Reviews (1)

Taz-manimals - the best Taz episodes yet!
I watched this tape when my friend bought it, and let's just say that I was blown away. The animation, the character development, and the humor really tickled my funny bone! I realized that Taz-manimals was easily the best of the collection, especially when I saw all the other videos. Manimals blows them all away. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A Family Event.
Forewarned is forearmed. I read several reviews of this movie, before I watched it, that cautioned me it would be disapointing. The reviewers, without saying so in as many words, let me know that this movie was low budget when filmed. I must add that many folks at home could reproduce all the action seen in this movie with a couple of video cameras and two VCRs.
Now, having understood all that, I watched the flick with a strong intent to laugh at its sad quality. Rather like one would with "The Rocky Horrer Picture Show." It worked.
I roared with delight as the undead knight sliced a large chunk from a huge boulder with a swipe of his deadly blade, yet his blows were blocked by six inch diameter saplings. I huffed along with Lancellot as the lanky youth bent iron bars with his feet while hanging upside down.
Watch this movie with the purpose of finding fault and your family will have a wonderful evening.

A mixed bag
"Merlin And The Sword" has its good points and its bad points. Unfortunately the bad points are soooooooo bad, they make it hard to even notice the good points. Which is a shame, because in its better moments, this made-for-TV movie brings to life some lesser-known characters from the Arthurian legends.

BAD POINTS: Dyan Cannon is unbelievably awful as a bimbo American tourist who stumbles upon Merlin's cave, thus setting the plot (or rather, the flashback) into motion. Candice Bergen is not much better in a one-note (rhymes with "witch") performance as Morgan Le Fay, and Joseph Blatchley is too dweeby to take seriously as Mordred.

The Arthur-Guinevere-Lancelot triangle is handled very poorly. As King Arthur, Malcolm McDowell seems more like a preoccupied travelling salesman than like a king. Meanwhile Guinevere lounges around the castle all day in her underwear (I'm not making this up) complaining about having nothing to do, except when she's being abducted by grunting barbarians, which happens not once but twice.

Rosalyn Landor has a lovely melodious voice and tries her best to bring some dignity to Guinevere, but her efforts backfire: she comes off as so much more mature and worldly-wise than the still-wet-behind-the-ears Lancelot (played by a very young and skinny Rupert Everett) that their scenes together remind you of Mrs. Robinson seducing Benjamin in "The Graduate." Icky.

Add some incredibly bad guy-in-a-rubber-suit monsters and I think that about sums up the bad points.

GOOD POINTS: Edward Woodward makes a great Merlin, probably my favorite movie Merlin of all time. He conveys an air of power, authority, and playfulness, all at once. Lucy Gutteridge is also memorable as Niniane, young, open-hearted, inexperienced, but also very strong. The scenes from their magical courtship are charming (if only Dyan Cannon wouldn't keep butting in...)

Also good are Patrick Ryecart and Ann Thornton in a subplot about the courtship of Sir Gawain and Lady Ragnell. This episode has quite a bit of charm, too bad it goes by so fast.

With the exception of some dopey-looking helmets, the costumes are for the most part very handsome. And the locations (the movie was shot at Stonehenge and in Yugoslavia) are truly gorgeous.

If you can ignore the prevailing badness, there are moments in this movie that are like a fairytale come to life. Too bad they're only moments.

A story of old fashioned love
Malcolm Mcdowell plays the role of King Arthur in is what more a tale of love than any magic or myth. Despite the title, there isn't any emphasis to the famous sword and it certainly doesn't show any powers. However it is a plesant story and despite the tacky special effects I did like the way they cept the meaning of love alive. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Excellent movie...Lowe and Spader shine
Very different and dark movie, not what we are used to with Rob Lowe, but he doesn't disappoint. Lowe is outstanding and proves he is much more than a just a great looking actor. James Spader is very good and works well with Rob. This movie never got it's just due, should have been a blockbuster, very under-rated. Check it out!!

surprisingly good
I was never a fan of Rob Lowe, but I can tell you, he is very convincing as a bad guy. James Spader also plays an excellent part. The movie has a great storyline and good actors, what more should you expect?
Even though this movie never got the credit it deserved and many people have never even heard of it, it is a "must see". I can't wait till it comes out on DVD!

Great movie but short features
Check out friends around you, you may end up with a psycho like Alex (played by Rob Lowe). What he does in the movie is quite impressive and psychotic, especially a dirty trick like breaking a tail light and pulling the broken bulb into a fuel tank. If you hit the brake pedal, OOPS! In general, I like the story, I like the casting. Very good performance from both James Spader (as Michael) and Rob Lowe (as Alex). Does Alex do it on purpose to screw up Michael's life? I don't think so. Alex gives Michael what he wants (gals, job promotion), Alex eliminates what Michael's afraid of (getting married). But Michael pisses Alex off and wants him out of his life. Of course Alex rampages, revenges, and takes back everything he gave to Michael. I don't find the movie is too exaggerated; in contrast, I'm convinced that it could happen to anyone of us anytime anywhere. Who knows?

About the DVD, it's a double-sided disc. One side is the 16:9 widescreen format, and the other side is the standard 4:3 format. Quite obvious, it is lacking of extra features. It only comes with subtitles and theatrical trailer. Overall, movie is good but features are short.

Very Good except the soundtrack
I love this film of the nerdy office worker getting influenced by an outsider and stuffing his life up in the process. It's well shot, well edited, fast-paced, but the soundtrack sounds very dated nowadays, which is why it only gets a 4/5. Get it if you want to see Rob Lowe doing some seriously good acting at a time when he was dismissed by the press as nothing more than just a pretty face. Good, scary fun.

Guilty pleasure.
1990's *Bad Influence* provides the film-fan a chance to see what director Curtis Hanson and screenwriter David Koepp were capable of when they had to actually work for a living. (Later "success" for each has borne bitter fruit -- for the aforesaid film-fan, of course: Hanson now makes Eminem movies; Koepp just scripted *Spider-Man*. Enough said.) Hanson's previous film, *The Bedroom Window*, was mostly a by-the-numbers Hitchcock, albeit brilliant, with SHADES of novelist Patricia Highsmith's nastiness. . . . Here, Hanson & Co. veer directly into Highsmith's dark waters, and the result is just smashing. Of course it goes without saying that James Spader's "meek" corporate analyst is never all that innocent to begin with (just like any "hero" in a Highsmith novel, or in any film noir worth its pinch of salt); the fun is in watching HOW the layers of hypocrisy get stripped away, one by one. Hanson's ironical conceit is to have the movie's villain (Rob Lowe) proudly believe that HE'S the one responsible for the Yuppie's corruption. The movie's really about the tragedy of a psychopath. Lowe's wicked drifter is a pretty lonely guy, after all: he wants a friend! Women are his source of income, and can't be an option in terms of an intimate relationship. He meets the yuppie at a beach bar: Spader finds himself in trouble with a 900-lbs gorilla; Lowe extricates him from the trouble by threatening to cut the gorilla's throat with a jagged bottleneck. Of course, he also helps himself to Spader's unattended wallet . . . but once Spader runs into him the next day, Lowe allows himself to befriend the yuppie. With a sort of proud-father generosity, he initiates Spader into the world of L.A.'s underground bars, designer drugs, and decadent call girls. It eventually degenerates into a spree of cheap thrills that include hold-ups of the local burger joints and liquor stores. Hey -- it's Boys Night Out! What's the use of a life, even a criminal one, without no one to share it with? Unfortunately, All Good Things Must Come To An End: Lowe overreaches, and the blood-brothers become antagonists. After the bitter break-up, Lowe behaves petulantly, appropriating Spader's home furnishings like a divorcee in a bitter lawsuit. It's all great, campy fun, with the added bonus of some real menace -- and generous whiffs of decadence from the deepest pits -- thrown in to keep you riveted. The movie's centerpiece is the videotaped murder of a woman: the tape shows the murder occurring off-camera in Spader's bedroom. Horrified, Spader runs to his bedroom . . . to find the door nailed shut! This may be the only case in a movie of suspense being generated by something that has ALREADY HAPPENED. Ingenious! Final thought: I'd wager that aspiring novelist Chuck Paluhnik (sp?) caught this movie one night on HBO or something years ago and was subsequently inspired to write *Fight Club*, a novel (and, later, movie) whose parasitic-friendship theme is suspiciously similar to what's presented here. Bad influence, indeed. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Christopher Lee, long Hammer Studios' house villain, takes a rare heroic turn as scholar and occultist Duc de Richleau, the kind of role that Peter Cushing had made his métier. Lee plays Richleau with a dark elegance and intensity--he's a commanding figure with a trim goatee who discovers that the son of a war buddy has joined a satanic cult lorded over by the quietly malevolent Mocata (Charles Gray, best known as the narrator in The Rocky Horror Picture Show). Director Terence Fisher, working from a literate script by genre scribe Richard Matheson, creates a strikingly handsome period piece (set in 1920s rural England) dripping in dread as Richleau and Mocata battle for the souls of two young lovers on both physical and spiritual planes. The action scenes are well handled and the towering Lee cuts quite a figure leaping through hoards of robed devil worshippers to save a sacrificial victim, but the film peaks in an eerie supernatural battle in which Richleau and his skeptical party confronts Mocata's demons while protected in a giant pentagram. The effects are coarse and dated by today's standards, but the gorgeous period detail, vivid color, and unsettling imagery create a sinister ambiance, and Fisher's mix of psychodrama and swashbuckling action makes for an engrossing thriller, a life-and-death struggle between two masters of the forces of light and darkness. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (26)

"Hammer horror meets Dennis Wheatley..what more can you ask?
This is in my opinion Hammer's best film of the sixties and definately Christopher Lee at his very best. Refreshing to see the screens greatest villain in a heroic role for once and to appear in a film which he survives without being staked,disintegated or burnt to death. Hammer's star director Terence Fisher is back on fine form with this taut satanic thriller which is the best adaption of a Dennis Wheatley novel to be translated to the screen. Chris Lee plays the Duc de Richeleau a nobleman out to protect his young protege Patrick Mower from falling into the clutches of a group of satanists led by the excellent Charles Gray (remember him as Blofeld in Diamonds Are Forever and as Henderson in You Only Live Twice). Excellent set pieces troughout including a classic scene in which the Angel of Death turns up on a horse to claim a soul and cannot return empty handed. Superb acting throughout from all paties including Leon Greene and Nike Arrighi but this film is a landmark in the careers of both Christopher Lee and Terence Fisher and its the only Hammer film where both of them can really excel themselves makes one wonder why the studio didn't use them more wisely before. This is a classic film and although a little dated in parts still remains one of the best satanic horror films ever made.

A superb film of a battle of good against extreme evil!
Hammer, known for making its B-movies look like A-Movies, releases another triumph. The movie based on Wheatley's novel, which I have not read, but am looking for, is just superb. Though some of the special effects are campy, due, of course, to the low budget of the movie, they still pull off an eerie effect for this ultimate clash between good and evil. James Bernard, once again, creates an excellent score for this fine supernatural chiller. This is a must-have for Hammer Horror fans! The casting is wonderful, though I would like to see it with Cushing in place of Lee as the Duc de Richleau, and Lee in place of Gray as Mocata. Just wonderful. If you are tired of seeing the darkside win in new horror films that leave you feeling depressed, then see this. In Hammer, good always triumphs over evil!

super Hammer tale!
My favourite movie of Christopher Lee is the knockout Wickerman (also happens to be his favourite film!!), but this one is my second favourite and a really super non-Dracula tale from Hammer,Adapted from the book by Dennis Wheatley. Lee is even the good guy!

Lee (in a role that generally went to Peter Cushing) plays Richlea, a dapper man with deep knowledge of the esoteric, join forces with a war buddy to save the son of their old friend. The young man, played to perfection by Patrick Mower, has fallen into the clutches Oth Mocata(Charles Gray played with particular power and menace) is a high priest to a Devil Cult that has their sites set on Mower and his fortune.

An excellent struggle of good vs evil that is tautly written, directed and acted, guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat and one you will want to view again and again.

HAS EVERYONE GONE MENTAL!
THIS MOVIE STUNK IN SUCH A MAJOR WAY THAT I WANTED TO BLOW MY T.V. UP WHEN THIS PIECE OF JUNK FILM WAS OVER. AND FOR THOSE OUT THERE WHO THINK THIS IS GOOD. I HAVE ONE QUESTION FOR YA. WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN SMOKING?

A Super tale of the devil with veteran Chris Lee
My favourite movie of Christopher Lee is the knockout Wickerman ( also happens to be his favourite film!!), but this one is my second favourite and a really super non-Dracula tale from Hammer,
Adapted from the book by Dennis Wheatley.

Lee ( in a role that generally went to Peter Cushing) plays Richlea, a dapper man with deep knowledge of the esoteric, join forces with a war buddy to save the son of their old friend. The young man, played to perfection by Patrick Mower, has fallen into the clutches oth Mocata(Charles Gray played with particular power and menace) is a high priest to a Devil Cult that has their sites set on Mower and his fortune.

An excellent struggle of good vs evil that is tautly written, directed and acted, guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat and one you will want to view again and again. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Four Stars for a fine performance By Miss Taylor
"Divorce His; Divorce Hers" would be a much better film if it were trimmed from three to two hours. In this effort, T.V. producers attempt to milk the then world shaking coup of nabbing the Burton's for a two-night event (Their first Movie made for television). But the cow ran dry at two hours.
The story of a crumbling marriage is told first from the husband's point of view and then in the second half is told from the wife's. Much of the same ground is covered twice and much more interestingly in the second half.
Jane and Martin Reynolds live La Dolce Vita in Rome in the early 70's and after 18 years come to the slow and painful end of their marriage. Rome looks wonderful in the location shots in the Borghese Gardens, along the Via Condotti at night, and Piazza Navona. And attendant with the glamour of Rome the aura of the Burtons is well served in making the Reynolds seem impossibly rich. Notice that Elizabeth wears her Krupp diamond and the famous La Peregrina Peal necklace. No successful business tycoon of Burton's character's income could have afforded such lux baubles for his wife. Still in the early 70's the Liz and Dick glamour machine must be well oiled and the public at the time expected it. Some degree of disbelief would be suspend in anticipation of the Burtons because we somehow felt that what we were seeing less a drama than a simi-documentary about Elizabeth and Richard. And perhaps in some ways those films were just that.
Richard Burton's performance is somewhat stiff and cool with flashes of Welsh temper to pepper his scenes. But, over all, he seems rather distant and not too interested in the proceedings.
But on the other hand Elizabeth's excellent training in film acting over the years by the masters at M.G.M. comes to her aid in creating a warm fully developed and wonderful lady in Jane. She shines in particular in her scenes with the children and in her scene with Carrie Nye when she learns of Miss Nye's relationship with her husband. She is missed when she is not on hand to bring a little life to Mr. Burton's scenes. Miss Taylor shimmers in her own inimitable way and once again shows new comers and old pro's what real screen acting is about.
The film is by no means great but not nearly as bad as some reviewers would lead you to believe. "Divorce His: Divorce Hers" is worth seeing for Elizabeth's solid work.

A CLASSIC B MOVIE WITH LEGENDARY STARS
WORTH THE MONEY TO SEE THIS CLASSIC MOVIE, STRANGE BUT A TRUE CLASSIC

Strangely interesting Burton-Taylor melodrama
This little-known film was Burton and Taylor's first (and only) foray into the "made for TV" genre. Originally airing in 1973 on two successive nights on ABC, the movie is actually rather interesting and not especially dated. Burton achieves the rare feat of *not* overacting, and in fact, sleepwalks throughout most of the movie. Still, this is one of his better performances, devoid of his usual theatrical screaming, ranting and raving. Elizabeth Taylor is bloated and overweight (and clearly unhappy), but is still amazingly beautiful, at the age of 41.

The movie is divided into two separate movies, with the "Divorce His" section infinitely superior to the Liz section, which is boring beyond belief. The Liz segment also repeats many sequences already aired in the Burton first hlf of the movie, though filmed with a different camera. Interesting technique, but one knows why it was only utlized on this one movie!

Burton looks magnificent here, thin, relatively sober and quite striking. No doubt he and Liz made a fabulous-looking couple. This was filmed just a year before their first divorce and remains an interesting piece.

Fatuous beyond belief!
This is the absolute nadir of Burton and Taylor's history together. Originally made a made-for-TV movie in 1973, it was abysmally reviewed then (for good reason) and has been the subject of ridicule ever since. The only reason to watch this turkey is for the campy element. Neither Burton nor Taylor were sober during the making of this bomb, and their inebriation provides a few good laughs. The script is non-existent, the acting is uniformly awful and the plot is ludicrously transparent. A true bomb.

Interesting drama.
If you're a fan of Burton and Taylor, be sure to catch this Made-for-television movie. It's an interesting examination of a crumbling marriage viewed from both sides. Some line deliveries are stilted but all of the performances are sound. The Roman setting is magical. Today, this is a film which could work as a cult-feature, a curiosity or a camp classic. Decide for yourself. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Excellent movie...Lowe and Spader shine
Very different and dark movie, not what we are used to with Rob Lowe, but he doesn't disappoint. Lowe is outstanding and proves he is much more than a just a great looking actor. James Spader is very good and works well with Rob. This movie never got it's just due, should have been a blockbuster, very under-rated. Check it out!!

surprisingly good
I was never a fan of Rob Lowe, but I can tell you, he is very convincing as a bad guy. James Spader also plays an excellent part. The movie has a great storyline and good actors, what more should you expect?
Even though this movie never got the credit it deserved and many people have never even heard of it, it is a "must see". I can't wait till it comes out on DVD!

Great movie but short features
Check out friends around you, you may end up with a psycho like Alex (played by Rob Lowe). What he does in the movie is quite impressive and psychotic, especially a dirty trick like breaking a tail light and pulling the broken bulb into a fuel tank. If you hit the brake pedal, OOPS! In general, I like the story, I like the casting. Very good performance from both James Spader (as Michael) and Rob Lowe (as Alex). Does Alex do it on purpose to screw up Michael's life? I don't think so. Alex gives Michael what he wants (gals, job promotion), Alex eliminates what Michael's afraid of (getting married). But Michael pisses Alex off and wants him out of his life. Of course Alex rampages, revenges, and takes back everything he gave to Michael. I don't find the movie is too exaggerated; in contrast, I'm convinced that it could happen to anyone of us anytime anywhere. Who knows?

About the DVD, it's a double-sided disc. One side is the 16:9 widescreen format, and the other side is the standard 4:3 format. Quite obvious, it is lacking of extra features. It only comes with subtitles and theatrical trailer. Overall, movie is good but features are short.

Very Good except the soundtrack
I love this film of the nerdy office worker getting influenced by an outsider and stuffing his life up in the process. It's well shot, well edited, fast-paced, but the soundtrack sounds very dated nowadays, which is why it only gets a 4/5. Get it if you want to see Rob Lowe doing some seriously good acting at a time when he was dismissed by the press as nothing more than just a pretty face. Good, scary fun.

Guilty pleasure.
1990's *Bad Influence* provides the film-fan a chance to see what director Curtis Hanson and screenwriter David Koepp were capable of when they had to actually work for a living. (Later "success" for each has borne bitter fruit -- for the aforesaid film-fan, of course: Hanson now makes Eminem movies; Koepp just scripted *Spider-Man*. Enough said.) Hanson's previous film, *The Bedroom Window*, was mostly a by-the-numbers Hitchcock, albeit brilliant, with SHADES of novelist Patricia Highsmith's nastiness. . . . Here, Hanson & Co. veer directly into Highsmith's dark waters, and the result is just smashing. Of course it goes without saying that James Spader's "meek" corporate analyst is never all that innocent to begin with (just like any "hero" in a Highsmith novel, or in any film noir worth its pinch of salt); the fun is in watching HOW the layers of hypocrisy get stripped away, one by one. Hanson's ironical conceit is to have the movie's villain (Rob Lowe) proudly believe that HE'S the one responsible for the Yuppie's corruption. The movie's really about the tragedy of a psychopath. Lowe's wicked drifter is a pretty lonely guy, after all: he wants a friend! Women are his source of income, and can't be an option in terms of an intimate relationship. He meets the yuppie at a beach bar: Spader finds himself in trouble with a 900-lbs gorilla; Lowe extricates him from the trouble by threatening to cut the gorilla's throat with a jagged bottleneck. Of course, he also helps himself to Spader's unattended wallet . . . but once Spader runs into him the next day, Lowe allows himself to befriend the yuppie. With a sort of proud-father generosity, he initiates Spader into the world of L.A.'s underground bars, designer drugs, and decadent call girls. It eventually degenerates into a spree of cheap thrills that include hold-ups of the local burger joints and liquor stores. Hey -- it's Boys Night Out! What's the use of a life, even a criminal one, without no one to share it with? Unfortunately, All Good Things Must Come To An End: Lowe overreaches, and the blood-brothers become antagonists. After the bitter break-up, Lowe behaves petulantly, appropriating Spader's home furnishings like a divorcee in a bitter lawsuit. It's all great, campy fun, with the added bonus of some real menace -- and generous whiffs of decadence from the deepest pits -- thrown in to keep you riveted. The movie's centerpiece is the videotaped murder of a woman: the tape shows the murder occurring off-camera in Spader's bedroom. Horrified, Spader runs to his bedroom . . . to find the door nailed shut! This may be the only case in a movie of suspense being generated by something that has ALREADY HAPPENED. Ingenious! Final thought: I'd wager that aspiring novelist Chuck Paluhnik (sp?) caught this movie one night on HBO or something years ago and was subsequently inspired to write *Fight Club*, a novel (and, later, movie) whose parasitic-friendship theme is suspiciously similar to what's presented here. Bad influence, indeed. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

A Tribute to the Great Animated Classics!
This movie is awsome if you are a fan of Disney's classic animated films, becasue the creator of "Teacher's Pet" pays homage to a lot of them, including "Pinocchio," "Snow White," "Sleeping Beauty," "101 Dalmations," "The Lion King," "Peter Pan," and "Dumbo." The voice talent is also great and includes Nathan Lane, Jerry Stiller, and Kelsey Grammer. Adults and children were laughing and having a good time during the film.

Spot is a dog who wishes he was a boy, and somehow is able to fool everyone at school that he is one. But during summer vacation, he sees a mad scientist on tv who claims he can turn animals into humans. The first half of the movie is the road trip on the way to meet the looney doctor, and the second half is about Spot trying to fix a terrible mistake.

This film will teach children the valuable lesson of "the grass is always greener." I highley recomend that you take your loved ones to see "Teacher's Pet," because it is one of the best family films I've seen in a while.

This Movie STINKS
Okay, I have seen the horrid reviews for this movie and now I believe them. The only untrue thing I read was that adults couldn't stand it for much more than an hour. It was only a little under half an hour before my mom started to crack.

Being a fan of the series (I watch it on Toon Disney whenever I can), I expected the movie to be ten times better. It was a thousand times worse. The film got to be EXTREMELY tedious and boring by the time an hour was up. When the line in the ending song, "A film needs an end," came up, I thought, "Yes, yes it does! And right now!"

Most of the songs STINK. "A Whole Lotta World," or whatever it was called, annoyed me to no end. The only ones I would keep are

I Wanna Be a Boy (Intro)
Small but Mighty
I, Ivan Krank
I'm Moving On
Proud to be a Dog (Ending)

I gave this two stars for some humor plus an extra for the bonus episode, "Muttamorphasis," included on the DVD.

Good for people that like musicals and love to laugh!
"Teacher's Pet" is one of the good musicals of our time. It is about a dog named Spott who wants to be a boy. He sees a show with a man named Ivan Crank that says that he can turn animals into people. So he goes on a trip. But his master Lenerd wants him to be a dog and play with him throughout the summer because Lenard dosen't have many friends. Good songs, great animation, and fun for the whole family. If you need a good family movie to watch, this is it!!

Worst Disney movie ever made
"Teacher's Pet" was SO stupid that I was thinking about leaving the theater, but I decided to stay during the movie but this film was so awful that I have to say this is the worst Disney film ever made and should had never had been produced, directed, animated or relased. Nathan Lane was SO unfunny. Get Nemo instead of this if you want the best Disney film ever!!! This is worst than "The Haunted Mansion".

awful
It was awful. Like an hour long CatDog cartoon. ... Read more