Reviews (1)

Wilfully obscure Late Godard.
After his experimental phase in the 70's, Godard supposedly returned to mainstream cinema, but this movie isn't many peoples' idea of a mainstream movie. It's title is deceptive as there isn't much of a noir plot and most of the movie consists of scenes and conversations that don't really go anywhere. Some of these are quite amusing, like a scene where people wonder why porno movies are refered to as x-rated. But the film is mostly frustrating, chiefly to be viewed by film scholars and JLG buffs. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Low budget with high budget qualities
The Iron Triangle kept me watching. Their were storylines and characters that I wish were expanded on like the relationship with Ho(played by Liam Whatley) and his girlfriend. Their was a beautifull final battle scene where the sound became operatic in a religious sort of way. It reall made the battle scenes more poignant. I thought those scenes were very well filmed and special effects great. The scene where Ho's Girlfriend gets spotted in the chaos of battle by the arch enemy captain of the South Viet. Army but gets his was a great scene as well as the ball crucher that every male watching would cringe too. All in all worth it.

DVD Transfer Needed
The Vietnam War was and still is not a very popular event in US history. There are still individuals with strong feelings and who lost love ones that "Why were we there? has never been answered. Every film that tries to answer the "Why" question should be presented to the American public. The film tries hard to explain the why and the role of the local, educated, typical Vietnamese people in the war. I would like to see more films directed and written from the Vietnamese's point of view. The film should be transferred to DVD.

This film may be the Most Realistic
This film gives a dimension to the Vietnamese that others lack. They are real human beings! It shows they struggled with many issues as their American counterparts did.

Iron Triangle
This movie absolutely sucked. It was the worst thing i had ever seen. I do not reccommend it to anyone. I watched it in an English class because we are reading "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien. I dont really like war movies, but I did really enjoy "Saving Private Ryan" and "Pearl Harbor". This movie however, didnt make the cut. The stuff in there just wasnt good. I would give it no stars, but it says i have to give it a rating of 1-5 stars. so I will give it one, but just know that I didnt really want to.

more balanced view of vietnam war
I think this is a must see film for Vietnam War movie buffs as well as anyone who wants to see a somewhat atypical Vietnam movie. It actually manages to be more balanced than your typical vietnam movies like Platoon or Full Metal Jacket etc. all hardcore American macho vs. the Vietnamese pyama wearers. This movie makes the effort to show both sides of the war. The story includes an American POW, a young Viet-Cong recruit with a conscience!?, and even a left over mercenary from the French colonial forces who stayed on after Bien-Phu. The movie has a lot more realistic and historically accurate feel to it and definately worth watching. I highly recommend it. Enjoy. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Low budget with high budget qualities
The Iron Triangle kept me watching. Their were storylines and characters that I wish were expanded on like the relationship with Ho(played by Liam Whatley) and his girlfriend. Their was a beautifull final battle scene where the sound became operatic in a religious sort of way. It reall made the battle scenes more poignant. I thought those scenes were very well filmed and special effects great. The scene where Ho's Girlfriend gets spotted in the chaos of battle by the arch enemy captain of the South Viet. Army but gets his was a great scene as well as the ball crucher that every male watching would cringe too. All in all worth it.

DVD Transfer Needed
The Vietnam War was and still is not a very popular event in US history. There are still individuals with strong feelings and who lost love ones that "Why were we there? has never been answered. Every film that tries to answer the "Why" question should be presented to the American public. The film tries hard to explain the why and the role of the local, educated, typical Vietnamese people in the war. I would like to see more films directed and written from the Vietnamese's point of view. The film should be transferred to DVD.

This film may be the Most Realistic
This film gives a dimension to the Vietnamese that others lack. They are real human beings! It shows they struggled with many issues as their American counterparts did.

Iron Triangle
This movie absolutely sucked. It was the worst thing i had ever seen. I do not reccommend it to anyone. I watched it in an English class because we are reading "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien. I dont really like war movies, but I did really enjoy "Saving Private Ryan" and "Pearl Harbor". This movie however, didnt make the cut. The stuff in there just wasnt good. I would give it no stars, but it says i have to give it a rating of 1-5 stars. so I will give it one, but just know that I didnt really want to.

more balanced view of vietnam war
I think this is a must see film for Vietnam War movie buffs as well as anyone who wants to see a somewhat atypical Vietnam movie. It actually manages to be more balanced than your typical vietnam movies like Platoon or Full Metal Jacket etc. all hardcore American macho vs. the Vietnamese pyama wearers. This movie makes the effort to show both sides of the war. The story includes an American POW, a young Viet-Cong recruit with a conscience!?, and even a left over mercenary from the French colonial forces who stayed on after Bien-Phu. The movie has a lot more realistic and historically accurate feel to it and definately worth watching. I highly recommend it. Enjoy. ... Read more

Reviews (24)

Another wonderful French film
Two men of entirely different makes, have a chance meeting in a small French town drugstore. One, a quiet midlife bank robber and the movie's namesake, has arrived by train in order to case the town's bank and prepare a team to rob it. The other, a much older chatterbox, is a retired French teacher, and still tutors children, as well as read poetry and play the piano. The bank robber yearns for a more peaceful and quiet life, whereas the teacher longs for excitement, fearing that his life is close to finishing. The bank robber, by means of unforeseen circumstances, is forced to stay at the teacher's home for the week while he prepares his work. The unlikely pair begin a tender friendship that starts to move both men toward the things they are really looking for in life. By the end of the week, both men have been affected in ways that will change their life for good.

This movie is a character piece. No sex, minimal violence. It moves in a slow but very steady pace. The director recognizes that this is a movie based on dialogue, and the things going on in the two protagonists' heads. It's very enjoyable and yet just another wonderful film coming out of France.

Understated, Curious Character Study.
A stranger arrives in a sleepy French town with plans to rob its bank. The man is Milan (Johnny Hallyday), an aging and world-weary career criminal. When he discovers that the town's hotel is closed, an elderly gentleman invites Milan to stay in his home. The elderly man is Monsieur Manesquier (Jean Rochefort), a retired literature teacher whose life has always been routine, and now the routine is spent mostly alone in his family's lovely but somewhat dilapidated mansion. As these two men spend time observing each other, each man is drawn by curiosity to the other man's lifestyle. They both begin to see long-dormant aspects of their own characters in the other man. As their growing friendship induces in each man a new way of seeing himself, the two men develop a taciturn but deep bond.

"The Man on the Train" is a stereotypical French film in that nothing actually happens overtly. The action is all internal, in the hearts and minds of Milan and M. Manesquier. It is less typical of a French film in that not much is said either. Milan is a laconic character, and M. Manesquier likes to talk but seems to lack anyone to talk to. This is a quiet film that actually seems to distrust language. The story of these two unlikely companions discovering each other in themselves is told through two sensitive, outstanding performances by Jean Rochefort and Johnny Hallyday and through the cinematography of Jean-Marie Dreujou. I could have done with less filtration on some of the outdoor scenes, but Dreujou's cinematography really shines inside M. Manesquier's mansion. The camera work gives the audience the distinct impression of a closed, isolated space in which we are concealed observers of the unusual relationship that is developing between the two men. Fans of character studies will appreciate this little gem of a film. If that's you, "The Man on the Train" is highly recommended. French with English subtitles. There are no bonus features on the DVD, and the subtitles cannot be turned off.

slow and boring
Slow and boring. The first hour and fifteen minutes are nothing but a dawdling and pointless dialogue between two very different strangers who become somewhat of friends. If you are still awake for the last 15 minutes, there is a very brief moment of action. The music is intentionally reminiscent of an American Western but since the film is set in a modern French town, it's a combination that didn't appeal to me in the least. The picture quality is great, however the English subtitles are fixed, and can't be removed. Furthermore the translations aren't completely accurate, and they are often poorly timed.

Great film pity about the fixed English subtitles
The irremovable English subtitles get in the way especially if you are trying to learn a language. Normally subtitles are optional, these are not.

Cute Flick
I loved the characters in this film. The old retired teacher in a small French town, invites a raggedy drifter who is in town (to rob a bank), to stay in his mansion since the local hotel is closed for the season. As the film progresses, each begin to admire the others' way of life. The old teacher, who is a very loveable person, is in love with American western movies, and tries to start fights, but just can't, since he is so well known and respected. The drifter is the silent type who gets a chance to try on slippers for the very first time while with the teacher.
This film really drew me into the protagonists' lives, and though I'm not really sure if there is a definite moral to it, it kept me thinking of my own life, and the choices that I've made, and why I chose what I did. This is a great film if you're looking for something to inspire you into gaining some hindsight.
The acting is terrific, the script is lovely, this is a must-see for all drama aficionados. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Nice Slapstick Comedy!!
Jean Paul-Belmondo stars as an incompetant stuntman who's madly in love with his stuntlady co-worker(Raquel Welch).It's a nice slapstick comedy!! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Sam Phillips's Sun Records will forever be best known as the label for which Elvis Presley made his timeless first recordings. But Sun earned its legendary status by also recording any number of other blues and rock & roll greats, including Howlin' Wolf, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Johnny Cash. This 112-minute, 2001 documentary from PBS's American Masters series features plenty of reminiscences by Sun old-timers (including the ever-voluble Phillips, who was not, apparently, universally loved by his artists) and some vintage film footage. But the best moments come when more contemporary artists--ranging from Paul McCartney, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, and Mark Knopfler to Live, Third Eye Blind, Ben Folds, and even Kid Rock--do their versions of Sun classics like "Honey Don't" and "That's All Right Mama." Several of these performances can also be found on the excellent Good Rockin' Tonight CD; the documentary is good, but if you have to make a choice, go with the CD. --Sam Graham ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Excellent item with a few flaws.
THIS IS A GREAT DVD OVERALL. THE INTERVIEWS AND
CONVERSATIONS OF PAST "SUN RECORDS" STARS AND SAM PHILLIPS ARE VERY INTERESTING BUT WHERE WAS JERRY LEE LEWIS FOR THESE
SESSIONS? I AGREE WHOLEHEARTEDLY WITH "REVIEWER" BILL TAYLOR THAT "MATCHBOX TWENTY'S" TREATMENT OF CHARLIE RICH'S "LONELY WEEKENDS" WAS EMBARRASSING TO SAY THE LEAST - SHOULD HAVE JUST
LET JERRY LEE LEWIS DO IT! HOWEVER, ZUCCHERO DID DO A PRETTY
GOOD VERSION OF RICH'S "WHO WILL THE NEXT FOOL BE?" AND THEN THEY LEFT IT OFF THE "CD" EDITION OF THE MUSIC AND USED ANOTHER
SINGER! I WOULD RECOMMEND THE "A & E" BIOGRAPHY OF SAM PHILLIPS FOR THOSE WHO LIKED THIS - AN EXCELLENT PRESENTATION WRITTEN BY
PREMIER ROCK CRITIC "PETER GURALNICK."

Riveting! Great show!
For a documentary this one's pretty long. But I never looked at my watch. I'd lean forward to hear better. I loved 'Good Rockin' Tonight'! In addition to the priceless conversations between Rufus Thomas, Sam Phillips, Scotty Moore, Sonny Burgess, Billy Lee Riley, etc., the old songs covered by current artists is great. Among others, Paul McCartney sings 'That's All Right, Mama" with Scotty Moore and D.J. Fontana playing behind him, for cryin' out loud!

Kudos.

Good Rockin' Forever
Good Rockin'Tonight is a moving experience! I couldn't sit still. The film is a musical trip through time,a fascinating story, performed by a tapestry of players. Good Rockin', rock on!

it rocks!
I saw this last year on American Masters and I loved it. I just ordered it. Just to see Billy Lee Riley and Sonny Burgess perform was enough to add this to my collection. Paul McCartney playing with Scotty Moore and DJ Fontana was as close as we will ever get to the Beatles jamming with Elvis. This was fun and informative.... kudos to the filmakers.

Good Rockin,but not GREAT rockin!!!
I found this documentary to be interesting in that all the regional artists who ,for the most part didn't make it to national stardom,or did and didn't maintain that place on the ladder for long all seem to blame Sam Phillips for their plight!Billy Lee Riley couldn't say enough about how ol'Sam shot his career down the tubes,of course,in other forums I've heard Roy Orbison,Johnny Cash,Carl Perkins,and Jerry Lee Lewis claim the same.Obviously there must be something there,however,some of those went on to stardom and have maintained it.The musical performances taped here are decent,just not very exciting,the reviewer for this DVD says that there is a touching version of Charlie Rich's tune "Lonely Weekends" done by Matchbox 20 and some geezer called "the Killer"...well there was nothing "touching" about it,insulting was more the word if you ask me!Charlie Rich wrote that tune,had a hit with it in the late 50's and Jerry Lee Lewis revived it in the 70's and had a hit with it,Charlie is dead,and after the treatment that the Sun Wildman ,Jerry Lee gets in this re working of Sun history,he may as well be,as he gets about 10 seconds of screen time in this "history of..whatever! To get to where the producers of this piece take us,one would think that Carl Perkins,Johnny Cash, and Elvis were the only noteworhty happenings in this studio(,at one time Jerry Lee was given some acknowledgemnt of his contributions too,)sure is great how fickle we can be! Aside from this ranting of mine,I enjoyed the exposure that Charlie Rich gets here,as well as Rufus Thomas,and the Burnett trio.Rocky Burnett comes across as a real gentleman.This is really fascinating stuff,however,if this is all you know about the happenings at Sun studio,do some reading ,listen to some music from that studio,track its talent pool, and then come back to this presentation as it isn't all it appears to be,Sun was known for its raw,reckless way of producing music,most of the music made here is polite stuff,recorded mostly somewhere else,maybe a statement as to the international impact of this music? Maybe,maybe not.Do I recommend this work,sure do! Why? Its a great place to start learning about music,the South,social mores,shifting paradiams,(maybe I'm reaching here,cause I really want to be positive) and more,but remember,its a starting place,not the end all...and maybe one day the makers of this documentary will let us in on what they were trying to accomplish with this mostly mish mash of bitter recollections,snubs,and tepid music,some celebration,some legacy. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Knockout French Comedy!!
This movie id a knockout french comedy about clumsy stuntmen starring Jean Paul Belmondo and the breathtakingly beautiful Raquel welch.It's a must see!! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Fun Gangster Movie
Costa Gavras shows in this film that he has also a great sense of humor. This film is about shabby gangsters who believe in their talent. They see themselves as professional gangsters only because this is their life. They love their "work", at which they are really bad! The actors are great! It's a fun, entertaining movie with good action. This film, with comic effects, shows a moment in the life of a close family where there is above all: love, affection and frienship.

I recommend this film for adults and for adolescents too. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

THIS MOVIE IS A RIOT
This movie had me on the floor. I can't remeber the last time I laughed so much watching a comedy. Gerard is hysterical and Harvey Keitel is a fantastic. The story is very clever. A group of dim-witted French thieves are sent to Chicago to steal a necklace and end up going to the wrong house and robbing the head of the mafia (Keitel). From there things get worse as our French heros struggle to get out of the windy city and find their way home. There are several scenes where you'll find yourself laughing out loud... especially when Keitel calls
his number one on the phone (see the movie and you'll know what I mean). The acting is great and the cast seems to have had a great time making it. All in all, this film does exactly what it's supposed to do: Entertains and makes you laugh.

Wickedly Funny
God, this movie is funny.

There is one thing I would like to point out: Many people refer to this as a foreign film, and I guess technically it is since it was made by a Canadian company, but I feel this is misleading and many people will think it is a foreign language film, when it is not. The first few minutes of the movie are in French with English subtitles, but after that the entire movie (except for one scene) is in English.

I have to say that making an English-speaking film with French actors was a gamble - but it was a gamble that pays off big-time. These guys are so funny they reduce you to tears. Crime Spree is a unique twist on an old genre. I highly recommend it for everyone who like to laugh.

Genuine Laughs ... worth a rental
I don't know how I stumbled onto this DVD, but my blind purchase (I do that sometimes) was a success. There are some moments in this movie that are laugh-out-loud funny. All of the French actors in this film are legends in France for one reason or another (some of them are famous music artists) and the nearly always excellent Harvey Keitel and Abe Vigoda also star.

The French thieves appear to be bumbling idiots at first, but despite appearances they get it together as the movie progresses, so don't expect non-stop slapstick humour. The laughs are sometimes in the more subtle situation-comedy moments. There are some tense and surprisingly violent scenes too. At times the script was clichéd ("you must either be brave or very stupid to be here") and I also felt like a better editor could have salvaged some of the jokes (and punchlines)...there were a few times where there were pauses before or after a joke that felt a bit too: oh i see, you want me to laugh now, right?. I also dislike the premise in movies, where everyone is a potential traitor (which is a cheap and easy way for allowing lots of plot twists to complicate things).

The DVD: Nothing except for the director & producer commentary, which is, by the way, very interesting. And I don't mean that in a good way. I advise you to NOT listen to the commentary, because you may suddenly notice a lot more flaws in the film that more seasoned directors (who, granted, probably would have bigger budgets) would have not let go unnoticed. The director/writer Brad Mirman is not a dumb guy, but he's clearly inexperienced and perhaps a bit too pleased with his (debut?) film -- ie. 'oh I love this next scene'.

Look past my complaints, this film has a fresh and funny approach on a tired (mafia & fish out of water) theme, with funny and inspired performances all round. Recommended.

A good laugh
Crime Spree is brilliant parody of many film genres (crime/mafia, fish out of water, comedy of errors). The performances by Gérard Depardieu (Daniel Foray), Albert Dray (Raymond Gayet), Johnny Hallyday (Marcel Burot), and Renaud (Zero) were excellent.

A fun movie
If you enjoyed watching likeable wannabe crooks bumble around in movies like "Snatch" and "Lock, Stock, and two Smoking Barrels," this movie belongs in the same bin. Not as good in my opinion, but still really funny.

A bunch of entry-level criminals from France can't ever do anything right, so their boss sends them to Chicago for one last chance at a big job. This job goes worse than their previous work, and they find themselves at odds with the Chicago mafia (led by Harvey Keitel and Abe Vigoda) and a street gang.

The plot is not as twisted and surprising as other movies, but it's original as far as I can tell. You might guess at what is going to happen if you are one of those types trying to figure it out, but at least you won't feel like you are watching something you have already seen, and you will laugh all the way. On the other hand, people like me will be thrilled all the way. ... Read more