Amazon.com

You either love Russ Meyer's garishly sexist movies about bodacious babes and priapic men or you find them utterly disgusting. The response to his work is that clear-cut. This film, which features a screenplay by critic Roger Ebert, barely qualifies as a sequel to the film based on Jacqueline Susann's trashy bestseller. Rather, it's a broad, trashy remake on its own terms about what happens to a trio of female rock musicians when they leave the Midwest and head for Hollywood. Sex, drugs, murder--the only thing it doesn't have is cannibalism, the gold standard when it comes to trashy entertainment. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (55)

IT'S EXTREME! OUTRAGEOUS!! Of Course, It's Russ Meyer!!!
"Beyond the Valley of the Dolls" is released in Japan as "Wild Party," and the latter title might have told you everthing you see in it; and the director is Russ Meyer, famous for his movies like "Faster Pussycat, Kill!, Kill!" and "Vixen"..... Oh, if you haven't seen them, you can guess the contents, I'm sure.

Actually, "Beyond," which major studio 20th Century Fox asked Meyer to direct, is less outrageous, considering the track record this cult director had made, and was going to make. But still, for ordinary people, it is a shocking experience to see almost every genre is mixed in it: love story (too corny one), a sucess story (of Josie and the Pussycats-like rock band, I mean it), and even a gory horror movie (with the sound of 20th Century Fox's trademark fanfare, and Richard Wagner's classic you have heard in Coppola's very famous film!). And within less than 2 hours!!

However, remember, those were the days. Don't take anything too seriously. Besides, the soundtrack is great and if you like those songs of 1960s, you will love it. My favorite is "Candy Man," an Animals-type song, and believe it or not, in Japan they released a single cut from the soundtrack with the credit of Carrie Nations, the fictional band Dolly Read and others play in "Beyond." Oh, I almost forgot to say, you have a glimpse of "Strawberry Alarm Clock," psychedelic rock band that got the No.1 of the Billboard Chart with their "Incense and Peppermint," which you heard in "Austin Powers." They play it here, but sorry, it's lip-sync. And look for Pam Grier (credited as Pamela Grier), of "Jackie Brown."

Enjoy the extremism of filmmaking, I dare you.

(Technical thing: as the original film was shot in cinemascope, and Russ Meyer uses the screen wide, some scenes lose the impact on TV's small screen. Still, there is unmistakeably Russ Meyer's touch here and there in the movie. Don't miss it.)

Cult classic on decadent LA lifestyle and human nature
No, this isn't a sequel to the horrid movie adapatation of Jacqueline Susann's Valley Of The Dolls. While an in-name-only sequel, it's actually different and better as a result. No Sharon Tate giving a wooden performance, no Patty Duke overracting at the very end,... this is an interesting cult classic. Originally given an X, the revised NC-17 rating is due to the many sex scenes, including a few lesbian scenes. It's tame by today's standards, but still has some bite.

So enter the story of the Kelly Affair, Kelly on lead vocals and guitar, Casey on bass, Pet on drums, and Harris their manager and Kelly's boyfriend, playing 60's hippy rock. They go to LA hoping for a break, hopefully with help from Kelly's aunt, Susan Lake, a big name in fashion advertising, who turns out to be a truly nice person, perhaps too nice. Their break comes from Ronnie Barzell, aka "Z-Man," music promoter and host of lavish parties where all the swingers and wild people come together- This is my happening and I 'm freaking out!E Barzell speaks in a dramatic Shakespearean patter: "Observe yon quiet corner. In an island of tranquility in this sea of revelry, languid Roxanne finds that pinch of feminine spice with which she often plays in her interlude." or "Beware, fair maiden, of Emerson Thorne, under that friendly mask, inside that innocent shell, lies fermenting the unholy seed of desire." Roxanne is a fashion designer and Thorne is Z-man's busboy by night, but an aspiring law student by day. And Kelly is stunned to see so many couples making out liberally in bed or in the pool.

One thing for sure--changing the group's name from The Kelly Affair to The Carrie Nations was a good move on Z-Man's part and thanks to him, they become stars, but Harris gradually feels left out, driving him into the arms of Ashley St. Ives, a seductive, sexually insatiable blonde with a predatory smile, a "priestess of carnality" (porn star) who has a penchant for having sex other than in bed. As for the others, Pat and Emerson become a couple, as do Kelly and Lance Rock, a smug-looking pretty boy with "golden hair, bedroom eyes, the firm young body, these are the tools which he plies his trade." Casey too finds someone. Guess who, though?

However, not all is sunny in this paradise. Porter Hall, Susan's slimy stuff-shirted lawyer, does not like Kelly or any part of the scene and enjoys putting people down. Indeed, a montage of scenes and a variety of voices describes the many faces of LA: noisy, classy, smog, lousy traffic, cold and cruel, cultured, phony city, ... it's all these things. When things start to go wrong, Kelly finally realizes something: "You're racing through life full steam ahead, not giving a damn, and something happens to make you stop short, and you realize it's people that count."

As for the music done by the trio, it's 60's rock early on, such as "Find It" and "Come With The Gentle People," sung during their trip via Interstate 40, but the vocals seem to have been done by black artists. Kelly's speaking voice simply doesn't match. And The Strawberry Alarm Clock perform "Incense And Peppermints," "A Girl From The City", and "I'm Going Home" at Z-Man's party.

Dolly Read (Kelly) resembles Rene Bond, the cute cheeks and smile. Erika Gavin (Roxanne) has also appeared in Erika's Hot Summer and also in Jonathan Demme's Caged Heat. Cynthia Myers (Casey) is simply stunning, resembling a warmer hippy version of Sophia Loren with long brown hair. John LaZar really scores as Z-Man, flashy with clothes, words, and lifestyle, but so does Phyllis Davis as the blindly kind Susan.

The decadent, groovy 60's lifestyle and clothes ("Q-U-A-N-T in London"), lingo ("groovy, man!, "you dig?", don' t bogart the jointE are still evident in this era long gone. Everyone is a freak, as Casey says, depending on the crowd they hang out with, be it pot, downers, juice, pick one. But there are some pearls of wisdom to be learned, to quit living in yesterday lest one loses sight of tomorrow, that those who only take pay the highest price, and "excessive kindness blinds us to the failings of those less perfect." A sexy but heartbreaking/warming drama, love, mystery, and music movie that's one of a kind, written by Roger Ebert, yes, that one!

This movie is so 1970
Worst thing that can happen to an already-bad movie is that it becomes dated, and alas, that's what became of "BVD". So we get wooden acting and a howlingly bad script right alongside "square", "groovy", and bad color reproduction. They tried to work a rock band somewhere into this movie, but it all seems to have gotten lost in the mess of flamboyant scenery-chewing and several women with bubble hair missing their cues.

The "racy" stuff this film is famous for has not endured the march of time, and even the creepy part at the end (...)is of little shock value in our modern world brimming with "transgenders".

Lastly, the tacked-on moralizing sequence at the end of the flick effectively nullifies everything that occurs in the movie up to that point, sort of a "don't try this at home" band-aid for a Hollywood too cowardly to take a "chance" on this release.

A Movie That Takes Risks and Attempts To Make A Statement
"Beyond The Valley of the Dolls" is a movie that was made over 30 years ago but is still enjoyable to watch today. I truly admire this film, Roger Eberts writing and the direction of Russ Meyer just make this film unique and amazing. At some points the film can be so dramatic and at other times so light hearted. The film also set some trends, like the African American woman at Z Mans party with the gold rhinestone eye shadow decoration, everyone thought Alicia Keys was doing something new when she wore rhinestones on her eyelids to the Grammy's and then all these rappers talking about Bentley's the one woman in the movie was talking about how a Rolls is better than a Bently.

This movie is awesome for so many reasons. For one its 2004 and we will never see a movie on the big screen that takes so many risks. How many movies are there where the White and African American characters have true friendships and both characters have developed story lines? It was the 60's and Ebert and Meyers weren't afraid to bring taboos like sexual orientation, well let me not be a spoiler.

The women were so beautiful, Casey, Pet and Kelly. They had bodacious bodies and big hair and perfect make-up. They lived life so carefree. The underlying storyline about the money was never really resolved but so much was going on in that flick.

It's a really great movie and it's funny because at the end, the very end they try to be moral and tie it all together and make a social statement. This is a wild and crazy trip of a movie and I catch something new everytime I watch it. As a writer and a one time aspiring film maker movies like this one make me want to go out and take risks.

ONE OF THE GREATEST CULT CLASSIC MOVIES YOU CAN WATCH
THREE FEMALE MUSICIANS GET FAMOUS AND BEGIN TO GET INTO THE BAD HABITS OF THE HOLLYWOOD LIFESTYLE. FOR A SOFT-CORE MOVIE, THIS ACTUALLY HAS A LITTLE PLOT AND THE ACTING AIN'T REALLY BAD. HAS GOOD SEX SCENES AND IT HAS A CRAZY FINALE, WHICH ADDS A WHOLE LOT TO THIS MOVIE. THIS IS NOT A SEQUEL TO ''THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS'', IN CASE YOU DON'T ALREADY KNOW. ... Read more

Reviews (239)

Top notch animation with a mediocre story
Set in the western frontier when the buffaloes still roamed the great plains, Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron follows the exploits of a wild mustang. A leader by birth, the movie tells the tale of his first encounter with humans, a journey that will change his life forever.

Narrated by Matt Damon as the voice of the mustang, one thing you'll notice immediately is the lack of dialogues, there weren't a lot of speaking parts in this film, and I applaud Dreamworks for taking such an unique approach. Due to this fact, the animators took great pains to humanize the horses, giving them emotions and personalities such as curiosity, pride and humor. For this reason alone, it might be hard for smaller children to sit through the entire movie, especially ones that have a short attention span.

As always the animation is top notch, something we have all come to expect of Dreamworks. The portrayal of the beasts were very realistic, it was exhilirating to see them in action, galloping through the fields and leaping over cliffs, they were simply breath taking. Another thing worth noting is the fantastic soundtrack, with a score by Hans Zimmer and vocal music performed by Bryan Adams, I thought they were very appropriate and easy to listen to with some great lyrics.

I admit to having misgivings on seeing a film about horses, and even though I found Spirit to have a mediocre story and a predicatble plot, I was nevertheless pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the experience. It lacks the humor of Shrek, and the charm of Chicken Run, but Spirit is a worthy addition in the Dreamwork's growing list of animated pictures. Be sure to take your family to see it this Memorial Day weekend.

Great family movie, also for those who like horses.
Originally got this dvd for my 3 y.o. son. Dreamworks really did their homework regarding the animation for the equine and its intricate movements. The animation combined with CG is stunning, especially the opening sequence where you follow the flight of an eagle thru all these panoramic vistas of the open wild west. Unlike other reviewers I thought that the Hans Zimmer music and Bryan Adams' lyrics and singing really added to the movie as the words were the conscience for Spirit who does not talk but is spoken thru the narration of Matt Damon. Maybe a little overdone on the PC (bad white men/soldiers), never thought too feel so much emotion for a cartoon character, especially an animal in its quest to be free again to return home. Overall Dreamworks did a top notched job.

Beware Horse Experts
I think that Spirit was a great movie. I have only a few warnings. If you are a complete horse expert and can't stand to see one little thing wrong about the movie such as eyebrows on the horse or horses in love, DON'T WATCH IT! I REPEAT, DON'T WATCH IT!!!!! It's a really good movie for families, even though some perfectionists hate it. I thought it was great and you really should get it.

Great Movie For Children!
I'm an 11 kid and I loved this movie! I've never really noticed or cared about it until my aunt (18) watched it with my little cousin and said it was good. So the next day we watched it and oh my gosh, it's soo sad! There's also some funny parts too, should I say it? Well, when they capture Spirit he starts kicking this guy and it's really hilarious! This movie is about a horse named Spirit which is captured by these people. They capture him because Spirit is one of the strong horses and they need him. Spirit needs to free the other horses and get back to his home with his group. On the way, he meets this charming mare that he is attracted to. They make an awefully cute couple! At some points, Spirit runs away from the bad people and at other points, they suddenly show up and try to capture him again. Nobody can ride him really, except this kind Indian. I shouldn't really tell you the whole ending but let's just say that, everything turned out to be great! If you want to hear more about it, get it! This is a great movie for children just like Finding Nemo!

Spirit
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimirron is a coming-of-age story about a stallion named Spirit growing up in the Wild West. We see just how brutaly these animals were treated, but its hard to feel sorry for any of them. The movie progresses from Spirit's childhood, to his capture by the United States Cavalry, to his friendship with a Lakota teenager, his eventual falling in love, and his return home. All the while we are "treated" to Bryan Adam's soft rock music. Remember him? I don't either. Not to mention Matt Damon's corny voice-overs for Spirit, who, like all the animals in the film, doesn't speak directly. For example, "My heart galloped across the sky that night, back to the herd."

Possibly the best scene is the action sequence where a locomotive being hauled up a mountain by the horses breaks loose and tumbles down the embankment, starting a forest fire, but maybe that's just my other bias towards trains. The opening shot was beautiful, too. The camera follows a bald eagle flying through the spectacular vistas of the American West. But two good scenes aren't enough to save this boring tribute to tree-huggers everywhere. ... Read more

Amazon.com

After Rocky and its sequels, Sylvester Stallone cast about for another character that would bring him the same kind of box-office hit--and found it in disillusioned Vietnam vet John Rambo in First Blood, a solid little action thriller. So when all else failed, Stallone went back to the same well in hopes of recapturing the same commercial success. Which this film did. But where First Blood was a no-nonsense thriller that pitted Stallone against a worthy (and not necessarily bad) Brian Dennehy, this one is a sadistic chest-thumper in which Rambo gets to go back to Vietnam: ostensibly, he's there to rescue missing POWs, but in fact the movie was a lame excuse for him to refight the Vietnam War--and win. Audiences ate up the cruel Vietcong (and their Russian manipulators) and Stallone's bogus heroics, but it was strictly by-the-numbers action. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (59)

Return to 'Nam.
FIRST BLOOD was a great movie. It was full of not only action, but also suspense; it had great characterization; and Sly Stalone actually did a fairly decent job of acting. John Rambo, though he was an extra tough hero, was a character that seemed real and one that many people could identify with.

In RAMBO: FIRST BLOOD II, John Rambo is back. The movie begins with Rambo working in a prison when he's visited by his former commander, Col. Trautman (Richard Crenna). Trautman offers Rambo a chance out of prison with a special assignment that will almost guarantee him a Presidential pardon. The U.S. government is eager to put the fiasco of Vietnam behind and wants to send Rambo into an old Vietcong prison base, which he once escaped from, to take pictures proving once and for all that there are no American POW's left in Vietnam. Along the way, Rambo looses his camera, but brings back even better proof: a live POW. Unfortunately at the sight of the POW, the beaucrat in charge orders the pickup to abandon Rambo and company. Big mistake.

RAMBO lacks much of the emotional depth that made FIRST BLOOD so enduring. In FIRST BLOOD, John Rambo was a real person. In RAMBO, he has become a one man army, straight off the pages of a comic book. The movie is also full of discrepancies, plot holes, and blunders. Nevertheless, RAMBO remains a classic action flick. Most of the action films of the 1980s and early 1990s were patterned off of RAMBO. It's a fun movie to watch and it's great to see a non-politically correct American action hero kicking the tar out of some evil Communists.

One of the Defining Action Movies of the 80s
The sequel to the critically acclaimed First Blood, Rambo is a film that delivers with intense action from start to finish. You can't be a fan of action movies until you have seen Rambo!

The movie begins with Colonel Troutman (played by the late Richard Crenna) visiting Rambo in hard-labor prison to offer him the chance of a pardon should he return to Vietnam to investigate claims of POWs still held there.

Though asking if "they'll be allowed to win this time," Rambo accepts the mission. Once on the ground, Rambo does find and rescues a POW only to find the political motivations of his mission did not include actually finding anyone. Abandoned by this own men, Rambo must fight out of the jungle with the help of Ko, a pretty young Vietnamese intelligence operative hopeful to leave the war behind against an entire army of Vietnamese soldiers and their Russian allies.

Cold War action at its best, Rambo puts its title character in an impossible situation and lets him shoot, knife, and muscle his way out of it. When he finally returns to base in Thailand and confronts the men who abandoned him in the jungle, he tells Troutman, "I want what they want, what every other guy who came over here and spilled his guts and gave everything he had wants: for our country to love us as much as we love it," the plea of every Vietnam vet who went to a war they didn't want but did the best they could.

Directed by James Cameron before his mania for the Titanic, Rambo is sure to thrill. Great from one end to the other!

"Rambo" DVD Review
Where "First Blood" was a low-budget sleeper hit about a Vietnam vet still caught up in the nightmare, "Rambo" is a much larger and more elaborate fireworks display of an action film. Stallone's John Rambo is offered a potential pardon if he returns to Vietnam and brings back proof that there are still American soliders being held captive there. While there, he starts a one-man war against the sadistic Vietnamese soldiers and their Russian counterparts (led by everyone's favorite villian Steven Berkoff). "Rambo" is in may ways a marketable action vehicle for Stallone using patriotism as a good excuse to use every weapon imaginable to blow up everyone and everything in sight. While it does try to provide a message about the war and its importance, it is rather difficult to take this loud over-the-top live action toy commercial seriously as a "message movie". As a fun piece of adrenaline-filled action, it does however do its job.

THIS IS IN NO WAY BETTER THAN THE ORIGINAL ''FIRST BLOOD''
RAMBO RETURNS TO GO TO VIETNAM TO RESCUE SOME AMERICAN PRISONERS. SURE, RAMBO HAS A MUCH BIGGER CHALLENGE IN THIS MOVIE, BUT IT'S SIMPLY NOWHERE NEAR AS GOOD AS THE ORIGINAL. THE STORY LINE HERE LACKS DEPTH AND THE ACTION AIN'T NO DIFFERENT FROM A ''MISSING IN ACTION'' MOVIE. UNLIKE THE ORIGINAL ''FIRST BLOOD'', THIS IS JUST A SIMPLE MINDED ACTION MOVIE WITHOUT ANY KIND OF REALISM. STALLONE IS STILL GOOD AS RAMBO.

Transfer disappointing...DTS a waste
I have a Japanese laserdisc pressing of this flick that has better color and sharpness than the DVD. Oddly enough, when I watched the second DVD's "making of" feature, the video quality of the clips seemed considerably better. That's backwards.

While the sound mix was somewhat improved, you still think your listening to an old Dolby Pro Logic mix at best. I do have a fairly high end system with HD projection, so the stage is there for a well mastered DVD to perform.

Having said that, this movie has one of the best sustained action sequences out there. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

OUTSTANDING AND WELL DONE
I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and highly recommend it to anyone who has yet to see it. It has all the elements for a great epic.....a storyline with action/adventure, romance, and well developed characters. It's perfect for Civil War buffs as well as teachers/parents who are looking to encourage interest in the Civil War. I do however confess that as much as I enjoyed the Blue and the Gray, the miniseries North and South is a notch better and I highly, highly recommend this movie as well.

The Blue and the Gray Stretches the Truth
Although this movie has OK acting, some scenes are unrealistic. I doubt that soldiers would be "marching" down the road not in line and using their rifle slings. This didn't happen. Rifle slings were only used back then to handle a hot rifle. Soldiers marching throughout the movie were out of step. One obvious mistake to me was their 1970's hairstyles. Women had long hair hanging down, which was not how it was worn in the 1860's. In one scene, a cannon on a hilltop is firing at advancing federals. The cannon is pointed upwards, way over the federal's heads and yet it is ripping giant holes in their lines. The movie kind of switches around Grant's famous saying at the end of the war "The war is over. The rebels are our countrymen again." However, the movie was correct in the fact that Grant ordered his men not to celebrate, but probably not in the manner that was shown in the movie. In short, this movie was good entertainment with good acting, but not one that your should rely on for historical accuracy. Instead, try Gettysburg, which I found to be quite accurate. The new movie Gods and Generals has Jackson wearing obvious shoulder pads in his jackets throughout the movie. I thought it kind of ruined the journey back into time.

The Blue and the Gray
It's a great show movie to watch in school for Social Studies. I watched it in class and it's extremely interesting and really good. It's quite accurate and shows fantical abolitionist John Brown and his case. The whole particular movie is about a young Virginia reporter, John Geyser, trying to stay neutral while his brothers are fighting for the south and his cousins for the North. It has some funny scenes too like when Malicar encounters a Rebel and they get to talking.

The Blue And The Gray
We watched this movie in school when we were studying the Civil War. My whole class agreed that it was the coolest movie we had to watch in school. It's about a dude named John who is a war reporter. He tries to stay neutral when his brothers are fighting for the south and his cousins for the north. He has a best friend named Jonas and a girlfriend named Cathy. Jonas kissed Cathy and the whole class laughed our heads off. A lot of the movie was sad though. But really cool.

A Teaching tool for the Civil War
The series Blue and Gray is a great tour de force of the American Civil War. This series is a great teaching tool for middle school teachers who want to capture the passion and reality of America's greatest struggle for their students. The movie neither sugar coats nor overplays the tragedy of the war on soldiers or civilians. A longer complete version of this mini-series is available on video, and if Amazon could add it to their list, it would fill the small voids left by this shorter version. Overall, my favorite CW movie. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Another waste of money,even if it was only £1.
That's it,next time I'm renting her Playboy video.Though superior to the mind blowingly awful Naked Souls,Good Cop,Bad Cop still doesn't feature enough sexually gagging-for-it Pamela to satisfy the red blooded male.There is quite a titillating romping session in an alleyway and seeing Pam in night-atire is never unappealling,but this is all I want,not a boring conspiracy story to go with it.The soundtrack to this film is a really irritating and repetitive sample of Bad to the Bone,David Keith is a poor man's Michael Madsen and Robert Hays is a poor man's James Woods.And one of the bad guys seems to think he's Robert DeNiro.Their lame acting would be perfect if this was the most sexually explicit piece of trash around.Sadly,it's anything but.Still,stay on the screen Pamela baby.And I'm sure you had no intention of playing the good cop.

raw justice=raw pamela!
pam fans, i give you heaven! the story is there is a cop running around after the bad guys. the acting isn't great, but thats not what i got it for! pambo delivers (and shows) the goods. the hot alley scene will make ya' feel good. plenty of nudity, sex, and violence make up a great pam film!

-Raw Justice - Hot & Steamy!
Well, well... This is an action/thriller staring the ultimate buxom babe, Pamela Anderson. Who cares about the plot! Well, Pamela encounters some mean 'ol nasty criminals, and she has no choice but to team up with her trusty side-kick, David Keith. Did I mention Pamela takes a throbbing love muscle up her pretty littlebuns! Well, she does, and she takes it pretty well. You can actually hear her sweet moans of pure pleasure! Pamela with out a doubt, has some delicious buns! Botom like... Pamela delivers the goodies. Check this movie out!

wow
bad movie, great scene. You don't want to rent this movie, you want to buy it. So you can watch they alley scene over and over again. It will get anyone going at any time of day.

WooooHoooo!!!Pamela=Extreme BABE!!!
ok now this movie is good and kinda sucky, what i mean is like as far as the plot goes boring stuff indeed!!. a loser cop running around constantly trying to catch the bad guys.but what keept my absolute attention was pamela,pamela is hot and they expose her well especially in the hot alley scene buy this movie and you'll see what i'm talking about good stuff!!! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

This is Elektra, and all I have on is my ears
Another rumination on the importance of and difficulties in communicating with the people who are closest to you. For which CB radio was the perfect medium in the 1970s. Paul Lemat is earnest to the point of being irritating. Candy Clark is pile of confusion and lust. You have to love them.

Reminiscent of the Good old days of C.B.
A little over exaggeration, but people really tore down the offenders Antennas! The 70's had Sex Drugs, and Rock n' Roll, all a microcosm of the Life on C.B. Many Marriages were broken, and some sprang from C.B.! A good Movie for any age.

The only accurate movie of the CB craze of the 70's
Although the characters of the movie are "amplified" somewhat, the movie gives a pretty good idea of how CB had taken hold of the average citizen in "bubbaville" USA. I found it nostalgic, and my only complaint is that all the radios used for the movie were supplied by Radio Shack (I was hoping to see some old favorites). END ... Read more

Reviews (2)

PREVIEW OF GREATNESS TO COME
This was the prologue to Jonathan Demme's directorial greatness, with MELVIN AND HOWARD, SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, STOP MAKING SENSE...LAST EMBRACE is a tight little thriller that sadly never found an audience. There are some great moments here: Christopher Walken as the snary head of the nameless intel-agency; Roy Scheider's wardrobe; Janet Margolin in the bathtub (and shower). Great homage to all classic suspense films. Where's the DVD?

what Hitchcock could have done with this!
This exercise in neo-Hitchcockian psychological thriller is proof positive that no one can beat the Master at his own game, even when the director is as talented as Jonathon Demme. The start is deliciously promising with titles that move around and an irrestistibly lush score by Miklos Rozsa, but soon Demme gets bogged down - there is a recap of the opening scene that reads as totally superfluous - and in spite of having an unusually well-written and witty script to play with, Demme falls back on campy direction. One can practically tick off the allusions to Spellbound, Vertigo, North by Northwest and Psycho when they come. The lighting of this film is generally uninspired, and there is a particulaly badly handled set-piece in a belltower. Even the climactic chase at Niagara Falls (a location Hitchcock never got to), is disappointing. You know Demme is lost when he can't even present the falls well. As the man on the run from an Aramaic death threat for being the descendent of a white slave "whoremaster", Roy Scheider is dressed in a white suit so that we get that he is wired. Scheider is too neurotic to be a romantic lead. When he suggests that Janet Margolin has unfinished business with him as a come on, we're surprised she doesn't head for the door. Margolin does well as the repressed anthropologist (Scheider amusingly describes her as "aggressively unattractive") but she can't make the leap to femme fatale, and she looks very silly when she runs. The idea of hard boiled Scheider amongst egghead intellectuals is one idea that is never explored, and regrettably he scores an unneccessary sidekick instead. Demme always casts his supporting players well and though they have practically nothing to do, it's fun to see Christopher Walken and John Glover. We also see Jacqueline Brooks, David Margulies, Max Wright and a fleshy Mandy Patinkin. ... Read more

Amazon.com

If you don't think Austin Powers is one of the funniest movies of the 1990s, maybe you should be packed into a cryogenic time chamber and sent back to the decade whence you came.Perhaps it was the 1960s--the shagadelic decade when London hipster Austin Powers scored with gorgeous chicks as a fashion photographer by day, crime-fighting international man of mystery by night. Yeah, baby, yeah! But when Powers's arch nemesis, Dr. Evil, puts himself into a deep-freeze and travels via time machine to the late 1990s, Powers must follow him and foil Evil's nefarious scheme of global domination. Mike Myers plays dual roles as Powers and Dr. Evil, with Elizabeth Hurley as his present-day sidekick and karate-kicking paramour. A hilarious spoof of '60s spy movies, this colorful comedy actually gets funnier with successive viewings, making it a perfect home video for gloomy days and randy nights. Oh, behave! --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (451)

This Is My Kind Of Happeing And It Freaks Me Out
That's a qoute from Mike Myers in Ausitn Powers: International Man Of Mystery. I must say it's the funniest most clever comedy I've ever seen. Much better than Casino Royale. Myers plays the swinging secret agent of the 60's Austin Powers who is a groovy sexy fashion photographer by night and international man of mystery by night. He after his arch nemisis Dr. Evil also played by Myers, an uptight square out to take over the world. Dr. Evil freeze himself up in outerspace in 1967. Austin offers to freeze himself in case Dr. Evil ever returns. Thirty years later, in 1997 Dr. Evil was back and they must get Ausitn unfreeze Austin so he can stop Dr. Evil's sinister plan of world domination. Incredibly funny flick, even funnier if you've seen the James Bond series. Myers duo roles are both hilarious in their own way. The Movie also stars Elizabeth Hurley, Robert Wagner, Mimi Rogers and Carrie Fisher. Austin Powers is a must see for all ages. It's shagnificent baby, yeah!

Hilarious, influential movie gains little from DVD
I should note here that people who have not read many of my reviews might be insulted at the rating. I never give a DVD release of an outstanding movie more than three stars unless buying the DVD gets you significantly more than just seeing the matinee. In other words, the special features are worth two stars.

"Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery" catapulted Mike Myers onto the Hollywood A-list from the "former Saturday Night Liver trying to make it" list. Taking a broadside at James Bond lore and adding Myers own inherent goofiness along with a tragic period in fashion history gives Austin Powers, a British secret agent/fashion photographer/music star. Unlike James Bond, Austin is extremely goofy, bespectacled, possessed of wretched teeth, and bad at any game. Of course, he still gets the girl. His nemesis: the frequently funnier Dr. Evil, an obvious copy of Bond villain Blofeld. Dr. Evil's marginal competence provides an ongoing source of laughs.

The plot (as it were) centers around a bit of cryogenic time travel so that Austin is displaced out of his time, providing a (pleasantly) surprisingly small number of fish-out-of-water gags. The movie's real drive comes from the unique cast of secondary characters: Seth Green's Scott Evil, Mindy Sterling's Frau Farbissiner, Robert Wagner's Number Two, and the unforgettable Alotta Fagina (figure out who THAT is a parody of). Elizabeth Hurley is also in the movie, and seems to be a pretty good sport. While this movie would ultimately be outshone by its first sequel, it remains an influential and often-referenced work.

The DVD is a mediocre package. The commentary track is a dead air-rich bore, (I think Mike Myers and Jay Roach were new at this gig. The track on the sequel is much better) and the deleted scenes are better than average, which is to say mediocre. Most deleted scenes should stay so. Additionally, the transfer quality on these scenes is terrible.

AUSTIN POWERS THE FIRST TWO
VERY VERY VERY FUNNY, BUT WOULD LOVE TO HAVE IT IN FULL SCREEN VERSION.

Yeah, Baby
Austin Powers is one of the funniest characters to ever grace the screen. The spy spoof movie series is fantastic and it all started with this hit movie.

Austin Powers is pretty simple to follow. Dr.Evil(Myers)has escaped from his cyro-genetics and is now in the 1990's. He has plans for world domination and his evil empire is doing great since he was frozen 30 years ago. The world can't let Dr. Evil rule it, so Austin Powers(Myers) Englands greatest secret agent is unfrozen from his cryo state and sent to stop Dr.Evil. He is not alone as he has the beautiful Vannessa(Hurley) there to help him bring down Dr. Evil.

Mike Myers is a comic genius. Very few people in the world can match his comic intelligence. This movie is fantastic. Myers wrote the perfect script with this movie and it's hilarious. You have to love how much this movie spoofs spy movies.

When you think spy movies you think James Bond. The spoof of Bond in this movie is done to perfection. From the costumes, music, characters, it is all there. Other spy movies are spoofed in this as well like Our Man Flint. If you love spy movies you have to appreciate this movie and the way it pokes of fun of them.

I liked Elizabeth Hurley in the movie. She is absolutely gorgeous in the movie and this role works for her. She is to often a miscast in her moives and her sex appeal is suppose to carry her. It's not much different in this, but she fits the characters personality and this is the best role she has ever played.

I love all the cameos in this movie. Like all the great movies with former SNL cast members this movie is jammed full of cameos of Hollywood stars. You have Will Ferrell, Ceri Oteri, Rob Lowe, Carrie Fisher, and Tom Arnold to name a few. I get a kick out of it everytime I watch this, because I almost always see something new.

The DVD extras are good. There are some alternate endings and deleted scenes. There is commentary from Myers. The special features are decent.

This is a great movie. It's comedey at it's best and it has all the elements of the genre. It's one of the best ever made. If you love comedies you have to pick this one up and the same if you like spy movies. If you haven't seen this go get out from the rock you've been living under and prepare yourself for a good time.

Satire of all 'swings' Sixties
It would be worthless for me to repeat what other reviewers have said here before me, as regards the fun spoofy plot and the thoroughly enjoyable crass humor. I'll add that it's a bit of a classic, great fun especially if you already know Blow Up, early 007 movies, and A Hard Day's Night.

I just want to mention that the VHS issue has on it several extras... alternate endings and deleted scenes (including one of the excised Rob Lowe scenes, although not the one in which Lowe is shown as a henchman inside Dr. Evil's lair... Asian audiences got to see that version).

Good, silly fun, but too much sexual content for kids under 13. ... Read more

Reviews (21)

A Great Movie; A VERY Poor DVD
I really wanted to give this movie the five stars it so rightly deserves, but I can't. The DVD is just very, VERY poor. I will get to that later.

I always loved the Ernest movies when I was a kid, and even today at age 20, I still find them as funny and humerous as I did when I was little, if not more. "Ernest Goes to Jail" is by far my favorite Ernest movie.

Ernest always seems to get in trouble, and this movie is no exception. Ernest P. Worrell works as a janitor at a bank; or at least TRYING to work. Things go horribly wrong when Ernest is framed by a ruthless convict who looks EXACTLY like him, and is sent to the big house. While the evil look-alike is living his life, Ernest has to make it out of jail alive in hopes of proving his innocence. But of course, as always, nothing ever comes easy for Ernest. And the results are hillarious.

Jim Varney is as hillarious as ever in this out-of-control comedy. Forget Jim Carrey, THIS guy was the king of physical comedy. He also takes the challeng of playing TWO roles; playing Ernest, and the evil convict, Nash. And as goofy as this movie is, it actually has a creative story and plot.

The DVD, on the other hand, is not so great. Be warned: it is FULLSCREEN. I don't care if this is a comedy, it should be widescreen. Now, I wouldn't had mind if this movie had not been shot in widescreen, but from what I can remember, this one WAS in theatres, so it HAD to have been shot in widescreen format. But, I guess I can let that slide, since I have never seen the movie in widescreen, and being used to seeing it in fullscreen. The picture quality is so-so; not bad, but not great. Might as well have watched it on VHS. However, the sound quality is really good.

Special features? There aren't any. So don't go searching for them, because they aren't there. Nothing. I would've been satisfied with at least one theatrical trailer.

All in all, "Ernest Goes to Jail" is an awesome movie; despite how poor the DVD is. It's still funny, even today. I almost gave the DVD 3stars, but the movie is so good, I didn't want to give it too much of a low rating. So, I'll settle for 4 stars. Just keep in mind if the DVD wasn't so poor, I would've had no problem giving it 5 stars. It's a 5 star movie on a 2 star DVD. Maybe you should just get the VHS instead, since there isn't much of a difference between the two.

My very favorite Ernest movie
Ernest Goes to Jail in my opinion is the best Ernest movie out there cause it has more of a adult comedy feel to it than the rest of the Ernest movies, well anyway this movie is about Ernest P. Worrell who is a janitor at a bank but he wants to be a clerk but Ernest's boss Mr. Pendlesmythe won't give him the job and Ernest's co-worker/girlfriend Charlotte helps back Ernest up, meanwhile Jim Varney has another role in this movie as 'Nash' who is a cold hearted prisoner that is on deathrow and Nash's cellmate Rubin kills a fellow inmate while trying to escape. Meanwhile Ernest is on jury duty for the crime and there's a hilarious scene when Ernest was chewing on his pen and the ink comes out and while he was trying to wipe the ink off, the judge askes Ernest "Excuse me sir, are you all right?"
"Just Fine, Thank You."
And Rubin realizes that Ernest looks exactly like Nash and the trial resumes at the scene of the crime and before you know it, the switch is on meaning Nash and his other cellmate Lyle beat him up and changed each other's clothes meaning Nash walks away with the jury duty and Ernest is now a prisoner and it takes a while for him to realize that he's in JAAAAAIIIIIIILLLLLLLLLL!!!!!
The scenes with Ernest and the head guard are hilarious, meanwhile Rubin was acquitted with the murder charges and is going to finish his previous sentence and Nash is living Ernest's life, and Rubin tells Ernest that he has to be Nash or else. Later on in the movie Ernest later realizes that he's on deathrow and Nash is attempting to rob the bank and kidnaps the two security guards and Charlotte.
Will Ernest get out of deathrow alive, will Ernest finally get out of jail. In order to find out, watch this movie cause it's a classic, even if you're not a diehard fan of the Ernest movies but love comedies, then you should give this movie a try.
But the DVD version is no different than the VHS and it would be perfect if it had deleted scenes, a theatrical trailer and movie previews. But overall watch this movie.

Best Ernest movie ever..........
Ernest goes to jail is a the best Ernest movie ever.
The story go's of when Ernest is captured and switched places with an evil look a like by the name of Nash Ok I know that was a horrible description of what the story is about so I won't even bother saying what it is about so The viewers watch it.

Over This was a great Ernest flick to watch. If you're an Ernest fan this is the perfect Ernest movie to watch.

R.I.P Jim Varney

The best of the Ernest series!
"Ernest Goes to Jail" is easily the greatest of the Ernest series and a classic in it's own right. Jim Varney was one of the most talented and sadly, underrated, comedic actors in the history of film. See why in this movie. It's a comedic gem.

I just wish Disney spent the time and money to give the DVD release the justice it deserves. How soon they forget that this film tripled it's production budget at the box office. So what gives? The film transfer is bad (granted it's still much better than watching it on VHS), it's not widescreen, and finally, there are absolutely no special features. The only positive thing about this DVD is the audio quality.

In conclusion, "Ernest Goes to Jail" is certainly Jim Varney's masterpiece, but Touchtone Pictures should be ashamed for not giving this film the quality DVD treatment it deserves.

The Best Ernest Movie Ever
This is the best example of an Ernest movie. Jim Varney was a very good actor and it is a shame he died. This is a movie the whole family can enjoy and includes plenty of "Knowutimeans" to keep you laughing again and again! ... Read more

Reviews (14)

BEST MOVIE EVER!!
Hello I am 9 years old! And this movie is defintly for horse lovers in my age range! I saw it on tv and wanted it so bad!! I kept on looking for it and now is my victory!! It's about a girl who hurts her leg and moves to a moter home after her dad and her are in a car crash and she's hurt on her leg and the dad died! She found that there was a horse farm behind her house!! then she gets in a pen with a horse that nobody can handle ! The horse rears!(remeber she is on a crutch from her leg). The guy says get out kid you'll die from her!! Than the horse stops rearing and LET"S HER PET HER! It was a mericale! I cannot tell you the rest beacuse it will take away the suprise but I want to thank everyone who made and put this on tv! I loved it so much! I cannot tell you how much!! So I hope Sunny(the girl or acter) get's to live a horsey life! And ginger the horse live's long!!
Thanx a million! This is succcccccchhhhhhhhhhhhh a ggggrrreeaattt mmoovviiee!!
It brought me (a girl) and my brother come to sad and happy tears! It's a real tearpuller!!

Very Cool and a Tearpuller!!
This is one of my top favorite movies! It really is good for any child! Boy or Girl! Me and my brother cried at time's! It was a very top rated movie on my list and now i am buying it!! It comes to be a favorite of all. Even if you don;t like horses it's a great movie and I want to thank Kelsey (the actor of sunny) that the movie was the best Horse movie I ever did see!!
Who ever rates this lower than four is a manyact!! This movie is the best!!

Awsome Movie For Horseback Riders And Barrel Racers
I love riding and horses. I am also a barrel racer myself. This is a great movie for horse lovers and riders alike. I recomend this move for anyone who likes horses. An inspiring tale for horselovers.

Great kids movie with a great message
My kids cant see this movie enough! I would recomend it to anyone...even has a good message for adults.

:.:Best Horse Movie:.:
This Movie is the best! My whole famliy enjoyed sitting there and watching it. We had liked it so much, we bought it. This movie is the best horse movie ever, for all you horse fanatics, this is movie to get!! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Larry Cohen scratched out some of the most memorably offbeatexploitation films of the 1970s, including two of the most energeticblaxploitation action classics: Black Caesar and its sequel, HellUp in Harlem, which made a star of Fred Williamson. In 1996 theyreunited for this tribute to the good old days and producer-star Williamson brought along a few of his fellow 1970s blaxplo icons: Jim Brown(Slaughter), Pam Grier (Foxy Brown), Richard Roundtree(Shaft), and Ron O'Neal (Superfly). They play old friends and former members of a neighborhood gang in economically depressed Gary,Indiana, who reunite when a new generation of gangbangers using their oldstreet name, the Rebels, turns the city into a war zone. It's great fun tosee the old faces back on the screen--Williamson is still buff and tough,and Brown and Grier have become more charismatic with age--but they're letdown by a slack script and lazy direction despite an almost nonstopbarrage of gunfights and back-alley brawls. Even with revved-up 1990sfirepower, the film never really captures the explosive energy of the filmsthat made their reputations. You're better off seeing the originals. PaulWinfield and Isabel Sanford also star, and Cohen casts cult faves CharlesNapier, Wings Hauser, and Robert Forster in supporting roles. --SeanAxmaker ... Read more

Reviews (12)

good idea but bad come out
Fred Williamson(Black Ceasar, From Dusk Till Dawn) is John Bookman and he returns home after his father is shot up by a gang called the rebels, a gang he formed back in his day, led by Spyro and Damien..two ruthless thugs who changed the gang from what it used to be, the rebels think they own the streets. well Bookman and co. join forces to try to stop them. an allstar cast including Jim Brown(Mars Attacks,Salughter) Ron O'Neal(Superfly), Pam Grier(Ghost Of Mars, Foxy Brown, Jackie Brown), Paul Winfield(Mars Attacks, The Terminator), Richard Roundtree(Antitrust, Shaft, Corky Romando) and many more. takes its toll on the 70's black films but is too much uninspired with wooden performances and a lack of, anything...was expecting much more

A violent reunion from back in the day
The reason to watch this movie is the reunion for those of us who remember the protagonists from the era of blaxploitation films in which we were introduced to them/ Fred Williamson, Jim Brown, Pam Grier, reconvene to take back their home town of Gary, Indiana from several well organized and terribly violent street gangs.

Also appearing in almost cameo roles are Ron O'Neal ("Superfly") and Richard Roundtree (the original John Shaft). Seeing them all together is a treat, but left me wondering why this quintet did not get more screen time all together. It is particularly pleasing to see Brown and Grier, who, as one of the expert reviewers noted, have aged very very well. However, the re-ignition of their former relationship is tepid and seemingly forced. By contrast, it has nowhere near the intensity seen when barely restrained Brown confronts a gang leader about the murder of his son.

I agree that the simplistic plot and the consistent (and predictable) violence keep this from being one of the great films of our time. Those who remember the first time seeing these individuals in character now some thirty years ago will enjoy seeing them all together again, and that makes this disc worthwhile.

great re-union of 70's actionmovie st ars
if your a film buff, and wanted to see just outta curiosity
what happened to the black star's of the early 70's...see this movie, sorry to say that most of the aging star's except for pam grier now could be cast in a new version of sanford and son...as fred's old buddies from the hood drinking
grape ripple. it was a good social commentary of life in gary,
indiana and how dependent that city was on the steel mills and the off shoot business's that gradually closed down, see this movie on a saturday afternoon,,,but if you have to mow the lawn or paint the house...you'd be better off doing that.

An solid comeback for an action movie vet--
Original Gangstas: Fred Williamson, Jim Brown, Pam Grier. Williamson is John Bookman, former football pro turned coach, who comes back to his old hometown to find it overrun by gangs. The last straw is when Bookman's dad is assaulted and his grocery store vandalized. Grier is the mom of a basketball prodigy slain by the Rebels, one of three major gangs in the city. Brown is Bookman's best friend who comes back to bury his son. In a touch of irony, the gangs are the modern day incarnation of the crews started by Bookman & his friends decades ago. But whereas the original intent was to be a teen militia of sorts, the modern crews-mostly people well over 21-- are about nothing but victimizing their neighborhood.

Filmed entirely on location in Gary, Indiana, the film uses many city landmarks to illustrate the decay that has taken place. The film rightly postulates that the abrupt downsizing of the US Steel mill in the late 60's started an economic domino effect that the city has yet to recover from. Abandoned storefronts still abound, while neighborhoods are peppered with derelict houses and other rag-tag buildings.
Supporting roles are offered by Robert Forster as a police detective, and Ron O'Neal & Richard Roundtree as longtime residents who join the effort to take the city back.

Williamson and his contemporaries first came to prominence in the black action movie trend of the 70's. Some of his real life was slipped into the script: Williamson was a Northwestern football star before turning pro; also, according to the star the film was inspired from an encounter he had while visiting his mother, who still lives in Gary.

Fred and the actors of his generation deserve better from the Hollywood industry-- folks like Spike Lee, Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez have used them in a handful of contemporary films, but they should have the status of a Clint Eastwood or Burt Reynolds..

ORIGINAL GANGSTAS Review
In a reunion of the big-name 70's blaxplotation stars, you can expect a whole lot of fun. They're all here. Fred "The Hammer" Williamson, Jim Brown, Pam "Foxxy Brown" Grier, Richard "Shaft" Roudntree, and Superfly himself, Ron O'Neal. A host of other infamous character actors and some of today's big name underground rappers also show up for this bullet-riddled nostalgia pic.

It's "old school" versus "new school" as the Rebels, a gang once known simply for protecting their neighborhood has transformed into a gang of thugs who specialize in drive-by shootings and drug dealing. This doesn't sit well with the gang's founding members who reunite with the support of the community to clean up the streets once and for all.

While not nearly as energetic and entertaining as many of the 70's pics that it is paying homage to, "Original Gangstas" does have fun while delivering a solid anti-violence message. Seeing all your old favorites strap up again makes for some real good times. There are also some good performances from relative unknowns like Christopher Duncan as the leader of the new Rebels and rapper Dru Down as the group's loud-mouthed "trigger man". Also look for rappers, Scarface and Bushwick Bill in cameos. A genuine good time. ... Read more

Reviews (59)

Return to 'Nam.
FIRST BLOOD was a great movie. It was full of not only action, but also suspense; it had great characterization; and Sly Stalone actually did a fairly decent job of acting. John Rambo, though he was an extra tough hero, was a character that seemed real and one that many people could identify with.

In RAMBO: FIRST BLOOD II, John Rambo is back. The movie begins with Rambo working in a prison when he's visited by his former commander, Col. Trautman (Richard Crenna). Trautman offers Rambo a chance out of prison with a special assignment that will almost guarantee him a Presidential pardon. The U.S. government is eager to put the fiasco of Vietnam behind and wants to send Rambo into an old Vietcong prison base, which he once escaped from, to take pictures proving once and for all that there are no American POW's left in Vietnam. Along the way, Rambo looses his camera, but brings back even better proof: a live POW. Unfortunately at the sight of the POW, the beaucrat in charge orders the pickup to abandon Rambo and company. Big mistake.

RAMBO lacks much of the emotional depth that made FIRST BLOOD so enduring. In FIRST BLOOD, John Rambo was a real person. In RAMBO, he has become a one man army, straight off the pages of a comic book. The movie is also full of discrepancies, plot holes, and blunders. Nevertheless, RAMBO remains a classic action flick. Most of the action films of the 1980s and early 1990s were patterned off of RAMBO. It's a fun movie to watch and it's great to see a non-politically correct American action hero kicking the tar out of some evil Communists.

One of the Defining Action Movies of the 80s
The sequel to the critically acclaimed First Blood, Rambo is a film that delivers with intense action from start to finish. You can't be a fan of action movies until you have seen Rambo!

The movie begins with Colonel Troutman (played by the late Richard Crenna) visiting Rambo in hard-labor prison to offer him the chance of a pardon should he return to Vietnam to investigate claims of POWs still held there.

Though asking if "they'll be allowed to win this time," Rambo accepts the mission. Once on the ground, Rambo does find and rescues a POW only to find the political motivations of his mission did not include actually finding anyone. Abandoned by this own men, Rambo must fight out of the jungle with the help of Ko, a pretty young Vietnamese intelligence operative hopeful to leave the war behind against an entire army of Vietnamese soldiers and their Russian allies.

Cold War action at its best, Rambo puts its title character in an impossible situation and lets him shoot, knife, and muscle his way out of it. When he finally returns to base in Thailand and confronts the men who abandoned him in the jungle, he tells Troutman, "I want what they want, what every other guy who came over here and spilled his guts and gave everything he had wants: for our country to love us as much as we love it," the plea of every Vietnam vet who went to a war they didn't want but did the best they could.

Directed by James Cameron before his mania for the Titanic, Rambo is sure to thrill. Great from one end to the other!

"Rambo" DVD Review
Where "First Blood" was a low-budget sleeper hit about a Vietnam vet still caught up in the nightmare, "Rambo" is a much larger and more elaborate fireworks display of an action film. Stallone's John Rambo is offered a potential pardon if he returns to Vietnam and brings back proof that there are still American soliders being held captive there. While there, he starts a one-man war against the sadistic Vietnamese soldiers and their Russian counterparts (led by everyone's favorite villian Steven Berkoff). "Rambo" is in may ways a marketable action vehicle for Stallone using patriotism as a good excuse to use every weapon imaginable to blow up everyone and everything in sight. While it does try to provide a message about the war and its importance, it is rather difficult to take this loud over-the-top live action toy commercial seriously as a "message movie". As a fun piece of adrenaline-filled action, it does however do its job.

THIS IS IN NO WAY BETTER THAN THE ORIGINAL ''FIRST BLOOD''
RAMBO RETURNS TO GO TO VIETNAM TO RESCUE SOME AMERICAN PRISONERS. SURE, RAMBO HAS A MUCH BIGGER CHALLENGE IN THIS MOVIE, BUT IT'S SIMPLY NOWHERE NEAR AS GOOD AS THE ORIGINAL. THE STORY LINE HERE LACKS DEPTH AND THE ACTION AIN'T NO DIFFERENT FROM A ''MISSING IN ACTION'' MOVIE. UNLIKE THE ORIGINAL ''FIRST BLOOD'', THIS IS JUST A SIMPLE MINDED ACTION MOVIE WITHOUT ANY KIND OF REALISM. STALLONE IS STILL GOOD AS RAMBO.

Transfer disappointing...DTS a waste
I have a Japanese laserdisc pressing of this flick that has better color and sharpness than the DVD. Oddly enough, when I watched the second DVD's "making of" feature, the video quality of the clips seemed considerably better. That's backwards.

While the sound mix was somewhat improved, you still think your listening to an old Dolby Pro Logic mix at best. I do have a fairly high end system with HD projection, so the stage is there for a well mastered DVD to perform.

Having said that, this movie has one of the best sustained action sequences out there. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell got together on Swing Shift--and ifthat's the main reason people know about this movie, it only has itself toblame. The film has a marvelous subject (women's changing status on the homefront during World War II), a hugely attractive cast, and a sympatheticdirector, Jonathan Demme, whose previous film, Melvin and Howard, hadbeen a splendid piece of Americana. Yet despite this, it feels disjointed.Goldie goes to work at a factory when her husband (Ed Harris) goes off to war;Russell works there too, and they find each other, well, riveting. With themovie wavering between romance and feminist consciousness-raising, the field isopen for Oscar®-nominated Christine Lahti, who sparkles as Goldie's lanky,wisecracking best friend. Demme's original version of the movie was obscured byreshoots, which might explain the missed opportunity; this could have been aclassic. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Some minor flaws but a good story
I was riveted to this film the first time I saw it. I loved the period piece and the authenticity of the time they were capturing. My dad and mom both agreed it kept with the time. I especially loved the Rosie the Riveter aspect, as that character always intrigued me and Goldie does an excellent job in filling that role. This type of setting and story probably happened hundreds of times across the US during the Pearl Harbor days. Maybe others feel it wraps up too pat (like a typical Hollywood ending) but I felt it was true to what probably happened in those days. I love this film for all the marvelous acting and pairing Goldie with Kurt was great casting. They do it again in Overboard, another often overlooked Goldie film. I would recommend this film for anyone who likes historical fiction and who enjoys Goldie & Kurt.

Not great, but has several strengths
This is the story of a woman, played by Goldie Hawn, whose husband goes off to fight in World War II, and she goes to work in a factory. There she meets Kurt Russell, and sparks fly. The romance story is interwoven with the theme of women entering the U.S. work-force in large numbers.

The strengths of the film lie in the acting of Goldie Hawn, Kurt Russell, and especially Christine Lahti, who played Hawn's best friend. Another strength is the atmosphere created. My father was born in 1924 and served in WWII. He and several of his Army buddies have seen this film, separately, and all made the same comment: the clothes, the cars, the language, the buildings, the everything is very, very authentic, and the feel of WWII was very accurately recreated.

The film's weakness is its disjointed script, which I understand underwent several rewrites. That's a shame, as all the ingredients were here for a great movie. It's still a good movie, though.

Good (not great) WWII story with good performances
You may have heard how the original cut of this film was considered great until Goldie Hawn demanded re-shooting to further elevate her character's story. Regardless, it still is a fun movie to watch.

Jonathan Demme re-creates a very believable 1940's Santa Monica, CA and the lives of the women who worked in the war factories. Everyone in this film delivers the goods - including Hawn, but Christine Lahti literally steals the show (despite Goldie's re-takes) as the dance hall singer turned riveter. I loved all the scenes inside the airplane factory where they work. Not only do we have Hawn, Lahti and Kurt Russell, but a great supporting cast including Holly Hunter, Ed Harris, Sudie Bond and Fred Ward.

great WWII movie
I love this movie. If you like movies set in wwII you will love this. It gives the point of view from a woman(Goldie Hawn) what it's like when her husband goes off to war. She gets a job building airplanes and makes some new friends while her husbands away at war. I hope I helped.

WW II Melodrama
The movie is a take-off on the WWII legendary "Rosie the Riveter".It begins with the broadcast of the attack on Pearl Harbor.An ordinary working Joe returns to his home somewhere in Southern California to his loving wife(Goldie Hawn).He then tells his tearful spouse that it was his duty to fight the Japanese. She swears eternal devotion and faithfulness until his return. After all young men have gone to join the fight an aircraft plant needs riveters and pleads for women to come to work.Goldie Hawn and it seems all women go to work at the plant. Hawn is is then romantically persued by a young supervisor,resists on moral grounds but eventually out of bordoom and loneliness falls in love with him.Predictably there are recriminations and accusations the morning after.Subsequently the husband comes home on leave,finds out,is crushed and goes back to fight the war. The lover has then an affair with Goldie Hawn's best friend and it is now her turn to fall to pieces.Eventually the war is over, the husband returns,the wife confesses her shame and begs to be forgiven.He relents and forgives,the wife forgives her best friend,the lover goes away to New York and everything is hanky- dory. The screeplay is a heap of stale devices and familiar screen constructions.Sentimental:The farewell scene of husband and wife and the notification of the death of a Marine husband to a fellow riveter.Bravura:Narrow escape and the saving of life of her best friend by Goldie Hawn.Technical:Boring instruction on riveting,endles fly- overs of planes,real or made to look real excerpts of newsreels. The plot is faithful to the working-class identity of the forties and the characters and the story do not hide it.This maybe inten- ded and makes the movie appear to be realistic but ultimately boring. The film may be interesting to people who have not lived in that span of time or to those who have for nostalgic reasons. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Some minor flaws but a good story
I was riveted to this film the first time I saw it. I loved the period piece and the authenticity of the time they were capturing. My dad and mom both agreed it kept with the time. I especially loved the Rosie the Riveter aspect, as that character always intrigued me and Goldie does an excellent job in filling that role. This type of setting and story probably happened hundreds of times across the US during the Pearl Harbor days. Maybe others feel it wraps up too pat (like a typical Hollywood ending) but I felt it was true to what probably happened in those days. I love this film for all the marvelous acting and pairing Goldie with Kurt was great casting. They do it again in Overboard, another often overlooked Goldie film. I would recommend this film for anyone who likes historical fiction and who enjoys Goldie & Kurt.

Not great, but has several strengths
This is the story of a woman, played by Goldie Hawn, whose husband goes off to fight in World War II, and she goes to work in a factory. There she meets Kurt Russell, and sparks fly. The romance story is interwoven with the theme of women entering the U.S. work-force in large numbers.

The strengths of the film lie in the acting of Goldie Hawn, Kurt Russell, and especially Christine Lahti, who played Hawn's best friend. Another strength is the atmosphere created. My father was born in 1924 and served in WWII. He and several of his Army buddies have seen this film, separately, and all made the same comment: the clothes, the cars, the language, the buildings, the everything is very, very authentic, and the feel of WWII was very accurately recreated.

The film's weakness is its disjointed script, which I understand underwent several rewrites. That's a shame, as all the ingredients were here for a great movie. It's still a good movie, though.

Good (not great) WWII story with good performances
You may have heard how the original cut of this film was considered great until Goldie Hawn demanded re-shooting to further elevate her character's story. Regardless, it still is a fun movie to watch.

Jonathan Demme re-creates a very believable 1940's Santa Monica, CA and the lives of the women who worked in the war factories. Everyone in this film delivers the goods - including Hawn, but Christine Lahti literally steals the show (despite Goldie's re-takes) as the dance hall singer turned riveter. I loved all the scenes inside the airplane factory where they work. Not only do we have Hawn, Lahti and Kurt Russell, but a great supporting cast including Holly Hunter, Ed Harris, Sudie Bond and Fred Ward.

great WWII movie
I love this movie. If you like movies set in wwII you will love this. It gives the point of view from a woman(Goldie Hawn) what it's like when her husband goes off to war. She gets a job building airplanes and makes some new friends while her husbands away at war. I hope I helped.

WW II Melodrama
The movie is a take-off on the WWII legendary "Rosie the Riveter".It begins with the broadcast of the attack on Pearl Harbor.An ordinary working Joe returns to his home somewhere in Southern California to his loving wife(Goldie Hawn).He then tells his tearful spouse that it was his duty to fight the Japanese. She swears eternal devotion and faithfulness until his return. After all young men have gone to join the fight an aircraft plant needs riveters and pleads for women to come to work.Goldie Hawn and it seems all women go to work at the plant. Hawn is is then romantically persued by a young supervisor,resists on moral grounds but eventually out of bordoom and loneliness falls in love with him.Predictably there are recriminations and accusations the morning after.Subsequently the husband comes home on leave,finds out,is crushed and goes back to fight the war. The lover has then an affair with Goldie Hawn's best friend and it is now her turn to fall to pieces.Eventually the war is over, the husband returns,the wife confesses her shame and begs to be forgiven.He relents and forgives,the wife forgives her best friend,the lover goes away to New York and everything is hanky- dory. The screeplay is a heap of stale devices and familiar screen constructions.Sentimental:The farewell scene of husband and wife and the notification of the death of a Marine husband to a fellow riveter.Bravura:Narrow escape and the saving of life of her best friend by Goldie Hawn.Technical:Boring instruction on riveting,endles fly- overs of planes,real or made to look real excerpts of newsreels. The plot is faithful to the working-class identity of the forties and the characters and the story do not hide it.This maybe inten- ded and makes the movie appear to be realistic but ultimately boring. The film may be interesting to people who have not lived in that span of time or to those who have for nostalgic reasons. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Avast, me hearties! Thar be buccaneers in Nebraska!
Pirates of the Plain centers around a nine-year-old boy (Seth Adkins) with an overactive imagination. Whether it's shoot-outs with the James Gang or laser battles with alien robots, little Bobby's playmates seem so real to him. It frightens his mother (Dee Wallace Stone), while Bo