Reviews (58)

It's Okay, But It Doesn't Do the Play Justice
"The Diary of Anne Frank," as directed by George Stevens, is certainly not a bad movie. However, it seems to lack the certain spark, sincerity, and tight acting of a truly great movie, and come to think of it, the play on which it is based. The movie is hurt severely by Millie Perkin's, who is whiney and lifeless as Anne Frank. Of all the worthy talent out there, why did they have to pick someone who was not only bad, but 10 years to old for the part. Ed Wynn is dreadfully miscast as grumpy dentist Dussel, and the whole movie is dragged on for so long that the ending is anticlimatic. On the positive side, Joseph Schildkraut and Lou Jacobi recreate the roles they held on Broadway with sincerity and gusto, and Shelly Winters won an Oscar for her delightful performence as Mrs. Van Daan. The screanplay by Albert Hacket and Francis Goodrich is also quite moving. Not a bad showing, but Stevens could have done better.

This play is an inspriation to me&I'm sure to others as well
I rented this movie from Blockbuster last night and I watched it (I'm watching it again right now).It is a wonderful movie.I know that it was/is based on the real thing and I am glad to know that I can not only read her diary and other books to know what Anne,her family,and the Van Daans suffered through,I can watch a movie and/or play about it as well~! I really did enjoy it and I reccomend it to everyone,old or young.It should make you think that no one in this world should be killed just because they are Jewish,America,Chinese or any other race.We are all one and will always be one as long as we all work together.I honestly believe what Anne said:
(quote)Anne Frank:"In spite of everything,I still believe people are really good at heart."(/quote)So please,watch and/or read "The Diary of Anne Frank".I guarentee that it will touch your heart;it touched mine all 10 times (and forever more when I read about Anne Frank)! =}~Jackie

Anne Deserves Better
There is no excuse why the best and most widely read Holocaust narrative couldn't have been made into a far superior movie than this disorganized and boring flick. For most Americans, The Diary of Anne Frank is the only Holocaust book they will ever read and most Americans won't even read that. Consequently, it is vitally important there be an excellent film adaptation of the book. This dull, watered down and not particularly well cast or acted film is not the perfect film memorial to the 7 million victims it needs to be.

This is the definitive movie for Anne's Diary
*** SPOILER if you have not read the diary or seen any of its movies yet

Absolutely no scene in movie history is as simultaneously gripping and gently conveyed as the final scene, when Peter Van Damme and Anne Frank hold hands and look out to the sky as the Gestapo beat down their door to take them to a death camp. The adults look down in the direction of the door and stand or sit still and wait for them to enter, resigned to the fact that they just can not escape the fate that the Nazis have assigned to them.

Nobody runs or even speaks, and Otto Frank puts down the newspaper and hands his wife her bag, as if they are going on a trip. Such small simple movments convey such finality for these 7 people who have shared the unimaginable experience of being caged liked animals to escape being killed like animals, because one man in power decided people of their religion and race should not live.

That scene says more than a million car chases and explosions. Watch it and see what I mean.

unfortunate timing
there was only one reason this monumental film was not awarded the "Best Picture" oscar at the academy awards. that reason is simple; the year of its release. 1959 was an unfortunate year for George Stevens to release this masterpiece of filmmaking, because released that same year was "Ben-Hur". any connesieur of classic films can attest to the magnitude of "Ben-Hur", winner of 11 academy awards. inspite of the legendary status of "Ben-Hur", "The Diary Of Anne Frank" deserves just as much recognition.
"The Diary Of Anne Frank" deserved the oscar just as much if not more than "Ben-Hur". the film was based on the diary written by Anne Frank while she was hiding out in the attic of an old house with her family and several others to avoid Nazi capture during those tragic days of WWII.
the movie is nothing less than monumental and a perfect tribute to Anne Frank and her family. it is nearly 3 hrs. long but easily maintains one's interest throughout.

there exist no words to justly express greatness of this magnificent opus of filmmaking. accolades to George Stevens for giving us this film. and God bless the entire Frank family for continuing to bring hope to the hearts of people globally for over 60 years. AMEN ... Read more

Amazon.com

I.Q. has all the elements of a classic romantic comedy. Certainly Meg Ryan has demonstrated she has the stuff for funny love with films such as When Harry Met Sally... and Sleepless in Seattle, and director Fred Schepisi's Roxanne ranks among top contemporary romantic comedies. Even though Tim Robbinsreceived acclaim for dramatic work in Jacob's Ladder and The Shawshank Redemption, his early comedic work shouldn't be forgotten (well, maybe Howard the Duck, but not the hilarious Sure Thing). And Walter Matthau? No explanation needed.

Combine I.Q.'s talent with its fresh story and it charms. Garage mechanic Ed Walters (Robbins) is captivated at first glimpse by pretty, perky Catherine (Ryan), a gifted academic who lives with her uncle, Albert Einstein (a brilliant Matthau). Catherine is engaged to pretentious James Moreland (the oh-so-appropriate English actor and writer Stephen Fry). Catherine's early 1950s world is all bookish and brainy, even though she has aspirations toward the romantic (Moreland's idea of a honeymoon is the Belgian Congo with Pygmies; she longs for Hawaii). Einstein and his professor pals, played by Lou Jacobi, Gene Saks, and Joseph Maher, conspire to match their beloved Catherine with the sincere and smart (though not intellectual) Ed.

This is a sweet--but not saccharine--story about "engineering" the course of true love and the ironic triumph of heart over head. The topnotch performances (which also include Tony Shalhoub and Frank Whaley as fellow mechanics) really draw audiences into this winning movie. --N.F. Mendoza ... Read more

Reviews (21)

The cutest, most endearing love story of all time!
An attractively, welldone movie. Meg Ryan's character seemed to be made just for her and she played it superbly. And Walter Matthau was wonderful as Einstein. They couldn't have picked a better guy. I was just cuted out by the characters he and his friends (Lou Jacobi, Gene Saks, and Joseph Maher) played. The were the funniest, most humorous match-makers I have ever seen in a movie. In short, I think that the cast of characters was nothing short of magnificent.

Catherine (Meg Ryan) is the niece of the well meaning but bumbling Einstein (Walter Matthau). She was born with the mind of a scientist who always follows her head, and is just learning what it means to follow her heart. And Ed (Tim Robbins) is just the man to teach her how (with a little help from Einstein and his friends).

This Movie Is, Like, Jivin'!
I have to confess.....I love this movie. I think I've watched it over 300 times, and I'll probably watch it another 300.

Say what you want to about Meg Ryan being too cute, about the plot being predictable, whatever. I think it's just....jivin'. It's a neat love story, about the actions of boy meets girl, fate and love, and Albert Einstien's convertible. Throw in a comet and a few wacky physicists, well, it's just pure fun. I wish to heck I could find the score somewhere; the blend of do-wap and Mozart is as much fun as the movie itself.

I'm prejudiced because Tim Robbins is my favorite actor, but all the acting in this goofy, off the wall film is top-notch. Though it's not one of the late Walter Matthau's most famous roles, I personally think it's one of his best, and I can't think of anyone better to play the eccentric Albert Einstien.

One of the most beautiful things about this film is the accuracy of the set and costumes. Not just Meg Ryan's picture-perfect 50's dresses, but the buildings and vehicles, and especially the heavily wood-panelled bungalows favored by the rich during the late 50's; they're so time-perfect you can almost smell the Lemon Pledge.

Incedentally...look for one of the funniest performances in one of the experiments by Meg Ryan's movie fiance, "Excremental Psychologist" James Moreland. I'm not sure who the actor is, but in the background of his lab is a student driven psychotic by a "time depravation experiment", and his physical humor and antics are about a thousand times better than anything from SNL in the past decade.

By the by, this makes a perfect date movie, and is mild enough for kids...but still fun for adults. It's just all around terrific, and a great buy.

A brilliant romantic comedy
Now this is how to do the genre!

This is brilliantly funny, poignant and tender, but never insipid (the director is Australia...so insipidness is definitely out) movie. Matthau is truly fantastic as Einstein, as are his three sidekicks (especially Godel! and the tree that likes to eat their stuff!) as they try to manuever the two leads together and remove the Lesser Professor, a.k.a the rat man, Chimp Pimp, etc from the picture: the stuffy english fiance of Meg Ryan's Character, played perfectly by Stephen Frey. Of course the Lesser Professor is trying to hang on to Meg Ryan's character and expose Tim Robbin's character as a fraud because of his new found friendhsip with Einstein and the secret paper they're working on so Tim Robbin's character can impress Meg Ryan's charater with 'his genius' because that is what she looks for in a man- a genetic hope of making genius children so she, lacking in her own confidence, can achieve through her children. MEg Ryan's character is Eistein's neice.

I can't understand how Matthau didn't get a best supporting actor nomination for this movie! He is so good, as is all the cast: they fit perfectly, especially the 'four boys'.

The story is fairly linear but well paced. It does deal with a lesser theme of self belief, being yourself, and sexual equality and that brilliant men can be have brilliant women as their equal, or betters. The main theme is not letting the brain rule the heart too much, and to be happy. And that some things-love- defy science!

I can't think of any movie like this one. Its unique, clever, witty and subtle at times (especially the humor: Einstein on a motorbike going wah-hoo...very cool!). So if you like your movies sophisticated, wholesome, honest, stylish and not contrived then you defintely want to see this one! The cinematography and 'fifty-ness' is fantastic!

Definitely 5 stars! More even...!

DVD is very plain: just the movie. No added features or even bio's for that matter. But with a movie this good, who needs them? The picture and sound quality are top notch.

SILLY, BUT CHARMING
Apart from a quote I love ("I'd rather be an optimist and a fool, than a pessimist and always right") the movie is also a relatively intelligent feel-good romantic comedy. Matthau is hilarious as Einstein, almost looks like him too! Robbins is at his suave best, and Meg a prim intellectually inclined neice of Einstein.

If you have any respect for the history of physics and the reputations of the people who formed non-Euclidean theory, leave it at the door. (One cannot but wonder if fictional physicists, instead of real characters could not have accomplished the same thing in terms of compelling characterizations?)

In any case, the movie is a neat little love story, and worth a cosy evening's rental.

Surprise! A good Movie
I caught this flick on cable TV one day and was left feeling I watched a good-hearted romantic comedy. The movie wasn't the funniest or raunchiest and it wasn't a tear-jerker...just the way a romantic comedy should be. Robbins (the actor) was great in his "working man" role. The Einstein twist was marvelous and his (Einstein's) fellow genius' were also great.

Strongly recommended for someone looking to watch a romantic comedy free of zany characters or crazy scenes. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This love letter to the golden days of live television in the 1950s is a thinly veiled depiction of Your Show of Shows, the groundbreaking comedy show that starred Sid Caesar. The story, set in 1954, focuses on one of the writers for the show (Mark Linn-Baker), who is given the task of chaperoning that week's guest star, a famously ill-behaved movie star named Alan Swann. He's based on Errol Flynn and played with Oscar-nominated glee by Peter O'Toole. He also happens to be the writer's movie hero, but proves to be a hilariously drunken party animal, one who opens the naive young writer's eyes in a variety of ways. The highlight of the film is Swann's visit to the writer's outer-borough home and his encounter with the writer's star-struck mother (a delightful turn by Lainie Kazan). One of the better films directed by former actor Richard Benjamin. -Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (40)

A Valentine to New York
Alan Swann: Alfredo, telephone the Stork Club, we'll be two for dinner. Alfi: You sure you want the Stork Club, Mr. Swann? Alan Swann: It's been a year and a half. Surely they've repaired the wall of the bandstand by now. Former actor Richard Benjamin's near classic comedy "My Favorite Year" opens on 50th Street and Broadway in the Manhattan of 1954. Summer sunshine glistens off a new Oldsmobile. Fading, dissolute matinee idol Alan Swann is about to appear in his first live television program. Or will He? Peter O'Toole stars as movie swashbuckler Alan Swann( a thin impersonation of Errol Flynn). O'Toole verifies the comedic spark first seen in 1965's "What's New Pussycat?". A talented cast includes Mark Linn-Baker, Bill Macy, Lainie Kazan, and Cameron Mitchell. Film-within-a-film flashbacks reveal scenes from O'Toole's "Lord Jim". The director's penchant for long, theatrical episodes produces a slow but studied pace. Don't worry. The effect is marvelous. This brand new widescreen anamorphic 1.85:1 DVD of "My Favorite Year" is a stately Warners release. The digital transfer reveals some sloppy mattes around the actors' heads in the firehose balcony sequence. But by then, you'll be laughing so hard you won't even notice. The DVD includes generous chapter stops, a trailer, and splendid audio commentary by Benjamin, as he defines the dangers and head-aches of directing an MGM movie. In "My Favorite Year", veteran Gloria Stuart has a small non-speaking bit part. 20 years later, in a larger role, Stuart played Old Rose in a much more famous film tragedy set in 1912. It was the resonant epic about a ship that could not float.

"Double the lad's bet for me, you toad!"
"My Favorite Year is one of my favorite movies. Set in 1954, it's about an aging movie idol, Alan Swann (Peter O'Toole), who is to make a guest appearance on a television variety show hosted by King Kaiser (Joseph Bologna). However, it turns out that Swann is a libidinous lush, and the freshman writer for the show, Benjie Stone (formerly Steinberg, played by Mark Linn-Baker), is assigned to stay with him--and keep him sober and out of trouble--until after the show. The rest of the movie concerns their adventures together. The film overflows with one-liners and physical comedy, all of which stays remarkably fresh and amusing, even after repeated viewings. The script produces some classic lines; for example, during a take-out feast in which Stone is trying to woo the object of his lust (K.C. Downing, played by Jessica Harper), she comments that he really knows his dim sum. He replies, "Katherine, Jews know two things: suffering and where to find great Chinese food." The DVD also has an informative voice-over commentary by Richard Benjamin, whose first directing job was this film.

One Of My Favorite Films !
I would have to place this into my top ten favorite films of all times. It's a rather unknown delightful comedy that should not be missed by any movie fan. Peter O'Toole, Mark Linn-Baker and the rest of the cast are perfect in their rolls. You will not be sorry renting or buying this DVD.

How great is this movie?
I'll tell you. This movie is so great that I was able to rent it and entertain my GRANDPARENTS for an entire evening. I discovered it right after it was released because it was at the same time we got cable. (Man, were WE behind the times!) This movie has it all; a great cast, scads of great one-liners, and best of all, you can pull it out and show it knowing that most people have never heard of it.

O'Toole Dazzling in Wonderful in 'Golden Age' Homage!
Have you ever watched a film and wished it wouldn't end? Where you loved all the characters, adored each scene, and laughed at every joke, even after you'd seen the film so many times that you could quote the dialog? MY FAVORITE YEAR is that kind of movie!

Directed with gusto by Richard Benjamin, the film is both a loving tribute to Sid Caesar's 'Your Show of Show', and the remarkable talents that brought it together each week, and a sincere homage to Errol Flynn, whose antics and larger-than-life persona, in the waning years of his life, still had the kind of magic that could enthrall a shy young fan, or make a woman swoon.

Three dynamic performances dominate the film. Mark Linn-Baker, as Benjy Stone, based on the young Mel Brooks, is a shy kid who hides his insecurities behind a rapid-fire wit. The dazzling young star in a staff of comedy 'pros', Stone suffers from an unrequited love from fellow staffer K. C. Downing (Jessica Harper), and has an inspiration, inviting legendary swashbuckler Alan Swann (Peter O'Toole) to appear on the show. As King Kaiser, star of the hit series, Joseph Bologna captures much of Sid Caesar's legendary physical 'presence' and irreverence to authority. When threatened by gangsters over a 'too close to home' series of parodies about crime boss Karl Rojeck (portrayed with brute menace by veteran actor Cameron Mitchell), Kaiser 'thumbs his nose' at them, mimicking the gangster mercilessly. "I'll KEEP doing it!" he taunts. "Why? Because it's FUNNY!"

Then there is Peter O'Toole's 'Alan Swann'. With his own career a roller coaster ride of alcoholism, resulting in the near destruction of his health, no actor could have 'channeled' Errol Flynn better. Just as Flynn, by the 1950s, was a nearly burned-out roue, his classic good looks long gone, O'Toole's matinee-idol appearance, after years of self-abuse, had aged into a gaunt mask, making Benji Stone's film montage of 'classic' clips more poignant. What Flynn still had, in abundance, was charm and a ready wit, and O'Toole's 'Swann' is so enchanting a personality that you can't help but love him, and root for him to succeed.

From the opening nostalgic strains of Nat King Cole's rendition of 'Stardust', through Benjy's futile effort to attempt to keep Swann sober (Red Skelton loved to tell how he kept Flynn sober on his program...he emptied all of the actor's bottles of vodka, replacing it with water...and Flynn couldn't tell the difference!), to a riotous Swann dinner with Benjy's family, to the near-disastrous broadcast, with Swann developing stage fright, and Kaiser brawling with mob enforcers...MY FAVORITE YEAR has one glorious scene after another, each unforgettable!

One of the AFI's '100 Greatest Film Comedies', MY FAVORITE YEAR will bring a tear to your eye, even as you laugh. It was a time of legends, and heroes who would live up to boyhood dreams.

Film comedy doesn't get any better than this! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Overlooked gem.
It's hard to explain the lack of public response to this charming comedy in 1976. Perhaps because it was released when all cities, especially New York City, were having such hard times. Or maybe it was the casting of mostly unknowns that sank it.

For whatever reason, Paul Mazursky's NEXT STOP GREENWICH VILLAGE is a classic movie about youthful ambition, betrayal, tragedy, and never-ending surplus of hope. While most directors ultimately wind up knee-deep in schlock when making a movie about their youths, Mazursky keeps his focus on honesty. There's an integrity in his examination of these young characters, as they support and/or abuse each other in pursuit of their aspirations.

The performances are sparklers. The late Lenny Baker contributes just the right amounts of comedy, self-doubt and, ultimately, self-confidence the role demands. And, as others have mentioned, Shelley Winters is totally priceless! NEXT STOP GREENWICH VILLAGE should be your next purchase.

PS--When will the dvd version come out?

"The Mother Behind The Throne"
This early Paul Mazursky film could well be his finest achievement. Wonderfully mixing irony and affection, it examines bohemian New York in the 50's, its scenes generously filled with the assorted types - from fragile to vicious - who then flocked to Greenwich Village, seeking personal freedom and frequently a career in the arts. Mazursky's knowledge of that time and place is unerring; the pubs, the street life and the character types he presents are accurately, hilariously and, often, movingly drawn. From the frequenters of the San Remo to the Brando imitators at the Actor's Studio, he recreates the aspiring young people of a time long since gone but still fresh in the memories of some persons who were part of it.
A nostalgic invocation of the past, however, is not the film's sole or even chief strength. That honor goes instead to the amazing part of the actor hero's mother brilliantly portrayed by Shelley Winters, clearly in the role of her career. She is the Jewish Mother On Film for all time. Not just a stereotypical devotee of the classic formula - control guilt feelings and you control the child - she is also, surprisingly and freshly, herself a frustrated artist. When she weeps over the radio singing of Jussi Bjorling, vowing to hear him in person at the Met, or unconventionally jitterbugs, mad glint in her eye, with a black gay guy at a Greenwich Village party she crashes, we feel affection for her despite her cluelessness and manipulations. Hers is an unfulfilled life in Brooklyn, for she's bursting with an artist's energy which has no outlet. This becomes the ground of her aspiring actor son's and then our eventual respect and affection for her despite her meddling as the would-be power behind the son's throne. "Next Stop Greenwich Village," all told, is a film of considerable distinction, and it deserves to be far better known.

A Little-Known Masterpiece
This is an autobiographical film by Mazursky featuring young, then unknown New York actors like Christopher Walken, Jeff Goldblum, and Bill Murray, and it gives us one of Shelly Winter's best performances (it's unforgettable). Greenwich Village in the 50s, the Bohemian era with its cafes, rent parties, and blossoming sexual freedoms. Lenny Baker promised to be our own Jean-Paul Belmondo--he died young--and this is his best performance: sensible, yearning, funny, and blossoming with talent and ambition, he catches it perfectly. The remaining cast is surprisingly powerful, and the mood that Mazursky catches is memorable: freedom and youth, humor and youthful hypocrisy in an era cracking at the seams to reinvent the world and still have it all. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Strange and Dangerous
This is a strange movie that lies between strange and dangerous. Elliott Gould is fascinating as the world weary and world famous photographer who spends his afternoons taking pictures of Dog feces. He used to make a greater effort towards his work, but realized the art world couldn't tell the difference between what was good and what was crap. So he decides to literally take shots of...crap. Lo and Behold, he continues to win awards for his work. Deepening his sense of the meaningless of life. That's the strange part.

The dangerous part lies mainly in the film's underlying current of social unrest. Stemming largely from the idea that life is meaningless and essentially without value. Random beatings, random murders, all help our protagonist over the edge. Yes this a comedy, but it is a dark comedy.

If you happen to find a copy of this out of print film, you will be in for a treat (check eBay periodically). And that comes by way of a brilliant cameo by Donald Sutherland, who plays a priest lost in an existentialist haze. That alone is worth the price of admission!

Another Brilliant American Comedy No One Knows About
This is one of the most hilarious black comedies ever made. With a perfect cast and one odd and offbeat bit after another. Elliott Gould is the passive and disconnected photographer of dog doo whose life is invaded and turned upside-down by the relentlessly optimistic and determined Patsy (the little seen Broadway actress, Marcia Rodd). He is then brought into Patsy's insular family with their own brand of self-contained lunacy (as in all families)and absolutely hysterical sidetrips and surprises follow to a disturbing, yet hilarious, ending.

Not to be missed are the following: Lou Jacobi as the pompous judge railing about the good old days from the bench. Donald Sutherland as the hippy existential priest conducting the funniest wedding ever filmed. Gould's liberal parents, rearguard 30's leftists over-intellectualizing and full of theories while being totally inept at real life and unable to relate to their only child. Alan Arkin as Lt.Practice, the detective coming unglued before your eyes at his growing list of unsolved murders.

And of course, Vincent Gardenia, Elizabeth Wilson & John Korkes as Patsy's sweetly, obliviously, dysfunctionally daffy family.

Written by Jules Feiffer and directed by Alan Arkin (his only directorial effort I think). This is a BLACK comedy. Be forewarned, it has some nasty things to say about those times (late 60's early 70's) of Vietnam, Nixon & violence in the streets....but its observations of our culture's violence and paranoia are still as pertinent today as they were then. A Classic American Comedy.

MIRACULOUS! LOST CLASSIC BACK IN PRINT!
If you look at reviews for this film, you will notice that they fall in two categories: people who praise it to the stars as one of the finest American comedies ever filmed, and people who had no clue what they were in for when they sat down to watch it. Well, as far as the second group goes, if you don't want to see a depressing movie, definitely don't watch this. But as hard as it may be to believe, considering that practically nobody has even heard of it, that first category of reviewers is NOT EXAGERATING: this REALLY IS one of the best comedies ever filmed. It is literally the blackest comedy I have ever seen, but I have loved it for more than twenty years now, ever since I found a copy of the then-out-of-print VHS. Thank heaven it's finally available on DVD, and with a full-length commentary track by actor/producer Gould and writer Feiffer, maybe, just maybe, this film will FINALLY get the serious attention it deserves. The performances of Vincent Gardenia and Elizabeth Wilson are among the finest comic acting ever done by anyone EVER. (And no, I'm not being overblown in saying that.) And the 3 major cameos (all of which are long, brilliant monologues) by Sutherland, Jacobi and Arkin are nothig short of show-stoppers. Nobody's heard of this movie because it's so uncommercial, but if there were any justice in the comedy world this movie would have at least six or seven reasons to be in the Hall of Fame, not least of which are Gould at his peak and Feiffer, one of our greatest social satirists. Even more depressing, and even more relevant, today than when it was first released (and that's not true of a lot of late-60s/early-70s-era stuff, which often dates fairly poorly) Little Murders belongs on the shelf of any serious fan of what comedy is meant to be. A STUNNER, A CLASSIC, AND A NEAR-MIRACULOUS ACCOMPLISMENT BY THE CAST AND FILMAKERS. ENOUGH GOOD THINGS CANNOT BE SAID ABOUT "LITTLE MURDERS." If you, like 99.999 percent of moviegoers, have never seen it, then all I can say is holy cow are you in for a mind-blowing discovery. This scary, sad, shocking, brutal, uncompromising, and riotously laugh-out-loud movie is going to seriously blow you away.

Comedy Noir with Series of Bizarre Situations
Elliot Gould is stunningly attractive, which is one of only a few reasons why I watched this insane film all the way through. Each of the characters introduced are in their own right neurotic or uniquely nuts. The only fairly sane person is the young woman who falls in love and marries Gould in order to "change him". The brief appearance of Donald Sutherland as a very progressive minister, who prides himself on the high failure rate of the ceremonies he performs is amusing, as he frankly insutls everyone gathered by pointing at their peculiarities, causing an eventual riot.

It takes the film more than half of the running time to get a close up of the "little murders". The most shocking moment is when a blood-drenched Gould takes a subway ride, his visibly near-death appearance raising not a single eye-brow among the many commuters. A middle aged woman matter-of-factly announced that she was shot at, the bullet stopped by her her shopping bags. "Open up, I have leaking groceries". Bizarre! An irrate police detective investigating the random murder spree is one of the "bigger nuts" in the cast. WOW!

If you enjoy "shock value", then this film is for you. To me, the entire cast was made up of zombies who wander about their existance and can't be bothered by anything. The final scene is the culmination of bizarre occurances. See for yourself, but for me, this was definitely a one-time-view.***

Black Comedy at its Best
Brilliant satire, excellent cast (especially Alan Arkin as Lt. Practice and Donald Sutherland as Rev. Dupas). If you liked "Harold and Maude," you're going to love this movie. ... Read more

Reviews (40)

A Valentine to New York
Alan Swann: Alfredo, telephone the Stork Club, we'll be two for dinner. Alfi: You sure you want the Stork Club, Mr. Swann? Alan Swann: It's been a year and a half. Surely they've repaired the wall of the bandstand by now. Former actor Richard Benjamin's near classic comedy "My Favorite Year" opens on 50th Street and Broadway in the Manhattan of 1954. Summer sunshine glistens off a new Oldsmobile. Fading, dissolute matinee idol Alan Swann is about to appear in his first live television program. Or will He? Peter O'Toole stars as movie swashbuckler Alan Swann( a thin impersonation of Errol Flynn). O'Toole verifies the comedic spark first seen in 1965's "What's New Pussycat?". A talented cast includes Mark Linn-Baker, Bill Macy, Lainie Kazan, and Cameron Mitchell. Film-within-a-film flashbacks reveal scenes from O'Toole's "Lord Jim". The director's penchant for long, theatrical episodes produces a slow but studied pace. Don't worry. The effect is marvelous. This brand new widescreen anamorphic 1.85:1 DVD of "My Favorite Year" is a stately Warners release. The digital transfer reveals some sloppy mattes around the actors' heads in the firehose balcony sequence. But by then, you'll be laughing so hard you won't even notice. The DVD includes generous chapter stops, a trailer, and splendid audio commentary by Benjamin, as he defines the dangers and head-aches of directing an MGM movie. In "My Favorite Year", veteran Gloria Stuart has a small non-speaking bit part. 20 years later, in a larger role, Stuart played Old Rose in a much more famous film tragedy set in 1912. It was the resonant epic about a ship that could not float.

"Double the lad's bet for me, you toad!"
"My Favorite Year is one of my favorite movies. Set in 1954, it's about an aging movie idol, Alan Swann (Peter O'Toole), who is to make a guest appearance on a television variety show hosted by King Kaiser (Joseph Bologna). However, it turns out that Swann is a libidinous lush, and the freshman writer for the show, Benjie Stone (formerly Steinberg, played by Mark Linn-Baker), is assigned to stay with him--and keep him sober and out of trouble--until after the show. The rest of the movie concerns their adventures together. The film overflows with one-liners and physical comedy, all of which stays remarkably fresh and amusing, even after repeated viewings. The script produces some classic lines; for example, during a take-out feast in which Stone is trying to woo the object of his lust (K.C. Downing, played by Jessica Harper), she comments that he really knows his dim sum. He replies, "Katherine, Jews know two things: suffering and where to find great Chinese food." The DVD also has an informative voice-over commentary by Richard Benjamin, whose first directing job was this film.

One Of My Favorite Films !
I would have to place this into my top ten favorite films of all times. It's a rather unknown delightful comedy that should not be missed by any movie fan. Peter O'Toole, Mark Linn-Baker and the rest of the cast are perfect in their rolls. You will not be sorry renting or buying this DVD.

How great is this movie?
I'll tell you. This movie is so great that I was able to rent it and entertain my GRANDPARENTS for an entire evening. I discovered it right after it was released because it was at the same time we got cable. (Man, were WE behind the times!) This movie has it all; a great cast, scads of great one-liners, and best of all, you can pull it out and show it knowing that most people have never heard of it.

O'Toole Dazzling in Wonderful in 'Golden Age' Homage!
Have you ever watched a film and wished it wouldn't end? Where you loved all the characters, adored each scene, and laughed at every joke, even after you'd seen the film so many times that you could quote the dialog? MY FAVORITE YEAR is that kind of movie!

Directed with gusto by Richard Benjamin, the film is both a loving tribute to Sid Caesar's 'Your Show of Show', and the remarkable talents that brought it together each week, and a sincere homage to Errol Flynn, whose antics and larger-than-life persona, in the waning years of his life, still had the kind of magic that could enthrall a shy young fan, or make a woman swoon.

Three dynamic performances dominate the film. Mark Linn-Baker, as Benjy Stone, based on the young Mel Brooks, is a shy kid who hides his insecurities behind a rapid-fire wit. The dazzling young star in a staff of comedy 'pros', Stone suffers from an unrequited love from fellow staffer K. C. Downing (Jessica Harper), and has an inspiration, inviting legendary swashbuckler Alan Swann (Peter O'Toole) to appear on the show. As King Kaiser, star of the hit series, Joseph Bologna captures much of Sid Caesar's legendary physical 'presence' and irreverence to authority. When threatened by gangsters over a 'too close to home' series of parodies about crime boss Karl Rojeck (portrayed with brute menace by veteran actor Cameron Mitchell), Kaiser 'thumbs his nose' at them, mimicking the gangster mercilessly. "I'll KEEP doing it!" he taunts. "Why? Because it's FUNNY!"

Then there is Peter O'Toole's 'Alan Swann'. With his own career a roller coaster ride of alcoholism, resulting in the near destruction of his health, no actor could have 'channeled' Errol Flynn better. Just as Flynn, by the 1950s, was a nearly burned-out roue, his classic good looks long gone, O'Toole's matinee-idol appearance, after years of self-abuse, had aged into a gaunt mask, making Benji Stone's film montage of 'classic' clips more poignant. What Flynn still had, in abundance, was charm and a ready wit, and O'Toole's 'Swann' is so enchanting a personality that you can't help but love him, and root for him to succeed.

From the opening nostalgic strains of Nat King Cole's rendition of 'Stardust', through Benjy's futile effort to attempt to keep Swann sober (Red Skelton loved to tell how he kept Flynn sober on his program...he emptied all of the actor's bottles of vodka, replacing it with water...and Flynn couldn't tell the difference!), to a riotous Swann dinner with Benjy's family, to the near-disastrous broadcast, with Swann developing stage fright, and Kaiser brawling with mob enforcers...MY FAVORITE YEAR has one glorious scene after another, each unforgettable!

One of the AFI's '100 Greatest Film Comedies', MY FAVORITE YEAR will bring a tear to your eye, even as you laugh. It was a time of legends, and heroes who would live up to boyhood dreams.

Film comedy doesn't get any better than this! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Fifteen years after directing the florid and commercially successful Chopin bio-pic, the 1945 A Song to Remember, director Charles Vidor headed up this lush, Technicolor production about Franz Liszt--only to die a few weeks into shooting and be replaced by George Cukor. (Cukor insisted the credit remain with Vidor, and indeed there is little of Cukor's touch visible in this film.) Song Without End stars Dirk Bogarde as Liszt, and while the actor's stints at the piano are effectively dubbed by Jorge Boyet, the story really concerns the composer's entangled love life. Much, much less flamboyant than Ken Russell's Lisztomania, Song Without End is,in its own way, just as indulgent, extravagantly presuming that love is the major inspiration for the creation of music. No film about a composer would be complete without a few of his famous contemporaries, and Song Without End makes a point of bringing George Sand and Chopin himself to theproceedings. The sets are impressive, and the cinematography is by James Wong Howe. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (6)

A Perfect Time Killer
I have gone through this film twice and still find this interesting.

This is not a documentary and as such don't expect too much depth or insight from this portrayal of Liszt, or else most of audience might be bored to death. Who cares about his study with Czerny or his religious faith in such a film anyway?

Instead, we have quite a lot of romances with pretty faces, elegant dresses and magnificent palaces. There was even a brief mention about Chopin and Wagner in the background. Visual effect was excellent and even the actor on the piano was so remarkable.

I'm not too sure though if Boglet would suit the taste of all piano lovers, probably not: Liszt is Liszt, who can compare with him when even Anton Rubinstein wanted to be his pupil. But for the general audience, it's just marvelous. The sound is wonderful too, not just the music,the dialoges too.

The plot was forceful and the rhythm fast and there is not a single scene that is boring. The result: one could easily sit still in front of it for the whole length of 130 minutes and for twice.

Highly recommended.

Dazzling Piano
I fell in love with Dirk Bogarde in "The Night Porter". I was fascinated by his acting, his expressions that revealed a dark, intrinsic tortured soul.
With this film, I discovered another Dirk Bogarde, younger and handsome, lively and passionate.
I grew tired of Liszt, but this film, with the superb piano sound, played by young Jorge Bolet, has renewed my interest for the composer.
The most enjoyable moments for me watching this film is obviously Bogarde's acting as a pianist. There are many piano recital scenes that made me realize how difficult it is to play Liszt's compositions.
Bogarde is equally moving and impressive as a pianist. He is irrefutably one of the most intricate actors I have ever seen.

Fictional portrayal of Franz!
Why does Hollywood distort reality and fabricate (...) fiction? Liszt had one of the most fascinating lives in 19th Century Europe, so why not stick to facts rather than conjure up poor fiction. Right from the start it's evident that they had little knowledge of Liszt by starring Dirk Bogarde, with short curly hair, as Liszt! Did they bother to even look at a photo or painting of Liszt... who had long straight hair! That visual inaccuracy sets the tone for the rest of this character assassination Without End.
The ridiculous notion that Liszt felt inferior to Chopin for not writing music is utter nonsense. The early version of Liszt's monumental "Transcendental Etudes" began in 1828, long before he even met Chopin! These pieces are some of the most revolutionary scores ever written for the piano! Yet, this film makes Liszt out to be a sap as a composer. Likewise, it also distorts his relationship with the Countess, who is made out to be a poor angelic figure coldly trampled upon by Liszt. Factual History knows she had emotional problems before meeting Liszt, which flared and became worse culminating into the major cause of their separation. Her brutal retaliation was to write a biting novel about Liszt years later. Some of the story is accurate especially his devotion and philosophy towards Art, which saves this film from getting a half star rating. Watch knowing the falsehoods and strong points mentioned herein and you should find some enjoyment. Especially since Jorge Bolet's sound track is the redeeming part of this film, as no matter how hard someone tries to defame Liszt...his powerful music shall eternally and triumphantly rise above such mediocrity.

Beautiful story - beautiful music - beautiful performance!
I first saw the movie when it was originally released. It was time to see and enjoy it again, so I purchased the video. It was as magificent as I remembered it to be. The video version has a problem though. While the music is very clear, the sound quality of the voices are often times very poor. Much of the time you have to strain to hear and some of the time you can't hear what they said at all.

great movie
great movie to see it several times ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Very Funny!
A great story and script make this a wonderful movie to see. Jack Lemmon falls in love with Irma, a streetwalker played by Shirley MacLaine. To keep her off the streets, he begins to work four to five jobs at night to pose as a wealthy English lord. Of course things don't quite work out as he would like. Very funny movie by Billy Wilder, the same director as "Some Like It Hot".

A must see.

Darin

irma la douce
Is there another movie this great? My 90 year old grandfather and I are in total agreement about this hilariously wonderful film! Jack Lemmon and Shirley Mcclaine at their young and sweet best. It tops my all time favorite list.

Sweet Faeri Tale for the grown ups
This movie has a slow start (understandably being made in 1962) but then before you know it, it transforms in to a sweet faerie tale for the grown ups. From this aspect, it was indeed a very creative idea even though the movie has its own slow moments and not so knitly tied up sequences.
Shirley MacLaine's performance is certainly memorable!

Comic masterpiece (part 2)
"Irma la Douce" was Billy Wilder's biggest hit at the box-office. With its absurdly funny situations and its snappy dialogues it is perhaps the most anarchistic screenplay he and I.A.L Diamond have ever written. The stars were at the height of their artistic powers. Marguerite Monnot's tuneful score didn't hurt, either. And this is just the package. Audiences are always grateful when allowed to peep through key-holes and "Irma la Douce" was the first major Hollywood-production ever to deal with the subject of prostitution. Of course, there have been many women with a past, shady ladies, innocent girls gone astray or clever girls in search of a sugar-daddy. But never before has a leading actress been shown while haggling over the price or describing the strange predilections of her clients.

Wilder originally wanted Charles Laughton for the role of Moustache. Those who have seen him in "Witness for the prosecution" know what he could have done to this film and his co-stars. Wilder's initial choice for Irma was, as everybody knows Marilyn Monroe. Her memories fresh from "Some like it hot", she threw the role away. She would have been wonderful in the role. MacLaine however, is excellent in her own right. Her ultra-cool delivery of her lines make her a provocative foil for Lemmon.

Watching Lemmon's performance, many critics were reminded of the great comedians of the golden age. No wonder. One must be tied up to resist this lovestruck hero. The scene where he enters Irma's room for the very first time, sweetly hesitant, ill at ease, because he knows that in a few minutes he is going to make love to her - this scene alone would secure this film its place among the great romantic comedies.

Why then has this film been refused its place as a true classic? The problem with Irma is, that the story ends 20 minutes before the film does. We had our thrills, we had our laughs, and now the story forces Wilder to send after an ending that will satisfy the "little bourgeois" in us. It feels as if the film-presenter announces: Ladies and Gentlemen, I hope you enjoyed this film and now, as an extra, Mr. Lemmon will perform some acrobatics...he married during shooting, be indulgent.

Make your choice: enjoy "Irma" completely, including its anticlimactic ending, or miss one of the funniest films of all time. Spicy enough to send you from one fit of laughter to the next, innocent enough not to offend your maiden aunt or harm your (elder) children. This film captures the delightful atmosphere of Paris and bubbles and sparkles like champagne. If "Irma la Douce" can't cheer you up, no film can.

Comic masterpiece (part 1)
She's a music student with an interrupted career, the victim of U.S.Airforce, the daughter of a missionary. Sometimes her sister needs a blood transfusion. This is what Irma la Douce (Shirley MacLaine) tells her clients in order to send up the price. She occupies the best spot on her street - near "Les Halles" where it literally smells of fish - and her admirers prefer her charms to those of Amazon Annie, Mimi the Mau Mau and Lolita. She commutes betweent the "Hotel Casanova" (her office) and the bistro "Chez Moustache" (Lou Jacobi) where Hippolyte, her "Mac" is losing her money at the gambling-table.

Nestor Patou (Jack Lemmon), a young cop has saved a little boy from drowning. As a reward he is transferred to Irma's district. He struts along, self-contented, unsuspecting, and buys himself an apple. The fruit-seller looks perplexed at the money in his hand: In this part of the city, as a custom, policemen are not those who pay, but those who get paid...While Nestor saunters about the street, wishing the ladies a good morning, eating his apple, something is beginning to dawn on him. He seeks information from Moustache: What is it, with all those couples who enter this Hotel?

Sadly, Moustache's make-love-not-war-message is lost on Nestor's little-bourgeois mind. He puffs himself up ("fragrant vice...must be stamped out") and decides to make a raid. But first, would Moustache kindly tell him the phone-number of the police-station? In his industry he fails to notice that he is bribed behind his back...The transport of the ladies to the police-station is heavy work - they spray perfume in his eyes and taunt him badly - but crowned by success: "16 females and one poodle. I'll do better next time". But his expected promotion does not take place, because - I bet you guess this one - the Chief of police was among the customers...

This same evening, after a day of futile efforts of finding another job, Nestor winds up again at "Chez Moustache". His belongings are in his suitcase. It's raining. At this late hour, things are usually pretty lively, but the rain keeps the customers away and Hippolyte has no luck with his card-game - and takes it out on Irma. Nestor hurries to her help - one of the most hilarious fight-scenes in film history - and wins. Irma's knowing smile reveals it, but it's not until the next morning that Nestor realizes that a new job fell right into his lap. While he still abandons himself to the recollection of the pleasures of last night Irma orders him to try on Hippolyte's suits and slings field-glasses (for the horse-race) around his neck. She promises that she will work harder for him than for any of his predecessors...

Every profession has its own status-symbols. Irma's trade requires a posh "Mac". She decorates him with expensive tie-pins in order to impress the other girls. She is also extremely jealous: Heaven help the girl who dares to make a pass on him. Traces of lipstick on his face present us with the most hilarious boxing-match between ladies since Marlene Dietrich fought it out in "Destry rides again".

Nestor too is jealous: of Irma's clients. He loves her dearly and wants her for himself. But Irma is a real pro who considers her trade as vocation and there is always this problem with money...After much brooding Nestor develops an ingenious plan: Irma needs a long-term patron: Lord X (himself + false beard + fake accent) will pay Irma 500 francs, twice a week for the exclusive title to her favor. Problem solved. Is it?

Suddenly Nestor discovers that those 500 francs, twice a week have to come from somewhere, have to be earned...Now he learns the rough way how hard it is to lead an easy life: Drug Irma's poodle with champagne, steal out of her arms to the market where the pork-butcher is waiting for him. He is pinched by lobsters, garbage has to be disposed off, too. A slightly untidy gentleman steals himself into Irma's bed again, always hoping she won't wake up...Irma's life underwent a drastic change too: Her relationship with Lord X is strictly platonic and Nestor is always tired. Slowly she shifts her affection from Nestor to the Lord. Mad with jealousy, Nestor decides to get rid of his alter ego. The truth is lost on Irma, but she certainly understands a crime of passion... ... Read more

Amazon.com

A collection of vignettes, loosely based on the book by Dr. DavidRueben, written and directed by Woody Allen, Everything contains some very funny moments. It's easy to forget that the cerebral Allen excelled at the type of broad, Catskill, dirty jokes and visual gags that run amok here. It's also remarkable how dirty this 1972 movie really was--bestiality, exposure, perversion, and S&M get their moments to shine. The Woody Allen here, who appears in many of the sketches, is a portent of the seedy old Allen of Deconstructing Harry. Although the final bit, which takes place inside a man's body during a very hot date, is hilarious, most of Everything feels like the screen adaptation of a '70s bathroom joke book. Still, a must for Allen fans. --Keith Simanton ... Read more

Reviews (20)

just a silly funny move
Don't listen to Adi's review, calling the film "juvenile"
Adi should watch some of today's teen exploits to find a true juvenile movie.
This film was far beyond its time, and is a SPOOF, like many comedies. If you don't believe most of the reviews, just rent it first........have a few drinks, and you'll laugh hard......

this is the one movie that made me "discover" the talent of Woody Allen, and I'm glad I did.

Some incredibly memorable funny scenes
This movie is a series of short films, which makes it mostly good and partly bad. Who can say they ever expected to see Woody Allen dressed up as a giant sperm? However, the first film set in medieval times is classic Woody Allen stand-up type humor, Woody at his best. My other favorite short film is the one about the sheep. Gene Wilder does an amazing job of acting so serious and puzzled when the man says "I am in love with a sheep" and he says "...O-hhh...." I LOVE it!

The Funniest Woody Allen Movie
This is the funniest Woody movie, hands down. With seven stand alone skits each answering a question, my personal favorite happening to be "Why do women...?" It's a movie to watch over and over again. A movie with perversions, gigantic body parts, and sheep. If you like Woody or if you hate Woody, this movie is for you.

Juvenille and not that funny...
I used to love Woody Allen's work, and I had expected great things from this movie. Unfortunately for me, I was disappointed. The humor is too juvenile to even be called childish. Yes, I do realize this movie was made 30 years ago, when the sexual standards were more conservative, but 30 years later I'm having problem understanding what's so funny about these situations.

Mine Worked
The person bellow probibly dident go into the languages section of his dvd. Mine has subtitles. Feel free to buy as you wish.

(good move--and sheep!) ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Wow.
Another movie in which Calvin Lockhart is momentarily shirt-less. A hundred, thousand, million stars!

Cotton Comes to Harlem
a little slow in delived but an excellent movie.

I thought it was a funny movie!
I am a huge fan of blaxploitation movies of the 1970s. I thought it was really funny, especially in the beginning of the movie. This is the kind of movie that you can't take very seriously because a lot of it is cliche. Calvin Lockhart's character (Rev. Deke O'Malley) is conniving, but irresistable. You will enjoy this DVD!

Two Words: Judy Pace!
Seeing Judy Pace in this movie is worth the price of admission alone! The movie itself has an interesting storyline and it does bounce around a little but is definately entertaining. This movie isn't as cliche as many of the other films in this genre. There are some good chase scenes and it was interesting to see Redd Foxx pre 'Sanford and Son'. I would consider this one of the most important movies of the blaxploitation genre.

One of the Best Films of the Day, That Set the 70s STYLE
"Cotton Comes to Harlem" is a solid, funny, and most of all, cool movie which was, besides "Shaft" and "Coffy," to set the trend of the black movies of the 70s. Look how Godfrey Cambridge and Raymond St. Jacques walk and talk, and you'll know the meaning of "style."

Based on Chester Himes's novel, the film follows the two super-cool cops who suspect that Rev. O'Malley's "Back to Africa" campaign (minimun entry 100 dallors needed) is a fraud to steal money from people living in Harlem. But things get complicated when, during the rally, the organization is attacked by masked gangsters who took the money of $87,000, and that was done under the nose of the very cops. Determined to nail the criminal, and possibly the preacher himself, the detective Gravediffer & Coffin start their investigation, and do it in their own fashion.

The film keeps the fast pace with a tightly knit web of characters including Reverend's beautiful wife Iris. But most charming part of the film remains the same today: its being funny and smart. In fact, you will see among violent actions suddenly unexpected humor. The best thing of the film is, in my book, the car chase scene that include "the cemetary chase" and "a flying guy." The film also ends with a showdown in the Apollo Theater (though I don't know whether the inside scene of it was really shot there) And the real Harlem locale of the 70s, which helps to create the authentic atomospher, would be someday a precious record of the New York City.

In short, this is a film Quentin Tarantino with his known flair for characters and story might have shot 30 years ago. Some part of the film look, I admit, dated today when you see women's parts are little better than secondary, just catering obligatory sex scenes. Still, those scenes have been given slight touch of humor, that might almost compensate for the lack of the screen goddess like Pam Grier. Buy this one, along with "Coffy" and "Shaft" and perhaps "Across the 110th Street." That makes a quick course of learning what the blaxploitation films are all about.

Those two main charaters are to reappear in "Come Back Charlston Blues," which is, unfortunately, not as good as this one. ... Read more

Reviews (22)

Funny movie, lousy DVD transfer
While the movie is likely to be enjoyed by anybody who likes screwball comedies and biting satire, the quality of the DVD transfer leaves much to be desired.

After a slow start, the sketches that comprise "Amazon Women On The Moon", a.k.a. "Kentucky Fried Movie II", pick up speed and reach increasing levels of absurdity, up to a widow's wake which turns into a roast. Steve Guttenberg's experiences with the opposite sex and a seventeen-year old teenager's horrible condom buying experience are painful and extremely funny to watch. By the time Russ Meyer (yes, *that* Russ Meyer) appears as a video store clerk, you have learned to stop worrying about whether this is sub-standard entertainment or not, because the sketches get too funy to care. The whole movie culminates in Carrie Fisher's appearance in an "educational movie", playing a woman with a "social disease".

The experience is marred, however, by the poor quality of the DVD transfer. The picture is blurry (this disc has obviously been transferred from video) and the sound is mono. Often enough, horrible compression artifacts appear in the picture, distorting the image beyond recognition. A shame really, since this movie really deserved a better transfer.

Laugh out loud funny!
This movie is a riot! You will have fun not only laughing at the comedic gags and skits, but you will have fun identifying all of the stars who are in this before they made it big! Michelle Pfeiffer, David Allen Greer, Andrew Dice Clay, just to name a few. Really a great funny movie. Adults only, there is some pretty raicy content! Not a family movie, but funny for those over 18!

Quite enjoyable, and quirky!!!
A very clever collection of shorts put together in a way that they seem to flow together, even though most have nothing in common, Amazon Women on the Moon is a very fun movie to watch. It has a long list of talent in its cast including Arsenio Hall, Michelle Pfeifer, Joe Pantoliano, Steve Guttenberg, Roseanna Arquette, Carrie Fisher, and Andrew Dice Clay.

The scene "Blind Date" which stars Steve Guttenberg and Roseanna Arquette is worth the price of the DVD itself. It is absolutely hilarious. I would consider it my worst nightmare (at least in dating terms).

Parts of the movie are ridiculous, but for the most part it is very enjoyable. The best way to watch this is to go into it with an open mind and don't expect it to be realistic.

Ha ha ha! I'm invisible!
What words can describe greatness such as this? Genious. Ageless. Priceless. This movie has everything and anything you could possibly imagine, from Andrew Dice Clay in a video nightmare rental or Arsenio Hall being killed by a VCR. This is not viewing for the average individual. No no. This film is made for the extraoridinary people of the world who would watch anything at 4:35 AM. If only channel surfing really was this fun.

Missing Some Stuff!!!
Okay, first time reviewer here, but I had to share this bit. First, I give the movie itself 5 stars - it is one of my favorites. About this DVD, however... Just bought it and briefly went through a couple of skits (I have them all memorized already) and I noticed a glarring error on the 'Hair Looming' skit - it has been edited/shortened!!! They totally cut out the part where they demonstrate how the hair stays on after the guy jumps of the cliffs of Acculpoco and the police drag his body to the shore and smile because the hair stayed on. (sp?). Why??? That was one of the funniest parts! I think there are a couple of other small omisions in there too - need to go all through it again, but the point is while a fantastic movie, they cut stuff out! I don't get it. If this is the only way to see the movie however (as my VHS copy broke recently), I guess it will have to do. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

George Stevens (Giant) directed this 1959 film adaptation of the hit play based on the writings of Anne Frank, the Jewish girl from Amsterdam who hid in an attic with her family and others during the Nazi occupation. As Anne, Millie Perkins is something of a milky eyed enigma and--in retrospect--too old for the part; but she is surrounded by an outstanding cast, including Joseph Schildkraut as Anne's patient father, Ed Wynn as a cranky dentist who moves into Anne's "room," and Shelley Winters as the loud Mrs. Van Daan. Stevens turns the many overlapping dramas of the caged characters into the foundation of Anne's growth as a young woman, ready for life and love just at the moment the dream comes to an end. Beautifully shot by cinematographer William C. Mellor, and written by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett from their stage production. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (58)

It's Okay, But It Doesn't Do the Play Justice
"The Diary of Anne Frank," as directed by George Stevens, is certainly not a bad movie. However, it seems to lack the certain spark, sincerity, and tight acting of a truly great movie, and come to think of it, the play on which it is based. The movie is hurt severely by Millie Perkin's, who is whiney and lifeless as Anne Frank. Of all the worthy talent out there, why did they have to pick someone who was not only bad, but 10 years to old for the part. Ed Wynn is dreadfully miscast as grumpy dentist Dussel, and the whole movie is dragged on for so long that the ending is anticlimatic. On the positive side, Joseph Schildkraut and Lou Jacobi recreate the roles they held on Broadway with sincerity and gusto, and Shelly Winters won an Oscar for her delightful performence as Mrs. Van Daan. The screanplay by Albert Hacket and Francis Goodrich is also quite moving. Not a bad showing, but Stevens could have done better.

This play is an inspriation to me&I'm sure to others as well
I rented this movie from Blockbuster last night and I watched it (I'm watching it again right now).It is a wonderful movie.I know that it was/is based on the real thing and I am glad to know that I can not only read her diary and other books to know what Anne,her family,and the Van Daans suffered through,I can watch a movie and/or play about it as well~! I really did enjoy it and I reccomend it to everyone,old or young.It should make you think that no one in this world should be killed just because they are Jewish,America,Chinese or any other race.We are all one and will always be one as long as we all work together.I honestly believe what Anne said:
(quote)Anne Frank:"In spite of everything,I still believe people are really good at heart."(/quote)So please,watch and/or read "The Diary of Anne Frank".I guarentee that it will touch your heart;it touched mine all 10 times (and forever more when I read about Anne Frank)! =}~Jackie

Anne Deserves Better
There is no excuse why the best and most widely read Holocaust narrative couldn't have been made into a far superior movie than this disorganized and boring flick. For most Americans, The Diary of Anne Frank is the only Holocaust book they will ever read and most Americans won't even read that. Consequently, it is vitally important there be an excellent film adaptation of the book. This dull, watered down and not particularly well cast or acted film is not the perfect film memorial to the 7 million victims it needs to be.

This is the definitive movie for Anne's Diary
*** SPOILER if you have not read the diary or seen any of its movies yet

Absolutely no scene in movie history is as simultaneously gripping and gently conveyed as the final scene, when Peter Van Damme and Anne Frank hold hands and look out to the sky as the Gestapo beat down their door to take them to a death camp. The adults look down in the direction of the door and stand or sit still and wait for them to enter, resigned to the fact that they just can not escape the fate that the Nazis have assigned to them.

Nobody runs or even speaks, and Otto Frank puts down the newspaper and hands his wife her bag, as if they are going on a trip. Such small simple movments convey such finality for these 7 people who have shared the unimaginable experience of being caged liked animals to escape being killed like animals, because one man in power decided people of their religion and race should not live.

That scene says more than a million car chases and explosions. Watch it and see what I mean.

unfortunate timing
there was only one reason this monumental film was not awarded the "Best Picture" oscar at the academy awards. that reason is simple; the year of its release. 1959 was an unfortunate year for George Stevens to release this masterpiece of filmmaking, because released that same year was "Ben-Hur". any connesieur of classic films can attest to the magnitude of "Ben-Hur", winner of 11 academy awards. inspite of the legendary status of "Ben-Hur", "The Diary Of Anne Frank" deserves just as much recognition.
"The Diary Of Anne Frank" deserved the oscar just as much if not more than "Ben-Hur". the film was based on the diary written by Anne Frank while she was hiding out in the attic of an old house with her family and several others to avoid Nazi capture during those tragic days of WWII.
the movie is nothing less than monumental and a perfect tribute to Anne Frank and her family. it is nearly 3 hrs. long but easily maintains one's interest throughout.

there exist no words to justly express greatness of this magnificent opus of filmmaking. accolades to George Stevens for giving us this film. and God bless the entire Frank family for continuing to bring hope to the hearts of people globally for over 60 years. AMEN ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Great Unknown Dance Movie!!
This is a great underrated,unknown Dance movie that highly recommended.It's a must see flick!!!

Disco history actually!!
this video should be remembered as the very first piece of celluloid to ever record the dance steps of the (then) growing craze of the hustle in disco. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Daniel Stern, Insult Comic!
Daniel Stern stars as Joel Keefer, an ambitious stock broker who wants to have a baby with his wife Janet, played by Melanie Mayron. He is a failure in that department, which is an insult to potent men like myself. The miscast Fisher Stevens plays Carlos Delgado, a photographer who is working with Janet Keefer on getting a book of his photos published. His phony, exaggerated accent is an insult to Hispanics. Christopher Plummer plays Mr. Roalvang, a simpleton who somehow became the multimillionaire head of Roalvang Industries. Comparing him to then President Ronald Reagan is an insult to a fine President's legacy. Martin Mull, playing smarmy stock broker Tony Dugdale, is Joel's competition for landing an account with Roalvang Industries. His over-the top performance is an insult to all Corporate brown noses. Last but not least, the beautiful Arielle Dombasle plays Louise Roalvang, the nymphomaniacal boss' wife. Her lack of acting talent is an insult to all accomplished actresses working in movies. The simplistic plot, lame jokes and stereotypical characters are an insult to everyone unfortunate enough to watch this movie.

The only reason to watch this movie is for the bosses wife
The girl is really hot :) the plot and acting are sorta funny but this is a cheezy 80's movie that is all about the sex :) acting does not take main priority obviously :) ... Read more

Reviews (40)

A Valentine to New York
Alan Swann: Alfredo, telephone the Stork Club, we'll be two for dinner. Alfi: You sure you want the Stork Club, Mr. Swann? Alan Swann: It's been a year and a half. Surely they've repaired the wall of the bandstand by now. Former actor Richard Benjamin's near classic comedy "My Favorite Year" opens on 50th Street and Broadway in the Manhattan of 1954. Summer sunshine glistens off a new Oldsmobile. Fading, dissolute matinee idol Alan Swann is about to appear in his first live television program. Or will He? Peter O'Toole stars as movie swashbuckler Alan Swann( a thin impersonation of Errol Flynn). O'Toole verifies the comedic spark first seen in 1965's "What's New Pussycat?". A talented cast includes Mark Linn-Baker, Bill Macy, Lainie Kazan, and Cameron Mitchell. Film-within-a-film flashbacks reveal scenes from O'Toole's "Lord Jim". The director's penchant for long, theatrical episodes produces a slow but studied pace. Don't worry. The effect is marvelous. This brand new widescreen anamorphic 1.85:1 DVD of "My Favorite Year" is a stately Warners release. The digital transfer reveals some sloppy mattes around the actors' heads in the firehose balcony sequence. But by then, you'll be laughing so hard you won't even notice. The DVD includes generous chapter stops, a trailer, and splendid audio commentary by Benjamin, as he defines the dangers and head-aches of directing an MGM movie. In "My Favorite Year", veteran Gloria Stuart has a small non-speaking bit part. 20 years later, in a larger role, Stuart played Old Rose in a much more famous film tragedy set in 1912. It was the resonant epic about a ship that could not float.

"Double the lad's bet for me, you toad!"
"My Favorite Year is one of my favorite movies. Set in 1954, it's about an aging movie idol, Alan Swann (Peter O'Toole), who is to make a guest appearance on a television variety show hosted by King Kaiser (Joseph Bologna). However, it turns out that Swann is a libidinous lush, and the freshman writer for the show, Benjie Stone (formerly Steinberg, played by Mark Linn-Baker), is assigned to stay with him--and keep him sober and out of trouble--until after the show. The rest of the movie concerns their adventures together. The film overflows with one-liners and physical comedy, all of which stays remarkably fresh and amusing, even after repeated viewings. The script produces some classic lines; for example, during a take-out feast in which Stone is trying to woo the object of his lust (K.C. Downing, played by Jessica Harper), she comments that he really knows his dim sum. He replies, "Katherine, Jews know two things: suffering and where to find great Chinese food." The DVD also has an informative voice-over commentary by Richard Benjamin, whose first directing job was this film.

One Of My Favorite Films !
I would have to place this into my top ten favorite films of all times. It's a rather unknown delightful comedy that should not be missed by any movie fan. Peter O'Toole, Mark Linn-Baker and the rest of the cast are perfect in their rolls. You will not be sorry renting or buying this DVD.

How great is this movie?
I'll tell you. This movie is so great that I was able to rent it and entertain my GRANDPARENTS for an entire evening. I discovered it right after it was released because it was at the same time we got cable. (Man, were WE behind the times!) This movie has it all; a great cast, scads of great one-liners, and best of all, you can pull it out and show it knowing that most people have never heard of it.

O'Toole Dazzling in Wonderful in 'Golden Age' Homage!
Have you ever watched a film and wished it wouldn't end? Where you loved all the characters, adored each scene, and laughed at every joke, even after you'd seen the film so many times that you could quote the dialog? MY FAVORITE YEAR is that kind of movie!

Directed with gusto by Richard Benjamin, the film is both a loving tribute to Sid Caesar's 'Your Show of Show', and the remarkable ta