Reviews (3)

good fun
This movie is good fun. The actors are great: Emily Lloyd, Peter Falk and Adrian Pasdar. It's Peter Falk's typical role and if you like him in it, you'll like him here. Emily should have had more movies because she is great - and finally Adrian Pasdar gets a real chance in a movie. Good entertainment.

cute versin of the mafia
A great sunday afternoon fun story.

Cute story about daughter-father relationship
This is a really cute story about the relationship between a father (Peter Falk) who is a mobster just released from prison who meets his daughter for the first time. It's a comedy with some foreseeable events but it's the performances that are fun to watch. Falk is terrific. Weist is lovingly hilarious as the "oversexed" mistress and mother of the daughter. Brenda Vacarro is wonderfully funny in a campy role as the wife. But Adrian Pasdar as the daughter's love interest and "young sidekick, mobster wannabe" is usually the perfect foil for the rest of the other outrageous, campy roles. Pasdar charmingly steals the scenes. Even though he is often the "straight man" in this comedy, he manages to play the comedic parts very well and is as funny as the more seasoned actors. Though dated (the daughter is a "Madonna wannabe") it is a truly fun ride. ... Read more

Reviews (68)

Long Live Guerrilla Film-Making
Even if you're not a fan of John Waters, which I am, this movie is worth seeing at least twice. Despite Melanie Griffith's somewhat tepid acting,its absolute absurdity at times will have you laughing long and hard. And not only is it a spectacular comedy but, like all John Waters films, it's got something to say. Cecil and the Sprocket-Holes' absolute disgust of mainstream film, while taken to ridiculous measures, makes one think: Why ARE there so many movies based on video games? Why do we insist on re-making wonderful foreign films just so we don't have to read subtitles? WHY ARE THERE TWO BRADY BUNCH MOVIES?????? Being something of a film coneisseur myself, as well as an aspiring film-maker, this movie held a lot more than a few laughs for me. I often found myself screaming obscenities along with Cecil's misfit gang. Stop the mass distribution of mediocre films. Yeah! Bring back the dream. Yeah!!! Family (as in "family films") is just another word for censorship! YEAH!!!!! Power to the people who punish bad cinema! YEAH!!!!! Ok, so perhaps I need to get a life. Be that as it may, Cecil B. Demented is still a great flick. If nothing else, watch it for the laughs...and the Christmas Trees. You'll see.

Celibate for Celluloid!!
What can i say...you either like, or hate, this movie...so judge for yourself.
Rogue filmmaker Cecil (played, all too cutely) by Stephen Dorff, meets up with typical-cum-boring film idol Honey Whitlock (played to the utmost by the normally annoying Melanie Griffith). Mayhem ensues...as Cecil and his gang of indie film rioters make their statement with crudeness and sweetness.
I've watched this 4-5 times (and I don't even yet own the DVD, with Waters' comments, which I hear are great!) and I'm hooked again and again. For anyone who is sick and tired of seeing Hollywood anoint themselves with awards and *ss kissing praise, you will *not* be disappointed! Alicia Witt is exceedingly impressive as the porn star with a mission (David Lynch didn't cast her in Four Rooms for nothing!) Melanie Griffith is surprisingly refreshing as the movie-idol with a change of heart (honestly, I hate her with a passion, but she won me over with this!)...to be plain honest, this movie thrills me and is a riot every time...from the opening, warbly credits (to which my friend asked, 'is there something wrong with your vcr?') to the crazy ending, it's a good way to spend a few hours!

What a disappointment
I am a huge John Waters fan, but this movie does not come close to living up to his usual standards. It seems Waters is trying to balance between mainstream filmmaking for the larger audience appeal, and keep his previous biting cutting-edge. Serial Mom was able to do this -- this movie absolutely failed. It is poorly written, poorly acted (Melanie Griffith a bad actor? Yeah, that's a stretch), and poorly editted.

The movie is suppose to be making a statment against Hollywood turning out so much mediocore garbage. This movie is a prime example of the type of garbage that shouldn't be turned out.

John Waters' movies are by all means still worth buying and watching, just avoid this one.

Typical Waters Garbage
There's a reason why the vast majority of Waters' film get a turkey in ALL the review books: his movies suck. Period.

I kept picking this one up at the local library, but not taking it home. This week I finally relented and gave it a spin.

What a waste of 90 minutes! I should sue Waters' for the time I lost!

First, this movie isn't funny. Not one single smile cracked my face. Now, before you call me a prude, or a retard, I love wacky cinema. Some of my favorite movies are off-the-wall films that most of my friends see as stupid and immature.

This one, though, never got so much as a smirk out of me.

The writing is dreadful, the directing and editing turn much of the overall plot into a sycophantic mess. Some of the acting is fairly good, but so much profanity comes out of their mouths.

You know, just because someone says f#%k 1,000 times doesn't make them funny. In fact, I find the use of profanity a sign that the comic has run out of ideas and is trying solely to shock.

And watching Waters crow over his work in the special features was painful. He's such a no-talent freak, and you could tell his cast was imbarassed to be seen in the same shot is him. (He reminded me of someone the Coen Brothers would make up in one of their paradoys - but I kept pinching myself, saying, "this guy is REAL!" Pathetic.)

Take your filmmaking back in the closet, John. How you get any funding is beyond anyone's comprehension....

funny and wonderful, Dorff is the man
Stephen Dorff(Blade and S.F.W.(So **cking What) is Cecil B. Demented and he kidnaps Melanie Griffith to do a crappy film that he is gonna direct, but nobody wants it so then he trys to get his way and Griffith makes up her mind and goes on with the show. Dorff is over-the-top in this funny and wonderful movie. Directed by John Waters..if you know him then you know him, if you dont you dont ... Read more

Reviews (68)

Long Live Guerrilla Film-Making
Even if you're not a fan of John Waters, which I am, this movie is worth seeing at least twice. Despite Melanie Griffith's somewhat tepid acting,its absolute absurdity at times will have you laughing long and hard. And not only is it a spectacular comedy but, like all John Waters films, it's got something to say. Cecil and the Sprocket-Holes' absolute disgust of mainstream film, while taken to ridiculous measures, makes one think: Why ARE there so many movies based on video games? Why do we insist on re-making wonderful foreign films just so we don't have to read subtitles? WHY ARE THERE TWO BRADY BUNCH MOVIES?????? Being something of a film coneisseur myself, as well as an aspiring film-maker, this movie held a lot more than a few laughs for me. I often found myself screaming obscenities along with Cecil's misfit gang. Stop the mass distribution of mediocre films. Yeah! Bring back the dream. Yeah!!! Family (as in "family films") is just another word for censorship! YEAH!!!!! Power to the people who punish bad cinema! YEAH!!!!! Ok, so perhaps I need to get a life. Be that as it may, Cecil B. Demented is still a great flick. If nothing else, watch it for the laughs...and the Christmas Trees. You'll see.

Celibate for Celluloid!!
What can i say...you either like, or hate, this movie...so judge for yourself.
Rogue filmmaker Cecil (played, all too cutely) by Stephen Dorff, meets up with typical-cum-boring film idol Honey Whitlock (played to the utmost by the normally annoying Melanie Griffith). Mayhem ensues...as Cecil and his gang of indie film rioters make their statement with crudeness and sweetness.
I've watched this 4-5 times (and I don't even yet own the DVD, with Waters' comments, which I hear are great!) and I'm hooked again and again. For anyone who is sick and tired of seeing Hollywood anoint themselves with awards and *ss kissing praise, you will *not* be disappointed! Alicia Witt is exceedingly impressive as the porn star with a mission (David Lynch didn't cast her in Four Rooms for nothing!) Melanie Griffith is surprisingly refreshing as the movie-idol with a change of heart (honestly, I hate her with a passion, but she won me over with this!)...to be plain honest, this movie thrills me and is a riot every time...from the opening, warbly credits (to which my friend asked, 'is there something wrong with your vcr?') to the crazy ending, it's a good way to spend a few hours!

What a disappointment
I am a huge John Waters fan, but this movie does not come close to living up to his usual standards. It seems Waters is trying to balance between mainstream filmmaking for the larger audience appeal, and keep his previous biting cutting-edge. Serial Mom was able to do this -- this movie absolutely failed. It is poorly written, poorly acted (Melanie Griffith a bad actor? Yeah, that's a stretch), and poorly editted.

The movie is suppose to be making a statment against Hollywood turning out so much mediocore garbage. This movie is a prime example of the type of garbage that shouldn't be turned out.

John Waters' movies are by all means still worth buying and watching, just avoid this one.

Typical Waters Garbage
There's a reason why the vast majority of Waters' film get a turkey in ALL the review books: his movies suck. Period.

I kept picking this one up at the local library, but not taking it home. This week I finally relented and gave it a spin.

What a waste of 90 minutes! I should sue Waters' for the time I lost!

First, this movie isn't funny. Not one single smile cracked my face. Now, before you call me a prude, or a retard, I love wacky cinema. Some of my favorite movies are off-the-wall films that most of my friends see as stupid and immature.

This one, though, never got so much as a smirk out of me.

The writing is dreadful, the directing and editing turn much of the overall plot into a sycophantic mess. Some of the acting is fairly good, but so much profanity comes out of their mouths.

You know, just because someone says f#%k 1,000 times doesn't make them funny. In fact, I find the use of profanity a sign that the comic has run out of ideas and is trying solely to shock.

And watching Waters crow over his work in the special features was painful. He's such a no-talent freak, and you could tell his cast was imbarassed to be seen in the same shot is him. (He reminded me of someone the Coen Brothers would make up in one of their paradoys - but I kept pinching myself, saying, "this guy is REAL!" Pathetic.)

Take your filmmaking back in the closet, John. How you get any funding is beyond anyone's comprehension....

funny and wonderful, Dorff is the man
Stephen Dorff(Blade and S.F.W.(So **cking What) is Cecil B. Demented and he kidnaps Melanie Griffith to do a crappy film that he is gonna direct, but nobody wants it so then he trys to get his way and Griffith makes up her mind and goes on with the show. Dorff is over-the-top in this funny and wonderful movie. Directed by John Waters..if you know him then you know him, if you dont you dont ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Think you can't have that dreamboat? THINK AGAIN!
If I had a dime for everytime I've watched this movie...LOL I'd be pretty doggone rich! Ricki Lake and Craig Sheffer are wonderful together as the most unlikely couple you'd imagine being together. I loved this film because it explores the realm of possibility that you don't have to be a supermodel or anorexic to find love and happiness. It also points out another very important issue about size. Grace knew she was big, but it was her confidence, attitude, and out going personality that made her sexy and ulitimately irrestible to Rob. A great "feel good" movie for any woman who has lost her confidence that she can have her dreamboat man! I highly reccommend this film!

A Wonderful Film!!!!!
When I first watched "Babycakes" years ago on television, I immediately fell in love with it! Ricki Lake does an excellent job playing Grace, an overweight lady with a larger-than-life personality and an even larger heart.

The story revolves around her struggle to "fit in" and finally have a boyfriend. Grace and her friend spot and handsome guy named Rob while ice skating, and Grace makes it her mission to make this guy her own. She tries just about everything, but the one thing that really got him was her ability to be herself and not worry about what others thought about her. It was through her relationship (both good and bad aspects) with Rob that gave her the self-esteem she desperately needed. The movie concludes with a happy ending that will leave a permanent smile on your face!

I highly recommend this film to anyone who would like to see an excellent, heart-warming film. This film really does let you know that you don't have to be the size of a model model to find true love, happiness, or respect and adoration - a lesson that so many people should learn. :) Watch this movie! You won't be disappointed!!!!

A Cute Film
What I liked about this movie is that it is more than meets the eye. It is one of the best romantic comedies that I have seen in recent times, which is why I'm surprised that more people don't know about it. The storyline is pretty standard (overweight, pessimistic girl think she can't find love - but runs into the man of her dreams), but yet the movie was done in such a way that it seemed realistic and not too fairytale-like. It has a universal appeal, especially to those of us who have been through periods of our lives where we felt low about ourselves or negative about finding true love. Although Ricki Lake's character is "overweight", this movie would appea to any woman because the feelings she has in this movie are ones that relate to just about any woman, no matter your size or shape. This is a good film to watch on Valentine's Day or if you are ever in the mood for a good romantic comedy.

A fair remake of a 1985 classic
This film is a remake of a German film called "Zuckerbaby" - translated Sugarbaby - by noted German filmmaker Percy Adlon (he also directed Salmonberries starring k.d. lang (and her video So In Love from the Cole Porter AIDS tribute cd, Red Hot +Blue) as well as "Bagdad Cafe" and "Rosalie Goes Shopping". This American version is indeed a sweet remake, but not as dark as the original. In the original film (which I prefer), Marianne Sagebrecht plays the Ricki Lake part. In it, the makepup artist for the dead spends much of the time trying to get the conductor on the train to notice her. She eventually wins his affection briefly. The difference is how the relationships are handled. In the original, the main character hs no friends or family in the area. She doesn't end up a winner, either. In fact in the original film, she is confronted on a dancefloor by the conductor's girlfriend, who calls her disgusting and beats her in front of everyone...she ends up ultimately alone...Zuckerbaby is highly recommended for anyone that has seen Babycakes..

An old favorite
I cannot count how many times I have seen this movie, and I have loved it every time. Ricki Lake does a great job and while I will admit that in my pessimistic opinion it is a little unbelievable, but I say why shouldn't life be this way? When I am down or depressed and unhappy about the way I look, this is one of the first movies I reach for. A great chick flick. ... Read more

Description

Ricki Lake. "I've surpassed any goal I set for myself as far as my body,my career, and getting married," so says the formerly fat actress who appeared in twoJohn Water's cult films before gaining fame as the princess of daytime talk. Learn howshe lost more weight than ratings rival Oprah did through a vegetarian diet. (cc) [TV G] ... Read more

Reviews (13)

skinner
I only bought this dvd because ted raimi was in it, don't get me wrong seeing him semi naked was fanastic but the quality of this disc is terrible as after three plays it is jumps and pausing when it feels like it. Very disappointed about the quality, but I am still happy as the overall movie is interesting.

An interesting failure
Worth watching once to see the movie it might have been. An amazing performance from Raimi, who slides deftly among the layers of the psychopathic title character without once overplaying his hand in a truly chilling performance. Ricki Lake is also subtle and effective as the unhappy landlady with a slowly growing attraction for her strange boarder. Unfortuately, the high-caliber performances are wasted on a meandering script and unfocused direction -- and a fatally slow pace which destroys any interest we might have in what's going on. As for the gore, it isn't that it's too much, it's that it's not enough. Too little and too late, it's almost half-an-hour before we know anything more about the movie than what we read on the box, and by then we're no longer interested. A shame, and most of the people involved deserved better.

One star is one star too many
This movie is really a dog. If any of you Ted Raimi fans out there ever watch this one and then later meet Ted, don't let him know you watched it. He'll make fun of you! Now that's the sign of a really bad movie! No redeeming factors here that I can see at all. Now, if you'll all excuse me, I think I'll go watch some paint dry.

A winning combination
If you're into classic "show me the gore" horror flicks, check these two out. They may not be too popular, but many of the greats aren't. You can't beat Amazon's price for two DVD's either! Enjoy.

The "North" of the horror genre
This film is vile, badly written, badly acted, with bad sound and a weak male lead. Awful, awful, awful! I thought this film would have some campy qualities since Ted Raimi was the "Buffalo Bill" knock-off of a serial killer. Ricki Lake is predictably terrible ("Hairspray" was her only good film to date). And to top it all off, ex-porn queen Traci Lords isn't even naked! The least the director could have done was give a dollop or two of gratuitous nudity to appease the audience in this horribly written mid-air collision of a film. While the story was unbelievably weak, there was a motif of water which made no sense. I think the director was trying to be pretentious or stretching the film to feature length. Like Oedipus, I felt like blinding myself after I saw this film because it was so monumentally bad. When I say it is a bad film, I don't even mean it in a "so bad it's good" sense either. This film is BAD! I'm sure "Plan 9 From Outer Space" has more redeeming qualities (and had better actors). Too bad Mystery Science Theater 3000 is over, because this cinematic abortion would be a lot funnier with two robots talking back to the screen. This film makes "Army of Darkness" look like "Citizen Kane." If you want to rent a good bad film, rent "Soldier" or "Escape From LA." Keep browsing folks. I wasn't deepy offended that I wasted my money on this, I was offended that I wasted my time on this. As a famous film critic said: "Unclean, unclean, unclean!" ... Read more

Reviews (30)

Screwball Romance
I want to be adopted by Shirley MacLaine and her butler Paco. Based on a case of mistaken identity following a train wreck; a young, homeless woman has a baby and is taken in by a wealthy family who believe her to be their daughter-in-law. She meets her putative brother-in-law, who suspects she is not who she claims to be and they fall in love. Although he discovers her real identity, he pretends to believe her story in an effort to be sure that she doesn't leave. The movie is fun to watch, very romantic...there is a tango scene which Brendan Fraser fans run over and over again. He plays a snobbish, bright and ironic young man who has ended up holding the bag as the responsible member of his rich family. Shirley MacLaine is brilliant as the mother, and Ricki Lake does a reasonably good job as a Cinderella candidate. The film could have benefited from a few extra scenes to clarify Bill's attraction to Patricia, but is a fun romance/comedy with a happy ending.

An imposter who finds love despite her deceit!
Shirley MacLaine makes the perfect supposed mother-in-law and is the original Mrs. Winterbourne. Her son and daughter-in-law meet up with a very pregnant Connie on a train and soon after Connie tries on Hugh's wife's wedding ring, the train crashes.

Since Connie (Ricki Lake) is the one wearing the ring, everyone assumes she is the wife. Every time she tries to explain, she holds back the truth. The idea of being taken care of by this wealthy family intrigues her. Hugh's mother is such a doting grandmother and Connie isn't sure how she can tell them that she and the baby are really imposters.

Connie's history could destroy the very proper Winterbourne family. Her ex-boyfriend Steve knows he has a son and plots to blackmail her.

Brendan Frasier is so dashingly handsome in this one! Although he has the ability to span the acting scale, I think he is best in this role. He plays both Hugh and Hugh's brother. I enjoyed the plot, contrasts, and romance. Destiny waits for Connie just as her mother said it would, she just never imagines it could happen under such strange circumstances.

A fun movie that moves along at a pleasant pace. It seems Tony Robbins is right: "The future will be exactly what we decide it will be." Well, at least that is what he says at the beginning of this movie.

Beware--New DVD is pan & scan only
Please be aware that Columbia recently "revised" this DVD. The prior DVD had both widescreen and pan & scan on the disc. This new version has only pan & scan. How's that for progress! Thanks Columbia!

Amazon's technical details still show widescreen, which they had told me they would correct after shipping me two copies to try and get me the widescreen version they were supposedly selling. It's a great thing that Amazon is understanding about these things.

great movie with a twisting plot
I really love the movie because of the great atmosphere it has and all those charismatic actors (I do think Rikki Lake did a great job too).
Especially the end was great and resolved in a satisfying way. The only thing I don't understand at all (besides the fact that the real Patricia Winterbourne seemed to be travelling without a passport or any document that could identify her) is why does Grace state she killed Steve, although she did not know who Steve was, nor what Patricia (aka Connie) had to do with him?
It was just so irrational to do that.

All in all a great movie with a few weak points in the script.

Painful
Ricki Lake is horribly miscast in this movie.
She is also a really bad actress.
I'm sure Brendan Fraser would fall for Ricki - right?
There are bad movies and then there are baaaaaad movies.
This one truly is a standout stinker! ... Read more

Reviews (30)

Screwball Romance
I want to be adopted by Shirley MacLaine and her butler Paco. Based on a case of mistaken identity following a train wreck; a young, homeless woman has a baby and is taken in by a wealthy family who believe her to be their daughter-in-law. She meets her putative brother-in-law, who suspects she is not who she claims to be and they fall in love. Although he discovers her real identity, he pretends to believe her story in an effort to be sure that she doesn't leave. The movie is fun to watch, very romantic...there is a tango scene which Brendan Fraser fans run over and over again. He plays a snobbish, bright and ironic young man who has ended up holding the bag as the responsible member of his rich family. Shirley MacLaine is brilliant as the mother, and Ricki Lake does a reasonably good job as a Cinderella candidate. The film could have benefited from a few extra scenes to clarify Bill's attraction to Patricia, but is a fun romance/comedy with a happy ending.

An imposter who finds love despite her deceit!
Shirley MacLaine makes the perfect supposed mother-in-law and is the original Mrs. Winterbourne. Her son and daughter-in-law meet up with a very pregnant Connie on a train and soon after Connie tries on Hugh's wife's wedding ring, the train crashes.

Since Connie (Ricki Lake) is the one wearing the ring, everyone assumes she is the wife. Every time she tries to explain, she holds back the truth. The idea of being taken care of by this wealthy family intrigues her. Hugh's mother is such a doting grandmother and Connie isn't sure how she can tell them that she and the baby are really imposters.

Connie's history could destroy the very proper Winterbourne family. Her ex-boyfriend Steve knows he has a son and plots to blackmail her.

Brendan Frasier is so dashingly handsome in this one! Although he has the ability to span the acting scale, I think he is best in this role. He plays both Hugh and Hugh's brother. I enjoyed the plot, contrasts, and romance. Destiny waits for Connie just as her mother said it would, she just never imagines it could happen under such strange circumstances.

A fun movie that moves along at a pleasant pace. It seems Tony Robbins is right: "The future will be exactly what we decide it will be." Well, at least that is what he says at the beginning of this movie.

Beware--New DVD is pan & scan only
Please be aware that Columbia recently "revised" this DVD. The prior DVD had both widescreen and pan & scan on the disc. This new version has only pan & scan. How's that for progress! Thanks Columbia!

Amazon's technical details still show widescreen, which they had told me they would correct after shipping me two copies to try and get me the widescreen version they were supposedly selling. It's a great thing that Amazon is understanding about these things.

great movie with a twisting plot
I really love the movie because of the great atmosphere it has and all those charismatic actors (I do think Rikki Lake did a great job too).
Especially the end was great and resolved in a satisfying way. The only thing I don't understand at all (besides the fact that the real Patricia Winterbourne seemed to be travelling without a passport or any document that could identify her) is why does Grace state she killed Steve, although she did not know who Steve was, nor what Patricia (aka Connie) had to do with him?
It was just so irrational to do that.

All in all a great movie with a few weak points in the script.

Painful
Ricki Lake is horribly miscast in this movie.
She is also a really bad actress.
I'm sure Brendan Fraser would fall for Ricki - right?
There are bad movies and then there are baaaaaad movies.
This one truly is a standout stinker! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

good fun
This movie is good fun. The actors are great: Emily Lloyd, Peter Falk and Adrian Pasdar. It's Peter Falk's typical role and if you like him in it, you'll like him here. Emily should have had more movies because she is great - and finally Adrian Pasdar gets a real chance in a movie. Good entertainment.

cute versin of the mafia
A great sunday afternoon fun story.

Cute story about daughter-father relationship
This is a really cute story about the relationship between a father (Peter Falk) who is a mobster just released from prison who meets his daughter for the first time. It's a comedy with some foreseeable events but it's the performances that are fun to watch. Falk is terrific. Weist is lovingly hilarious as the "oversexed" mistress and mother of the daughter. Brenda Vacarro is wonderfully funny in a campy role as the wife. But Adrian Pasdar as the daughter's love interest and "young sidekick, mobster wannabe" is usually the perfect foil for the rest of the other outrageous, campy roles. Pasdar charmingly steals the scenes. Even though he is often the "straight man" in this comedy, he manages to play the comedic parts very well and is as funny as the more seasoned actors. Though dated (the daughter is a "Madonna wannabe") it is a truly fun ride. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

skinner
I only bought this dvd because ted raimi was in it, don't get me wrong seeing him semi naked was fanastic but the quality of this disc is terrible as after three plays it is jumps and pausing when it feels like it. Very disappointed about the quality, but I am still happy as the overall movie is interesting.

An interesting failure
Worth watching once to see the movie it might have been. An amazing performance from Raimi, who slides deftly among the layers of the psychopathic title character without once overplaying his hand in a truly chilling performance. Ricki Lake is also subtle and effective as the unhappy landlady with a slowly growing attraction for her strange boarder. Unfortuately, the high-caliber performances are wasted on a meandering script and unfocused direction -- and a fatally slow pace which destroys any interest we might have in what's going on. As for the gore, it isn't that it's too much, it's that it's not enough. Too little and too late, it's almost half-an-hour before we know anything more about the movie than what we read on the box, and by then we're no longer interested. A shame, and most of the people involved deserved better.

One star is one star too many
This movie is really a dog. If any of you Ted Raimi fans out there ever watch this one and then later meet Ted, don't let him know you watched it. He'll make fun of you! Now that's the sign of a really bad movie! No redeeming factors here that I can see at all. Now, if you'll all excuse me, I think I'll go watch some paint dry.

A winning combination
If you're into classic "show me the gore" horror flicks, check these two out. They may not be too popular, but many of the greats aren't. You can't beat Amazon's price for two DVD's either! Enjoy.

The "North" of the horror genre
This film is vile, badly written, badly acted, with bad sound and a weak male lead. Awful, awful, awful! I thought this film would have some campy qualities since Ted Raimi was the "Buffalo Bill" knock-off of a serial killer. Ricki Lake is predictably terrible ("Hairspray" was her only good film to date). And to top it all off, ex-porn queen Traci Lords isn't even naked! The least the director could have done was give a dollop or two of gratuitous nudity to appease the audience in this horribly written mid-air collision of a film. While the story was unbelievably weak, there was a motif of water which made no sense. I think the director was trying to be pretentious or stretching the film to feature length. Like Oedipus, I felt like blinding myself after I saw this film because it was so monumentally bad. When I say it is a bad film, I don't even mean it in a "so bad it's good" sense either. This film is BAD! I'm sure "Plan 9 From Outer Space" has more redeeming qualities (and had better actors). Too bad Mystery Science Theater 3000 is over, because this cinematic abortion would be a lot funnier with two robots talking back to the screen. This film makes "Army of Darkness" look like "Citizen Kane." If you want to rent a good bad film, rent "Soldier" or "Escape From LA." Keep browsing folks. I wasn't deepy offended that I wasted my money on this, I was offended that I wasted my time on this. As a famous film critic said: "Unclean, unclean, unclean!" ... Read more

Reviews (30)

Screwball Romance
I want to be adopted by Shirley MacLaine and her butler Paco. Based on a case of mistaken identity following a train wreck; a young, homeless woman has a baby and is taken in by a wealthy family who believe her to be their daughter-in-law. She meets her putative brother-in-law, who suspects she is not who she claims to be and they fall in love. Although he discovers her real identity, he pretends to believe her story in an effort to be sure that she doesn't leave. The movie is fun to watch, very romantic...there is a tango scene which Brendan Fraser fans run over and over again. He plays a snobbish, bright and ironic young man who has ended up holding the bag as the responsible member of his rich family. Shirley MacLaine is brilliant as the mother, and Ricki Lake does a reasonably good job as a Cinderella candidate. The film could have benefited from a few extra scenes to clarify Bill's attraction to Patricia, but is a fun romance/comedy with a happy ending.

An imposter who finds love despite her deceit!
Shirley MacLaine makes the perfect supposed mother-in-law and is the original Mrs. Winterbourne. Her son and daughter-in-law meet up with a very pregnant Connie on a train and soon after Connie tries on Hugh's wife's wedding ring, the train crashes.

Since Connie (Ricki Lake) is the one wearing the ring, everyone assumes she is the wife. Every time she tries to explain, she holds back the truth. The idea of being taken care of by this wealthy family intrigues her. Hugh's mother is such a doting grandmother and Connie isn't sure how she can tell them that she and the baby are really imposters.

Connie's history could destroy the very proper Winterbourne family. Her ex-boyfriend Steve knows he has a son and plots to blackmail her.

Brendan Frasier is so dashingly handsome in this one! Although he has the ability to span the acting scale, I think he is best in this role. He plays both Hugh and Hugh's brother. I enjoyed the plot, contrasts, and romance. Destiny waits for Connie just as her mother said it would, she just never imagines it could happen under such strange circumstances.

A fun movie that moves along at a pleasant pace. It seems Tony Robbins is right: "The future will be exactly what we decide it will be." Well, at least that is what he says at the beginning of this movie.

Beware--New DVD is pan & scan only
Please be aware that Columbia recently "revised" this DVD. The prior DVD had both widescreen and pan & scan on the disc. This new version has only pan & scan. How's that for progress! Thanks Columbia!

Amazon's technical details still show widescreen, which they had told me they would correct after shipping me two copies to try and get me the widescreen version they were supposedly selling. It's a great thing that Amazon is understanding about these things.

great movie with a twisting plot
I really love the movie because of the great atmosphere it has and all those charismatic actors (I do think Rikki Lake did a great job too).
Especially the end was great and resolved in a satisfying way. The only thing I don't understand at all (besides the fact that the real Patricia Winterbourne seemed to be travelling without a passport or any document that could identify her) is why does Grace state she killed Steve, although she did not know who Steve was, nor what Patricia (aka Connie) had to do with him?
It was just so irrational to do that.

All in all a great movie with a few weak points in the script.

Painful
Ricki Lake is horribly miscast in this movie.
She is also a really bad actress.
I'm sure Brendan Fraser would fall for Ricki - right?
There are bad movies and then there are baaaaaad movies.
This one truly is a standout stinker! ... Read more