Amazon.com essential video

Clint Eastwood fired the original director, Philip Kaufman(The Right Stuff), and took over the reins of this project himself. He may have had a point: this brutal, thoughtful western, a near-tragedy about a Civil War veteran whose past comes looking for him, is probably Eastwood's most mature frontier drama prior to the Oscar winningUnforgiven. Hoping to build a quiet life in a cooperative community of settlers, Eastwood's Wales blames himself when his enemies attack the homestead, and he has to revert to his warrior instincts to help fend off the threat. The jittery intensity of Sondra Locke (who would be Mrs. Eastwood, at least for a while), and the screen-filling charisma of the late Chief Dan George harmonize beautifully with Eastwood, who had finally figured out how to add depth and texture to his stock-in-trade Man of Steel persona. This one may be too short on action to satisfy fans of Eastwood'sDirty Harry films, or of the Italian westerns he made with Sergio Leone, but it's an honorable effort.--David Chute ... Read more

Reviews (68)

One of the best westerns ever made.....
I have seen this western many times on tape and my copy of the movie had started to lose its luster. When I heard it was coming on DVD, I knew I would see the film as Clint Eastwood intended it.

As far as a film is concerned, it is a very good tale of revenge and devotion to friends. Eastwood is great as the title character and the film has some very good supporting performances. The exteriors where the film was shot are beautiful and are just as good on DVD as in reality.

The DVD is a great, inexpensive version of a great Western. The 16:9 widescreen version of the film highlights the colors and tones that were filmed by Eastwood. The color is good as well as the Dolby 5.1 Surround Soundtrack. There is also a French soundtrack (which is very humorous when Eastwood utters the best line of the film, "You going to pull them pistols or whistle Dixie"). The disc also contains trailers to many other Westerns as well as the trailer for Outlaw Josey Wales.

You should not miss this great DVD. The price is right and the movie is one of Eastwood's best. This is one of the better looking westerns that I have in my DVD collection. If you love great westerns and movies about the American Civil War, you will love this DVD!

Deserves 10 stars!
What can you say about Clint Eastwood's westerns except, great! His movies (acting and directing)changed the whole look and feel of this genre. This is definitely my favorite western, heck it's probably my favorite movie...period. Josey Wales is based on the novel by Forrest Carter, "Gone to Texas". After reading the book Clint knew he had to make the movie and he did an excellent job of capturing the spirit of the novel. The DVD transfer is very good. It was like watching it for the first time when I saw the DVD after the VHS version. This is what westerns are supposed to be so... "are you gonna get this video or whistle Dixie"? BUY IT!

Eastwood has the union army surrounded

Director: Clint Eastwood
Format: ColorRated:
Studio: Warner Studios
Video Release Date: September 2, 2003

Cast:

Clint Eastwood ... Josey Wales
Chief Dan George ... Lone Watie
Sondra Locke ... Laura Lee
Bill McKinney ... Terrill
John Vernon ... Fletcher
Paula Trueman ... Grandma Sarah
Sam Bottoms ... Jamie
Geraldine Keams ... Little Moonlight
Woodrow Parfrey ... Carpetbagger
Joyce Jameson ... Rose
Sheb Wooley ... Travis Cobb
Royal Dano ... Ten Spot
Matt Clark ... Kelly
John Verros ... Chato
Will Sampson ... Ten Bears
William O'Connell ... Sim Carstairs
John Quade ... Comanchero Leader
Frank Schofield ... Senator Lane
Buck Kartalian ... Shopkeeper
Len Lesser ... Abe
Doug McGrath ... Lige
John Russell ... Bloody Bill Anderson
Charles Tyner ... Zukie Limmer
Bruce M. Fischer ... Yoke
John Mitchum ... Al
John Davis Chandler ... First Bounty Hunter
Tom Roy Lowe ... Second Bounty Hunter
Clay Tanner ... First Texas Ranger
Robert F. Hoy ... Second Texas Ranger
Madeline T. Holmes ... Grannie Hawkins
Erik Holland ... Union Army Sergeant
Cissy Wellman ... Josey's Wife
Faye Hamblin ... Grandpa Samuel
Danny Green ... Lemuel
Kyle Eastwood ... Josey's Son
Richard Farnsworth ... Comanchero

Josie Wales' family was murdered and his home burned by union redlegs, so he joins Bill Fletcher's border raiders on the confederate side of the war and does his share of getting even. When Fletcher turns in his men for money (except Wales) and they are all killed, Wales becomes an outlaw on the run from union authorities. They hunt him clear into Mexico, where things come to a head. Josie Wales single handedly surrounds the entire union army and the Indian nations.

This is a good story, well acted by all concerned, and very well directed by Eastwood, as are all of his films.

Joseph (Joe) Pierre

author of Handguns and Freedom...their care and maintenance
and other books

Josey Wales - Fastest gunslinger in the West!
Clint Eastwood's movie, The Outlaw Josey Wales, is a classic in the Western genre. This movie is one of the best Western movies that I have ever seen.

The story of the movie goes like this. Josey Wales(Clint Eastwood) is a peaceful farmer in Missouri with a family in the middle of the Civil War. One day some Union Soldiers burn down his house (with his son in it) and kidnap his wife. Angry and Furious, Josey Wales joins some confederate guerillas and fights hard. When Confederacy surrenders, Josey Wales refuses and heads west. He travels to Texas and along the way picks up odd group: couple of Native Americans, an Old Grandmother, a beautiful woman and two servants. At the same time they are chased by Union soldiers.

I will not reveal the story further. However, what makes this movie a classic is the depth and dimension to the characters and superb action.

The character of Josey Wales is really complex. He turns from a peaceful farmer to a tobacco chewing, hell raising, gunslinger. However his humane side is seen through his hard attitude at times. He saves a native american girl from couple of scoundrels. He also saves travelers from another group of bandits. At the same time, he is a tobacco spitting hard man. Josey Wales spits on everything, from a scorpio to a union officer. The other characters are not as intensely developed, which is understandable since Josey Wales is the primary focus of the movie.

The action in the movie is just amazing. I will summarize three great scenes which will make you, the reader, want to just watch the movie. In first scene Josey Wales is carrying food and confronted by four soldiers... In another one Josey Wales(and his six-shooter) all by himself is up against 10-15 bandits...In the last one, Josey Wales and his Six-shooter, go toe-to-toe against tens of horse-riding soldiers...

I will leave the action for you to watch.

Also this movie is directed by Eastwood himself. He is as good as a director as he is as an actor.

FYI: This movie is based on the book "Gone to Texas".

Classic Clint!
If you could only watch two of Clint Eastwood's westerns, "The Outlaw Josey Wales" and "Unforgiven" would by my choices!

Chief Dan George and Clint have a chemistry that adds humor and depth to the main story line of revenge, retribution, and a journey for justice. Sandra Locke, with her doe-eyed innocence, adds a little gentle feminity to the picture.

The movie is exciting, suspenseful and rewarding. No one is better as a wronged-man-evening-the-score than Clint Eastwood and this is one of his most memorable roles. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

3.5 Stars - Pleasant, Enjoyable Fluff
Jack Lemmon stars as an advertising executive who is the epitome of clean-living, which earns him an account with egg-magnate Edward G. Robinson, who is highly moral and demands a moral ad-man. However, at the same time, Lemmon's wife's recently divorced best friend, Romy Schneider, moves in next door to Lemmon and inherits $15 million, but must be happily married to get the inheritance. Therefore, to help his wife's friend, Lemmon poses as Schneider's husband. Mike Connors, the real semi-ex-husband, shows up to complicate matters, and Louis Nye sets up shop across the street as a private detective trying to prove Schneider isn't happily married. Pratfalls, sight gags, and zany chases abound. There is nothing serious or deep about this movie, but it does what it does - slapstick comedy - well.

Lemmon stars as an average man in an unusual mess!
Jack Lemmon stars as Sam Bissel, junk sculptor extraordinaire. Sam works in the art department of an ad agency. He feels that he is not getting anywhere in the advertising business. Just as he is about to ask the boss for a raise, he is summoned to his boss' office and promoted to an account executive. Meanwhile, the best friend of Sam's wife moves in next door awaiting her inheritance. She has just gotten a divorce that is not yet final, but in order to qualify for her uncle's inheritance, she must be married. So Sam gets elected to play her husband. Her relatives think he is her husband (Mr. Ebbets) and his boss and his client think she is his wife (Mrs. Bissel). What a mess! Meanwhile, Sam's real wife get's left out of the business dinner with the client and Sam's "other wife's" real husband shows up. It's great fun to watch. You almost need a score card. Even the mail man didn't know who to give the mail to when he saw the men leaving for work! All of you Jack Lemmon fans will enjoy "Good Neighbor Sam."

Good Laugh
This is a simple comedy about marriage and work in the 60's. A wonderful movie up there with the rest of Jack Lemmons'other great comedies. A DVD version is needed! When???

Hilarious! Ranks with the best of the 60's
Oh man, watching Louie Nye hanging out the door of that T-Bird and screaming like an 8 year old girl was the funniest thing I've seen in a while.

Jack Lemmon plays his usual obsequious nobody that is thrust into situation after twisted situation impacting everything in his world until he finally goes POW with the "fulminator mercury." Along with the beautiful Dorothy Provine and Romy Schneider all chasing a $15M inheritance while dodging snoopy relatives, detectives, billboards, boxsprings, and pacifying bosses, clients, and ex-husbands. Just hysterical. 5 Ducks

Gooc Neighbor Sam needs to be on DVD
Hilarious! Needs to be on DVD!! Both Widescreen and Full Screen need to be available. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Paul Bartel's 1975 cheap-o satire about a futuristic international sport--an anything-goes car race where drivers score points for hitting pedestrians--stars David Carradine as a hero behind the wheel and Sylvester Stallone as his nemesis. The film is clever and macabre enough as a modernist satire, but finally overplays its hand in grim, decadent humor. The sets are gloriously artificial, and former Warhol star Mary Woronov is in sexy, comic form. A DVD release is available. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (48)

A bad film, unless you like that sort of thing.
This is a very silly movie that hasn't aged well since its release in 1975. It has aspirations of being a clever social satire, but it's really just low-brow entertainment, often not too far removed from the "Skinimax" flicks of the late-80's. That may be a good thing if you're into cult flicks and B-movies, but for most viewers this is too cheesy to even be mildly amusing.

In "Death Race 2000", David Carradine stars as national hero and veteran racer Frankenstein, while Sylvester Stallone plays Machine Gun Joe Viterbo, his biggest competitor. They compete against three other drivers in a transcontinental road race where extra points can be earned by running over pedestrians. One by one, the five cars fall victim to a group of rebels who are intent on putting a stop to the gruesome sport.

The violence, of which there is very little, is played for comedic effect. However I think the intended reaction was more along the lines of "oh man, that was BRUTAL, haha!" rather than "oh man, that looked so cheap, haha!" Low budget film-lovers rejoice! This is your movie.

Interested parties should be prepared for Carradine's "dominatrix" outfit, complete with mask and cape. I think it was supposed to make him look sinister, but instead he comes off looking rail-thin and ridiculous. Stallone, in a supporting role as a stereotypical Italian tough guy, steals the movie.

The beautiful supporting actresses also overshadow the star, Carradine. Anyone familiar with producer Roger Corman knows that, in his world, fast cars and gratuitous violence go hand in hand with bare-breasts and the occasional catfight. "Death Race 2000" is no exception.

If you've seen this before and decided it's your type of film, then this is definitely version to get. Stay clear of the 1998 release by Digital Multimedia, a very poor transfer with blurry, grainy images and an ever-present hiss. This 1999 release by New Horizons looks infinitely better and the sound has been digitally re-mastered. It also has a few extras, like the theatrical trailer, bios and an interview with producer Roger Corman.

Darth Frankenstein ?
Tell Me Mr. Lucas didn't get his idea for Darth from Frankenstein's wacky wardrobe. Even using the unmasking scene!!

If my Auto Insurance Agent only knew!
I loved this movie, actually caught it at a drive-in theater back in 1975, not that long after getting my drivers license. David Carradine, fresh from the cancelled Kung Fu television series, played Frankenstein, a master driver, rumored to be half cyborg. This movies motivation was all about the anti-establishment, post Vietnam War era, and reflected the prevailing attitudes against US Imperialism. Seems a little ironic it takes place in 2000, with our return to that sort of attitude in government today.

In about 1978, just before the launch of the video game Space Invaders, the most popular arcade game in America was Death Race. You chased little stick figures (they called them gremlins... but you know :) ) with a car, and ran them down. They squealed, turned into crosses, (tombstones that is) you would hit reverse, and keep driving. At the end of the game, your score was the number killed. The moms of America were outraged at the game, and later a version was modified, (They renamed it Demolition Derby) you were chasing cars, which then turned into wrecks. In a nutshell, the original game is the plot of the movie Death Race 2000.

The movie is about a national sporting event, apparently to show that life is cheap, and only the meanest SOB wins. Racers get varied degrees of points, for mowing down pedestrians in a cross-country, racing event. A pre-Rocky Sly Stallone plays the main competition for Frankie. Carradine handles the role with just the right amount of campy acting, and without going too far overboard. While some of this stuff plays like an episode of the Road Runner, they never lose the spirit of the film, so it comes off well.

Believe it or not, some of the race itself is very exciting. For a low budget film that was probably made in a week or two, the action sequences were well thought out. The politics may be a little preaching at times in the film, but don't really get in the way of the fun. My five star rating, does not mean I think this is on par with past Oscar winners. What it means is, that for this type of low budget, camp movie, I consider it a classic along the lines of Motel Hell, Little Shop of Horrors, Harold and Maude, and Easy Rider.

Very underrated movie
"Death Race 2000" is an incredibly entertaining movie on various levels. You can sit back and just enjoy the over-the-top acting, amazing cars, and bloody violance, or you can actually get into the story a little deeper, of how America is run by Mr. President and how various people (including, as we eventually find out, Frankenstein) try to take him down for the good of the country.

The film is filmed beautifully, especially when the cars are on the road. There's a lot of action as the cars run over people for points and battle each other to win the race.

The biggest regret I have about this DVD is that it is not in widescreen. This is a shame because, well, if it isn't in widescreen, you are being cheated. And this great film deserves to be in widescreen. (Let the VHS fans have the fullscreen.) Some deleted scenes would have been nice as well, as I have seen photos of action not in the final print, and even in the trailer on the DVD there is a line not in the film ("This is a death race," as said by Frankenstein). Despite no widescreen, still a must-buy.

Classic Comedy
This look at the year 2000 from the 70's, point of imagination, is just as funny as it is disturbing. This movie is for the hit and run junkie, only you get paid for vehicular murder. The drivers race cross country in an all out frenzy to collect as many points as possible running people over. From the young to the old, rich to the poor, no one is safe on the streets of the future. So the next time you cross the street you better think twice about it, because Frankenstein ( David Carradine) Or Sly Stallone's car just might mow you down. The quality of this flic is a little distorted, and cheaply made, but is worth it's weight in gold, and should keep you amused the whole way through.
So grab the gear shifter and hang on For Dear Life, this is one crazy ride. Beep Beep The KritiK ... Read more

Reviews (24)

A Most Accurate Depiction of the Civil War and the Old West
Hollywood couldn't make a movie like Josey Wales today. In an age of political correctness, sappy westerns, and revisionist history, I find this movie a refreshing break from modern "reality." It is a classic, and one of the few movies that I own and watch more than once.

The realistic representation, references to actual historical figures, interwoven irony, and tightly knit dialogue make this movie a pleasure even for those prone to analyzing small details.

I grew up in the South and still remember my grandparents describing life during the Civil War in much the same terms that Josey Wales experiences it. The vast majority of Southerners were dirt-poor farmers who had never even seen a plantation, much less owned slaves, and I can't help but regard The Outlaw Josey Wales as a cinematic vindication of the wrongs they suffered at the hands of looting and pillaging murderers like W.T. Sherman.

A couple of interesting side notes that will enrich your viewing of Josey Wales: Clint Eastwood's son in the movie is his son in real life; Lone Watie was a chief in real life; Sondra Lock went on to become Clint Eastwood's wife in real life.

Classic Eastwood, Classic Western, Classic Movie
In recent years, Clint Eastwood's "The Outlaw Josey Wales" has been elevated to a higher plain than it occupied when released in summer 1976. Praised by a handful of critics, the film did well at the box-office but really acquired a following through no less than six highly rated airings on NBC, ABC, and CBS. Now it's often considered Eastwood's finest hour as director and star, even surpassing his Oscar winning "Unforgiven" in some eyes. Among its fans was the late Orson Welles who praised it as one of the finest Westerns ever made, and praised Eastwood as a director worthy of notice long before it was fashionable to do so. In 1996, Eastwood's fifth film as a director was even recognized by the Library of Congress when it was added to the National Film Registry, that collection of films deemed historically, artistically, and/or sociologically important and deserving of protection from tampering by anyone but the original director.

At first glance, I found it overlong and meandering, enlivened only occasionally by some trademark Eastwood gunplay. But if it's a little short on the action for which Eastwood made his name, repeated viewings make it clear that there is much more happening beneath the surface. The Outlaw Josey Wales is very much a film about community and trying to find a place in one. Josey Wales is an outlaw only because he avenged the death of his family at the hands of murderous Union soldiers. Now a hunted man, this peaceful farmer is an Angel of Death wandering the west in search of vengeance but also a place to call home. Its scope is much bigger than the revenge tale at its center, and the film represents an important step in Eastwood's maturation as a director.

Beautifully photographed, splendidly acted (especially by John Vernon), and capably directed, "The Outlaw Josey Wales" is one of Eastwood's finest hours (although "Unforgiven" is superior in my book), and one of the finest hours for the western, as well.

"I RECKON SO."
LEAVE THE WINING 'UNFORGIVEN' ON THE SHELF AND BUY THIS ONE.
EASTWOOD HAS NEVER BEEN BETTER IN FRONT OF OR BEHIND THE CAMERA.
WALES (EASTWOOD) IS A MISSOURI DIRT FARMER RAIDED BY RED LEGS UNION TROOPS AT THE END OF THE CIVIL WAR. AS A RESULT HE BURIES HIS WIFE AND CHILD AND SETS OUT WITH CONFEDERATE IRREGULARS TO "SET THINGS ARIGHT."
AND THAT HE DOES EARNING A REPUTATION AS A FEARED PISTOLERO IN THE PROCESS. ALONG THE WAY HE IS FORCED TO ACCEPT A RAG TAG FAMILY OF LONERS AND LOOSERS.
HE IS FREQUENTLY CHALLENGED AND SYSTEMATICLY BLASTS THE BAD GUYS
PUNCTUATING HIS KILLS WITH TOBACCO SPITTLE ON THE CORPSES FOREHEADS. WHEN A PARTNER REGRETS NOT BEING ABLE TO BURY THE BAD GUYS, JOSEY QUIPS IN TRUE LACONIC FASHION "BUZZARDS GOTTA EAT, SAME AS WORMS.'
THE DIALOGUE SELLS THIS SHOW. THE CHIEF VILLIAN YANKEE WHO IS CHARGED WITH TRAKING THE OUTLAW REMARKS TO HIS MEN (REFERRING TO WALES) "NOT A HARD MAN TO TRACK, LEAVES DEAD MEN WHERE EVER HE GOES." WALES CONCLUDES HIS EPIC MISSION BY FINALLY KILLING HIS ARCH RIVAL 'RED LEGS TERRELL' THEREBY AVENGING HIS LONG DEAD FAMILY.
THE FILM IS NOT WITHOUT HUMOR THANKS TO 'LONE WATIE' AN OUTCAST ELDERLY INDIAN WHO LIGHTENS THE DRAMATIC LOAD WITH TIDBITS OF WIT AND WISDOM. WHEN WALES ASKS WATIE IF HE HAS ANY THING TO EAT.
THE OLD WARRIOR REPLIES AS HE HOLDS UP A COLORFUL STONE "JUST THIS PIECE OF ROCK CANDY, BUT ITS NOT FOR EATIN....JUST FOR LOOKIN THROUGH."
WATIE ENCOURAGES WALES BY INSISTING THAT HE "ENDEAVOR TO PERSEVEARE."

WALES DOES SO AND SLOWLY REDISCOVERS HIS LOST EMOTIONS AND IN THE END WE ARE LED TO BELIEVE ALL WILL BE WELL.

GOOD WESTERN ENTERTAINMENT?

AS JOSEY WOULD SAY "I RECKON SO."

Simply the Best
This is the best Western of all time, bar none.

GREAT!
i love this movie i have seen lots of of clints movies (yes and some R ones but just 2) this is the best! ... Read more

Amazon.com

This episode is a must-own for The Wild, Wild West fans as well as TV buffs who collect pilot shows. Robert Conrad stars as West, James West, a frontier 007, and according to President Grant (James Gregory), "the finest underground intelligence officer we have." Posing as "the dandiest dude that ever crossed the Mississippi," he embarks on his first assignment: to find Juan Manolo, a madman bent on starting a revolution ("The whole world will know my name!"). Suzanne Pleshette also stars as Lydia, an old flame who still burns hot. "I waited on that hard bed alone for eight hours until the police came," she provocatively scolds West upon their reunion. The late, great Victor Buono (King Tut on Batman) also appears as the inscrutable Wing Fat ("Would you care for a pipe?" he offers. "It is filled with joy"). Ross Martin costars as master of disguise Artemus Gordon, who also provides West with his gadgets, such as a pool cue that doubles as a gun barrel, a breakaway Derringer West that can hide in his boot heels, and a belt buckle that dispenses bullets. This episode was directed by Richard Sarafian, whose estimable credits include Gunsmoke, The Twilight Zone, I Spy, and Batman. This program is also available in a three-volume boxed set.--Donald Liebenson ... Read more

Reviews (4)

The pilot episode of the James Bond of Westerns
"The Night of the Inferno," the pilot episode of "The Wild Wild West," establishes the formula for the television series created by Michael Garrison about the James Bond of the Old West that ran on CBS from September 17, 1965 until September 7, 1970. But while the formula is tried and true, adapting the super spy formula of exotic villains and grandiose plans to rule a significant portion of the American West, the tone of the series is not yet to be established. This is clear as soon as we meet our heroes "James" West (Robert Conrad) and "Artemus" Gordon (Ross Martin).

The pilot starts off with a great hook as condemned prisoner James T. West is dragged to a railroad train in the middle of the night--where he finds President Ulysses S. Grant (James Gregory), who is providing cover for his top undercover agent. Given the cover identity of a rich Eastern dandy with his own private train, Grant sends West out on his first mission to stop the power mad Mexican Juan Manolo who plans to be number one in the whole world. When West and Gordon arrive in Quemada, they find not only the crazy general (Nehemiah Persoff) and his little army but an inscrutable Chinese merchant, Wing Fat (Victor Buono) and one of West's old flames, Lydia Monteran (Suzanne Pleshette). Of course the lady starts shooting at West about a minute after she sees him, but that is to be expected.

Actually, all things considered this is a very decent pilot, which was written by Gilbert Ralston. The camera does spend a lot of time watching West load up on guns and gadgets before heading off to Quemada, but of course each and every one of those toys is going to pay off during the course of the episode. At one point the story is going pretty much right by the numbers, but that is just a set up for some really nice twists at the end. My biggest complaint (besides the fact Grant is rather skinny) is that the character of Gordon is really wasted in this first episode. Fans of the series will immediately recognize Artie's first appearance in the story, but the revelation that he is West's sidekick is tossed off in a meaningless gesture (however, he does turn out to be a mean shot in his own right). Juan Manolo is no Dr. Miguelito Loveless, but then who is?

Final Note: You might be surprsied by the differences in the title cartoon sequence (no hitting ladies this early in the game) and the order the end shots of each act replace the original frozen cartoon images. This still remains the coolest way of going to a station break in television history.

The Wild Wild's Best
Great movie, if you like black and white films. I thought it was good, and I would definitely recommend it. It was one of the "better" episodes, and I enjoyed it. Even though the show is old, it doesn't affect the quality of the tapes. In fact, everything is perfect. There was nothing wrong with mine, no fuzziness or tracking problems at all. The picture was clear as a bell, and even the little paper slip cases hold up well, so it isn't cheap. Great story, great "surprise" ending, and it is not a waste of money, even though the movie is only an hour long. I can guarantee you at least one night of good viewing...I've watched my copy at least ten times since I bought it. It is a little cheesy (in the best possible since), but so are all old movies. I would encourage you to buy it, because you will get your money's worth. I would talk more about how great the plot is, but you'll have to see that for yourself :)

An Enjoyable "WWW" Reunion
Though a bit too campy in spots, "Wild Wild West Revisited" (1979) recaptured some of the imaginative spirit of the original series. Since Robert Conrad and Ross Martin were older, it was impossible to continue in the same vein as the 1965-69 show. Still, it's great seeing James West and Artemus Gordon together again -- and the TV movie has a big-budget feel with its use of Arizona locations. "Wild Wild West Revisited" is nostalgic fun, but cannot hold a candle to the original show.

The first night of James West
What I like the most in this episode is the taut opening scene with prisoner James T. West and Arte playing the drunk military. The villains are outrageously flamboyant : pre-"Count Manzeppi" Victor Buono as Wing Fat and Nehemia Persoff as vicious sadistic Juane Manolo. Suzanne Pleshette as Lydia Monteran with her gun mania is gorgeous. James Gregory as authoritative President Grant is just fine for his single part in the entire series. He recaptures the feeling of the old west much better than Roy Engel. The dialogues are smart and sophisticated, for instance, when Colonel Shear says : "the dandiest dude that ever crossed the Mississippi in his private railroad car." The James West's gadgets ritual (especially, the close-up of the sleeve-gun) in the train is a pure delight. Thanks to Frank Phillips' only cameraworks, the black and white mood is extraordinary. The jazz/western music composed and conducted by Richard Markowitz is top-notch and everybody know the main theme by heart. Above all, the trade mark of the show, I mean the freeze frame which turns into a rough sketch. In this episode, there is one incoherent detail about the change of Jim West's costume when he goes to Quemada. But who cares ? The pilot episode, directed, like a movie, by Richard Sarafian, that I can watch over and over and forever : I'm a devotee. I hope they will release the music very soon. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

"This is another fine mess you've gotten me into!"
Vincent Price and Peter Lorre were the Laurel & Hardy of horror films. Their by-play in this film and in THE RAVEN and TALES OF TERROR is priceless (sorry). And when you add Boris Karloff to the mix, you suddenly have Moe, Larry and Curly, with Basil Rathbone more-than-ably filling in the Vernon Dent/Bud Jamison role.

Why all this comedy name-dropping? Simply to underscore the fact that this is a classic comedy. "Why did I ever escape from prison?" mourns Lorre when forced into another murderous midnight recruitment venture for their undertaking establishment. "It was so nice and peaceful!" And watch Vincent's face as he suddenly wipes off his hands when giving Lorre a leg-up, growling, "What DID you step in? Wipe your feet, for pity's sake!"

Watch Boris' graphic maunderings about Egyptian mummification processes ("they yank out the brain with a hook!") at the dinner table and the excellent, underrated Joyce Jameson's grossed-out reactions. Watch Basil's oh-so-superior sneers as he threatens to evict Vincent & Co. in orotund dialogue worthy of a Snidely Whiplash meller-drammer. Watch the dead Rathbone return to life again. . .and again . . .and again . . . and again . . .and again, with Vincent's facial reactions getting broader each time. Watch Lorre carry on with the shapely Jameson as the romantic lead (that alone is worth the price of admission!)

The film's comic premise is richly endowed with black humor, put-downs, slapstick, a frenetic, prolonged chase, and a first-rate cast that makes the most of every line, pratfall and bit of business ("time for your medicine, old man!") Watch and enjoy.

"What Place Is This?"
This is a hilarious movie! I love it. Vincent Price plays an undertaker, as he has taken over his father-in-law's business. Peter Lorre plays his assistant, Boris Karloff plays the hard of hearing father-in-law, & Basil Rathbone wants the rent money. And of course there is Rhubarb (the cat) playing the role of Cleopatra! Oh, & you may want to wear ear plugs during the singing! Yikes! And just when you think everyone is dead, well you thought wrong! You have to see it to know what I'm getting at.

Brrrrr!
This movie is a great.
Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, Boris KArloff, and last but not least, BASIL RATHBONE star in this hilarious black comedy about two aspiring undertakers who are having trouble getting customers, so they kill people just so they can give them a funeral. This movie had me laughin so hard I was crying, especially the part where Basil Rathbone chases Peter Lorre out of his house, quoting lines from Macbeth all the while. And who could forget the utter disgust on Vincent Price's face as he cries in absolute horror "What did you STEP in?!?"Absolutely hilarious.

Classic Video Fun!
This is a great movie if you like to see the classic horror stars letting their hair down.
There's nothing serious in this film but the fun.
Vincent Price and Peter Lorre are the center of attention with Boris Karloff and Basil Rathbone playing the comedy role you never expected to see.
The sets are 1960's B movie stuff, but it just adds to the atmosphere.
If you're looking for something entertaining to watch on movie night this is one to put in the lineup.
I got this and "The Raven" at the same time. Both are funny!

Drunk again, huh?
I LOVE this film!! Vincent Price is just hysterical as the undertaker who needs to drum up some business, Peter Lorre is great as the assistant, Basil Rathbone is the landlord who wants his year's rent, and Boris Karloff just can't hear a thing. "What? Sugar?? There ya go!" Basil just keeps on coming back to life, quoting from "Hamlet" as he goes along, and Peter Lorre laments about his dear Annabel. Joyce Jamison is Annabel, who is Felix Gillie's love interest. Annabel is married to Waldo (Vincent Price) and Boris Karloff is her father. The funeral speech by Karloff is just priceless. Needless to say, as soon as Rathbone's character is buried we hear: "What place is this??" Great. If you haven't seen this movie yet, YOU HAVE TO!! And I agree with the comment: "Where is the DVD??" Get with it MGM, we still need this one and The Raven, and The Tomb of Ligeia....I have to finish my Vincent Price DVD collection! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Oh, Brother
This is a very overblown account of the L-1011 accident in the everglades in 1972. It is full of horrible acting and gross historical inaccuracies. Read the book by John Fuller ("The Ghost of Flight 401") or the NTSB report to get a real clue. The moral of the story: do not rely on William Shatner for your aviation accident information.

World Class Hokum
I had seen this when it came out as a made for TV movie many years ago, and rewatching it recently made me realize what a horrible production it really is. I am an airline pilot, and have flown the L-1011 (and dearly love it), so it is natural that I would be able to nitpick technical material in the film. I am not going to do so, as most people wouldn't care about the technical details of airline operations, anyway. My only caveat is that nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing, about the film from an aviation perspective is even remotely correct.

I can deal with the technical inaccuracies if the remainder of the story is well crafted, and attempts to be true to the historical events, but I recommend that you heed well the disclaimer at the beginning of the film that certain aspects of the film have been fictionalized. I will certainly say that they have. It basically becomes a soap opera in a swamp. A very large portion of the film is told in flashback and concerns who is pregnant, who is having an affair with whom, the flight attendant, oops, I'm sorry, stewardess who is afraid to fly, etc. Even if these situations existed onboard Eastern 401 it hardly impacts the story of the crash, which is ostensibly the subject of the film.

All that leads up to the films biggest over the top departure from reality: William Shatner. Shatner plays an NTSB investigator (who is actually seen performing mostly FAA duties, but I digress) who has to solve the case. Unfortunately he doesn't have Spock along to help out with the case, though he ends up being the hero in the end, and gets to chew a lot of scenery in the process. Eddie Albert also stars as the plane's Captain, though for some reason they changed his character name to "Dunn" from the real Captain's name (Bob Loft). I have always liked Eddie Albert, but apparently his only direction in this film was to be a cranky old codger. Also notable is 'Barney Miller' regular Ron Glass as a buyer for a department store who basically wanders around the swamp in a happy delirium after the accident. Of course shock can make episodes like this happen, but I was less than convinced by the performance here.

I gave the film two stars, which is fairly generous, but I have such a soft spot for the L-1011 that I can't bear to give it only one. The crash is an interesting story, and in real life has become the definitive teaching example in Cockpit Resource Management (CRM) classes. Ultimately, the accident occurred due to everybody in the cockpit being absorbed with a minor light bulb malfunction, and leaving the airplane to its own devices with nobody flying the plane. It is worth seeing just to see some great shots of L-1011's flying around. A better film on the same crash which is a bit more realistic (up through the crash anyway) is "The Ghost of Flight 401" starring Ernest Borgnine. If you get the opportunity, try that one, it covers the crash and the paranormal aspect that was detailed in the John Fuller book, if you are interested in that angle.

Crash Of Flight 401
For those of us who loved the book, this movie is very much worth watching. However, there is no mention of the ghosts which is disappointing. It is sometimes scary, because you get to re-live the crash and see & feel what the crew went through.

It was excellent!!!
dsdddfd ... Read more

Reviews (8)

He Was Her Man
A simple movie that can be enjoyed by all ages. (Which is rare today) The songs and great looks of Elvis make this one enjoyable.

Change of pace in time for Elvis!
"Frankie and Johnny" is based on the old song about two lovers where Johnny is on a losing streak and decides he can change his luck with Nellie Bly. A jealous Frankie shoots her man because "he was doin' her wrong". This movie is sort of based on the song. Everything is true except the shooting part in the end, but it comes very close to actually happening. "Frankie and Johnny" is quite enjoyable no matter how "obscure" you people might find it. It's a real top-notch and every Elvis fan must see it. By the way, we need more reviews on Elvis' movies and music please.

Frankie and Johnny
Elvis appeared in this lighthearted musical based on the folk song, "Frankie and Johnny". In the original song, the title characters are lovers whose romance goes awry when red-headed Nellie Bly steals Johnny away from Frankie. Frankie gets revenge by shooting Johnny dead. The movie lightens the tone of the tale by adding a few details and changing the downbeat ending. In the film, the song has been especially written for riverboat performers Frankie and Johnny, played by Donna Douglas (The Beverly Hillbillies) and Elvis Presley. Johnny is a gambler whose bad luck changes when dancer Nellie Bly, played by Nancy Kovak, joins the troupe aboard the riverboat. Each night, the three perform the number "Frankie and Johnny" onstage. As Johnny's interest in Nellie increases, so does Frankie's jealousy. One night, someone loads real bullets into Frankie's prop gun, and Johnny is shot during the performance. As luck would have it, Johnny is saved by a charm that he wears around his neck.

The film did benefit from the juicy secondary roles played by a seasoned cast of character actors which keep the film from being any less interesting. Harry Morgan, who later gained recognition on the TV series M*A*S*H played Cully the piano player. Robert Strauss, the burly villain in many crime dramas, played Blackie, the boss's stooge and Sue Ane Langdon portrayed Mitzi, the girl who is always edged out in the romance department.

Produced for United Artists by Edward Small. Released March 31, 1966. Color.

Boy what's wrong with you people?
Like other Elvis Presley movies, he gets into fights. But he seems to have lost his luck in most of the 60's then he had starting in the mid to late 50's. As the movie opens, Johnny (Elvis Presley) is a riverboat singer and gambler nad his sining partner named Frankie (Douglas) won't marry him until he gives up gambling. So Johnny decides to end his losing gambling ways by getting help from a fortune teller. She tells him to get a lucky red head. And Johnny does find one in a redhead (Nancy Kovack).

Typical mid-60s Elvis musical
FRANKIE AND JOHNNY is better than the previous two films (TICKLE ME and HARUM SCARUM), but that doesn't mean that it succeeds on all levels.

Elvis looks quite comfortable in the costumes he wears in this picture, but the lousy dialogue and dumb plotline are anything but brilliant.

The songs are okay, but nothing outstanding. Only "Please Don't Stop Loving Me" could succeed on it's own.

It's not as bad as some of the other Elvis pictures of the era, but it's not an essential addition to anyone's collection. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Will Connie Stevens find her man? You bet she will.
A bad drug deal goes wrong. The buyer dressed like a priest cold-blooded red shoots the deliverer. The crook still in the priest get-up, takes a plane flight. Here we see Greg Evigan in his film debut. He plays a steward. Three rows behind is a lady in disguise keeping a watchful eye on this crook. It's Scorchy! Connie Stevens is hot on his trail. The plane lands in Seattle. Greg Evigan has made it home. As he comes out of the shower into the living room, he is held-up by a knife-holding thug. he does some quick footwork on the thug, but the thug punches him and throws a chair at him, followed by a bucket of water in Greg's face. Connie Stevens plays a Narcotics Undercover Agent, Jackie Parker. She will do anything to crack a case, including going to bed with them. She gets closer to making a big deal and Greg Evigan as well. This film has lots of action, Connie Stevens skinny-dippin' (to a movie buff these scenes may help you recall the recent American Movie Classics cable network special, the exclusive showing of "Something's Got To Give", with the skinny-dipping scenes of Marilyn Monroe), cat and mouse chases, car chases, but get this, Connie drives a dragster through the streets of Seattle, shoot-outs and a helicopter/boat chase. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Boy, Did I Get A Wrong Number!
If you`re a big fan of Bob Hope & do not own this video,I strongly urge you to purchase it.It is without a doubt,the best piece of comedy work i`ve ever seen! By far the best Hope movie he ever did.The antics of Hope & Diller will absolutely have you in the floor howling and rolling in the floor laughing!

Hysterically funny & worth buying!
Bob Hope & Phyllis Diller are hysterically funny in this comedy! You'll love laughing your way through the entire film! It's really great to watch this film if you've had a tough day and need to just take your mind off of things. This is a true jewel to have in my video collection & I watch it over and over with lots of laughs! :)

Boy did i get a wrong number
This is one tangled mess of a movie! Bob Hope stars as husband, father and real estate agent Tom Meade whose life is about to be disrupted by more than just his wacky housekeeper. Enter the Divine Didi, an ultra sexy film star played by Elke Sommer. Fed up with starring in films with lots of bubbles but no plot she escapes to a nearby hotel, a wanted woman. After Tom Meade tries to phone his wife at the beauty parlor, and accidentally gets through to Didi's hotel room instead, he'll wish he had gotten a busy signal. Will Mr. Tom Meade come to the aid of the starving Didi who hasn't had anything to eat in one whole day? You Stars Wars fans will have a mad laugh at this one. And so the plot thickens...ending with what I believe to be the longest car chase in movie history. If your looking for nuttiness and some hilarious comic relief between Hope and Diller, this one should not be put on hold.

ONE OF OUR FAVORITE "GUILTY PLEASURES"
THIS MID-'60'S FARCE PLAYS LIKE A SIT-COM: LUCKLESS REALTOR HOPE GETS HIS WIRES CROSSED AND WINDS UP ACCUSED OF MURDERING BLONDE BOMBSHELL SOMMER. HILARIOUS WISECRACKING DIALOG BETWEEN HOPE AND DILLER KEEPS THIS FILM ROLLING. IF FOR NOTHING ELSE, WATCH FOR THE OUTRAGEOUSLY HUGE HAIRSTYLES SPORTED BY SOMMER AND CO-STAR MARJORIE LORD. ALSO RECOMMENDED: "EIGHT ON THE LAM" WITH BOB HOPE, PHYLLIS DILLER, & JONATHON WINTERS.

So funny that my sides split
This movie was so funny that I could have cried. Phyllis Diller really lifts the spirit in this movie. I would highly recomend it to everyone who has not seen it before. ... Read more

Book Description

Vincent Price lends his distinctively chilling voice to this spine-tingling collection of tales, spells, and things that go bump in the night. This hair-raising audiotape features classic horror stories by Edgar Allan Poe and John Cllier, as well as more practical tales such as ‘How to See Ghosts and Surely Bring Them to You.’ So turn down the lights and turn up the volume . . . if you dare!

... Read more

Reviews (19)

One of the Creepy Corman Classics
Directed by the venerable king of quality low-budget filmmaking, Roger Corman, and scripted by the prolific and popular SF and horror writer Richard Matheson, TALES OF TERROR is comprised of three vignettes based on stories by Edgar Allan Poe. The incomparable Vincent Price stars in all three, with Peter Lorre and Basil Rathbone each co-starring (separately, alas) in one of the others. Any knowledgeable horror fans should be nearly euphoric after reading the credentials behind this flick--and they won't be disappointed!

The first story is based on Poe's "Morella," but Corman and Matheson take great liberties to make the tale darker and scarier than the original. Unfortunately, the altered plot and its resolution (?) are a bit hard to follow, and it is therefore the weaker of the three plays.

The second--and best!--vignette, "The Black Cat" is actually a composite of Poe's story of the same name and his "The Cask of Amontillado." Peter Lorre hilariously hams it up as the cuckolded Montresor Herringbone, and Vincent Price is also a riot as Herringbone's nemesis, Fortunato. In spite of the humor, however, there are still plenty of chills when Lorre builds a wall around his "problems."

The final vignette, based on Poe's "The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar," features the wonderful Basil Rathbone as the hypnotist who uses his powers to put the titular character, Valdemar (portrayed by Price), in a sort of limbo between life and death. Again, Corman and Matheson have taken liberties with the original story (e.g., making the hypnotist malevolent and self-serving), but this time it's to great effect, as Rathbone makes a delightfully devilish villain. The make-up job on Price in the final scene is pretty creepy, too, in spite of the film's low-budget effects. Good old-fashioned frights in this one.

The DVD edition of TALES OF TERROR is short on extras (trailer only)--it would've been great to have a Corman commentary on this one, which many of the other MGM releases of Corman's films DO have--but seeing this film in widescreen makes it well worth the reasonable cost. A worthy addition to any fan of classic horror.

Five Stars...
Being a fan of Vincent Price and Peter Lorre for that matter, this was just priceless (no pun intended). Aside from Peter Lorre not aging well at all, this just makes his "tale" all the more realistic.
The first tale is called Morella where Vincent Price blames his visiting daughter for the death of his wife. Yet there is a twist to the story regarding the daughter. Really well done.

The second tale is The Black Cat with Peter Lorre as the main character here in one of the best parts I've seen him play.
He puts pathetic, mean and humorous into one role and is hysterical doing the classic wine testing scene with Vincent Price. I was truly laughing out loud. The facial expressions that Price has in this one when acting with Lorre are worth this DVD alone.

The third and last tale is the scariest in my view. It is called the Case of M. Valdemar where Basil Rathbone plays a man who tries to gain control over a dying Vincent Price. This is a pretty scary one, and Rathbone completes his role nicely.

The ladies in these tales (Maggie Pierce, Joyce Jameson and Debra Paget) are all absolutely stunning. You just can't compare the beauty of that day with today.

Get this DVD, especially if you like Price and Lorre....not to mention Poe. I promise you it is something you will watch over and over again.

A wonderful horror anthology
Vincent Price leads an all-star cast in this horror film. Price appears in all three segments. In the first, he plays a man named "Locke" who blames the death of his wife on his daughter who's just came back after 26 years. This is great, verbal horror sort of like a throwback to "Night Gallery" or other dramatic anthology shows, where the horror is in the character's personality and not in the graphics. only the final minutes does the story turn into what AIP movie goers expect. The second story, as has been voted by mostly all on here, is the stand-out. Peter Lorre and Joyce Jameson team up with Vincent in a re-telling of "Cask of Amontillado" but re-titled "The Black Cat". If you've heard or read the story, you pretty much know what's going to happen...the wine tasting scene is hilarious. The final segment offers Basil Rathbone and Vincent although Rathbone has the most action as Price's character, Valdemar, is bed-ridden. Rathbone plays an evil mesmerist who mentally tortures Valdemar's wife and keeps Valdemar in suspended animation you could say in an effort to kill him and run off with the wife! The segment ends with a memorable scene that isn't really sick...but it's not for the squeamish, either! It's one of Rathbone's finest roles, aside from Sherlock Holmes and the hilarious nut-case character in "Comedy of Terrors". This film came along in 1962. At 85 minutes in length, it's short for a feature-length film...but the material and the first-rate acting by everyone make it seem even SHORTER!!

GARBAGE
Don't waste your time or money with this DVD. The best part of the DVD is probably the Trailers and most of those are Garbage also. My DVD came loose in the package and scratched, too bad it didn't do any damage to ruin the Movie. I couldn't wait until the Movie was over, I would have stopped it earlier, but wanted to see if any damage was done. You'll be counting the minutes and seconds after watching the first half or even earlier. The last story was stupid and horrible and should have been left off. Don't waste your money, spend it on the cheap $5-6 horror DVD's, because at least those can be somewhat entertaining.

Tales of tepid terror
What happens when you take great actors (Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, Basil Rathbone), a great writer (Richard Matheson), great source material (E.A. Poe) and a passable director (Roger Corman) and have them make a movie? Nothing very good, as it turns out.

This movie is actually three short movies linked by Price's narration. The first story deals with a young woman who returns to the home of her father, a recluse tormented by the death of his wife; how she died is not really clear, but she is nonetheless intent on revenge. The second story - the best of the three - is a take-off on the Cask of Amontillado with Lorre as a murderous drunk. The final story has Rathbone as a mesmerist who traps Price in a state between life and death.

All three stories have potential, the first and last for horror, and the middle one for humor. Unfortunately, none of the stories are executed well, a fault that seems to lie primarily with Corman. For fans of the Poe movies of the sixties (directed primarily by Corman), this might be worth watching, but for horror fans, it is best to look elsewhere. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Romance at its most anti-romantic--that is the Billy Wilder stamp of genius, and this Best Picture Academy Award winner from 1960 is no exception. Set in a decidedly unsavory world of corporate climbing and philandering, the great filmmaker's trenchant, witty satire-melodrama takes the office politics of a corporation and plays them out in the apartment of lonely clerk C.C. Baxter (Jack Lemmon). By lending out his digs to the higher-ups for nightly extramarital flings with their secretaries, Baxter has managed to ascend the business ladder faster than even he imagined. The story turns even uglier, though, when Baxter's crush on the building's melancholy elevator operator (Shirley MacLaine) runs up against her long-standing affair with the big boss (a superbly smarmy Fred MacMurray). The situation comes to a head when she tries to commit suicide in Baxter's apartment. Not the happiest or cleanest of scenarios, and one that earned the famously caustic and cynically humored Wilder his share of outraged responses, but looking at it now, it is a funny, startlingly clear-eyed vision of urban emptiness and is unfailingly understanding of the crazy decisions our hearts sometimes make. Lemmon and MacLaine are ideally matched, and while everyone cites Wilder's Some Like It Hot closing line "Nobody's perfect" as his best, MacLaine's no-nonsense final words--"Shut up and deal"--are every bit as memorable. Wilder won three Oscars for The Apartment, for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay (cowritten with longtime collaborator I.A.L. Diamond). --Robert Abele ... Read more

Reviews (83)

"Shut up and deal..."
This movie, directed by the legendary Billy Wilder, is one of my all-time favorites. It features a funny script, great acting, and an interesting and original plot. The Apartment is a perfect example of what is missing in Hollywood today: it is a witty, entertaining movie that relies on the script and on the acting to keep the viewer's attention and consequently does not need to use obscene language or inappropriate scenes to be amusing!

Essentially, The Apartment is about a young insurance company worker (played by Jack Lemmon in an excellent performance) who is forced to allow his philandering bosses to use his apartment on dates. In exchange for allowing his bosses to use the apartment, Lemmon is recommended to recieve promotions. Things get more complicated, however, when the bigger boss, Sheldrake (played by Fred McMurray) gets involved in the apartment renting. This would seem like a good thing for Lemmon - but there is one problem: McMurray (who is married and has no plans of divorcing) is dating Lemmon's dream girl, the beautiful elevator operator at the company (played by Shirley MacLaine). To say any more would be to give too much away...

In addition to having an intertaining plot and a funny, sarcastic script (like most Billy Wilder movies), The Apartment features amazing performances by all of its actors, especially Lemmon and MacLaine.

So I don't know how else to recommend this movie - get it soon and enjoy!

ATTENTION: a Home Theatre/HDTV/16:9/480p DVD Review!!
Now that the Home Theatre environment is becoming more common it is time to sort the GOOD from the BAD DVD's. This is only from a videophile who enjoys the total viewing and listening Home Theatre experience. The movies themselves are the main ingredient but unfortunately Film Studios don't always give us what we think we are getting. (Quality vs quantity) Another words they are already re-releasing DVD movies with enhancements and extras for wide screen TV's etc. So we need to buy right the first time and not repeat buying on the same movie.
My first (#1) Home Theatre DVD Review "The Apartment" is an AFI (American Film Institute) top 100 movie of the last 100 years. It won "5" Oscars including "Best Picture of 1960", and Best Director, Billy Wilder (in 1959 he directed, "Some Like It Hot" - voted by AFI as the #1 Comedy in the last 100 years) So you can see this was and is a GREAT Comedy (filmed in Black and White). Jack Lemmon, Shirely MacClaine and Fred MacMurray lead the emsemble cast.
Simply put its a boy meets girl, falls in love she is distracted by another man and "The Apartment" brings them together. A great story, great characters and the greatest comedic director.
Now this DVD is Digitally ReMasterd (Picture and Sound). It is enhanced for widescreen 16:9 (Aspect Ratio) TV's & HDTV's. The movie's 235:1 means you still get a LETTERBOX presentation but it is enhanced for maximum viewing enjoyment. The Picture clarity is perfect (480p - 480 horz lines with Progressive Scan (a line doubler feature. NOTE: regular DVD players are 480i). The only extra is a Trailer. "The Apartment" is a must both for its entertainment value and viewing quality. It is the best!!!!

They Should All be Like This
Wouldn't it be great if all movies were this good? This funny? This wise? This clever? This heartfelt? This true? My favorite Jack Lemmon movie. He plays a perfect schmuck who discovers himself. My favorite Shirley MacLaine movie. She plays a sweet but wounded modern girl who wises up. My favorite Billy Wilder movie. A perfect ear for dialogue and eye for mannerisms in his adopted country. Fred McMurray turns in a perfect performance as a shameless cad. No reason not to own this on dvd.

The boss borrows his apartmwnt for a love tryst

Director: Billy Wilder
Format: Black & White
Studio: Mgm/Ua Studios
Video Release Date: August 3, 1999

Cast:

Jack Lemmon ... Calvin Clifford 'C.C.' 'Bud' Baxter
Shirley MacLaine ... Fran Kubelik
Fred MacMurray ... Jeff D. Sheldrake
Ray Walston ... Joe Dobisch
Jack Kruschen ... Dr. Dreyfuss
David Lewis ... Al Kirkeby
Hope Holiday ... Mrs. Margie MacDougall
Joan Shawlee ... Sylvia
Naomi Stevens ... Mrs. Mildred Dreyfuss
Johnny Seven ... Karl Matuschka
Joyce Jameson ... The blonde
Willard Waterman ... Mr. Vanderhoff
David White ... Mr. Eichelberger
Edie Adams ... Miss Olsen
Mason Curry
David Macklin ... Messenger
Hal Smith ... Santa Claus
Benny Burt ... Charlie (the bartender)
Frances Weintraub Lax ... Mrs. Lieberman
Dorothy Abbott ... Office worker

C.C. 'Buddy Boy' Baxter (Jack Lemmon) has a downwtown apartment near his work where he is an insurance analyst in a large firm. He is ambitious to work is way up the ladder, and so loans his apartment out to various of his supperiors for their trysts in an effort to win their favors, which means that he is forced ro work overtime and stay out late while his apartment os occupied.

Fran Kubelik (Shirley McLaine), elevator girl, is in love with big boss and branch manager Jeff D. Sheldrake (Fred MacMurray), who is a married, cheating philanderer with a long history of conquests among the female staff. C.C. Baxter is also in love with Fran, who is having an affair with Sheldrake in his apartment.

This is not really a comedy, although it has its funny moments. It is a good story which comes out all right in the end.

Joseph (Joe) Pierre

author of Handguns and Freedom...their care and maintenance
and other books

An absolute Gem from Lemmon and Wilder
Mr. Lemmon figured prominently in a good dozen of the best films ever made, and he is at the absolute top of his game in "The Apartment" as C.C. Baxter - an up and coming business man who makes his way through the corporate ranks faster than usual by making his apartment available to higher executives to carry on affairs without paying for hotel rooms. This is probably a borderline premise for a romantic comedy today, and it must have seemed absolutely scandalous 44 years ago, but the truth is that it is very contemporary in tone today while also being funny, thoughtful and poignant. It's too bad there's noone as clever as Billy Wilder making Romantic Comedies today. Shirley Maclaine has never been better, and anyone who grew up watching Fred MacMurray in "My Three Sons" or any of those Disney films will be surprised to see him playing an absolute scumbag in this movie. The dialogue is witty and sharp and the acting is crisper than a fresh celery stick. This is a good time. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Burt Reynolds close to his peak
Run Simon Run is a forgotten gem of a movie that will appeal to all lovers of early 1970's movies dealing with issues of Native Americans in a sympathetic manner. So if you liked movies like Soldier Blue, Born Losers, Billy Jack, Little Big Man and the like, then Run Simon Run needs to be in your collection. Burt Reynolds plays a Papago Indian who, wrongfully convicted for murder, returns to his corrupt, racist town to track down who really murdered his brother. On every level of expectation, this movie delivers with a great, authentic sense of locale and tense, frustrating and satisfying moments. It's somewhat amazing to think how this great film has been allowed to lapse in our collective memory. For Burt Reynolds or Deliverance fans, this movie will also deliver in that it showcases Burt in an earlier intense and thoughtful role - reaching the height of his powers before he began to blow it all away in self-parody in the late-1970s. If you love movies along the lines of Macon County Line, First Blood, Walking Tall..., this one's for you as well. Those who remember it have fond memories of an exciting and progressive time in pop culture. Those who don't know it will be pleasantly surprised. ... Read more

Amazon.com

When you've got Vincent Price, Basil Rathbone, and Peter Lorre all inthe same movie, how can you go wrong? Tales of Terror is a trio of Edgar Allen Poe stories, starring three of horror's greats and produced and directed by the immortal Roger Corman. The first story, "Morella," involves a girl (Debra Paget) who returns to her isolated, spooky family home to see her estranged father (Price) for the first time in 26 years. He's let the housekeeping slide a bit--cobwebs abound and, oh, yes, his dead wife is still upstairs. Peter Lorre joins the fun for "The Black Cat," a piece with comic flavor that allows Price to show his rarely seen silly side, and then it's Basil Rathbone's turn to be creepy in "The Case of M. Valdemar," the tale of a mesmerist who decides to experiment with the unknown (bad idea). The movie is well paced, and makes good use of comedy without undercutting its chills. It's a rare treat to see this many masters of the genre working together and so clearly enjoying themselves. Don't miss it. --Ali Davis ... Read more

Reviews (19)

One of the Creepy Corman Classics
Directed by the venerable king of quality low-budget filmmaking, Roger Corman, and scripted by the prolific and popular SF and horror writer Richard Matheson, TALES OF TERROR is comprised of three vignettes based on stories by Edgar Allan Poe. The incomparable Vincent Price stars in all three, with Peter Lorre and Basil Rathbone each co-starring (separately, alas) in one of the others. Any knowledgeable horror fans should be nearly euphoric after reading the credentials behind this flick--and they won't be disappointed!

The first story is based on Poe's "Morella," but Corman and Matheson take great liberties to make the tale darker and scarier than the original. Unfortunately, the altered plot and its resolution (?) are a bit hard to follow, and it is therefore the weaker of the three plays.

The second--and best!--vignette, "The Black Cat" is actually a composite of Poe's story of the same name and his "The Cask of Amontillado." Peter Lorre hilariously hams it up as the cuckolded Montresor Herringbone, and Vincent Price is also a riot as Herringbone's nemesis, Fortunato. In spite of the humor, however, there are still plenty of chills when Lorre builds a wall around his "problems."

The final vignette, based on Poe's "The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar," features the wonderful Basil Rathbone as the hypnotist who uses his powers to put the titular character, Valdemar (portrayed by Price), in a sort of limbo between life and death. Again, Corman and Matheson have taken liberties with the original story (e.g., making the hypnotist malevolent and self-serving), but this time it's to great effect, as Rathbone makes a delightfully devilish villain. The make-up job on Price in the final scene is pretty creepy, too, in spite of the film's low-budget effects. Good old-fashioned frights in this one.

The DVD edition of TALES OF TERROR is short on extras (trailer only)--it would've been great to have a Corman commentary on this one, which many of the other MGM releases of Corman's films DO have--but seeing this film in widescreen makes it well worth the reasonable cost. A worthy addition to any fan of classic horror.

Five Stars...
Being a fan of Vincent Price and Peter Lorre for that matter, this was just priceless (no pun intended). Aside from Peter Lorre not aging well at all, this just makes his "tale" all the more realistic.
The first tale is called Morella where Vincent Price blames his visiting daughter for the death of his wife. Yet there is a twist to the story regarding the daughter. Really well done.

The second tale is The Black Cat with Peter Lorre as the main character here in one of the best parts I've seen him play.
He puts pathetic, mean and humorous into one role and is hysterical doing the classic wine testing scene with Vincent Price. I was truly laughing out loud. The facial expressions that Price has in this one when acting with Lorre are worth this DVD alone.

The third and last tale is the scariest in my view. It is called the Case of M. Valdemar where Basil Rathbone plays a man who tries to gain control over a dying Vincent Price. This is a pretty scary one, and Rathbone completes his role nicely.

The ladies in these tales (Maggie Pierce, Joyce Jameson and Debra Paget) are all absolutely stunning. You just can't compare the beauty of that day with today.

Get this DVD, especially if you like Price and Lorre....not to mention Poe. I promise you it is something you will watch over and over again.

A wonderful horror anthology
Vincent Price leads an all-star cast in this horror film. Price appears in all three segments. In the first, he plays a man named "Locke" who blames the death of his wife on his daughter who's just came back after 26 years. This is great, verbal horror sort of like a throwback to "Night Gallery" or other dramatic anthology shows, where the horror is in the character's personality and not in the graphics. only the final minutes does the story turn into what AIP movie goers expect. The second story, as has been voted by mostly all on here, is the stand-out. Peter Lorre and Joyce Jameson team up with Vincent in a re-telling of "Cask of Amontillado" but re-titled "The Black Cat". If you've heard or read the story, you pretty much know what's going to happen...the wine tasting scene is hilarious. The final segment offers Basil Rathbone and Vincent although Rathbone has the most action as Price's character, Valdemar, is bed-ridden. Rathbone plays an evil mesmerist who mentally tortures Valdemar's wife and keeps Valdemar in suspended animation you could say in an effort to kill him and run off with the wife! The segment ends with a memorable scene that isn't really sick...but it's not for the squeamish, either! It's one of Rathbone's finest roles, aside from Sherlock Holmes and the hilarious nut-case character in "Comedy of Terrors". This film came along in 1962. At 85 minutes in length, it's short for a feature-length film...but the material and the first-rate acting by everyone make it seem even SHORTER!!

GARBAGE
Don't waste your time or money with this DVD. The best part of the DVD is probably the Trailers and most of those are Garbage also. My DVD came loose in the package and scratched, too bad it didn't do any damage to ruin the Movie. I couldn't wait until the Movie was over, I would have stopped it earlier, but wanted to see if any damage was done. You'll be counting the minutes and seconds after watching the first half or even earlier. The last story was stupid and horrible and should have been left off. Don't waste your money, spend it on the cheap $5-6 horror DVD's, because at least those can be somewhat entertaining.

Tales of tepid terror
What happens when you take great actors (Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, Basil Rathbone), a great writer (Richard Matheson), great source material (E.A. Poe) and a passable director (Roger Corman) and have them make a movie? Nothing very good, as it turns out.

This movie is actually three short movies linked by Price's narration. The first story deals with a young woman who returns to the home of her father, a recluse tormented by the death of his wife; how she died is not really clear, but she is nonetheless intent on revenge. The second story - the best of the three - is a take-off on the Cask of Amontillado with Lorre as a murderous drunk. The final story has Rathbone as a mesmerist who traps Price in a state between life and death.

All three stories have potential, the first and last for horror, and the middle one for humor. Unfortunately, none of the stories are executed well, a fault that seems to lie primarily with Corman. For fans of the Poe movies of the sixties (directed primarily by Corman), this might be worth watching, but for horror fans, it is best to look elsewhere. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

The pilot episode of the James Bond of Westerns
"The Night of the Inferno," the pilot episode of "The Wild Wild West," establishes the formula for the television series created by Michael Garrison about the James Bond of the Old West that ran on CBS from September 17, 1965 until September 7, 1970. But while the formula is tried and true, adapting the super spy formula of exotic villains and grandiose plans to rule a significant portion of the American West, the tone of the series is not yet to be established. This is clear as soon as we meet our heroes "James" West (Robert Conrad) and "Artemus" Gordon (Ross Martin).

The pilot starts off with a great hook as condemned prisoner James T. West is dragged to a railroad train in the middle of the night--where he finds President Ulysses S. Grant (James Gregory), who is providing cover for his top undercover agent. Given the cover identity of a rich Eastern dandy with his own private train, Grant sends West out on his first mission to stop the power mad Mexican Juan Manolo who plans to be number one in the whole world. When West and Gordon arrive in Quemada, they find not only the crazy general (Nehemiah Persoff) and his little army but an inscrutable Chinese merchant, Wing Fat (Victor Buono) and one of West's old flames, Lydia Monteran (Suzanne Pleshette). Of course the lady starts shooting at West about a minute after she sees him, but that is to be expected.

Actually, all things considered this is a very decent pilot, which was written by Gilbert Ralston. The camera does spend a lot of time watching West load up on guns and gadgets before heading off to Quemada, but of course each and every one of those toys is going to pay off during the course of the episode. At one point the story is going pretty much right by the numbers, but that is just a set up for some really nice twists at the end. My biggest complaint (besides the fact Grant is rather skinny) is that the character of Gordon is really wasted in this first episode. Fans of the series will immediately recognize Artie's first appearance in the story, but the revelation that he is West's sidekick is tossed off in a meaningless gesture (however, he does turn out to be a mean shot in his own right). Juan Manolo is no Dr. Miguelito Loveless, but then who is?

Final Note: You might be surprsied by the differences in the title cartoon sequence (no hitting ladies this early in the game) and the order the end shots of each act replace the original frozen cartoon images. This still remains the coolest way of going to a station break in television history.

The Wild Wild's Best
Great movie, if you l