is about a boys wish to get a coon dog. He lives in a part of the country where coons abound and its just natural to have coon dogs. The coons can be sold to England for money, so it is a trade for some. For others it is a contest to show how many coons there dogs can catch. Competition and sport becomes important to many who own coon dogs. The young boy is the main character in the story and his relationship to two dogs that he saves money to buy and than train is mostly half of the movie. The next half is a competition between other coon dogs to see who can win prize money and the trophy by how many coons the dogs can catch. The last part of the movie is sad and sort of hokey. I don't particularly like hunting as a sport so maybe that is why I couldn't get into this movie. The story revolves around animals being chased into trees and up roofs, etc. The cinematography is just beautiful and I would have loved to have seen this on the big screen. It sort of reminds me of the landscape in Songcatcher. That movie was based in the Applacians. The acting in the movie is pretty dry and not alot of affect in put into their characterizations. Overall, I rated it three stars. I love animals and this movie is all about the relationship about the boy and his pets but it just doesn't show that bond that I wanted to see. There were some scenes where the dogs looked so cute, especially when they were first learning to hunt coons. But that was not enough for me to up this to four stars...

The Worst Movie Ever
Wow! They can turn one of the best books ever into the worst movie I think I've ever seen. I read the book in my Language class. I thought that the book was alright for something that we had to read. But then when we watched the movie, it changed my whole perspective on Where The Red Fern Grows. The actors were horrible, the same with the special effects. And if you get this movie to watch what you read, you need to find something else. It leaves out some of the best parts of the book. I was disgusted with this movie. It may be the worst movie I've ever seen.

One of the best movies about friendship
I first saw this movie when I was in third grade and it is still one of the most heartwarming movies I have ever seen. About a boy who, during the great depression, skrimped and saved to buy a pair of coon hounds. After he finally got them he raised them to become the best pair of coon hunters in the county. What the dogs do for him proves an unconditional friendship to the end. I never fail to cry at the end. If I could give it more than 5 stars, I would.

So good I wish I could give it 10 stars ! - by Damaris
Now after all the movies I saw I have to say that Where the Red Fern Grows was the BEST one.I have never seen anything like it before.I thought the movie was very strong.The movie had a lot of emotional parts in it.I thought the boy who played Billy was the kind of boy who always agreed with his dogs and who never gave up on them. Now I've been reading other people's review of the movie, and most of them wrote that the movie was bad because it was not the same as the book.Well, I thought they were wrong. There might be someone who didn't like the book, so they'd want to see the movie and if it was exactly the same as the book, they want to see the movie! I am Happy the way the movie is.The people who made the movie did a great job.

Where the Red Fern Grows
Our seventh grade just read Where The Red Fern Grows. It was the best book ever and the rest of my friends think so too. It just became our new favorite book and then our teacher, Mr. Cutlip, asked us if we wanted to watch the movie. We said yes -- we were so excited and when we first starting watching it we were so excited but the more we watched it, the more we did not like it. We got so mad at it because it was leaving some real good parts out because the book was just so good we all figured the move was going to be real good. We all were wanting to know if you could go back and remake the movie all over BUT this time make it as close to the book as you can -- then you will have the best book and movie ever. And trust me everybody would buy it -- I would be the first one to buy it because your book is so good my mom is going to buy the book for me and there is not one book that I liked to read until now and it is Where The Red Fern Grows. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Get Out Your Handkerchief...
Because there won't be a dry eye in the place when Michele Nichols, a young leukemia patient, says goodbye to Susan Hayward's Dr. Maggie Cole. Darrin McGavin once again demonstrated he is one of Hollywood's most solid performers.

Say Goodbye Maggie Cole
I saw this movie on tv many years ago but haven't seen the VHS release yet. This movie has haunted me all these years not only because of Susan Hayward and her acting in it BUT the music in the background by Dusty Springfield. She sings the hauntingly wonderful melody that is the title of the movie, "Learn to say goodbye" that brings tears to your eyes. I have Dusty's album with this song and it is wonderful. I have always believed that music can make or break a movie. The movie/music combination is supurb. I am going to buy it and I do hope it is good quality although I do not care that much because I know the music will be wonderful. If you like Susan Hayward OR Dusty Springfield this movie is a must.

Pleased but not real pleased
I just wish the quality of the tape could have been better. I know this was from TV it just wasnt that great of quality. I am still glad I found the movie. She was a great star and I still enjoy watching any of her movies.

The redhead returns
I vividly remember when Susan Hayward returned to Hollywood in the early 1970's after she had escaped to aquamarine waters of the Florida straits fishing for marlin. She came on strong and appeared in televison films like this one and another Barbara Stanwyck reject and things looked grand. But she could not overcome the plight of a tumor of the brain. She supposedly received the seed of this disease at the 1955 hydrogen bomb test site on the insiduous set of The Conqueror with John Wayne.This television movie gave Susan's fans a last look at this great Golden Era Hollywood legend. It is indeed a treasure.God love her.

say goodbye maggie cole
haven't seen this movie in almost thirty years, but it was my favorite susan hayward movie. i loved the way the sick girl learned a new word everyday and never gave up. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Even Ben Cross and gratuitous nudity couldn't save this
Bloodsong (David Tausik, 1995)

According to IMDB, this was actually a TV movie. It must have been a TV movie somewhere other than the US, because I guarantee you'd never get THIS one by the network censors.

Gabrielle Apollinaire (Jennifer Burns) is the last heir to a French dynasty, replete with skeletons in the closet-- specifically, an uncle who was a well-known composer (Lev Prigunov, last seen as the Russian general in The Saint), drawn and quartered a century before for penning a symphony in honor of Satan. Of course, the Baron did a little sleight-of-hand just before dying and the unfinished symphony survived, Gabrielle discovers it, and hires an itinerant composer (Ben Cross) to finish it.

Aside from the amusement of all these supposedly French folk talking in Russian accents (the film was seemingly made somewhere in Eastern Europe), the thing is deplorably acted, with even Ben Cross turning in a subpar performance. Only worth watching for its prurient value (Jennifer Burns has played almost exclusively roles in kids' TV series, and one wouldn't expect to find her as unclothed there as she is here), and after a while even that gets rather annoying. The only thing I'm confused about is why this thing has a 7.1 rating at IMDB. Sheesh. **

DO NOT GET CONFUSED...
This is not the 1982 slasher film, starring Donna Wilkes, Richard Jaeckel and Frankie Avalon as the killer. The above review does go for the 1982 film, as does, my rating, but the item pictured is an entirely different horror film, starring Ben Cross. I've never seen the other film, but I believe that the 1981 version, has been out of print for several years, now. If you're a fan of Donna Wilkes or would like information on how to get a copy of the original "BLOOD SONG"(a.k.a. "DREAM SLAYER"), please, drop me a line. ... Read more

Reviews (35)

A Coon Dogs Friendship!
This story is quite simple and is for both children and adults. The story is about a boys wish to get a coon dog. He lives in a part of the country where coons abound and its just natural to have coon dogs. The coons can be sold to England for money, so it is a trade for some. For others it is a contest to show how many coons there dogs can catch. Competition and sport becomes important to many who own coon dogs. The young boy is the main character in the story and his relationship to two dogs that he saves money to buy and than train is mostly half of the movie. The next half is a competition between other coon dogs to see who can win prize money and the trophy by how many coons the dogs can catch. The last part of the movie is sad and sort of hokey. I don't particularly like hunting as a sport so maybe that is why I couldn't get into this movie. The story revolves around animals being chased into trees and up roofs, etc. The cinematography is just beautiful and I would have loved to have seen this on the big screen. It sort of reminds me of the landscape in Songcatcher. That movie was based in the Applacians. The acting in the movie is pretty dry and not alot of affect in put into their characterizations. Overall, I rated it three stars. I love animals and this movie is all about the relationship about the boy and his pets but it just doesn't show that bond that I wanted to see. There were some scenes where the dogs looked so cute, especially when they were first learning to hunt coons. But that was not enough for me to up this to four stars...

The Worst Movie Ever
Wow! They can turn one of the best books ever into the worst movie I think I've ever seen. I read the book in my Language class. I thought that the book was alright for something that we had to read. But then when we watched the movie, it changed my whole perspective on Where The Red Fern Grows. The actors were horrible, the same with the special effects. And if you get this movie to watch what you read, you need to find something else. It leaves out some of the best parts of the book. I was disgusted with this movie. It may be the worst movie I've ever seen.

One of the best movies about friendship
I first saw this movie when I was in third grade and it is still one of the most heartwarming movies I have ever seen. About a boy who, during the great depression, skrimped and saved to buy a pair of coon hounds. After he finally got them he raised them to become the best pair of coon hunters in the county. What the dogs do for him proves an unconditional friendship to the end. I never fail to cry at the end. If I could give it more than 5 stars, I would.

So good I wish I could give it 10 stars ! - by Damaris
Now after all the movies I saw I have to say that Where the Red Fern Grows was the BEST one.I have never seen anything like it before.I thought the movie was very strong.The movie had a lot of emotional parts in it.I thought the boy who played Billy was the kind of boy who always agreed with his dogs and who never gave up on them. Now I've been reading other people's review of the movie, and most of them wrote that the movie was bad because it was not the same as the book.Well, I thought they were wrong. There might be someone who didn't like the book, so they'd want to see the movie and if it was exactly the same as the book, they want to see the movie! I am Happy the way the movie is.The people who made the movie did a great job.

Where the Red Fern Grows
Our seventh grade just read Where The Red Fern Grows. It was the best book ever and the rest of my friends think so too. It just became our new favorite book and then our teacher, Mr. Cutlip, asked us if we wanted to watch the movie. We said yes -- we were so excited and when we first starting watching it we were so excited but the more we watched it, the more we did not like it. We got so mad at it because it was leaving some real good parts out because the book was just so good we all figured the move was going to be real good. We all were wanting to know if you could go back and remake the movie all over BUT this time make it as close to the book as you can -- then you will have the best book and movie ever. And trust me everybody would buy it -- I would be the first one to buy it because your book is so good my mom is going to buy the book for me and there is not one book that I liked to read until now and it is Where The Red Fern Grows. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

A great exhibit for the Film Noir Museum
It's a clever idea, really -- a man who sets out to solve his own murder before he dies. A businessman in San Francisco for a good time is given a poison for which there is no treatment. He has only a day or two to live. Driven by the need to know who did this and why, he uncovers a convoluted plot involving stolen iridium, false identities, and a cast of colorful characters whose motives I had trouble following. The protaganist's character is a bit fuzzy (the exaggerated portrayal of his compulsive girlwatching is just silly), and the dialog between him and his secretary/girlfriend is sometimes downright weird. What's really interesting about this movie is seeing how much certain styles -- at least as portrayed on screen -- have changed in just a generation. All the men wear suits and ties all the time, even while enjoying that crazy "jive" music in a wild jazz club. Edmond O'Brien is an out-of-shape, middle-aged chain smoker with a puffy face and a Ricky Ricardo hairdo, but several attractive women find him irresistable. The women, then as now, are thin and pretty, but hampered by elaborate hair, stiff clothes, and very strange hats. By today's standards, everybody looks old. And the police are polite to everyone!

An unusually cynnical film noir
The concept of a murder victim who functions as his own detective, gives to D.O.A. a unique point of view and also gives it a major status.
The inspiration for D.O.A. comes from a 1931 german film entitled Der mann, der seinen morder sucht, directed by Robert Siodmak (The dark mirror).
People manipulated by forces they are unable to control and comprenhend; that's a another important component of the film noir's profile.
This film, altogether with Kiss me deadly (Robert Aldrich, 1955) are the best exponents in remarking this point, because also establish a crossroad about the unknown consequences derivated from the technology.
Don't miss this weird story; an unvaluable gem and also well done film of Rudolf Mate.
Edmond O' Brien is top-notch.

based in false facts but superb
This movie is a clear demonstration of how it's possible to make excellent cinema based on premises frontally opposite to the movies of today. We will see the protagonist to react as a madman when he finds out that someone has poisoned him with an terrible, fluorescent, imaginary toxin. Also I doubt very much that can be real the attitude of the physicians dealing with such a case in saying crudely to the patient that he has only a few hours of life, and I don't dare to enter in ethical considerations. This movie doesn't admit microscopic vision.
And nevertheless and against all these, the spectator follows this unreal plot and remains magnetized by the movie. How is this possible? The response only can be one: an enormous amount of talent. Let's rest in peace the unfortunate DOA, he has deserved it after 90 minutes of a nightmare that we do not understand but fascinates us. Today, with all the special effects and computers of the world the same results aren't reached.

Forces Beyond Our Control.
A man named Frank Bigelow (Edmund O'Brian) shows up at Los Angeles police station to report a murder: his own. Frank is dying of luminous toxin poisoning. He recounts to police the incredible story that brought him to be at the brink of death in this police station in a strange city. Just a few days ago, he was a small business owner in a little town called Banning. He had an adoring girlfriend, Paula Gibson (Pamela Britton), who was also his personal secretary. But Frank had cold feet about marrying Paula and decided to take a little vacation to San Francisco to give himself some air. Paula called to tell him that a man named Phillips was desperately trying to reach him, but the name didn't ring a bell. The next day, Frank found out that he had been fatally and irreversibly poisoned. Frank's increasingly frantic search for the identity and motivation of his murderer takes him to two cities, into the criminal underworld, and onto the wrong end of several pistols before all is done.

Rudolph Mate's "D.O.A." is a film noir classic. And it takes the cynical view typical of the genre. Frank is a man whose fate is entirely beyond his control. As the audience roots for Frank to solve the mystery and find his murderer, fate unabashedly mocks his efforts. Frank is a dying man; what earthly difference will it make if he finds his killer? Whatever Frank does, the result will be the same. And it's all because he notarized a bill of sale...one out of hundreds of bills of sales. Who knew what being a notary could lead to? But for a movie with such a cynical story to tell, "D.O.A." has always been immensely popular. I think that's because Frank Bigelow is an "everyman" who rises to the occasion when difficult circumstances require it. He's not too smart and not too dumb. He has a nice girlfriend...to whom he isn't entirely faithful. He's basically a good guy, works hard, but imperfect. And when fate deals him a bad deal, he finds within him a strength and determination that even he may not have known he had. He's going to solve the mystery if it's the last thing he does. Even though it will be the last thing he does. Edmund O'Brian does an admirable job of conveying Frank's imperfection, his initial incredulity at his predicament, and then his determination when he stares reality in the face and decides to take matters into his own hands, to the extent that he can. The opening scene in which Frank enters the police station to report his own murder is a stroke of genius. What a way to hook an audience! The only fault that I find with the film are the ridiculous noises that we hear every time Frank spies an attractive woman. Their tone is completely inappropriate to the film, and they are a real blot on Dimitri Tiomkin's otherwise excellent score.

The DVD (This refers to the Roan Group DVD only): This film looks too contrasty and lacking in subtle tonality to me. Not having seen the film on the silver screen, I don't know if it was originally like that, if there was a problem with the print, or if it's a bad transfer. But the film stocks available in 1950 were technologically much better than this DVD would lead you to believe. The main menu on the disc doesn't show up before the movie. The disc starts to play as soon as it is inserted into the player, so you have to either hit the menu button on your remote or get yourself onto your couch quickly. There are two bonus features: An interview with actress Beverly Campbell (now Beverly Garland) in which she describes her experience being blacklisted by the Hollywood studios for several years following her appearance in "D.O.A." And there are a few pages of text that you can read about film noir in general and "D.O.A." in particular. Beverly Garland's story is interesting, but the DVD seems to be put together in a slipshod manner.

A film noire classic in every sense of the word
1950's D.O.A. is classic film noire, one of the true classics of the genre. The characters are intense, everyone is up to something, and the clock is ticking for one Frank Bigelow (Edmond O'Brien), who must attempt to find his own murderer before his last grain of sand trickles to the bottom of the hourglass. Bigelow is an accountant who up and takes a week off to visit San Francisco, ostensibly to get away from his secretary and incredibly needy, codependent, marathon-talking girlfriend Paula (Pamela Britton). Once he arrives at the hotel, he's like an elephant in a peanut factory, trying to go every direction at once in order to have a good time with every woman he sees. While the neurotic Paula broods, Bigelow goes out to paint the town red with a gang of his hotel neighbors, only to wake up the next morning feeling less than healthy. A trip to the doctor's office instantly changes his entire perspective on life, for he finds out that he has been poisoned with a luminous toxin, for which there is no cure whatsoever. With anywhere from a day to two weeks to live, he starts off on a relentless quest to discover his murderer. The plot takes a number of twists and turns, and it can get a little confusing at times because of all the characters and all the shenanigans each of them are pulling. Bigelow has nothing to lose, though, and he refuses to give up as long as he has a breath in his body.

D.O.A. starts off a little slow, and the fact that a silly musical wolf call greeted the appearance of any woman early on had me doubting the merits of this film, but when things really get going, they really get going. The action and suspense build inexorably with each passing minute of the film, and the background music only reinforces the gripping effect upon the viewer. The camera work is also quite effective, strongly conveying the increasing alienation Bigelow is faced with as the Grim Reaper makes plans to pay him an imminent visit. It is easy to become mesmerized by all of the story's twists and turns, as on top of the great atmosphere, you have to think about each new clue and surprise that Bigelow encounters on his mission. You have to admire Bigelow's relentless determination and quick-thinking mind, and he quickly transforms himself from a character of dubious merit and possibly ignoble feelings into a tragic hero/victim of classic proportions. If the whole luminous poisoning thing doesn't make you sympathize with the character, the neurotically suffocating burden of love he has to deal with continuously from Paula will. Other films have taken this idea of a poisoned man hunting down his murderer in his dying days and hours, but none has produced such a gritty tale that drips with realism and builds to the type of crescendo found in this remarkable film noire classic. ... Read more

Amazon.com

When Jane's husband disembarks from a passenger train immediately after their wedding and disappears without a trace, troubling questions are raised. How could his face, mangled beyond recognition in a plane crash during the war, have healed without any scarring? And what unspeakable acts took place on the alligator-ridden bayou plantation he left as an address? Wonderfully haunted, The Alligator People explores the mystery with skillful pacing, generally decent dialogue, and only intermittently laughable special effects. Miscegenation, anxiety over radiation and atomic science, homoeroticism, distrust of doctors and medicine, fear of the American South--all the major cultural obsessions of the late '50s are either tacitly or explicitly represented here; perhaps that's why the far-fetched scientific premise that underlies the plot makes a weird resonance despite its utter implausibility. The ubiquitous Lon Chaney is on hand, and his performance as a drunken swamp rat with a penchant for violence is a hoot; but the real star of the show is Beverly Garland, whose inspired lead, alternately detached and histrionic, decidedly puts to rest the myth of the inelasticity of early sci-fi and horror performers. A winner.--Miles Bethany ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Takes you back to the days of the drive-in theatre
Lots of 50's "horror" shows are "comedies" when compared to today's fright flicks. "The Alligator People" is a perfect example. This movie "swamps" you with its plot (a doctor experimenting with alligator serum turns humans into alligator people) and effects (you have to laugh at the alligator costumes). I rate it 4 Stars because it classically fits the mold of the 50's horror, giving it cult appeal.

Lon Chaney, minus a hand bitten off by an alligator, tries to take advantage of Beverly Garland.

Secrets in the bayous of Louisiana.

A cool all-terrain (including bayous) vehicle.

Seventy-four minutes of B&W fun!

Appropriately included in "Trapped in Paradise", another 20th Century Fox film. Check the flick on the TV behind Nicholas Cage.

Rainy Night in Louisiana.
A scientist tampers in God's domain and experimental benevolence leads to tragedy in this '50s sci-fi thriller. A serum derived from the common alligator can repair the disfiguring injuries suffered by accident victims. Granted, this is a new wrinkle in an old garment. The cure includes unforeseen after-effects over time, as the patients change into "alligator people." The science is pretty fuzzy, but it serves as an excuse for the plot. Beverly Garland is the determined wife, searching for answers to what is tormenting her husband. He survived a plane-crash because of the miracle serum. The guy skips out on their honeymoon after receiving a distressing telegram, and disappears. The film brings Lon Chaney, Jr. back from career oblivion as a drunken Cajun who lusts after Ms. Garland, hates 'gators, and generally raises hell. Lon's acting shows he sees the bizarre humor of it all. The setting down in the swamp heavy with Spanish moss is a weird touch. The fright makeup is a crocodile-shaped head mask and a rubbery lizard sweatshirt. Notice the gap between the shirt collar and the neck of the head mask. The interim stage of metamorphosis is more eerie. It consists of scaly skin and twisted human features. Except for Lon, the cast and director grimly proceed with a straight face. As old sci-fi flicks go, this one is less familiar, but collectors need it to complete their home library. Others, beware 'gators in the night. ;-)

BRIDE OF RE-ALLIGATOR....
A doctor uses a serum on his nurse, Jane (Beverly Garland) to get her to re-live a trauma she has no memory of. A very strange tale emerges: When her husband Paul disappears on their honeymoon, Jane traces him to a Louisiana plantation deep in the swamps where no one will tell her what happened to him. She insists on staying and discovers Paul is around but can't find him. Why? Because mad doctor George Macready is performing bizarre experiments with alligators (and people) and Paul is turning into an alligator! Lon Chaney Jr. co-stars as a hook-handed assistant with a hatred for "gaters" because one bit off his hand and Frieda Inescourt ("Return of the Vampire") is the mistress of the plantation trying to cover up the awful horrors as Garland gets more and more inquisitive. There's Deep South atmosphere to spare and creepy crawlies in the swamp as Garland runs around screaming. She's good as Jane and really put through the mill here. Obviously, this is no classic but it's a fun 50's creature feature for collectors with laughable make-up effects and a fun turn by Chaney Jr. with that hook-hand. No wonder Jane developed amnesia after this experience...when you see the "alligator-man" you'll know why. Gotta love it.

Minor Thrills in Gator Country...
The Alligator People is an interesting little tale of suspense and misguided science. Lovely Beverly Garland is a nurse, who under hypnosis recounts the tale of the mysterious disappearance of her husband, to a pair of dead pan psychologists.

The story unfolds in flashbacks, and begins on a train, with newlyweds Joyce and husband Paul Webster (Richard Crane) celebrating their nuptials. Their happiness is short lived, when after receiving a telegram, Paul suddenly departs the train, and disappears into the night. Joyce's search for him is fruitless, until months later she uncovers a lead that takes her to a Louisiana plantation know as "The Cypresses".

The atmosphere in the muggy, muddy bayou is full of danger and foreboding, as Joyce arrives there with a creepy caretaker Manon, played by Lon Chaney Jr. The lady of the manor claims to know nothing of her husband, and an apprehensive Joyce is instructed to spend the night locked in a guestroom.

There really isn't much action, but there is some suspense, as what we all suspect has happened, is slowly revealed (remember the title?). Husband Paul, suffering the side effects of an experimental medical treatment, has acquired reptilian characteristics.

Beverly Garland's performance holds your attention. Her character is intelligent and determined. Richard Crane is sympathetic as Paul, but it is Lon Chaney Jr's "electrifying" performance that puts some spice and sparks into the picture.

Definitely a B movie, but not a bad one. For a taste of old time horror, you could certainly do much worse.

Awesome!
This movie is good, because it is old, and black and white. Plus it has a cobalt bomb, and an angry cajun! The angry cajun tries to take advantage of the not so hot black and white chick. I give it the "Most secure radioactive material award"! ... Read more

Reviews (31)

Think I'm Crazy for giving this movie 5 stars? Read on...
That is what I think most people who look at this would say. What lunatic would give "Roller Boogie" 5 stars???? Well, let me be the first to say that this is certainly a B flick. The reason I give it 5 stars is that it is the Definition of a B flick. It lacks in character depth, plot, script, and production. But it does all those things so well. The movie pulses to the beat of Disco, and this could easily be the "Saturday Night Fever" on roller skates. In fact, that is Exactly what it is. Interesting high points are cool shots of Venice "Muscle" Beach and songs by Cher and Earth, Wind and Fire. And while this film takes a back seat to Linda Blair's previous work in "The Exorcist", it was an attempt to show a lighter side to her talent. Unfortunately, she was forever type-cast as the anti-scream queen horror heroine, and her career took a plunge. For my summation I will say this film is at times humorous, with an interesting look at a time when things were a little more simple. And who can resist the upbeat soundtrack?

I just love roller boogie
i'm a spanish viewer, but i wan to say, three times in my live i see a picture like that, GREASE, SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER and ROLLER BOOGIE, i got all of them in video and soundtracks except roller boogie, so please, can you guys try to tell somebody to bring to us the soundtrack of this beautiful movie once again, i speak spanish, i'm from Bolivia, y para que se den cuenta como gusto esta pelicula, por favor, encuentren el soundtrack.por siempre..... jad

Fantastic
This is a fantastic movie and more movie should be made like this FAMILY MOVIE not what is out there.
and you should get this back out on Rental so people can see it.

Blair boogie-oogie-oogies til she just can't boogie no more
Hey, the fact that I'm actually reviewing Roller Boogie surprises me as much as it does you. I sort of have this thing for Linda Blair, you see, and she was twenty years old when this film was released in 1979 - instead of turning her own head around (The Exorcist), she was now old enough to starting turning guys' heads instead. Unfortunately, all of the guys in this film are full-fledged, knee-high-tube-sock-wearing products of that awful decade called the 1970s, but Linda was looking fine from start to finish, and that's really all that matters.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I actually liked this movie. It doesn't look good on paper, though. You basically have the world's most ubiquitous cookie-cutter plot, a good deal of bad acting, tons of terrible disco music, awful 70s attire, and about ten times more skating than you find in the film Xanadu. You could give yourself a lobotomy and still predict everything that is going to happen in this movie, yet for reasons I can't explain, Roller Boogie isn't that bad. Linda Blair plays Terry Barkley, a poor little rich girl whose parents ignore her and thus drive her to rebel; she doesn't enjoy being a musical prodigy, and she certainly doesn't want to go to Juilliard. What does she do? She goes roller skating and, after meeting up with local roller boogie whiz kid Bobby James (Jim Bray), she announces her new ambition in life is to win the roller boogie dance contest down at Jammer's skating rink. You see where this is going? It's your classic poor boy-rich girl love story. Something is still missing, though. Oh, I know, let's throw in a sleazy businessman and his two goons, and - yes, I've got it! - let's have them threaten to burn down Jammer's skating rink as part of their evil plan to put up a shopping mall. Obviously, those crazy kids are going to have to come up with a plan to save their beloved skating rink. We cannot possibly let this movie end without that big roller boogie dance contest we were all so looking forward to.

As you can see, apart from Linda Blair's starring role, there is no discernible reason for me to have enjoyed Roller Boogie, but I did. That doesn't mean I want to watch it again any time soon, though. For my fellow Linda Blair fans, I say go ahead and bite the bullet and watch this movie; you'll be glad you did - maybe.

A definite time capsule
Acting - Fair
Plot -Fair
Production - Good
Music - Definitely fun

Why would I like this film? For one thing, the outdoor shots of Venice, California are well-done, and bring back memories of an fun time in a long ago place. And the music? Well, OK, it's disco, break dancing music, but it's fun to watch, listen to, and remember. The cast is attractive, Linda Blair does a competent job, and the cinematography is pretty good.

The plot is the oldest storyline in the book: boy meets girl, boy hangs out in roller rink, boy loses girl, boy loses roller rink, boy gets girl, boy saves roller rink.

Mark Lester directed the film. Lester also directed one of the classic drive-in films of all time, "Truck Stop Women" in 1974. (Tag line from that flick - 'No Rig Was Too Big for the Truck Stop Women'. Classic? You bet!). Roller Boogie is of the same genre. Not meant to do anything but to put rear ends in the theater (or the drive-in), entertain you, and leave you happy you went.

On that score, Roller Boogie meets the goal. Extra star if you like the music.

Recommended if you like late 70's LA, roller skating, and disco. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Wilson Rawls's novel about an Oklahoma boy's devotion to two hunting dogs during the Great Depression was the basis for this appealing 1974 film made by a former Disney director, Norman Tokar. Stewart Peterson is very effective as a 12-year-old, hurtling down the path toward manhood with hounds at his side. (Though how he raised $50 to get the pooches in that economic climate is still a mystery....) --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (35)

A Coon Dogs Friendship!
This story is quite simple and is for both children and adults. The story is about a boys wish to get a coon dog. He lives in a part of the country where coons abound and its just natural to have coon dogs. The coons can be sold to England for money, so it is a trade for some. For others it is a contest to show how many coons there dogs can catch. Competition and sport becomes important to many who own coon dogs. The young boy is the main character in the story and his relationship to two dogs that he saves money to buy and than train is mostly half of the movie. The next half is a competition between other coon dogs to see who can win prize money and the trophy by how many coons the dogs can catch. The last part of the movie is sad and sort of hokey. I don't particularly like hunting as a sport so maybe that is why I couldn't get into this movie. The story revolves around animals being chased into trees and up roofs, etc. The cinematography is just beautiful and I would have loved to have seen this on the big screen. It sort of reminds me of the landscape in Songcatcher. That movie was based in the Applacians. The acting in the movie is pretty dry and not alot of affect in put into their characterizations. Overall, I rated it three stars. I love animals and this movie is all about the relationship about the boy and his pets but it just doesn't show that bond that I wanted to see. There were some scenes where the dogs looked so cute, especially when they were first learning to hunt coons. But that was not enough for me to up this to four stars...

The Worst Movie Ever
Wow! They can turn one of the best books ever into the worst movie I think I've ever seen. I read the book in my Language class. I thought that the book was alright for something that we had to read. But then when we watched the movie, it changed my whole perspective on Where The Red Fern Grows. The actors were horrible, the same with the special effects. And if you get this movie to watch what you read, you need to find something else. It leaves out some of the best parts of the book. I was disgusted with this movie. It may be the worst movie I've ever seen.

One of the best movies about friendship
I first saw this movie when I was in third grade and it is still one of the most heartwarming movies I have ever seen. About a boy who, during the great depression, skrimped and saved to buy a pair of coon hounds. After he finally got them he raised them to become the best pair of coon hunters in the county. What the dogs do for him proves an unconditional friendship to the end. I never fail to cry at the end. If I could give it more than 5 stars, I would.

So good I wish I could give it 10 stars ! - by Damaris
Now after all the movies I saw I have to say that Where the Red Fern Grows was the BEST one.I have never seen anything like it before.I thought the movie was very strong.The movie had a lot of emotional parts in it.I thought the boy who played Billy was the kind of boy who always agreed with his dogs and who never gave up on them. Now I've been reading other people's review of the movie, and most of them wrote that the movie was bad because it was not the same as the book.Well, I thought they were wrong. There might be someone who didn't like the book, so they'd want to see the movie and if it was exactly the same as the book, they want to see the movie! I am Happy the way the movie is.The people who made the movie did a great job.

Where the Red Fern Grows
Our seventh grade just read Where The Red Fern Grows. It was the best book ever and the rest of my friends think so too. It just became our new favorite book and then our teacher, Mr. Cutlip, asked us if we wanted to watch the movie. We said yes -- we were so excited and when we first starting watching it we were so excited but the more we watched it, the more we did not like it. We got so mad at it because it was leaving some real good parts out because the book was just so good we all figured the move was going to be real good. We all were wanting to know if you could go back and remake the movie all over BUT this time make it as close to the book as you can -- then you will have the best book and movie ever. And trust me everybody would buy it -- I would be the first one to buy it because your book is so good my mom is going to buy the book for me and there is not one book that I liked to read until now and it is Where The Red Fern Grows. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Twice watched flick
Nice flick, and yes, reminicent of Corman in a slightly more straightforward way. Not only does it lack Corman's dreamy camerawork, but the picture also seems by bits to be suffering from too much bright lighting, where there should be shadows and mid-tones. The film is well presented, the copy is very good, with probably the best picture / sound quality available. Definitely not terryfying to modern viewer, but worth buying, if you have all the Corman films, and still want more!

On the original movie.
Scoff all you want to about whether or not this movie is scary by todays terms. I haven't see the DVD but I saw the original movie back in 1963 as a six year old. First movie I think I ever saw in a theater and it gave me nightmares for YEARS. I have searched for this movie for years in ANY format to see (as an adult) what so terrified me in my youth. After 40 years I have finally found it available in a format I can purchase and view - and have just ordered it. After a long search, glad I finally found it.

worth watching
The movie suffers ironically from the "House of Green Gables", the most well known story in the movie. It dragged along, even Beverly Garland and Vincent Price's charisma couldn't hold the story together and that's saying a lot.
But I do recommend it. The first two stories were imaginative and well done.

THREE TIMES THE PRICE
While all of these tales might have been mildly scary back in 1963, the only saving grace for them these days is the fact that all three star Vincent Price. I applaud MGM's Midnite Movies for bringing us more of Price's work on DVD. While I consider this film weaker than a Corman flick, I still had to add it to my collection on the strength of it's star. Two thumbs up (and 3 stars) to Vincent Price.

Terror Times Three.
This is an obvious attempt by another filmmaker to copy the success of the Roger Corman/American International/Edgar Allan Poe tales starring Vincent Price. They even went so far as to cast Price in the lead role. The anthology of three tales based on the works of Nathaniel Hawthorne is worth viewing, but you have to be a determined collector of gothic horror flicks to take an interest in this one. The movie suffers in comparison with the Poe product. Instead of Corman's creepy camp worthy of multiple viewing, we have straight-faced tales of the supernatural. The first story, "Dr. Heidigger's Experiment" fares the best. Price and Sebastian Cabot discover the secret of rejuvenation and resurrect Cabot's love of 38 years ago. Instead of a dusty skeleton in a grungy gown, we now have a dishy blonde in a plunging negligee. Combined with the color photography and period detail, the mood here begins to resemble the heaving bosoms of Hammer. "Rappacini's Daughter" plods along, slow paced and poisonous, with its tragic romance. "The House of Seven Gables" tries to capture the mood of the classic novel, but it only achieves modest results before it collapses on itself. The supernatural overtone of the stories is subdued. Vincent Price grimaces and tries to look tragically sorrowful. The no frills Midnite Movies edition of the DVD includes the original trailer, but no bonus extras. Proceed at your own risk. ;-) ... Read more

Reviews (1)

WHY WERE THEY RUNNING SCARED?
Dub Farley (Rip Torn) is a rough-minded mustang wrangler. He lives his life hard and fast, always on the edge. An outlaw in a civilsied world, Farley is able to find a friend in Mae Baxter (Beverly Garland). When Farley decides to break his old time friends, Halstead Johnson (Robert Blossoms) out of a security hospital, it is Mae who offers her assistance, unaware of the dangerous chain of events to follow... ... Read more

Reviews (15)

A great exhibit for the Film Noir Museum
It's a clever idea, really -- a man who sets out to solve his own murder before he dies. A businessman in San Francisco for a good time is given a poison for which there is no treatment. He has only a day or two to live. Driven by the need to know who did this and why, he uncovers a convoluted plot involving stolen iridium, false identities, and a cast of colorful characters whose motives I had trouble following. The protaganist's character is a bit fuzzy (the exaggerated portrayal of his compulsive girlwatching is just silly), and the dialog between him and his secretary/girlfriend is sometimes downright weird. What's really interesting about this movie is seeing how much certain styles -- at least as portrayed on screen -- have changed in just a generation. All the men wear suits and ties all the time, even while enjoying that crazy "jive" music in a wild jazz club. Edmond O'Brien is an out-of-shape, middle-aged chain smoker with a puffy face and a Ricky Ricardo hairdo, but several attractive women find him irresistable. The women, then as now, are thin and pretty, but hampered by elaborate hair, stiff clothes, and very strange hats. By today's standards, everybody looks old. And the police are polite to everyone!

An unusually cynnical film noir
The concept of a murder victim who functions as his own detective, gives to D.O.A. a unique point of view and also gives it a major status.
The inspiration for D.O.A. comes from a 1931 german film entitled Der mann, der seinen morder sucht, directed by Robert Siodmak (The dark mirror).
People manipulated by forces they are unable to control and comprenhend; that's a another important component of the film noir's profile.
This film, altogether with Kiss me deadly (Robert Aldrich, 1955) are the best exponents in remarking this point, because also establish a crossroad about the unknown consequences derivated from the technology.
Don't miss this weird story; an unvaluable gem and also well done film of Rudolf Mate.
Edmond O' Brien is top-notch.

based in false facts but superb
This movie is a clear demonstration of how it's possible to make excellent cinema based on premises frontally opposite to the movies of today. We will see the protagonist to react as a madman when he finds out that someone has poisoned him with an terrible, fluorescent, imaginary toxin. Also I doubt very much that can be real the attitude of the physicians dealing with such a case in saying crudely to the patient that he has only a few hours of life, and I don't dare to enter in ethical considerations. This movie doesn't admit microscopic vision.
And nevertheless and against all these, the spectator follows this unreal plot and remains magnetized by the movie. How is this possible? The response only can be one: an enormous amount of talent. Let's rest in peace the unfortunate DOA, he has deserved it after 90 minutes of a nightmare that we do not understand but fascinates us. Today, with all the special effects and computers of the world the same results aren't reached.

Forces Beyond Our Control.
A man named Frank Bigelow (Edmund O'Brian) shows up at Los Angeles police station to report a murder: his own. Frank is dying of luminous toxin poisoning. He recounts to police the incredible story that brought him to be at the brink of death in this police station in a strange city. Just a few days ago, he was a small business owner in a little town called Banning. He had an adoring girlfriend, Paula Gibson (Pamela Britton), who was also his personal secretary. But Frank had cold feet about marrying Paula and decided to take a little vacation to San Francisco to give himself some air. Paula called to tell him that a man named Phillips was desperately trying to reach him, but the name didn't ring a bell. The next day, Frank found out that he had been fatally and irreversibly poisoned. Frank's increasingly frantic search for the identity and motivation of his murderer takes him to two cities, into the criminal underworld, and onto the wrong end of several pistols before all is done.

Rudolph Mate's "D.O.A." is a film noir classic. And it takes the cynical view typical of the genre. Frank is a man whose fate is entirely beyond his control. As the audience roots for Frank to solve the mystery and find his murderer, fate unabashedly mocks his efforts. Frank is a dying man; what earthly difference will it make if he finds his killer? Whatever Frank does, the result will be the same. And it's all because he notarized a bill of sale...one out of hundreds of bills of sales. Who knew what being a notary could lead to? But for a movie with such a cynical story to tell, "D.O.A." has always been immensely popular. I think that's because Frank Bigelow is an "everyman" who rises to the occasion when difficult circumstances require it. He's not too smart and not too dumb. He has a nice girlfriend...to whom he isn't entirely faithful. He's basically a good guy, works hard, but imperfect. And when fate deals him a bad deal, he finds within him a strength and determination that even he may not have known he had. He's going to solve the mystery if it's the last thing he does. Even though it will be the last thing he does. Edmund O'Brian does an admirable job of conveying Frank's imperfection, his initial incredulity at his predicament, and then his determination when he stares reality in the face and decides to take matters into his own hands, to the extent that he can. The opening scene in which Frank enters the police station to report his own murder is a stroke of genius. What a way to hook an audience! The only fault that I find with the film are the ridiculous noises that we hear every time Frank spies an attractive woman. Their tone is completely inappropriate to the film, and they are a real blot on Dimitri Tiomkin's otherwise excellent score.

The DVD (This refers to the Roan Group DVD only): This film looks too contrasty and lacking in subtle tonality to me. Not having seen the film on the silver screen, I don't know if it was originally like that, if there was a problem with the print, or if it's a bad transfer. But the film stocks available in 1950 were technologically much better than this DVD would lead you to believe. The main menu on the disc doesn't show up before the movie. The disc starts to play as soon as it is inserted into the player, so you have to either hit the menu button on your remote or get yourself onto your couch quickly. There are two bonus features: An interview with actress Beverly Campbell (now Beverly Garland) in which she describes her experience being blacklisted by the Hollywood studios for several years following her appearance in "D.O.A." And there are a few pages of text that you can read about film noir in general and "D.O.A." in particular. Beverly Garland's story is interesting, but the DVD seems to be put together in a slipshod manner.

A film noire classic in every sense of the word
1950's D.O.A. is classic film noire, one of the true classics of the genre. The characters are intense, everyone is up to something, and the clock is ticking for one Frank Bigelow (Edmond O'Brien), who must attempt to find his own murderer before his last grain of sand trickles to the bottom of the hourglass. Bigelow is an accountant who up and takes a week off to visit San Francisco, ostensibly to get away from his secretary and incredibly needy, codependent, marathon-talking girlfriend Paula (Pamela Britton). Once he arrives at the hotel, he's like an elephant in a peanut factory, trying to go every direction at once in order to have a good time with every woman he sees. While the neurotic Paula broods, Bigelow goes out to paint the town red with a gang of his hotel neighbors, only to wake up the next morning feeling less than healthy. A trip to the doctor's office instantly changes his entire perspective on life, for he finds out that he has been poisoned with a luminous toxin, for which there is no cure whatsoever. With anywhere from a day to two weeks to live, he starts off on a relentless quest to discover his murderer. The plot takes a number of twists and turns, and it can get a little confusing at times because of all the characters and all the shenanigans each of them are pulling. Bigelow has nothing to lose, though, and he refuses to give up as long as he has a breath in his body.

D.O.A. starts off a little slow, and the fact that a silly musical wolf call greeted the appearance of any woman early on had me doubting the merits of this film, but when things really get going, they really get going. The action and suspense build inexorably with each passing minute of the film, and the background music only reinforces the gripping effect upon the viewer. The camera work is also quite effective, strongly conveying the increasing alienation Bigelow is faced with as the Grim Reaper makes plans to pay him an imminent visit. It is easy to become mesmerized by all of the story's twists and turns, as on top of the great atmosphere, you have to think about each new clue and surprise that Bigelow encounters on his mission. You have to admire Bigelow's relentless determination and quick-thinking mind, and he quickly transforms himself from a character of dubious merit and possibly ignoble feelings into a tragic hero/victim of classic proportions. If the whole luminous poisoning thing doesn't make you sympathize with the character, the neurotically suffocating burden of love he has to deal with continuously from Paula will. Other films have taken this idea of a poisoned man hunting down his murderer in his dying days and hours, but none has produced such a gritty tale that drips with realism and builds to the type of crescendo found in this remarkable film noire classic. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

A great exhibit for the Film Noir Museum
It's a clever idea, really -- a man who sets out to solve his own murder before he dies. A businessman in San Francisco for a good time is given a poison for which there is no treatment. He has only a day or two to live. Driven by the need to know who did this and why, he uncovers a convoluted plot involving stolen iridium, false identities, and a cast of colorful characters whose motives I had trouble following. The protaganist's character is a bit fuzzy (the exaggerated portrayal of his compulsive girlwatching is just silly), and the dialog between him and his secretary/girlfriend is sometimes downright weird. What's really interesting about this movie is seeing how much certain styles -- at least as portrayed on screen -- have changed in just a generation. All the men wear suits and ties all the time, even while enjoying that crazy "jive" music in a wild jazz club. Edmond O'Brien is an out-of-shape, middle-aged chain smoker with a puffy face and a Ricky Ricardo hairdo, but several attractive women find him irresistable. The women, then as now, are thin and pretty, but hampered by elaborate hair, stiff clothes, and very strange hats. By today's standards, everybody looks old. And the police are polite to everyone!

An unusually cynnical film noir
The concept of a murder victim who functions as his own detective, gives to D.O.A. a unique point of view and also gives it a major status.
The inspiration for D.O.A. comes from a 1931 german film entitled Der mann, der seinen morder sucht, directed by Robert Siodmak (The dark mirror).
People manipulated by forces they are unable to control and comprenhend; that's a another important component of the film noir's profile.
This film, altogether with Kiss me deadly (Robert Aldrich, 1955) are the best exponents in remarking this point, because also establish a crossroad about the unknown consequences derivated from the technology.
Don't miss this weird story; an unvaluable gem and also well done film of Rudolf Mate.
Edmond O' Brien is top-notch.

based in false facts but superb
This movie is a clear demonstration of how it's possible to make excellent cinema based on premises frontally opposite to the movies of today. We will see the protagonist to react as a madman when he finds out that someone has poisoned him with an terrible, fluorescent, imaginary toxin. Also I doubt very much that can be real the attitude of the physicians dealing with such a case in saying crudely to the patient that he has only a few hours of life, and I don't dare to enter in ethical considerations. This movie doesn't admit microscopic vision.
And nevertheless and against all these, the spectator follows this unreal plot and remains magnetized by the movie. How is this possible? The response only can be one: an enormous amount of talent. Let's rest in peace the unfortunate DOA, he has deserved it after 90 minutes of a nightmare that we do not understand but fascinates us. Today, with all the special effects and computers of the world the same results aren't reached.

Forces Beyond Our Control.
A man named Frank Bigelow (Edmund O'Brian) shows up at Los Angeles police station to report a murder: his own. Frank is dying of luminous toxin poisoning. He recounts to police the incredible story that brought him to be at the brink of death in this police station in a strange city. Just a few days ago, he was a small business owner in a little town called Banning. He had an adoring girlfriend, Paula Gibson (Pamela Britton), who was also his personal secretary. But Frank had cold feet about marrying Paula and decided to take a little vacation to San Francisco to give himself some air. Paula called to tell him that a man named Phillips was desperately trying to reach him, but the name didn't ring a bell. The next day, Frank found out that he had been fatally and irreversibly poisoned. Frank's increasingly frantic search for the identity and motivation of his murderer takes him to two cities, into the criminal underworld, and onto the wrong end of several pistols before all is done.

Rudolph Mate's "D.O.A." is a film noir classic. And it takes the cynical view typical of the genre. Frank is a man whose fate is entirely beyond his control. As the audience roots for Frank to solve the mystery and find his murderer, fate unabashedly mocks his efforts. Frank is a dying man; what earthly difference will it make if he finds his killer? Whatever Frank does, the result will be the same. And it's all because he notarized a bill of sale...one out of hundreds of bills of sales. Who knew what being a notary could lead to? But for a movie with such a cynical story to tell, "D.O.A." has always been immensely popular. I think that's because Frank Bigelow is an "everyman" who rises to the occasion when difficult circumstances require it. He's not too smart and not too dumb. He has a nice girlfriend...to whom he isn't entirely faithful. He's basically a good guy, works hard, but imperfect. And when fate deals him a bad deal, he finds within him a strength and determination that even he may not have known he had. He's going to solve the mystery if it's the last thing he does. Even though it will be the last thing he does. Edmund O'Brian does an admirable job of conveying Frank's imperfection, his initial incredulity at his predicament, and then his determination when he stares reality in the face and decides to take matters into his own hands, to the extent that he can. The opening scene in which Frank enters the police station to report his own murder is a stroke of genius. What a way to hook an audience! The only fault that I find with the film are the ridiculous noises that we hear every time Frank spies an attractive woman. Their tone is completely inappropriate to the film, and they are a real blot on Dimitri Tiomkin's otherwise excellent score.

The DVD (This refers to the Roan Group DVD only): This film looks too contrasty and lacking in subtle tonality to me. Not having seen the film on the silver screen, I don't know if it was originally like that, if there was a problem with the print, or if it's a bad transfer. But the film stocks available in 1950 were technologically much better than this DVD would lead you to believe. The main menu on the disc doesn't show up before the movie. The disc starts to play as soon as it is inserted into the player, so you have to either hit the menu button on your remote or get yourself onto your couch quickly. There are two bonus features: An interview with actress Beverly Campbell (now Beverly Garland) in which she describes her experience being blacklisted by the Hollywood studios for several years following her appearance in "D.O.A." And there are a few pages of text that you can read about film noir in general and "D.O.A." in particular. Beverly Garland's story is interesting, but the DVD seems to be put together in a slipshod manner.

A film noire classic in every sense of the word
1950's D.O.A. is classic film noire, one of the true classics of the genre. The characters are intense, everyone is up to something, and the clock is ticking for one Frank Bigelow (Edmond O'Brien), who must attempt to find his own murderer before his last grain of sand trickles to the bottom of the hourglass. Bigelow is an accountant who up and takes a week off to visit San Francisco, ostensibly to get away from his secretary and incredibly needy, codependent, marathon-talking girlfriend Paula (Pamela Britton). Once he arrives at the hotel, he's like an elephant in a peanut factory, trying to go every direction at once in order to have a good time with every woman he sees. While the neurotic Paula broods, Bigelow goes out to paint the town red with a gang of his hotel neighbors, only to wake up the next morning feeling less than healthy. A trip to the doctor's office instantly changes his entire perspective on life, for he finds out that he has been poisoned with a luminous toxin, for which there is no cure whatsoever. With anywhere from a day to two weeks to live, he starts off on a relentless quest to discover his murderer. The plot takes a number of twists and turns, and it can get a little confusing at times because of all the characters and all the shenanigans each of them are pulling. Bigelow has nothing to lose, though, and he refuses to give up as long as he has a breath in his body.

D.O.A. starts off a little slow, and the fact that a silly musical wolf call greeted the appearance of any woman early on had me doubting the merits of this film, but when things really get going, they really get going. The action and suspense build inexorably with each passing minute of the film, and the background music only reinforces the gripping effect upon the viewer. The camera work is also quite effective, strongly conveying the increasing alienation Bigelow is faced with as the Grim Reaper makes plans to pay him an imminent visit. It is easy to become mesmerized by all of the story's twists and turns, as on top of the great atmosphere, you have to think about each new clue and surprise that Bigelow encounters on his mission. You have to admire Bigelow's relentless determination and quick-thinking mind, and he quickly transforms himself from a character of dubious merit and possibly ignoble feelings into a tragic hero/victim of classic proportions. If the whole luminous poisoning thing doesn't make you sympathize with the character, the neurotically suffocating burden of love he has to deal with continuously from Paula will. Other films have taken this idea of a poisoned man hunting down his murderer in his dying days and hours, but none has produced such a gritty tale that drips with realism and builds to the type of crescendo found in this remarkable film noire classic. ... Read more