Amazon.com

Either Dean Koontz shouldn't adapt his own bestsellers, or his 1983 novel Phantoms was a pack of horror clichés to begin with, or this movie is 15 years past its due date. What might have seemed fresh at the time of Poltergeist now feels like it was made from a derivative script with pages missing. Plagued by reckless leaps of logic, the movie starts with adequately eerie atmosphere and a perversely twisted performance by Scream 2's Liev Schreiber, but decays into a familiar hash of gross-out effects, resulting from the annihilation of a small Colorado town by an evil force known as "The Ancient Enemy." In a dreary role that insults the twilight of his distinguished career, Peter O'Toole plays a paleobiologist whose crackpot ideas have become tabloid fodder, but he holds the key to conquering the beast. Or does he? Sure enough, an obligatory coda leaves room for anticlimactic doubt. Phantoms has a few genuinely creepy highlights, including a devilish beastie resembling an angry flying scorpion, and horror fans will surely find something to admire, but everyone else is advised to proceed with caution and lowered expectations. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (76)

Better than I had expected
First thing is first, Phantoms is a movie to be taken with a grain of salt. There is nothing overly scary or shocking in this run of the mill B-grade thriller, but it is entertaining nonetheless, and mostly delivers the goods. Joanna Going and Rose McGowen play sisters whose return to Snowfield, Colorado is interrupted by the disappearance of every person in the town. Eventually they meet up with a sheriff (Ben Affleck in yet another movie from Miramax/Dimension Films) and his two deputies played by Liev Schrieber and Nicky Katt. Eventually the military is on the scene and we're joined by accomplished actor Peter O'Toole who plays a crackpot paleobiologist whose tabloid fodder may not be so crackpot. A few scares and shocks are abound, with some rather good special effects, and Schreiber nearly steals the entire show with his whacko performance. But, Phantoms is rather predictable and sometimes laughable with huge leaps of logic and a few plot holes here and there, but Phantoms remains a fun ride nonetheless. All in all, Phantoms is a pretty good B-grade horror film that horror or sci-fi fans will get a kick out of.

scary, terrifying thriller
Phantoms is a very entertaining and scary science fiction horror film. Only a few other films such as Event Horizon and Candyman are as intense as Phantoms. The first half of the movie is probably the scariest and creepiest in horror film history. The movie begins quickly and gets right to the action. Two sisters, played by Joanna Going and Rose Mcgowan, return to the town of Snowfield, Colorado to find most of the inhabitants missing and several gory looking dead bodies. They enter a bakery and meet an out of town sheriff, Bryce Hammond, played well by Ben Affleck, and his deputies Shannon and Wargle, played by Nicky Katt and Liev Schrieber. Liev Schrieber definitely goes all the way with an excellent performance as crazy weirdo Deputy Stu Wargle.

Some chilling scenes in the movie include a giant moth that sucks brain, screams coming from everywhere, strange sounds coming from the town's plumbing system, and dead people that disappear then reappear alive. The scene where the giant moth attacks the survivors in the police station is one of the best in any movie. In the second half, the movie has some more chilling scenes with a high body count, but I was a bit disappointed that the movie ended so quickly. It's 100 minute running time didn't feel like it was long enough to fit all the events that occured in the movie. Dean Koontz also made the mistake of not exploring the thematic elements of the movie more deeply like he did in his novel.

The special effects in the movie were very good. The giant moth looked real and so did the other creatures that appeared. The film isn't as gory as it's reputed to be. Sci-fi horror films like Alien Resurrection and Event Horizon are much bloodier. (Although Event Horizon uses the goriness effectively). Overall, Phantoms is a creepy horror film that holds the viewer at the edge of their seat, especially in the final confrontation between Hammond and a boy.

Familiar but Well Made Sci-Fi/Horror Thriller.
Two Sisters (Joanna Going & Rose McGowan) arrived in a small town in the state of Colorado. The Town appears empty and they find a couple of dead bodies in this seemingly peaceful town. The Sisters find themselves protected from by a Sheriff (Oscar-Winner:Ben Affleck) and His two deputies (Liev Schreiber & Nicky Katt). Together, They find themselves fighting a Ferocious Force of Evil lying below the Earth for Centuries. Now they have surfaced with the Power to Destory every Human on the Planet. But to Save Themselves, They need the Help of a Noted Tabloid Journalist (Peter O'Toole), Who understand the Curse of Evil.

Directed by Joe Chappelle (Halloween:The Curse of Micheal Myers) made a Entertaining, Sometimes Scary Sci-Fi Thriller. Good Performances does help alot from the Cast, especially the Amusing Perverted Role of Schreiber is Funny. This was a Box Office Disapointment in the Winter of 1998, the film is Quickly Forgetten now. But the film is better than expected with echoes from The Body Snatchers, Event Horizon and John Carpenter's The Thing and the film is fairly suspenseful. DVD has an sharp non-anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1) transfer and an terrific-Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. DVD Offers No Extras, which is too bad but the film speaks for itself. Based on a Novel by Dean Koontz (The Funhouse, Odd Thomas, Watchers). Koontz did wrote the Adapation from His Novel and He's one of the Executive Producers of the Film. Grade:A-.

so very bad
The only scary thing about this movie is Ben Affleck's pompadour. It grows ever bigger as the movie progresses!

Basically, two sisters arrive in a small Colorado town to find everyone except the three sheriffs dead. That alone should tell you not to trust the sheriffs. They obviously 1) killed everyone themselves or 2) do their job so poorly that no one in the town remains alive.

It just gets worse and worse from there. This movie hinges mainly on its special effects of gross bodies and killings, but this was during the wave of slasher flicks like the Scream franchise so it can be excused for that. After all, that stuff made a lot of bank in the 1990s. But that is still not an excuse for not really trying.

Pathetic
I won't get into how amazing the novel was or how shocked I was at the theater upon seeing this wreck of a movie (or how I highly recommend the novel.)

Instead, consider Ben Affleck. If he's starring as the sheriff in a serious horror movie, you know something's... wrong. I did enjoy the first half of the movie, which builds on ambience and scares you through the unknown horror around every corner.

Then the movie barrel-rolls and plummets head-first into the rocks. It rips shreds from "John Carpenter's The Thing" to "Alien" and everything in between. The ending is overly simplified and lacks any of the terror from the novel (and in addition is far less epic.)

A warning to anyone who's read the book and yet to see this adaptation; don't waste your time.

For everyone else, again I recommend the excellent novel, or if you're still in the mood for a good horror movie, try one of the thousands of better ones out there. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Three middle-age buddies (Billy Crystal, Daniel Stern, Bruno Kirby) facing personal crises decide to sign up for a two-week cattle run for a change of pace. The trail proves a tougher place than anyone thought, and the boss (Jack Palance) is a grizzled taskmaster who doesn't cotton to tenderfoot urbanites. Popular in theaters, the film is both funny and moving, with Crystal giving one of his most complete performances and Palance (who won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar) a lot of colorful fun. Director Ron Underwood (Heart and Souls) subtly shifts the tone of the film from broad comedy to poignancy over its running time, and he makes the story's end a bittersweet victory that feels like life as most people know it. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (27)

One of the Best Comedies of the Ninties.
New Yorker Mitch Robbins (Billy Crystal) turns 39 and thinking that he will be misrable for the rest of his life. Then his two best friends (Daniel Stern & Bruno Kirby) offer a present to Mitch by bringing him to a cattle drive in New Mexico. Then mitch's life start to change unexpectedly by going on his fantasy vacation with his friends. They are set out to find thier freedom and thier adventure, they will remember for a life time.

Directed by Ron Underwood (Tremors, Heart & Souls, Mighty Joe Young-Remake) made a extremely likeable entertaining ambitious comedy. Crystal, Stern, Kirby and Jack Palance's wonderful Oscar Winning Performance makes this Contemporary Comedy Classic really worth watching. Crystal also Executive Produced the film. There's a nice music score by Marc Shaiman (South Park:Bigger, Longer & Uncut). DVD's has an fine anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1) transfer and an good Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround Sound. DVD only extra is the Original Theatrical Trailer. This is Wonderfully Written by Lowell Ganz & Babaloo Mandel (City Slickers 2:The Legend of Curly's Gold). Watch for Jeffery Tambor, Yearley Smith, Robert Contanzo, Jake Gyllenhall, Danielle Harris and that's Crystal real-life Daughter-Lindsay Crystal playing his Daughter in the flim. One of the highest grossing films of 1991. This is One of the Best & Most memorable comedies ever made, see it. Grade:A.

Buckaroo Bonanza....
This review refers to the MGM Contemporary Classic DVD Edition of "City Slickers".....

Saddle up Buckaroos, for the funniest city dude meets cowboy adventure since Bob Hope roamed the plains!

Mitch(Billy Crystal) is going through a mid-life crisis. He sells "air" for a New York radio station and finds that as he nears 40, his life seems unfulfilling. His buddies Ed(Bruno Kirbly), an aging Romeo, and Phil(Daniel Stern), pitifuly henpecked, also seem to be feeling the strain. They decide a little vacation is in order and head for a New Mexico cattle ranch to enjoy life as they "bring in the herd".

This "fantasy" vacation turns into one hysterical adventure. Learning to rope and ride is trickier(and funnier), then you think. But the toughest part is dealing with the tough ranch hands. One in particular..."Curly"(Jack Palance)...is one bad hombre as he scares these guys out of their wits.

They are joined by several others as the drive begins from New Mexico to Colorado and anything than can go wrong... does! There's a stampede, a runaway wagon, and Mitch even has to deliver a calf. Their cell phones are no help here! There's also mucho male bonding going on during the trek. These guys even bond with the cows! They learn about each other and with the help of the very tough Curly, they even learn what is important in life.

The funny lines and gags are non stop, and there are some very poignant moments as well. It'll have you smiling and often laughing out loud. You won't want it to end, but luckily...there's a sequel.."City Slickers 2..The Legend of Curly's Gold".

The film was honored with several awards. Among them Jack Palance took an Oscar for Best supporting actor, as well as a Golden Globe and a Best supporting actor from the American Comedy Awards. Billy Crystal was also honored at the American Comedy Awards as Funniest Actor in a lead and the People's Choice Awards voted the film the Favorite Comedy of the year. They are joined by some outstanding and seasoned character actors. Jeffrey Tambor, John Mostel, David Paymer, Patricia Wettig, and Helen Slater and the wonderful Noble Willingham all keep us in stitches as well. The music by Marc Shaiman is as fun as the story and Direcotr Ron Underwood and Photographer Dean Semler bring us some real cinematic delights.

The transfer of the DVD is very nice. An excellent picture in widescreen presents the beautiful Western scenery and terrific colors. If you watch the original theatrical trailer, you can really notice the difference made by the transfer. Although the sound in Dolby Stereo was good, it could have been better. This film with all the great music and action needs to be in 5.1. It may be viewed in French(Mono) and has subtitles in Spanish and French, but no other special features. Just a really funny flick that will take you away for about 2 hours.

So sing along to the tunes of "Rawhide" and "Bonaza" with Mitch, Phil, Ed and Norman the cow along the big trail...have fun...Laurie

Poignant Comedy
This is one of those great comedies that also speaks to the great truths of life. I have watched this film over and over again and am always left with a wonderful feeling after having watched it. It lifts my spirits when I am low and helps to remind me what is truly important in life.

Mitch Robbins (Billy Crystal), Phil Berquist (Daniel Stern) and Ed Furillo (Bruno Kirby) are three friends approaching mid-life at break neck speed. Each year they go on increasingly more dangerous adventures which Mitch's wife (Patricia Wettig) describes as desperate and juvenile attempts to hold on to their youth. When Ed suggests mushing along the trail of Admiral Byrd as a way to top running from bulls in Spain, Mitch is ready to quit the adventure trips and settle into senior life at the ripe old age of 39. After a demotion at his job and a surprise at his birthday party where Phil and his icy wife Arlene (Karla Tamburelli) have a blow out after she learns of his infidelities, Mitch's depression gets the better of his wife who sends him on one more adventure - to find his smile.

And so it is that the trio finds themselves on a cattle drive in the American west with five other lost souls and Curly (Jack Palance) as the cattle boss. Palance is wonderful as the gruff old cowboy who intimidates everyone around him (Mitch:"Kill anyone today, Curly?" Curly: "Day ain't over yet."). Yet he knows the secret to life and relates the cryptic answer to Mitch during the ride. As they drive the cattle and overcome obstacles like stampedes, drunken escapades by the trail hands and their own personal struggles, Mitch comes to realize what Curly's answer means and that it is the only answer he needs to bring the pieces of his life back together.

A Big Letdown!
WARNING: Spoilers Ahead!! I hate it when they do this!! The first hour of this movie is so funny I laughed out loud on a number of occasions. Something I don't usually do when I watch a comedy by myself but this was just too hilarious. Then, a cow gets shot just after giving birth, Jack Palance dies and is buried on the trail, two horses get killed going over a cliff with the wagon and a cute little calf nearly drowns in a river. After being bullied and deserted by drunken cowboys, the "city slickers" manage to drive home the herd of cattle and are informed that the cows that "trusted" them will be ground up for hamburger....but hey, that's life! Billy Crystal finds his family is the most important thing to him, and he adopts the little calf, but no jokes could make me even smile after the middle portion of this movie that starts out broad comedy and mutates into warm'n'fuzzy, overly-sentimental, and very predictable fluff. Not my idea of a "feel-good" movie... a little sad actually. When it started I was making plans about buying the sequel. When it ended I decided to sell the original. I can see why there are so many used copies for sale at Amazon Marketplace.
This could have been up there with the best National Lampoon Vacation movies (started out that way) but they blew it.

Great movie, horrible dvd
I love this movie! Its among my top favorites. However, the DVD [is bad]! One reason, the dubbing. The first half of the movie is fine, but about half way through, the words being spoken by the characters dont match up with their mouth. It looks like a bad Bruce Lee movie! Im not one to complain, but it just kept getting worse! At one point the whole line was almost spoken before the characters mouth started moving! I just baffles me that those responsible for transfering this movie to DVD took no care at all in doing it! I really dont know how this DVD made it to stores without someone noticing this huge fault and trying to make it better. Like I said, this is my favorite movie, I give it the lowest rating for the lack of dubbing quaility! ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Jack and Besty are in Vegas with Elvis
When Honeymoon in Vegas begins a man named Jack Singer (Nicolas Cage) is in a New York Hosptial. It's 1987. His mom is not feeling well. And he is visting her in the hospital.

Jack's mom requests that if she dies, that Jack will awalys love her and never get married. She does die and Jack screams at her body that he promises never to get married.

Then 4 years later a man (Robert Costanzo) is in Jack's office. The man's wife is cheating on him. Jack has a girlfriend named Besty (Sarah Jessica Parker) wants to take the next step to marriage. So he pops the question and takes her to Las Vegas.

There, a gambler named Tommy Korman (James Caan) has returned to Las Vegas and invites Jack to a poker game. There is an Elvis impersonator aslo in the game. Jack loses big to Tommy and owes him $65,000.

But Tommy will erase the money if Besty will spend the weekend with him. Jack agrees and Tommy takes her to Hawaii. Tommy's wife is dead. Tommy's son (John McMahon) is aslo going to be there.

When Jack finds out where Besty is. He checks out of his hotel and goes back to New York. He sees on a news report Tommy and Besty on his tv. If your are a big Elvis Presley fan, and wants to see 3,000 Miles to Graceland. Stay home and watch this or Finding Graceland or both.

There are Elvis Presley impersonators. From Bruno Hernandez to Rick Marino. And there is even a black Elvis Preseley impersonator (Clearance Giddens). Maybe 3,000 Miles To Graceland is half bad as people say it is. There are aslo flying Elvises that sky dive. This is a great film for Elvis Presley fans.

A Hilarious Lesson In Love And Marriage.
The wonderfully talented and versatile Nicholas Cage turns in a great comic performance in this Andrew Bergman comedy adventure. .............. Cage plays Jack Singer, a commitmentphobic private investigator who loves longtime galpal schoolteacher Betsy (Sarah Jessica Parker) but, "Just hasn't gotten around to marrying her." ............... Like most women who have been waiting on their love a bit too long for the comfort of the commit and not getting past the girlfriend status to wife, Betsy delivers the ultimatum, marriage orgoodbye. .............. Jack, not wanting to lose Betsy, decides they'll finally get married in Vegas. Unfortunately, Jack is diverted from his plans by Tommy Korman, smarmily played by the great veteran talent James Caan. Korman is a "Garment district" guy, and major player on the Vegas gambling circuit. He decides to invite Jack to a "complimentary" poker game after spying Betsy in the hotel lobby, and deciding she will be the look alike replacement for his deceased wife. ............ From there, lot's of laughs, mayhem, twists, trips and a competition between Cage and Caan's characters that lead to a "Flying Elvis's" declaration of love that will ultimately see to it that the best man wins. .............. No matter how many times I view this movie, it always remains a fresh and fun adventure that leaves me with a smile on my face. The three leads are terrific, and there are plenty of funny cameos along the way as well. Peter Boyle as "Chief Orman" a burnt-out Indian wanna-be, is truly hilarious. Pat Morita, Ben Stein, and more amusing familiar faces appear as well. ................ This is one of my all time favorite comedies, and one that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to anyone looking for a "feel good" first rate comedy film experience.

Brilliantly Three Starred
I was shocked and appalled by the amazingness of the neutrality in which I viewed this video. I could find nothing wrong or funny with it. It was completely and utterly even. I think, that this in and of itself, should deserve an award. Never have I seen such unbiased representation of life.

Cliche
The villain said one phrase that I hadn't predicted. The whole rest of the movie I had top to bottom. I even guessed the cloths the heroine was going to be wearing in the final scene.

A couple goes to Vegas to get married; the guy gets in debt; the villain clears the debt on condition he can be with the guy's fiancee for a weekend. Of course, the villain claims nothing romantic; and of course, he starts romancing her the moment their out of sight; then of course, she falls for him; then of course, she falls back for the hero; and the end is happy.

If you want that. I'll say this: for what they had to work with, the story was rather charming.

Great Comedy
This is one of my favorite Nicholas Cage films. This movie was perfect for his style of humor. I can and have watched this film at least 35 times :-) ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Surprisingly good B movie!
I always browse the 'B' section of the movie store, looking for diamonds in the rough. I rarely find them, but this one was an exception.

Decent plot, good acting, interesting storyline, and some fascinating characters combine in this action movie to make it an enjoyable experience. Seeing old favorites like Stacy Keach and Jennifer Beals on the screen was a definite plus.

Unforgivable
Fifteen minutes hadn't passed during this movie before I stopped watching. Aside from being one of those movies you know they write the scripts for in five minutes, I was shocked to find scenes STOLEN directly from Terminator 2, with simply a change of characters and music. It doesn't matter if they were given permission to or not, such a lack of effort and creativity deserves no merit. Do not even watch.

Typical bad movie
It's too obvious when they switch from pre-recorded footage from other sources to their own lame scenes. The plot completely lacks creativity (uh oh, bad guys have missiles, hero has to go stop them from launching). I don't mind action movies that use a recycled plot of they do a good job of it, but this movie has none of its own style, just a low-budget movie you would expect to be a cable network original or something like that.

The only thing they added to a generic script was a brief rant by Dean Cain about how the milita nuts are afraid of the ATF (losely quoted) "breaking into their house and taking their guns." Newsflash Mr. Cain: that's EXACTLY what the ATF does, unless maybe they break in to take your alcohol or tobacco. If he wanted to make an anti-militia statement, doing it from the mouth of an ATF agent isn't the most convincing method.

Unbelieveable!
Without question, the best bad movie I've ever seen! Every time I thought about watching something else, it got engrossingly worse. I found myself feeling almost morbidly voyueristic as I watched the movie destroy itself in the slow, and painful, plot avalanche that was it's ending, to which I was superglued.

far from super
First of all let me say that I am a Dean Cain fan, I watched this movie based on the fact that he was in it. That turned out to be a big mistake. The plot has holes in it that you could Drive a Mack truck through, the action sequences were a joke (I'm sure the AFT enters a hostile situation single file like ducks in a row), and I don't think the writers know what the words character development mean. I was so upset I was yelling at the television, but at the same time I couldn't turn it off. It was like a train wreck, you have to look.
If you're looking for an action movie, run. If you're looking for a Dean Cain fix get Best Men, Broken Hearts Club, or No Alibi; otherwise you'll lose 2 hours of your life you'll never get back. ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Jack and Besty are in Vegas with Elvis
When Honeymoon in Vegas begins a man named Jack Singer (Nicolas Cage) is in a New York Hosptial. It's 1987. His mom is not feeling well. And he is visting her in the hospital.

Jack's mom requests that if she dies, that Jack will awalys love her and never get married. She does die and Jack screams at her body that he promises never to get married.

Then 4 years later a man (Robert Costanzo) is in Jack's office. The man's wife is cheating on him. Jack has a girlfriend named Besty (Sarah Jessica Parker) wants to take the next step to marriage. So he pops the question and takes her to Las Vegas.

There, a gambler named Tommy Korman (James Caan) has returned to Las Vegas and invites Jack to a poker game. There is an Elvis impersonator aslo in the game. Jack loses big to Tommy and owes him $65,000.

But Tommy will erase the money if Besty will spend the weekend with him. Jack agrees and Tommy takes her to Hawaii. Tommy's wife is dead. Tommy's son (John McMahon) is aslo going to be there.

When Jack finds out where Besty is. He checks out of his hotel and goes back to New York. He sees on a news report Tommy and Besty on his tv. If your are a big Elvis Presley fan, and wants to see 3,000 Miles to Graceland. Stay home and watch this or Finding Graceland or both.

There are Elvis Presley impersonators. From Bruno Hernandez to Rick Marino. And there is even a black Elvis Preseley impersonator (Clearance Giddens). Maybe 3,000 Miles To Graceland is half bad as people say it is. There are aslo flying Elvises that sky dive. This is a great film for Elvis Presley fans.

A Hilarious Lesson In Love And Marriage.
The wonderfully talented and versatile Nicholas Cage turns in a great comic performance in this Andrew Bergman comedy adventure. .............. Cage plays Jack Singer, a commitmentphobic private investigator who loves longtime galpal schoolteacher Betsy (Sarah Jessica Parker) but, "Just hasn't gotten around to marrying her." ............... Like most women who have been waiting on their love a bit too long for the comfort of the commit and not getting past the girlfriend status to wife, Betsy delivers the ultimatum, marriage orgoodbye. .............. Jack, not wanting to lose Betsy, decides they'll finally get married in Vegas. Unfortunately, Jack is diverted from his plans by Tommy Korman, smarmily played by the great veteran talent James Caan. Korman is a "Garment district" guy, and major player on the Vegas gambling circuit. He decides to invite Jack to a "complimentary" poker game after spying Betsy in the hotel lobby, and deciding she will be the look alike replacement for his deceased wife. ............ From there, lot's of laughs, mayhem, twists, trips and a competition between Cage and Caan's characters that lead to a "Flying Elvis's" declaration of love that will ultimately see to it that the best man wins. .............. No matter how many times I view this movie, it always remains a fresh and fun adventure that leaves me with a smile on my face. The three leads are terrific, and there are plenty of funny cameos along the way as well. Peter Boyle as "Chief Orman" a burnt-out Indian wanna-be, is truly hilarious. Pat Morita, Ben Stein, and more amusing familiar faces appear as well. ................ This is one of my all time favorite comedies, and one that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to anyone looking for a "feel good" first rate comedy film experience.

Brilliantly Three Starred
I was shocked and appalled by the amazingness of the neutrality in which I viewed this video. I could find nothing wrong or funny with it. It was completely and utterly even. I think, that this in and of itself, should deserve an award. Never have I seen such unbiased representation of life.

Cliche
The villain said one phrase that I hadn't predicted. The whole rest of the movie I had top to bottom. I even guessed the cloths the heroine was going to be wearing in the final scene.

A couple goes to Vegas to get married; the guy gets in debt; the villain clears the debt on condition he can be with the guy's fiancee for a weekend. Of course, the villain claims nothing romantic; and of course, he starts romancing her the moment their out of sight; then of course, she falls for him; then of course, she falls back for the hero; and the end is happy.

If you want that. I'll say this: for what they had to work with, the story was rather charming.

Great Comedy
This is one of my favorite Nicholas Cage films. This movie was perfect for his style of humor. I can and have watched this film at least 35 times :-) ... Read more

Amazon.com

Writer-director Andrew Bergman is capable of funny, funny stuff, but this movie runs out of jokes long before it runs out of comic ideas. The result is a series of comedy concepts that never get past the one-liner stage and are distinctly unsatisfying. Still, there is plenty to be amused by in this story of a reluctant bridegroom (Nicolas Cage) who finally agrees to marriage, only to lose his fiancée (Sarah Jessica Parker) in a crooked poker game to a professional gambler (James Caan). The rest of the movie deals with his frantic attempt to get his fiancéeback, while coping with a Vegas in the throes of an Elvis-impersonator convention. That's the funniest thing about the whole movie (most notably the team of parachuting Elvises at the end), but even that is drawn out in ways that are more clever than laughter inducing. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Jack and Besty are in Vegas with Elvis
When Honeymoon in Vegas begins a man named Jack Singer (Nicolas Cage) is in a New York Hosptial. It's 1987. His mom is not feeling well. And he is visting her in the hospital.

Jack's mom requests that if she dies, that Jack will awalys love her and never get married. She does die and Jack screams at her body that he promises never to get married.

Then 4 years later a man (Robert Costanzo) is in Jack's office. The man's wife is cheating on him. Jack has a girlfriend named Besty (Sarah Jessica Parker) wants to take the next step to marriage. So he pops the question and takes her to Las Vegas.

There, a gambler named Tommy Korman (James Caan) has returned to Las Vegas and invites Jack to a poker game. There is an Elvis impersonator aslo in the game. Jack loses big to Tommy and owes him $65,000.

But Tommy will erase the money if Besty will spend the weekend with him. Jack agrees and Tommy takes her to Hawaii. Tommy's wife is dead. Tommy's son (John McMahon) is aslo going to be there.

When Jack finds out where Besty is. He checks out of his hotel and goes back to New York. He sees on a news report Tommy and Besty on his tv. If your are a big Elvis Presley fan, and wants to see 3,000 Miles to Graceland. Stay home and watch this or Finding Graceland or both.

There are Elvis Presley impersonators. From Bruno Hernandez to Rick Marino. And there is even a black Elvis Preseley impersonator (Clearance Giddens). Maybe 3,000 Miles To Graceland is half bad as people say it is. There are aslo flying Elvises that sky dive. This is a great film for Elvis Presley fans.

A Hilarious Lesson In Love And Marriage.
The wonderfully talented and versatile Nicholas Cage turns in a great comic performance in this Andrew Bergman comedy adventure. .............. Cage plays Jack Singer, a commitmentphobic private investigator who loves longtime galpal schoolteacher Betsy (Sarah Jessica Parker) but, "Just hasn't gotten around to marrying her." ............... Like most women who have been waiting on their love a bit too long for the comfort of the commit and not getting past the girlfriend status to wife, Betsy delivers the ultimatum, marriage orgoodbye. .............. Jack, not wanting to lose Betsy, decides they'll finally get married in Vegas. Unfortunately, Jack is diverted from his plans by Tommy Korman, smarmily played by the great veteran talent James Caan. Korman is a "Garment district" guy, and major player on the Vegas gambling circuit. He decides to invite Jack to a "complimentary" poker game after spying Betsy in the hotel lobby, and deciding she will be the look alike replacement for his deceased wife. ............ From there, lot's of laughs, mayhem, twists, trips and a competition between Cage and Caan's characters that lead to a "Flying Elvis's" declaration of love that will ultimately see to it that the best man wins. .............. No matter how many times I view this movie, it always remains a fresh and fun adventure that leaves me with a smile on my face. The three leads are terrific, and there are plenty of funny cameos along the way as well. Peter Boyle as "Chief Orman" a burnt-out Indian wanna-be, is truly hilarious. Pat Morita, Ben Stein, and more amusing familiar faces appear as well. ................ This is one of my all time favorite comedies, and one that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to anyone looking for a "feel good" first rate comedy film experience.

Brilliantly Three Starred
I was shocked and appalled by the amazingness of the neutrality in which I viewed this video. I could find nothing wrong or funny with it. It was completely and utterly even. I think, that this in and of itself, should deserve an award. Never have I seen such unbiased representation of life.

Cliche
The villain said one phrase that I hadn't predicted. The whole rest of the movie I had top to bottom. I even guessed the cloths the heroine was going to be wearing in the final scene.

A couple goes to Vegas to get married; the guy gets in debt; the villain clears the debt on condition he can be with the guy's fiancee for a weekend. Of course, the villain claims nothing romantic; and of course, he starts romancing her the moment their out of sight; then of course, she falls for him; then of course, she falls back for the hero; and the end is happy.

If you want that. I'll say this: for what they had to work with, the story was rather charming.

Great Comedy
This is one of my favorite Nicholas Cage films. This movie was perfect for his style of humor. I can and have watched this film at least 35 times :-) ... Read more

Reviews (27)

One of the Best Comedies of the Ninties.
New Yorker Mitch Robbins (Billy Crystal) turns 39 and thinking that he will be misrable for the rest of his life. Then his two best friends (Daniel Stern & Bruno Kirby) offer a present to Mitch by bringing him to a cattle drive in New Mexico. Then mitch's life start to change unexpectedly by going on his fantasy vacation with his friends. They are set out to find thier freedom and thier adventure, they will remember for a life time.

Directed by Ron Underwood (Tremors, Heart & Souls, Mighty Joe Young-Remake) made a extremely likeable entertaining ambitious comedy. Crystal, Stern, Kirby and Jack Palance's wonderful Oscar Winning Performance makes this Contemporary Comedy Classic really worth watching. Crystal also Executive Produced the film. There's a nice music score by Marc Shaiman (South Park:Bigger, Longer & Uncut). DVD's has an fine anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1) transfer and an good Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround Sound. DVD only extra is the Original Theatrical Trailer. This is Wonderfully Written by Lowell Ganz & Babaloo Mandel (City Slickers 2:The Legend of Curly's Gold). Watch for Jeffery Tambor, Yearley Smith, Robert Contanzo, Jake Gyllenhall, Danielle Harris and that's Crystal real-life Daughter-Lindsay Crystal playing his Daughter in the flim. One of the highest grossing films of 1991. This is One of the Best & Most memorable comedies ever made, see it. Grade:A.

Buckaroo Bonanza....
This review refers to the MGM Contemporary Classic DVD Edition of "City Slickers".....

Saddle up Buckaroos, for the funniest city dude meets cowboy adventure since Bob Hope roamed the plains!

Mitch(Billy Crystal) is going through a mid-life crisis. He sells "air" for a New York radio station and finds that as he nears 40, his life seems unfulfilling. His buddies Ed(Bruno Kirbly), an aging Romeo, and Phil(Daniel Stern), pitifuly henpecked, also seem to be feeling the strain. They decide a little vacation is in order and head for a New Mexico cattle ranch to enjoy life as they "bring in the herd".

This "fantasy" vacation turns into one hysterical adventure. Learning to rope and ride is trickier(and funnier), then you think. But the toughest part is dealing with the tough ranch hands. One in particular..."Curly"(Jack Palance)...is one bad hombre as he scares these guys out of their wits.

They are joined by several others as the drive begins from New Mexico to Colorado and anything than can go wrong... does! There's a stampede, a runaway wagon, and Mitch even has to deliver a calf. Their cell phones are no help here! There's also mucho male bonding going on during the trek. These guys even bond with the cows! They learn about each other and with the help of the very tough Curly, they even learn what is important in life.

The funny lines and gags are non stop, and there are some very poignant moments as well. It'll have you smiling and often laughing out loud. You won't want it to end, but luckily...there's a sequel.."City Slickers 2..The Legend of Curly's Gold".

The film was honored with several awards. Among them Jack Palance took an Oscar for Best supporting actor, as well as a Golden Globe and a Best supporting actor from the American Comedy Awards. Billy Crystal was also honored at the American Comedy Awards as Funniest Actor in a lead and the People's Choice Awards voted the film the Favorite Comedy of the year. They are joined by some outstanding and seasoned character actors. Jeffrey Tambor, John Mostel, David Paymer, Patricia Wettig, and Helen Slater and the wonderful Noble Willingham all keep us in stitches as well. The music by Marc Shaiman is as fun as the story and Direcotr Ron Underwood and Photographer Dean Semler bring us some real cinematic delights.

The transfer of the DVD is very nice. An excellent picture in widescreen presents the beautiful Western scenery and terrific colors. If you watch the original theatrical trailer, you can really notice the difference made by the transfer. Although the sound in Dolby Stereo was good, it could have been better. This film with all the great music and action needs to be in 5.1. It may be viewed in French(Mono) and has subtitles in Spanish and French, but no other special features. Just a really funny flick that will take you away for about 2 hours.

So sing along to the tunes of "Rawhide" and "Bonaza" with Mitch, Phil, Ed and Norman the cow along the big trail...have fun...Laurie

Poignant Comedy
This is one of those great comedies that also speaks to the great truths of life. I have watched this film over and over again and am always left with a wonderful feeling after having watched it. It lifts my spirits when I am low and helps to remind me what is truly important in life.

Mitch Robbins (Billy Crystal), Phil Berquist (Daniel Stern) and Ed Furillo (Bruno Kirby) are three friends approaching mid-life at break neck speed. Each year they go on increasingly more dangerous adventures which Mitch's wife (Patricia Wettig) describes as desperate and juvenile attempts to hold on to their youth. When Ed suggests mushing along the trail of Admiral Byrd as a way to top running from bulls in Spain, Mitch is ready to quit the adventure trips and settle into senior life at the ripe old age of 39. After a demotion at his job and a surprise at his birthday party where Phil and his icy wife Arlene (Karla Tamburelli) have a blow out after she learns of his infidelities, Mitch's depression gets the better of his wife who sends him on one more adventure - to find his smile.

And so it is that the trio finds themselves on a cattle drive in the American west with five other lost souls and Curly (Jack Palance) as the cattle boss. Palance is wonderful as the gruff old cowboy who intimidates everyone around him (Mitch:"Kill anyone today, Curly?" Curly: "Day ain't over yet."). Yet he knows the secret to life and relates the cryptic answer to Mitch during the ride. As they drive the cattle and overcome obstacles like stampedes, drunken escapades by the trail hands and their own personal struggles, Mitch comes to realize what Curly's answer means and that it is the only answer he needs to bring the pieces of his life back together.

A Big Letdown!
WARNING: Spoilers Ahead!! I hate it when they do this!! The first hour of this movie is so funny I laughed out loud on a number of occasions. Something I don't usually do when I watch a comedy by myself but this was just too hilarious. Then, a cow gets shot just after giving birth, Jack Palance dies and is buried on the trail, two horses get killed going over a cliff with the wagon and a cute little calf nearly drowns in a river. After being bullied and deserted by drunken cowboys, the "city slickers" manage to drive home the herd of cattle and are informed that the cows that "trusted" them will be ground up for hamburger....but hey, that's life! Billy Crystal finds his family is the most important thing to him, and he adopts the little calf, but no jokes could make me even smile after the middle portion of this movie that starts out broad comedy and mutates into warm'n'fuzzy, overly-sentimental, and very predictable fluff. Not my idea of a "feel-good" movie... a little sad actually. When it started I was making plans about buying the sequel. When it ended I decided to sell the original. I can see why there are so many used copies for sale at Amazon Marketplace.
This could have been up there with the best National Lampoon Vacation movies (started out that way) but they blew it.

Great movie, horrible dvd
I love this movie! Its among my top favorites. However, the DVD [is bad]! One reason, the dubbing. The first half of the movie is fine, but about half way through, the words being spoken by the characters dont match up with their mouth. It looks like a bad Bruce Lee movie! Im not one to complain, but it just kept getting worse! At one point the whole line was almost spoken before the characters mouth started moving! I just baffles me that those responsible for transfering this movie to DVD took no care at all in doing it! I really dont know how this DVD made it to stores without someone noticing this huge fault and trying to make it better. Like I said, this is my favorite movie, I give it the lowest rating for the lack of dubbing quaility! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Better than it should be
While skirting the edges of formula, this film nevertheless manages to include a few elements of originality that definitely place it above the norm in the thriller arena.

Gena Hayes, a single mother of a five year old son, watches in shock and grief as her young son's life is destroyed by a yakuza in a drugstore wearing a silver mask. She sees a blue tiger tatoo on the yakuza's chest and does some research, ultimately finding a tatoo artist who knows its signficance. When she has him ink a red tiger on her bare skin, following the legend of the meeting of the two tigers, it's purely for revenge.

So the revenge motif, long a staple of the thriller--American and otherwise--pins the story's plot to its characters. But here the writing and directing are both fresh and lean, so there is a minimum of unnecessary grunting, emoting, slipshod hammy dialogue, and pointless commanding and commandeering (i.e., You do this; Steal that truck...etc.)

Instead what we have is a sharper, crisper entry in the East meets West thriller department (the setting is Los Angeles' Little Tokyo) whose momentum is strong and confident enough to pull you to the finale which is a meting out of just desserts. More important than the inner working of the yakuza is Gena's own thinking on how to find the one who killed her child. (For a more in-depth, gritty, and intense portrayal of the yakuza, see a few films by Fukasaku like Battles Without Honor or Humanity, or Yakuza Graveyard--or by Beat Takeshi, like Sonatine).

Harry Dean Stanton here plays a reclusive tatoo artist and acquits himself well. Only one logical flaw comes to mind here. Is there only ONE man with a blue tiger tatoo?

You decide.

Well done
This movie was well done. It got it's message across on how revenge motivates people to do things. Madsen was execellent as the mother out for justice. The other actors did well also. I'd recomend this to everyone I see.

Great Action
If your into action movies, this is right up your alley. It keeps you hooked. Virginia Madsen does a great job as a mother getting revenge on the person you killed her son. I'd recommend this to all my friends.

Violent, haunting, stunning
"Blue Tiger" is a film that you want to hate for its overtly gratuitous violence, but instead you find yourself compelled to watch it again and again, haunted by the tragic story that slowly unfolds before your eyes. The film begins with the death of a child. A young mother Gena Hayes played magnificently by Virginia Masden witnesses the death of her son when he is accidentally shot by a member of the Japanese Yakuza. All she sees of the killer is a tattoo on his chest and back depicting a red tiger. This image haunts Gena and to stop herself descending into madness she decides to find the man who killed her child. In order to find him she must first infiltrate the world of the Yakuza. This she does by becoming a hostess at a club frequented by Yakuza gang members. She learns to speak Japanese, teaches herself how to handle a gun and then sets out on her quest of retribution. At the same time she learns more about the red tiger she saw. Harry Dean Stanton is superb as the dying tattoist Smith who tells her the legend of the red tiger and the blue tiger. These two mythical creatures are destined to meet one day, whether in passion or in violence, but when they do meet a price has to be paid. Gena takes this legend to heart and gets Smith to craft into her flesh the image of the red tiger's nemesis. This is he does, and it is one of the film's pivotal moments as we watch him begin to tattoo her flesh, not swiftly with an electric needle but done over time with crude instruments, as it would have been done hundreds of years ago in Japan. Gena's pain becomes our pain as she suffers the agonizing crafting of the Blue Tiger onto her flesh for like her we know that soon the two tigers will meet and only one will survive. The director uses the image of this tiger and its counterpart as a central theme that runs throughout the story. This is not just a story about revenge; it is also a love story, because Gena inadvertently falls in love with the killer of her son. There are several sub plots to keep track of such as the killer's relationship with his brother, a gang war between Asian and Whites, and a cop who suspects that Gena knows more about her son's killer than she is letting on. The film is amazing because it manages to grab you by the throat from the beginning and keep you riveted to your seat right to the end. This is one of the best films you will ever buy; it will stun your senses and leave you begging for more. Virginia Masden brilliantly portrays the fragile but vengeful Gena Hayes and Tôru Nakamura is totally believable as the damned killed Seiji, a man of violence, yet a man of compassion. "Blue Tiger" is well worth adding to your collection of videos if you want something intelligent but action packed on your shelf; it's just a shame it isn't available on DVD as well.

Best in Class!
This is an excellant film in nearly all regards. While the storyline is fairly "mature", the plot twists and characterizations are fresh and new. And as anyone with body art will attest, as the ink work progresses with patience and no little amount of discomfort, so to does the film. It's almost as if the frames of the next scene can't come soon enough! I've been looking for this film to add to my collection for some time. Harry Dean Stanton is a real sleeper here. GREAT acting. When the economics allow, it's spot is reserved. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Better than it should be
While skirting the edges of formula, this film nevertheless manages to include a few elements of originality that definitely place it above the norm in the thriller arena.

Gena Hayes, a single mother of a five year old son, watches in shock and grief as her young son's life is destroyed by a yakuza in a drugstore wearing a silver mask. She sees a blue tiger tatoo on the yakuza's chest and does some research, ultimately finding a tatoo artist who knows its signficance. When she has him ink a red tiger on her bare skin, following the legend of the meeting of the two tigers, it's purely for revenge.

So the revenge motif, long a staple of the thriller--American and otherwise--pins the story's plot to its characters. But here the writing and directing are both fresh and lean, so there is a minimum of unnecessary grunting, emoting, slipshod hammy dialogue, and pointless commanding and commandeering (i.e., You do this; Steal that truck...etc.)

Instead what we have is a sharper, crisper entry in the East meets West thriller department (the setting is Los Angeles' Little Tokyo) whose momentum is strong and confident enough to pull you to the finale which is a meting out of just desserts. More important than the inner working of the yakuza is Gena's own thinking on how to find the one who killed her child. (For a more in-depth, gritty, and intense portrayal of the yakuza, see a few films by Fukasaku like Battles Without Honor or Humanity, or Yakuza Graveyard--or by Beat Takeshi, like Sonatine).

Harry Dean Stanton here plays a reclusive tatoo artist and acquits himself well. Only one logical flaw comes to mind here. Is there only ONE man with a blue tiger tatoo?

You decide.

Well done
This movie was well done. It got it's message across on how revenge motivates people to do things. Madsen was execellent as the mother out for justice. The other actors did well also. I'd recomend this to everyone I see.

Great Action
If your into action movies, this is right up your alley. It keeps you hooked. Virginia Madsen does a great job as a mother getting revenge on the person you killed her son. I'd recommend this to all my friends.

Violent, haunting, stunning
"Blue Tiger" is a film that you want to hate for its overtly gratuitous violence, but instead you find yourself compelled to watch it again and again, haunted by the tragic story that slowly unfolds before your eyes. The film begins with the death of a child. A young mother Gena Hayes played magnificently by Virginia Masden witnesses the death of her son when he is accidentally shot by a member of the Japanese Yakuza. All she sees of the killer is a tattoo on his chest and back depicting a red tiger. This image haunts Gena and to stop herself descending into madness she decides to find the man who killed her child. In order to find him she must first infiltrate the world of the Yakuza. This she does by becoming a hostess at a club frequented by Yakuza gang members. She learns to speak Japanese, teaches herself how to handle a gun and then sets out on her quest of retribution. At the same time she learns more about the red tiger she saw. Harry Dean Stanton is superb as the dying tattoist Smith who tells her the legend of the red tiger and the blue tiger. These two mythical creatures are destined to meet one day, whether in passion or in violence, but when they do meet a price has to be paid. Gena takes this legend to heart and gets Smith to craft into her flesh the image of the red tiger's nemesis. This is he does, and it is one of the film's pivotal moments as we watch him begin to tattoo her flesh, not swiftly with an electric needle but done over time with crude instruments, as it would have been done hundreds of years ago in Japan. Gena's pain becomes our pain as she suffers the agonizing crafting of the Blue Tiger onto her flesh for like her we know that soon the two tigers will meet and only one will survive. The director uses the image of this tiger and its counterpart as a central theme that runs throughout the story. This is not just a story about revenge; it is also a love story, because Gena inadvertently falls in love with the killer of her son. There are several sub plots to keep track of such as the killer's relationship with his brother, a gang war between Asian and Whites, and a cop who suspects that Gena knows more about her son's killer than she is letting on. The film is amazing because it manages to grab you by the throat from the beginning and keep you riveted to your seat right to the end. This is one of the best films you will ever buy; it will stun your senses and leave you begging for more. Virginia Masden brilliantly portrays the fragile but vengeful Gena Hayes and Tôru Nakamura is totally believable as the damned killed Seiji, a man of violence, yet a man of compassion. "Blue Tiger" is well worth adding to your collection of videos if you want something intelligent but action packed on your shelf; it's just a shame it isn't available on DVD as well.

Best in Class!
This is an excellant film in nearly all regards. While the storyline is fairly "mature", the plot twists and characterizations are fresh and new. And as anyone with body art will attest, as the ink work progresses with patience and no little amount of discomfort, so to does the film. It's almost as if the frames of the next scene can't come soon enough! I've been looking for this film to add to my collection for some time. Harry Dean Stanton is a real sleeper here. GREAT acting. When the economics allow, it's spot is reserved. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Surprisingly good B movie!
I always browse the 'B' section of the movie store, looking for diamonds in the rough. I rarely find them, but this one was an exception.

Decent plot, good acting, interesting storyline, and some fascinating characters combine in this action movie to make it an enjoyable experience. Seeing old favorites like Stacy Keach and Jennifer Beals on the screen was a definite plus.

Unforgivable
Fifteen minutes hadn't passed during this movie before I stopped watching. Aside from being one of those movies you know they write the scripts for in five minutes, I was shocked to find scenes STOLEN directly from Terminator 2, with simply a change of characters and music. It doesn't matter if they were given permission to or not, such a lack of effort and creativity deserves no merit. Do not even watch.

Typical bad movie
It's too obvious when they switch from pre-recorded footage from other sources to their own lame scenes. The plot completely lacks creativity (uh oh, bad guys have missiles, hero has to go stop them from launching). I don't mind action movies that use a recycled plot of they do a good job of it, but this movie has none of its own style, just a low-budget movie you would expect to be a cable network original or something like that.

The only thing they added to a generic script was a brief rant by Dean Cain about how the milita nuts are afraid of the ATF (losely quoted) "breaking into their house and taking their guns." Newsflash Mr. Cain: that's EXACTLY what the ATF does, unless maybe they break in to take your alcohol or tobacco. If he wanted to make an anti-militia statement, doing it from the mouth of an ATF agent isn't the most convincing method.

Unbelieveable!
Without question, the best bad movie I've ever seen! Every time I thought about watching something else, it got engrossingly worse. I found myself feeling almost morbidly voyueristic as I watched the movie destroy itself in the slow, and painful, plot avalanche that was it's ending, to which I was superglued.

far from super
First of all let me say that I am a Dean Cain fan, I watched this movie based on the fact that he was in it. That turned out to be a big mistake. The plot has holes in it that you could Drive a Mack truck through, the action sequences were a joke (I'm sure the AFT enters a hostile situation single file like ducks in a row), and I don't think the writers know what the words character development mean. I was so upset I was yelling at the television, but at the same time I couldn't turn it off. It was like a train wreck, you have to look.
If you're looking for an action movie, run. If you're looking for a Dean Cain fix get Best Men, Broken Hearts Club, or No Alibi; otherwise you'll lose 2 hours of your life you'll never get back. ... Read more