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SpaceCamp shares a striking similarity to Ron Howard's Apollo 13--it's about NASA trying to bring some people down fromouter space, except in this case 13 represents the median age of those in danger. Kate Capshaw plays Andie, who throws off the curve by being on the high end of that age scale. She's always a bridesmaid, but never a bride in the shuttle program, an astronaut doomed to play wet nurse to a gaggle of kids enrolled in NASA's summer program. Of course, out of all these teeming hordes of children (there don't appear to be any particular qualifying standards to attend the camp), the film focuses on five. Kathryn (Lea Thompson) is a hopeful pilot who wants to be at the controls of the shuttle one day. Tate Donovan plays Kevin, a daft young carouser who is supposedto be so incorrigible he's winning (he's not). Kelly Preston is Tish, a valley girl with a photographic memory, and Larry B. Scott is Rudy. Rudy's thereto meet the Hollywood quota for capsule diversification, but neither he nor Trish does much. Most oddly, Joaquin Phoenix is Max, the young Star Wars nut whose brain and fast friendship with a NASA robot get them all sent into orbit. It's unfortunate that a lot of topical swear words are peppered throughout SpaceCamp, as it could operate as a diverting night's watchfor the young astro-nut in your house. Director Harry Winer, who rose from television and sank back to television after this film stiffed over the summer of 1986, directs in 20-minute blocks like he's pacing himself for a commercial break. Once the embarrassing, extremely '80s, opening40 minutes are dispensed with, however, and the crew accidentally getsblasted into space, the effort to return home is involving, even if it is pretty silly. SpaceCamp won't win any merit badges for script writing, acting, or direction but it's got the right li'l Camp NASA spirit.--Keith Simanton ... Read more

Reviews (38)

A cute robot sends a bunch of kids into space on the shuttle
An entertaining fantasy about a bunch of bright but eccentric kids who attend NASA's Space Camp and end up being sent into space on an emergency launch of the space shuttle Atlantis, all because a cute little robot named JINX wants to make a friend happy. The young cast is certainly talented, with Lea Thompson (Kathryn) before "Carolyn in the City," Kelly Preston (Tish) before "The Love of the Game," and Joaquin Phoneix (Max) light years before "Gladiator." Kate Capshaw (Andie) and Tom Skerrit (Zack) give the film appropriate weight as the married astronauts who serve as the father figures. The backstory is that Andie has never made it into space and sees Kathryn as a younger model of herself, giving her an excuse to really push the girl. Tate Donovan (Kevin) is the rebellious stud who wants to know Kathryn better and does not take Space Camp all that seriously. Of course there is a lesson to be learned here about teamwork, especially once the kids are up in space with their lives at risk, but the fun for kids is imagining they too could accidentally be sent into space. "Space Camp" takes itself much more seriously than most fantasies, especially in terms of the details regarding a shuttle that is not really ready for launch, which makes it easier to just sit back and go along for the ride. Of course NASA would not allow kids to sit on the shuttle for a live engine test and certainly they would not have picked this group of misfits to receive the honor. But if that is what you what to focus on when watching this movie then you just do not understand thermal curtain failure or remember what it was like to be a kid and do what grown ups do. The movie also features an excellent musical score by John Williams.

A cute robot sends a bunch of kids up in the Space Shuttle
"Spacecamp" is a fairly entertaining fantasy about a bunch of bright but eccentric kids who attend NASA's Space Camp and end up being sent into space on an emergency launch of the space shuttle Atlantis, all because a cute little robot named JINX wants to make a friend happy. The young cast is certainly talented, with Lea Thompson (Kathryn) before "Carolyn in the City," Kelly Preston (Tish) before "The Love of the Game," and Joaquin Phoneix (Max) light years before "Gladiator." Kate Capshaw (Andie) and Tom Skerrit (Zack) give the film appropriate weight as the married astronauts who serve as the parental figures for the kiddies. The backstory is that Andie has never made it into space and sees Kathryn as a younger model of herself, giving her an excuse to really push the girl. Tate Donovan (Kevin) is the rebellious stud who wants to know Kathryn better and does not take Space Camp all that seriously. Of course there is a lesson to be learned here about teamwork, especially once the kids are up in space with their lives at risk, but the fun for kids is imagining they too could accidentally be sent into space.

"Spacecamp" takes itself much more seriously than most fantasies, especially in terms of the details regarding a shuttle that is not really ready for launch, which makes it easier to just sit back and go along for the ride. Of course NASA would not allow kids to sit on the shuttle for a live engine test and certainly they would not have picked this group of misfits to receive the honor. But if that is what you what to focus on when watching this movie then you just do not understand thermal curtain failure or remember what it was like to be a kid and do what grown ups do. The movie also features an excellent musical score by John Williams

A True Classic for Astronaut Wannabe's
And this one time...at Space Camp...I kissed a girl under the SRBs (Solid Rocket Boosters)...and I got to go around and re-live different scenes from the movie, especially repeating all of Leaf Phoenix's star wars references during mission simulations..it was too much fun...LOL...but still true... Certainly, there are tons of things wrong about the movie that would never happen at Space Camp or in real life, but that's hollywood and that's what makes it fun. And when this was made, Space Camp itself was a pipe dream for many kids and the lucky few who got to attend as youngsters were treated like Gods, and are still revered today, so this movie was a way for us poor folks to go to camp without forking out the bucks. Therefore to those of us who actually grew up in the 80's and remember seeing this move in the theater and the excitement of a space shuttle launch and still have dreams of being an astronaut, and for those of us who have worked at Space Camp its' definately a priceless jewel in the DVD treasure chest.

Good Kids Movie
The thing that always trikes me the most about this movie is the number of relatively big movie stars they managed to get into this film.
I mean it's a silly little adventure with a ridiculous plot. Send a bunch of teenagers into space and watch what happens. Well I mean sure, I guess it entertains kids. But it's not anything amazing, really.

Wonderful
When i was about 5 years old i descovered this wonderful movie. It was a copy that my parents had recorded years ago off of HBO. I remmeber sitting ther in awe for the hole 90minutes. Still to this day, every time its on a cable station, i watch it just because, it remind me of when i was 5 years old. This is a great movie for kids and parents alike, and should be awesome in widescreen on dvd. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Let's have some ORDER AROUND HERE!!!
First off...I am an avid,,,and extremely critical... suspense/thriller movie buff who revels in being viscerally scared out-of-his wits...without the director using buckets of blood or idiotic/sophmoric situations to accomplish this feat. The Stepfather (fiendishly and poignantly portrayed by Terry O'Quinn) will send your nerves a-jangle.

The plot here is simplistic...a very, very disturbed man is in search of the perfect family (ala ) The Brady Bunch or Father Knows Best...the problem is...is TRY telling Jerry that life isn't a idealistic cornball sitcom...see what the results are...

Brilliantly directed by Joseph Rubens (Sleeping with the Enemy/The Good Son)... the Stepfather will take you on a haunting psychological rollercoaster ride filled with jumps, jolts, heart thumping and unconscious nail biting.

The opening sequence...devoid of any dialogue and visually unnerving ...was so disturbing to one of my friends...that he wanted to take a 'raincheck' on watching the rest!

Shelley Hack ...and especially Jill Schoelen...as the respective newly found wife and daughter...turn in engaging performances. Not to mention Hans Zimmer's creep-o-rama score...filled with violinists and cellists on mesculine and caffeine...

If your genre is suspense...good suspense...if you liked Brian DePalma's Dressed to Kill & Body Double...if you liked Hitchcock's Psycho & The Birds...if you enjoyed Robert Harmon's The Hitcher or Curtis Hanson's The Hand that Rocks the Cradle...not to mention Carpenter's Halloween...then sit back and enjoy...!

Oh...by the way...do you really want to know what happens to the family's puppy...or what happens when daddy goes down to the cellar to retrieve some ice cream...or what your stepfather's reaction may be when he matter-of-factly retrieves your mail...or what a simple phone receiver can also be used for...and...just out of curiosity... do you have to hide the cutlery in your house? Do you, pumpkin?

Father Knows Death
This creepy and wonderfully put together chiller from 1987, never got the credit or recognition it deserved. Thankfully, it found new life on video and cable. Great character actor Terry 'O' Quinn, plays a psychotic madman who is determined to have the perfect, all american family. When that family disappoints him in some way, well, they pay with their lives. Then he's on to a new family and identity. He meets Shelly Hack, and her daughter, played by Jill Schoelen. The daughter knows that her new stepfather is not who he seems to be, and she sets out to prove herself right. 'O' Quinn is scary. His stepfather is just as creepy when he's nice as he is when he's stark raving mad. A teriffic, and underrated performance. The movie is not your typical horror/slasher film. It's more mature and intelligent. There is very little blood here, and that makes it a better film. The intelligence of this film was scarred by two horrible sequels that went down the typical 80's slasher road. Skip those and see this. One of the most underrated suspense/horror films. Make room for daddy!.

Shame on you M.G.M
Ok this movie is beggin for a release on dvd well whut's the wait. This is one the best psyhco gone nuts movie there is.Well Mr. o quinn moves wit an all american perfect family but the daugther knows he has a screw loose. Moms falls in love so she thinks he's perfect for her. Well i'm not ging to give away the spoilers i'll let see what happens. For a good time on a saturday nite this is perfect. I also know for us with 5.1 audio we can't get that lucky to have a dvd mix of the stepfather we'll be lucky if 2 channel surround. Well m.g.m i also know you have rights to flicks too this movie is so bad i'm bout to say it release crackhouse on dvd and the perfect funniest movie ever made the fearless vampire killers and the great year of the dragon thank you.

3.5 Stars
Fairly decent. It's a psychological horror/thriller type film. Just see it. It's better if I don't just tell you the plot, and besides previous reviewers already have, so I say see it.

Who are you? How did you get on to me?!
This 80s horror/thriller has it all: an engrossing plot that's scary and funny, amazing acting (I don't know who won the Best Actor Oscar in 1987 but it should have been Terry O'Quinn), classic lines like: "Wait a minute...who am I here?", and to top it all off, corny yet eerie music which sets the mood perfectly. Easily one of my all-time favourite psycho-flicks. ... Read more

Reviews (23)

Finally a movie about the TRUE general Custer
I find that son of a morning star is the best cinema work about general Custer and the battle of Little Big Horn of the cinema's history ! All american people MUST see this movie for learning what was really the general Custer. I advise all people to see this movie, it is very very very very very good. If it will be more than 5 stars for rating it, it would have more ! GARY COLE IS WONDERFUL IN CUSTER, THE INDIAN ACTOR OF CRAZY HORSE TOO. ROSANNA ARQUETTE IS GREATLY IN LIBBY, AND THE LITTLE INDIAN GIRL TOO. SIMPLY THE BEST MOVIE ABOUT CUSTER, LITTLE BIG HORN AND THE INDIAN'S WAR !

Well Done!
This is as good a version of the Little Bighorn that has ever been done for film.

Gary Cole is very good- although he does not look like a horseman. Unfortunatly, Rosanna Arquette, who plays Libbie Custer the General's wife, seems just to be interested in collecting a paycheck. She is as wooden as it gets. However, I think David Strathairn, a regular of John Sayles' films, does an excellent job as Capt. Benteen. Although, the horrendous wig he is outfited with detracts from his performance, he does capture, IMHO, the cranky complainer personality of Benteen very well. (Anyone familiar with the writings of Fred Benteen can tell you he WAS angry with the world.)

"Son of the Morning Star" relied on the services of dedicated re-enactors who brought a sense of authenticity to the uniforms and equipment not seen in other Little Bighorn movie re-creations. Unfortunatly, although re-enactors are great at dressing their parts, they don't often look their parts- the 7th Cavarly was not as heavily populated with middle-aged, overweight men as "Son of the Morning Star" would have you believe.

Finally, the outfit Gary Cole is wearing for the Little Big Horn scenes is based on an actual photo. In 1875, a picture was taken of Custer at a picnic near Ft. Lincoln wearing a hat and a white buckskin jacket, which look alot what was depicted in the movie. Of course, we don't know if Custer wore that outfit a year later, but that photo shows that the producers for the movie just didn't make it up. However, the movie's Little Big Horn scenes show Gary Cole with his face shaven and hair immacutely clean, conditioned, and styled. Hardly realistic.

Custer: Symbol v. Human Being.
The purpose of "Son of the Morning Star," both the book and the miniseries, was to show that George A. Custer is not just a symbol, good or bad, for culural/political causes, but a human being with flaws and attributes. A previous review is a perfect example of the failure to see Custer as anything but as a symbol. To some people, Custer is the embodiment of the evils of Manifest Destiny. It's an ironic fate for someone who died in the most spectacular, albeit temporary, setback for Manifest Destiny.

Custer is a fascinating historical figure because of his symbolism. So many people have such strong feelings about him for what he represents, but so few people really know anything about him. Born the son of blacksmith in a rinky-dink Ohio farm community, Custer was no son of privilege. Yet he was a brigadier general at age 23, a major general at age 25, and fought with great courage and skill in America's most horrific war. It never ceases to amaze me how people throw slurs at the officers and men of the Indian fighting army, but ignore that a large percentage of those men fought with undeniable heroism to re-unite this country and free the slaves. Custer, Reno, Benteen, Cooke, Yates, Keogh, Tom Custer, Smith, and a number of other officers of the 7th Cavalry were all Civil War vets.

Attacks on Custer's courage for "fighting women and children" just demonstrates an ignorance of his Civil War combat record and the realities of Plains Indian warfare. Custer graduated college in June 1861 and a month later he saw action at Bull Run. In April 1865, he would receive General Lee's flag of truce near Appomattox. In between, he saw action in almost every campaign in the Eastern theatre of operations. Even after he became a general, he still exposed himself to danger and was often seen fighting in hand to hand combat. At Appomattox, his superior, General Sheridan awarded him the wooden table, upon which General Grant signed the papers of General Lee's surrender, as a gift of appreciation for his magnificent courage and leadership.

Yet people believe that such a ferocious combat commander reveled in fighting women and children! Plains Indians didn't fight like Rebels. They had a different concept of warfare from the U.S. Army- guerrilla tactics, hit and run. To the Army, the biggest difficulty of Plains Indian warfare wasn't fighting the Indians, it was finding them! In 1876, the biggest fear the U.S Army had was that the Lakota and Cheyennes would scatter before the Army could attack them and this mentality was the reason for Custer's decision processes on June 25. The Army had been forced to attack villages because this was the only effective method it had of forcing the Indians to stand and fight. Yes, women and children would die as a result and this was regrettable, but so were civilian casualties at Vicksburg and Atlanta. However, on June 25, 1876, the Army completely underestimated the Lakotas' and Cheyennes' willingness to stand and fight. Custer thought he would be pressing the issue, but instead had the battle dictated to him with catastrophic results for himself and his men. This "arrogance" was a mindset held not only by Custer, but the entire U.S. Army and they paid for it on June 25.

"Son of the Morning Star" was an attempt to present Custer and the Little Big Horn not just as symbols. Another reviewer mentioned "Little Bigman" as being a more historically accurate potrayal. That is absurd. While "Little Bigman" is a very entertaining film, it's as unrealistic as the 1941 movie "They Died with Their Boots On" which starred Errol Flynn. Flynn's Custer was portrayed as the ideal American military hero for a country that was preparing for World War II. In 1970's "Little Bigman," Custer is shown as a symbol of lunatic American imperialism as the country clashed over the Vietnam War. "Son of the Morning Star" was an attempt to show Custer as a human being without World War II or Vietnam era propaganda. This miniseries does take a lot of dramatic license with its subject, but in comparison to previous efforts on the Custer/Little Big Horn story it's refreshing in its candor.

Not the true Custer
This is a terrible and unaccurate portrayal of one of history's most overblown "heroes," George A. Custer.
He was a butcher and a madman who did most of his "Indian fighting" against women and children as the Seventh Calvary rode them down in ambush attacks in their village. Custer was one of the biggest contributers to America's own version of the holocaust which we conviently tend to ignore. Custer is not someone to glorify as this miniseries tries to do on the heels of the Indian freindly "Dances With Wolves." This seems to be more of a PR move to appease those appalled at 'Wolves' notion that the U.S. army at the time were less than honorable.
Rodney A. Grant from that film (Wind In His Hair) plays exceptionally the role of Crazy Horse, but his screen time is cut embarassingly low. Custer on the otherhand, is played up like a Tall Tale from the western drugstore dime novels. Here he's romanticized as a great guy, but this just ain't so.
The novel "Son of The Morning Star" from which this miniseries is supposedly based, gives a more realistic portrayal of the real Custer. His Indian name translation, "Son of the Morning Star," is actually another name for the devil in American Indian lore.
Skip this movie and read the book, or "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee" by Dee Brown. It's an historical chronicle of the destruction of the American Indian. It's difficult to read because it's so shocking and sad, but every American should read it. "Little Big Man" starring Dustin Hoffman gives a much more accurate version of the Battle of the Little Bighorn and of Custer.

Release this to DVD now!!!!
A very well done production even though two of the main characters were miscast.
One of the best Custer films made but with many inaccuracies and typical Hollywood foul-ups.
But still, very entertaining.
This needs to be released onto DVD uncut and with the making of the movie A.S.A.P. ... Read more

Amazon.com

As far as ice-skating movies go (or those that prominently feature the cold-bladed sport), this romantic movie is one of the best, thanks to utterly charming performances by underrated actors D.B. Sweeney and Moira Kelly. The couple play, respectively, a washed-up hockey player and a prima-donna skater who end up in doubles figure skating together at the Winter Olympics. Of course, the mismatched pair fall in love. In between, there's a lot of verbal sparring, talk of toe picks, and surprisingly skillful directing by Paul Michael Glaser (Kazaam, The Air Up There). Direction here is critical--unlike in Flashdance, where the dancing was done in the shadows, face and feet obviously shot separately--and credibly highlights the actors and their professional stand-ins. This is such a fun, sweet story that the facts the film takes liberties with--including the alacrity with which a hockey player takes to Olympic-level figure skating--are easily forgivable. --N.F. Mendoza ... Read more

Reviews (117)

One Of My Very Favorite Movies!
I LOVE this movie. It was the first vdeo I ever bought for myself and is one of the sweetest, most romantic, and funniest movies I've seen. DB Sweeney is gorgeous as the loveable, girl chasing,less than brilliant ex-hockey god, and Moira Kelly plays an excellent, evil, spoiled typical rich primadonna figure skater from Connecticut. Techncally, it is hard to believe a hockey player could be transformed into a figure skater, but view it with an open mind and you will fall in love with this movie too!

Entertainment at its finest
Kate Mosley, a tempermental figure skater without a partner, and Doug Dorsey, a former hockey player knocked out of the game after taking a bad shot to the head, team up to become a pair of figure skaters with hopes of going to the olympics. That, in a nut shell is the basic premise behind this movie, but the journey of getting there is the real heart of this movie.

The romance which develops between the two lead characters adds nothing new to the genre and follows the standard formula almost to the letter. The initial hostility they shared towards one another at the beginning, the byplay that develops as they get to know one another, the leading towards romance, the inevitable misunderstanding, and then finally getting together. However, the two leads are both attractive people, and they have a strong onscreen chemistry together which makes their romance seem believable, and a joy to watch.

The figure skating in the movie is highly enjoyable to watch, even for someone like me who isn't into figure skating as a general rule. I do have to wonder whether the finishing move they use at the end of the movie is really possible to pull off though. It might have just been me, but I couldn't see how they could have pulled off enough momentum to really do the move, because it didn't really look like it could have worked to me. However, that's only a minor complaint, and the move did look good, so whether or not it's physically possible isn't only a secondary concern.

So, if you enjoy romance movies, and have some liking for figure skating, I recommend you check this movie out for yourself. You won't be disappointed.

LOVABLE COMEDY
The movie was so great for.. it make me inlove specially to KATE(D.B. SWEENEY. She is so beautiful on that movie.. It is the movie that touch me a lot, the soundtracks of a movie and the story. the couple which they fall inlove with each other are mostly common in the movie, but this movie is such thing that u will touch ur heart.. "TOE PICKS".....!

A Disappointment
Having done figure skating for many years of my life, I was looking forward to seeing a movie about the sport, but this one definitely failed to deliver. When it origianlly premiered in the movie theaters back in 1992, I was 12 and thought it was the best thing since sliced bread, so about 10 years later I decided to buy it on DVD. That was definitely a mistake! This movie lacks a lot of the sophistication that an adult viewer may appreciate. After seeing it again as an adult I realize how unrealistic, over dramatic and predictable this film is. I mean to start with, how and why did an Olympic level pairs skater become partners with an injured hockey player to begin with? In real life that would obviously never happen. The movie has a few funny moments, however it's very cheezy. Truly a disappointment. If you insist on seeing this movie, I would highly recommend renting it first.

Funny and not too saccharine
This movie has the best of intentions, and I'm glad to see a little grit and sexiness thrown into the mix. There are not many movies on figure skating, or good ones, so I'm glad to have run across this. Some of the verbal exchanges and put-downs will crack you up: 'Why don't you just chuck it all and open up a think tank?' Very funny. And a little something for both sexes. I don't know how the average female feels about D.B. Sweeney, but Moira Kelly definitely gives the guys something to think about. This movie clips along at a brisk pace and while the drift of the plot is pretty conventional, it has a couple surprises and is a pleasure to watch. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

An American Classic
For my money, this "save the farm" feature was the best film of 1984, edging out The Killing Fields, The Terminator and Stop Making Sense. Nominated for seven Academy Awards (including Best Picture), this box office sleeper earned two statues: Best Actress for Sally Field and Best Original Screenplay for Robert Benton (who also directed). Still, how Nestor Almendros' gorgeous cinematography failed to score even a nomination remains a mystery.

Alot of Heart
Places In The Heart is director Robert Benton's look back at life in Depression era Texas. Sally Field stars as Edna Spalding, a recent widow who struggles and fights to keep her family together by raising cotton. She enlists the help of a drifter named Mose who knows the in and outs of growing cotton. One hurdle is that Mose is black and the locals make it rough on them. Danny Glover is superb as Mose as is John Malkovich as a blind boarder, Mr. Will. Lindsay Crouse and Ed Harris are Edna's sister and brother-in-law and Ms. Crouse is excellent as she struggles with the philandering ways of her husband. But through it all, Ms. Field carries the film. She perfectly conveys the determination of a woman facing tremendous odds. she shows a strong front, but a touching vulnerability when facing set back after set back. Ms. Field deservedly won her second Best Actress award and yes we really do like her.

"Places in the Heart" Wins Hearts All Over Again
Now that "Places in the Heart" has been re-released on VHS and DVD, many more people will be able to experience this 1984 classic. Starring some of the acting greats like Sally Field, John Malkovich, Ed Harris, and Danny Glover, "Places in the Heart" is a realistic look at the lives and views of people in the 1930s. This movie tackles issues such as racism, adultery, and people learning to "live again" after they've had to overcome many obstacles.

Edna Spalding (Sally Field) plays a woman recently widowed who suddenly has to figure out how to support herself and two children during Depression times. Moze (Danny Glover), a black man looking for room and board, offers the "crazy" suggestion of growing cotton and, desperate to try anything to keep her family together, Spalding steps up to the challenge. More important than Spalding's need for money, she must prove to herself and those around her that she can take care of her family. She had always just been a wife and a mother and nothing more had previously been asked of her. A blind boarder, Mr. Will (John Malkovich), "sees" the harshness and bigotries of life and is a quiet yet interesting observer of what's going on around him. Also added to this mix are Spalding's brother-in-law Wayne (Ed Harris) and sister Margaret (Lindsay Crouse) who go through marital struggles when Wayne becomes involved with another woman (Amy Madigan). They fight the basic human problem of being good people but making bad decisions.

Field's performance as Spalding is a great one--evidenced by her Best Actress Oscar for the role. Another Oscar was rewarded for Best Overall Screenplay and nominations were made for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor (Malkovich), Best Supporting Actress (Crouse), and Best Costume Design. Though "Places in the Heart" is often overlooked, it's a wonderful film overflowing with love, bravery, friendship, and strength of character.

OF LOSS, LOVE AND HOPE
Few movies hit you so unabashedly in the heart with a melodramatic wallop as Benton’s Places in the Heart, yet manage to avoid feeling cheap. A deeply touching slice of the depression era, worthy of all the Oscars it bagged (screenplay, best actress for Fields) plus several nominations.

Sally Field weilds absolute acting prowess as Edna Spaulding, a wife and mother of two kids who becomes widowed after a drunk accidentally shoots her husband. So she decides to make some money by planting cotton. She takes in a very friendly black man (wonderfully played by Danny Glover) who helps her get and plant the cotton, and a smart blind man (played by John Malkovich in an Oscar-nominated performance) who's a paying boarder.

These three adults and the two children form a little family together, and this is the part of "Places in the Heart" that works best.

Other characters add to the story. Lindsey Crouse was also Oscar-nominated for her portrayl of Field's sister who comes to help out after tragedy strikes early on. Ed Harris plays Crouse's husband who's having an affair with another woman, which makes for a somewhat inessential subplot. But that's a minor grouse.

Apart from the top-notch performances, the film's stunning finale is an unforgettable cinematic statement about hope. Had everyone in the room jerking a tear.

On DVD the film doesn't really look like an old movie (1984) if that bothers you. A highly recommended gem for any collection!

I WISH THERE WERE A SEQUEL!
This movie is great! I used it for a college paper on prejudice and the hardships of life. You can really feel what these people are going through. I wish there were a sequel about 10 years later, where Moses comes back with a family and buys a piece of Edna's land. I wish he could really overcome being black during a miserable time in history. I wish Will and Edna would fall in love and help complete the missing part of each other's lives. Possum would be a teen, with high hopes and great dreams. Frank would be a strong, honest man that is a representation of the type of person it takes to change an entire country's idea about prejudice. They would become happy once again. I want their lives to finally be worth something. I WANT MORE OF THEIR STORY! ... Read more

Reviews (58)

A Werewolf, Killings, Lynch Mobs,...A Silver Bullet
A delightfull movie from yesteryear, a very good movie indeed for the time frame and year it was made from. If your looking for all the computer animation, special effects of todays modern movies, tis best to look elsewhere, but tis if a night of fancifull storytelling, a slight scare, and a good story from stephen king tis what is on your mind, than look no farther than here.
A Story of a small town struggling against an unknown menace to most, but the killer is known all to well to a small boy that is lame and bound to a wheelchair.
Gary Busey gives a wonderfull performance in the part of Uncle Red...the uncle that each of us have, the magic uncle, the big brother uncle.
The Narrarator of the story adds a good element in her return of memory and the voice she adds to the movie, in the remembering form of the boys sister.
Overall a good movie to be had and seen, and I reccomend it, for both stephen king fans and those of the horror genre in general.
Watch it on a full moon, and don't forget to buy your silver bullett.

Excellent Movie!
This movie was an excellent horror movie. Corey Haim plays the hero in this film. He has a motorized wheel chair and without
question believes in the presence of an evil werewolf.His beer
drinking uncle is ably played by Gary Busey.The role of the minister(and actual werewolf) is played by Everitt McGill.The
werewolf is frightening. He is huge and bloodthirsty.This evil
monster spread fear throughout the community. It finally falls upon Corey Haim and his uncle to stop the werewolf by killing the monster with a silver bullet.The ending of the movie is very
noteworthy. This movie is a good watch. Buy it.

Entertaining
While this movie has few of the bone chilling moments of "An American Werewolf in London" or "The Howling," it still has moments where it is fascinating and at least a couple of places where the tension rises. Helping along the way are Gary Busey as Marty Coslaw's (Corey Haim) Uncle Red, Megan Follows as Marty's sister Jane, and Everett McGill as creepy Reverend Lowe.

There are murders happening in and around town, and Marty is convinced it is the work of a werewolf, with whom he has a close encounter; a really close encounter. At first no one believes Marty, as you would expect, but then Jane is convinced. Finally Uncle Red is sort of convinced. The tension builds until the night that Jane and Marty's parents are away from home and Uncle Red stays with Marty, Jane, and a single silver bullet.

While there are other werewolf movies with a higher scare factor, this one remains one of my favorites. I will watch this movie sooner than many others just because it is familiar and the characters are generally likable. It is like a cartoon in many ways, but these same qualities make it an easy to watch movie. There are a few intense moments to spike up the movie, including the encounter between Marty and the werewolf on an isolated walking bridge at night in the country, another encounter between a group of citizens out to hunt the murderer, and encounters between the werewolf in his human form and Jane and Marty.

This movie is a must have for Stephen King fans as well as those who have a penchant for people who change into furry creatures.

Super Scary
This movie was really scary. It got really bad reviews, and I don't understand why. True, there is a little bit of gore in it at the beginning, but so what. Really well done.

Hurricane22,

Amateur Movie Critic

By the light of the moon
A cycle of terror ...

Every month, when the moon is at its fullest, the usually quiet town of Tarker's Mills is visited by what the townspeople think is a homicidal maniac. Mutilated corpses begin to turn up and a curfew is administered upon the residents of Tarker's Mills. One crippled boy nevertheless decides to ignore the curfew - which led to the cancellation of the Fourth of July Fireworks - and meets the mysterious murderer face-to-face one night. So begins a quest to discover the true idenity of this monster.

Daniel Attias has produced one of the creepiest Stephen King films ever with 'Silver Bullet'. The screenplay (written by King) is an adaptation of his novella, 'Cycle of the Werewolf', about a lycanthrope who hunts down the townspeople of Tarker Mills. The film is well paced and has a 'whodunnit' feel, as well as plenty of extremely scary moments that will ensure you do not head for the 'eject' button, feeling you have wasted your hard earned dollars.

Moreover, there is a great cast here, headed by veteran actor Gary 'Point Break' Busey, Corey 'The Lost Boys' Haim, and Terry 'The Stepfather' O'Quinn.

I first watched this film when it came out for rental in the mid-eighties and it scared the bejezus out of me. So, take the nightmare ride of your life through the fog shrouded woods of Tarker's Mills, but beware the moon.

'Silver Bullet' also stars Everett McGill of 'Twin Peaks' and 'The People Under The Stairs', and Megan Follows, star of 'Anne of Green Gables'. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Not many movies can take credit for bringing about the demise of a movie studio--but Michael Cimino's ego-driven, overblown Western is one of them. These days, its $40 million budget would barely cover the cost of an Adam Sandler film--but in 1981, it virtually put United Artists out of business. Cimino, fresh from an Oscar for The Deer Hunter, spent months assembling this ultimately gorgeous and confusing story of the Johnson County cattle wars of 1881, with a cast that included Kris Kristofferson, Jeff Bridges, John Hurt, Christopher Walken, Isabelle Huppert, and many more. Almost four hours in its original form, the film was cut to less than three for an abortive commercial release, then restored for video. Anyway you look at it, this is a mess better viewed as a curiosity than anything else. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (73)

Have you noticed that no one ever gives this film 3 stars...
It's always 1 or 5 (the occasional 2 or 4 are just cowards...). This is a film you either adore or detest. Those who adore it (moi, for instance, as the 5 star rating clearly indicates) are usually very patient movie watchers who like to watch a film unfold at its own pace. How many films can you name that are still going through exposition an hour and half into the film?

David Bern once said that movies are nothing but pictures and images; stories are just a trick to get you to watch them. You could turn off the sound and mix up the reels (some probably think that happened when they saw it in the theatre), and this would still be a feast for the eyes. Cimino's lush vision of Montana is overwhelming. It's like a stroll through a moving Bierstadt exhibition. It contains pieces that are almost perfect acts of filmmaking - such as the skating sequence, which could stand alone as a short (the 1 star folks just stopped reading, muttering the word "dilatant" under their collective breaths).

But despite its cinematic saturation, Heaven's Gate has a powerful, complex story. It's a story about class barbarism, and how the American Aristocracy of the last century committed mass murder in the West, with the help of the Government and the Military. It has a love story between two people who wouldn't have touched each other in the "civilized" East. It has intense performances by Isabella Hupert, Kris Kristofferson, Christopher Walken, Sam Waterston, et al.

Yes, this is clearly not a film for everyone - in fact, if it was made for anyone, it was for Michael Cimino - but it is a film that some of us are glad was made. If you like LONG, CHALLANGING films by self-indulgent artists, rent it - and if you love it, you'll have to buy it; and if you hate it, well, you probably wasted five bucks and couldn't even get to the second tape...

How the West was Won
Cimino may not have made a blockbuster, but he did make one of the best Westerns in cinematic history. Unfortunately, most people can't sit through a 4-hour movie. If you are one of those persons who can appreciate a complex narrative, delivered by a stunning cast, that tells a more candid tale of the West, then "Heaven's Gate" is a real treat.

Cimino has collected a set of compelling stories that swirl around the range wars of the Montana. He relates these stories through his protaganist, a federal marshall played by Kris Kristofferson. His thoughts drift back to Harvard Yard in the opening sequence, where he reveled in the commencement ceremonies with his old schoolmate, John Hurt. Much of this scene was chopped out in the theatrical release, undermining the content of the film. It is this Eastern view, which Cimino wants you to take note of. How one can meld into the West as Kristofferson does, and how one can become part and parcel of the cattle syndicate as Hurt did.

The stories mainly focus around the Eastern European immigrants who attempted to carve out a life in late 19th-century Montana. They came up against the great cattle syndicates, who owned much of the range, leaving little for the immigrants to settle on. Cimino gives you a very intimate view of the events. His camera angles take you right into the action. This is a very visceral movie.

Eventually these immigrants come up against the cattle barons, who had formed their own vigilante gangs in an attempt to combat the encroachment of the new settlers on their land. Kristofferson has grown close to the immigrants and eventually chooses to support their claims, leading to a final gut-wrenching confrontation, which includes his old schoolmate, John Hurt.

The cast is first rate. Walken, Bridges, Huppert, Watterston all give excellent performances. Cimino has inverted many of the myths that surround the Old West, and provided a living history. The film almost has the quality of a sepia tone, as he has muted his colors to give the sense of age. The [fourty]... million budget seems paltry by toda's standards, but at the time it was one of the most expensive films ever made. Unfortunately, not everyone was ready for it.

Quite Possibly the Most Maligned Picture Ever Made
When self-appointed film experts talk about the worst movies of all time, Heaven's Gate invariably enters the conversation. Until the release of Ishtar, this depiction of the Johnson County War in the late 19th Century enjoyed the dubious distinction of being the biggest box office flop of all time. In my view, however, a box office flop doesn't necessarily denote a bad movie. A bad movie is one with low production values, bad effects, and/or muddled script, like Plan 9 From Outer Space or Manos: The Hands of Fate. Heaven's Gate, though it may have been a box office flop, is actually a very good movie that got it's undeserved reputation due to director Michael Cimino's obsession with perfection. This resulted in multiple takes of scenes that most directors could have shot in one or two. Ultimately, the picture cost three or four times its original budget to make. Negative pre-release publicity from a reporter who managed to get into the film as an extra after Cimino refused to grant him an interview, and the critical shellacking that it received from the critics when released, conspired with the well reported cost overruns to doom Heaven's Gate before it was even out of the starting gate.

Personally, I like this movie. And while I appreciate Cimino's insistence on period authenticity in such things as trains, costuming and sets but I have a problem reconciling it to a script that takes such artistic liberties with recorded history. The real Jim Averill was a cattle ruster who along with his wife was hanged. He was not the noble sheriff with an Ivy League background as portrayed in the film by Kris Kristofferson. Nevertheless, Heaven's Gate is a superb motion picture in many respects. The cinematography by Villnos Zsigmond is nothing short of magnificent, and the acting performances are all good, especially those of Kristofferson, John Hurt, and Christopher Walken. Although many previous reviewers have criticized the sound quality, I found nothing wrong with it. I also didn't find the plot all that hard to follow, as others claim. Perhaps they expected the movie to give them a clue without any sort of thinking on their own. Of all the complaints that have been levelled against Heaven's Gate, the only one I think that has any merit to it is that the pacing is painfully slow. That said, I don't believe it distracts significantly from the enjoyment of the movie. Incidentally, have I mentioned that David Mansfield's score (sadly, not in print) is beautiful?

Sure, Heaven's Gate is considered to be a flop. But I would suggest to anyone reading this review that you watch it for yourself and decide. It's really not as bad a movie as others have led you to believe it is.

Check it out for the camerawork; there's nothing else there
"Heaven's Gate" is one of the most beautifully photographed films ever made. Every frame seems almost antique, a dazzling combination of sunlit exteriors and naturally lit interiors with candles and oil lamps that give the film a burnish unlike any other.

And there's several brillantly directed sequences that are unlike anything in any other film. A hyper-active rollerskating dance that transforms into a waltz between the romantic leads. A massive graduation dance on the lawn of Harvard (actually shot at Oxford) that is breathtaking in its scope.

However, all this camerawork and virtuoso editing is wrapped around one of the dullest screenplays ever written. The story is so simple, it could have been covered in 90 minutes instead of 3 hours and 40 minutes, and most of the movie consists of long pensive silences between the actors that lack any kind of dramatic interest or narrative thrust. The movie meanders, wanders, stops dead in its tracks, only occasionally remembering to pick up the storyline and go somewhere with it.

Kristofferson is utterly passive and uninteresting.

The film spends its first half-hour setting up a friendship between Kristofferson and John Hurt that has no bearing or meaning to to the storyline.

The love triangle aspect is contrived and dull.

And the victimized immigrants in the film are so shrill, panicky, and annoying that you almost wish they'd get killed.

Pictorially, the film is a masterpiece. But as a narrative film, it utterly fails on every level.....never before has so much care gone into making a film with so little substance.

As you can tell, this is a very ambivelent review. I think "Heaven's Gate" is worth a viewing just for those lovely images and sequences.....pure eye candy. Just don't expect to be entertained past that level.

Cimino's Hellish Disaster
I was one of the people who went to see this movie when it first came out in New York City - if you blinked, you missed it because it was pulled after one week! That's an indication of how bad this movie really is.

While I was watching the movie, I started trying to read lips because the sound was just so horrendous, you could barely hear or understand what was being said - I'm not kidding. I could hear wagon wheels turn and horses trot better than I could the actor's voices. By the end of the movie my glutimus maximus was numb - along with the expressions on the audience's faces. You could hear a pin drop in the place - then the avalanche of boos and scathing reviews started pouring down. I've never experienced anything like it before or since.

The scenery and music is fantastic, everything else is truly horrendous. Cimino had over 200 hours of film which needed to be cut down to between 2 and 3 hours - it's impossible to make a cohesive, intelligent movie from such a huge amount of film - storylines get trimmed or cut completely leaving you to wonder what the heck is going on or why certain things seemed disjointed and/or untold.

You're left wondering how someone who created a spectacular movie like The Deer Hunter could have become so self-absorbed that he created a disaster of enormous proportions. $40 million might not seem like much nowawdays, but in 1980, it was a heckuva lot of money. (It's equivalent to $100,000,000 today!)

Such a shame that Cimino threw his career down the toilet with this movie. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Newcomer Edward Norton became an instant movie star in 1996 with three amazing performances in Primal Fear, The People vs. Larry Flynt, and Everyone Says I Love You. Make that four amazing performances, because in Primal Fear he plays a young man named Aaron Stampler whose personality seems to be divided in two: one tough and cynical, the other shy and fearful. Richard Gere plays Martin Vail, the slick Chicago attorney who defends Aaron on charges of brutally murdering an archbishop who may have sexually molested Aaron and other boys in his parish. The courtroom suspense is nail-biting as the jaded hotshot Vail comes to care about the case and the defendant. This is one of the better legal dramas of recent years, with plenty of juicy twists and turns. Frances McDormand (who was soon to win an Oscar for Fargo) plays a psychiatrist. --Jim Emerson ... Read more

Reviews (64)

THIS MOVIE SHOWS THE WIDE RANGE OF THE GREAT EDWARD NORTON.
"Primal Fear" is an entertaining thriller with some plot twists, good performances and interesting story. But the best part of the movie is the Edward Norton performance, he steals the show from good actors every time he appears on the screen.

The movie introduces a cynical, narcissist and ambitious famous lawyer Martin Vail, he is played by Richard Gere, and of course he has no problem with the role because Richard Gere is cynical, narcissist, ambitious and famous. Anyway, when Martin Vail watches on TV the arrest of a boy accused of the homicide of a Chicago archbishop, he immediately sees the opportunity of raise his profile by defending the boy.

Then he meets Aaron Stampler (Edward Norton), a quiet and harmless boy; then the lawyer realizes that Aaron is innocent. After that, the movie becomes an entertaining thriller / mystery / courtroom drama, with some plot twists, interesting characters and revelations.

But the most interesting part is to see all the changes and emotions that Edward Norton prints in his character; he is just an amazing actor, his performance is by far the best in the movie. After this film, Norton delivered his best performance in American History X, and established himself as the best actor of his generation.

A more than solid thriller, with a twist
When I had first laid eyes on Primal Fear on pay-per-view years ago I had first dismissed at as another Hollywood who-done-it courtroom drama with no originality. And was I ever wrong. Primal Fear may seem like something you've seen before, but the clever, highly intelligent, and twisting script makes the film soar to unexpected heights, and Edward Norton's breakout performace as murder suspect Aaron has to be seen to be believed (Norton would receive a Golden Globe and his first Oscar Nomination for Best Supporting Actor which Cuba Gooding Jr. ended up winning for Jerry Maguire). Richard Gere has the starring role playing Norton's lawyer who seems to be the only one who believes Norton's innocence. With a super twist ending and a superb all star cast which includes Laura Linney, Frances McDormand, Steve Bauer, John Mahoney, Maura Tierney, and Andre Braugher, Primal Fear is a near superb little gem that I strongly suggest seeing.

You gotta be kidding!!!
This is a great movie with interesting plot twists?? I groaned throughout this movie. So predictable....the egotistical lawyer, his ex-lover DA, the dialogue, the acting....ughh. Nothing more than a basic Hollywood formula movie.
I will watch this occasionally to remind me what a recycled , done before, same old same old Hollywood type movie and how much I hate them. I guess some people get off on the same old stuff. Well if you don't, I warned you.

Murder and Misdirection.
"Fui bailar no meu batel alem do mar cruel," sings modern fadista Dulce Pontes in this movie's dynamic title song: "I went dancing in my boat, there on the cruel sea." And it must be just like a nutshell-sized boat dancing on a stormy ocean's waves that nineteen-year-old Aaron Stampler (Edward Norton) feels after his arrest for the savage murder of Chicago's saintly Archbishop Rushman. Or does it?

Certainly it doesn't help that Aaron was caught running from the crime scene, covered in blood, and with the archbishop's ring in his pocket. Besides, who is going to believe him anyway - a stuttering, uneducated boy from rural Kentucky who was found begging by the powerful clergyman, taken in as an altar boy and made to sing in his choir - that he was present when the murder was committed but can't remember a single thing because he blacked out? Nobody; surely not the police and ADA Janet Venable (Laura Linney), assigned by D.A./Rushman friend Shaughnessy (John Mahoney) personally to try the case, with the express mandate to obtain a death penalty conviction. Nobody, that is, except Aaron's defense attorney Martin Vail (Richard Gere). Vail, of all people: the flamboyant ADA-turned-private-practitioner, the star attorney not shying away from even the shadiest client, to whom TV and magazine cover interviews are as second nature as his courtroom appearances, and who cynically quotes as his mottos a professor's maxims on his first day in law school: "From this day forward, if your mother says she loves you, get a second opinion." And: "If you want justice, go to a whorehouse. If you want to get f**ked, go to court."

"Primal Fear" was adapted from William Diehl's like-named bestselling novel and, like in many literary adaptations, its screenplay is a hit-and-miss affair. Not successful, in my view, are those alterations that unnecessarily make Vail an even more ethically questionable lawyer as already conceived by Diehl; such as the way he becomes Stampler's attorney in the first place (which in the movie amounts to blatant client solicitation; not to mention that no sane lawyer would introduce himself to a potential client with the words "I'm what you call a 'big shot' attorney"), and the circumstances surrounding the discovery of a tape revealing the archbishop's not-so-nice private side (which in the novel isn't found by Vail but by his investigator Tommy Goodman [Andre Braugher]: of course that doesn't eliminate Vail's ultimate ethical responsibility, but contrarily to the movie, at least he doesn't "borrow" the tape from the crime scene himself, and he doesn't know in advance what Tommy is up to). Further, in the book the tape is not shown in open court and immediately introduced into evidence but viewed in the presence of only the judge and the attorneys, which given its contents seems more realistic (even if it were later introduced into evidence after all). On the other hand, particularly regarding the main characters the movie's alterations work well: Unethical or not, Richard Gere's Martin Vail is even more interesting than the character devised by Diehl; moreover, an unnecessarily cliched, ultraconservative judge nicknamed "Hangin'" Harry Shoat becomes an - although still tough - overall more multidimensional Judge Miriam Shoat (Alfre Woodard); similarly, Vail's mafia-affiliated client Joey Pinero (Steven Bauer) gains considerably in stature; and although it actually reinforces cliche to shift the love/sex relationship from the book's present one between Vail and psychiatrist Dr. Arrington (Frances McDormand) to the screenplay's past one between Vail and Venable (which the ADA now derogatorily calls "a one-night-stand [that] lasted six months"), thanks to Gere's and Linney's considerable on-screen chemistry their characters' personal relationship adds sparks and tension to their professional rivalry that also lend greater credibility to the final courtroom scene's powder-keg explosion.

Outstanding as all of its actors are, however, "Primal Fear" rises and falls with the performance of Edward Norton, and it is his breathtaking achievement that validates the movie more than anything. Then-newcomer Norton not only had to portray a boy almost a decade younger than himself (which he manages flawlessly) but also an incredibly complex character, sometimes shifting behavioral patterns, accents and manners of speech from one sentence to the next; and he delivers supremely, deservedly garnering an Oscar nomination (which in a year of extremely tight competition he lost to Cuba Gooding Jr. for "Jerry Maguire"), as well as a Golden Globe and several other awards, and together with his roles in "People vs. Larry Flynt" and Woody Allen's "Everybody Says I Love You" playing himself into public awareness once and, hopefully, for all.

Although "Primal Fear" is often cited for its final plot twist, anybody who has seen more than that occasional thriller can see its end coming somewhere halfway through the narrative (and I think that's true for both book and film - although I admit I hadn't read the novel when I first saw the movie). Moreover, the final twist depends on a feat on the part of Norton's character that lawyers and psychiatrists alike will find hard to take at face value. Thus, at first viewing this movie's end may appear a bit of a let-down. But trust me: The story grows on you the more often you watch it, and in my view it actually helps to know the end, because not only does this enable you to see the many nuances you necessarily missed the first time around; it also frees you to think about the moral issues addressed. For those reasons, and for the entire cast's - first and foremost Edward Norton's - fine performances, this has long become one of my favorite courtroom thrillers.

"[I believe that] things are not always as they appear, that sometimes facts can be manipulated the way a magician manipulates an audience. He distracts you with this hand, while the other hand does the tricks. It's called misdirection." - "Primal Fear," preface: from Martin Vail's summation in a case entitled "The State vs. Nicholas Luma."

Primal Fear (1996)
Director: Gregory Hoblit
Cast: Richard Gere, Edward Norton, Laura Linney, John Mahoney, Alre Woodard, Frances McDormand.
Running Time: 130 minutes.
Rated R for language, perverse sexual situations, and some violence.

Rarely is a psychological thriller/courtroom drama so intense, intellectual, and mind-blowing. "Primal Fear" is an excellent adaptation of the William Diehl bestselling novel, using a stupendous cast, an equally riveting screenplay by Steve Shagan and Ann Biderman, and fine direction from virtually unknown Gregory Hoblit. Red herrings and duplicitous plot twists are woven tightly into the film about a hotshot defense attorney named Martin Vail (Richard Gere) who goes looking for the limelight and finds it filled with shadows.

When a popular archBishop is brutally murdered in his illustrious home, a terrifyed young altar boy (in an exceptional, eerie role by newcomer Edward Norton--who would later become a star because of the film)is arrested as a suspect and held into custody. Due to the magnitude of the case, Vail leeches onto it and decides to defend the young man. Little does he know that he will uncover a viper's nest of corruption, pit him against a prosectuor (Laura Linney in a fine role) who happens to be his ex-lover, and hope to find the truth of a case that tests his will and win-at-all-costs attitude.

Gere is stupendous as the fame-hungry, confident lawyer, while Norton steals the film as he reveals the inner demons of the poor suspect. "Primal Fear" is one of the most well-made thrillers of the 1990's and is a film that emphasizes what is right and wrong about our judicial system, questions the legitimacy of the courtroom, and taps into a fear of the psychological unknown. A finale that will, if nothing else, shock you and make you think. An absolutely great drama. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Solid, attractive suspenser
Okay, the story is preposterous and technologically dated, and some of the dialogue is melodramatic in a retro kind of way. That said, BLACK WIDOW still makes good viewing because it remains true to itself and the premises it has set up, and Debra Winger and Theresa Russell do a smashing job on their characters. It also has an interesting style, managing a noir atmosphere even while filming a considerable portion of the story in the bright sunshine of Hawaii and dressing the leads in the blues and red-oranges of '80s fashions.

Debra Winger plays a bright young unattached woman in a drab, stultifying life as a statistics accountant for the federal government. She does not openly indulge in self pity, but when she identifies a wisp of a possible crime in the statistics she compiles, she sells all her possessions and quits her job to pursue the case on her own. The case surrounds Theresa Russell's character who Winger believes marries older men and somehow precipitates their deaths to reap their inheritances, what is called a black widow. This is all established with swift efficiency, as is the guilt of Russell's character. The suspense lies in if and how Alex will corner her black widow, who is equally intelligent. The two make a sensational pairing, circling around each other, getting closer and closer.

Leonard Maltin's movie guide says the film doesn't deliver the big pay-off. That depends upon what kind of pay-off you are looking for. I happen to think it did deliver.

Don't Miss the Kiss of the Spider
I caught this movie on HBO in 1988-15 years later, I can still sit through it from beginning to end with out being the least bored. It is one of my favorite great movies that few people seem to know about.
Debra Winger is perfect as feisty Government agent, Alex, who notices a pattern and sets out to find the Black Widow-Theresa Russell, who reminds me a lot of Kathleen Turner in "Body Heat".
I would like to see more of her movies, as her portrayal of the woman Alex hunts down, is complex and compelling.
There are enough twists and turns to always keep your attention, and as other reviewers note, the scenery is spectacular.
The peripheral actors are well cast, and you find yourself caring about every one in the movie...and wondering what makes the Black Widow tick.

Superb script!
A young woman (Theresa Russell) seduces , marries and murders all the men who appear in her life and selected for her to join in this undesirable club . Obviously the case becomes too suspicious and a female investigator (Debra Winger) is assigned to watch her . This plot will turn in a challenge . You will experiment the gradual transformation starting from intrigue to obsession .
A very well made script with high caliber performances . Unforgettable locations and dazzling direction.
Imagine this tour de force: the seductive Theresa Russell (Bad Timing) and the captivating acting of Winger.
A must for you.

A greedy widow spins one web too many
This fine thriller could have been much better if the currents between Alexandra [Debra Winger] and Catharine [Theresa Russell] were explored and developed by the film-makers instead of letting the moment pass. The electricity between the hunted and the huntress is obvious after Alexandra finally catches up with black widow Catharine and from their first shared moments it seems as though Alexandra is spellbound by the woman she has set out to capture. Although Alexandra spends most of the film chasing after Catharine, she has a deer-in-the-headlights look when they spend time alone, whether in a hotel room, on a beach, or at a party, because she isn't as sure of herself as she was before she finally tracks down her dangerous prey. Catharine's seductive, flinty green eyes and sidelong glances at Alexandra suggest that this beautiful but ruthless killer is spinning her web to snare her pursuer before she can solve the mysterious deaths of her late husbands.

Dramatic Thriller
Debra Winger plays a detective who is on the trail of a psychopathic woman. She quickly meets, "falls in love" and then marries her man, but soon kills him before moving onto the next man repeating the process all over again. When the detective finally locates her in Hawaii, she meets her and the two become friends. As she investigates the woman's web of lies and murder, the woman becomes suspicious of her. When she finally discovers that her friend is a detective, it becomes a deadly rollercoaster ride as she repeatedly tries to kill her. Some of the best scenes were... poisoning the wine scene, the scuba-diving scene, the scalding shower scene, and the end scene. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Movie Does Justice to Women
I disagree on many points with the 1 star reviewer of this noble film about women and their valiant contributions as war nurses during WWII.

I believe this movie had strong performances and that it is a significant one in how few movies portray a women's experience and view of war. For this reason, trashing this movie isn't fair. Sure, it isn't a "great" war film and some of the portrayals of Japanese aren't realistic and even laughable. However, I have to say that this movie clearly stated in the beginning it was a fictional account and was created in order to show how valiant many women acted during war. The one star reviewer was unfair in their assessment of this movie as a result. Acting needs to be considered when making such a review and he did not factor that in fairly in their overall rating.

I treasure this movie, especially Kristy McNichol's performance. This movie is between a 3-5 depending on how one chooses to view it. I give it a 5 because of its unique message and content, and because the acting was superb. Anyone who gives it under 3 stars perhaps is more upset at how men are portrayed in this film -- not a typical depiction in a war movie. Men are sometimes humiliated, but really they only humiliate themselves.

Heinous garbage
A pretty much unwatchable smorgasbord of prison camp cliches.

It's clear that someone watched Bridge Over the River Kwai a few dozen times, but managed to do so without learning anything from it. It wouldn't be quite so bad if the abuse of the women POW's by their Japanese captors (while undoubtedly reflecting reality, and probably underplaying it) hadn't been staged in such an exploitative way. Someone has shrewdly cloaked the film in lofty bookends (Susan Sarandon doing dramatized "congressional testimony") and given it an honorable-sounding title, but there's no denying that not far underneath the veneer of disingenuous respectfulness lies a "women-in-prison" movie.

The development of the cardboard characters (Sarandon is the "loyal earth mother" to daughter-figure Kristy McNichol's "sullen rebellious one with a heart of gold") intrudes only as frequently as absolutely necessary to get us as quickly as possible from one rape, beating, or humiliation to the next. (The highlight(?), I guess, being when McNichol and Sarandon are forced by the "evil guard" to repeatedly slap one another across the face -- I'm sure that happened all the time in WWII prison camps.)

Since it was made for TV, we have to get by without the nudity, shower scenes, and lesbian love scene normally found in this sort of adventure; I guess we'll have to wait for the director's cut.

The Japanese are played to caricature as either socially inept, ridiculously "honorable," or insanely and stupidly mean; it's an amalgam of stereotypes.

Both McNichol and Sarandon do the best they can with what they've been given and McNichol, particularly, triumphs repeatedly over the bad dialogue and murky photography; she's worth ten times whatever they paid her.

An awful movie, of interest only to fans of McNichol or Sarandon.

Girlfriend made me watch it.....
I am am glad she did. Not only should "women everywhere" be inspired by the valor the women potray in this movie, but men should be inspired as well. Based on a true story, this movie will truely entertain, and make you realize that not only men fight wars. (Plus it should get a few "good guy" points from your girlfriend!!)

A powerful story of WWII, as seen through the nurses' eyes.
I saw this movie on television years ago, and was so impressed I have been looking for it ever since. Thank goodness for Amazon.com!! :) ... Read more

Reviews (7)

AMITYVILLE NOT A HAOX!!!!!!!!!
Lindsey its the Amityville 3 your looking for!!!

OK
Above average low budget film about a mirror that carries the 'evil'. An old mirror that used to be inside the original Amityville house is given to an artist... by a beggar. Then all these weird accidents and mayhem begin. This story has a plot (somehow) and a twist, better acting than some of the other Amityville entries. First it was the lamp, then a dollhouse, then it's an old clock ... What's next? Can't they think of anything better!

NOT WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR
....... I'M AN AMITYVILLE FAN JUST BEGINNING A COLLECTION
OF AMITYVILLE MOVIES. I AM LOOKING FOR THE ONE IN WHICH THE COUPLE HAD A DAUGHTER WHO DROWNED WHILE ON THE LAKE BEHIND THE HOUSE IN A BOAT WITH FRIENDS.AS SHE WAS DROWNING, HER GHOST CAN INTO THE HOUSE AND WENT UPSTAIRS TO HER ROOM. CAN ANYONE PLEASE TELL ME WHICH AMITYVILLE THIS IS. IT BLEW ME AWAY.

It has an extremely stupid plot, but it's very fun
The plot for AMITYVILLE: A NEW GENERATION is probably something a 7-year-old kid could think of on a boring, rainy day. A haunted mirror? No way! It's very silly but sooooo fun! I honestly do not have the slightest idea where the ideas for these AMITYVILLE sequels come from! But, it's fun, gory and very cool. Check it if you liked the first film.

Mediocre!!
Slow moving and none-to- creative, but almost every idea has already been tried in this series, so what do you expect?
Actually, limited suspence and some good, creative scenes makes it tolerable and you may want to try to sit and enjoy it. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Love that Campdown Races!
Isn't about time they gave us a series of films about a malevolent stepfather? You just knew this would happen eventually what with the bad reputation stepfathers have in American culture. We all know they are evil beings with warped minds, human vultures with deranged value systems that seek out innocent families to prey upon. Now that I think about it, I heartily salute the filmmakers associated with the "Stepfather" trilogy for bringing this massive threat to wider attention. Certain individuals have formed a conspiracy to throw us off the trail by making movies about machete wielding killers wearing hockey and Halloween masks, but now that we have these films, we know the truth. Evil is more insidious than a massacre at a summer camp, more pervasive than a razorblade clawed monstrosity haunting our dreams. Wickedness, true wickedness, reaches out to us in the form of a middle aged white guy who wears cardigan sweaters while offering to play catch with us in the backyard. After watching this film, along with the two other entries in the franchise, I feel it is essential to alert the unwary to this horrific hazard. Run, don't walk, to pick up a copy of "Stepfather 2."

Terry O'Quinn returns as the enigmatic Stepfather in a sequel that continues the nightmares seen in the first installment. Locked safely away in a mental hospital at the beginning of the film, the Stepfather longs for the day when he can once again walk the streets of suburbia with his own idyllic family. First, he must escape from the facility, not an easy task considering how much the guards hate and fear him. Fortunately, a new psychiatrist decides to try a different tack with the Stepfather. By giving the inmate new freedoms and a sympathetic ear, this fool hopes to rehabilitate the sociopath. Oops. Of course, the Stepfather escapes after concocting an ingenious plan realized in part in the facility's woodworking shop and actualized in the shrink's office. As bodies fall to the floor in various states of permanent disarray, our anti-hero strolls off the grounds of the hospital as nice as you please. It isn't long before he's back to his old tricks, sitting in a hotel room sifting through advertisements and video dating tapes in search of a new bride who will give him everything he's ever dreamed of in life.

Enter Carol Grayland (Meg Foster) and her son Todd (Jonathan Brandis), a mother and child recovering from their recent separation/divorce from an overbearing father. When the Stepfather moves in across the street posing as a sensitive counselor named Gene (replete with notepad, pen, and the requisite sweaters), Carol discovers she's attracted to the guy. The clincher comes when she accidentally stumbles on Gene playing friendly authority figure to Todd. Despite a few warnings about the counselor from a nosy postal employee friend, Carol charges ahead with plans to marry Gene. Serious warning signs, like the sudden disappearance of her ex-husband and the terrible suicide of her postal employee pal, fail to register on Grayland's radar. And why should it? Certainly Gene wouldn't have anything to do with such unseemly incidents. Alas, disturbing evidence to the contrary finally emerges immediately before the two love birds exchange vows. A wedding has never been such a bloody affair as the union between Gene and Carol Grayland. And once again, if only fleetingly, the Stepfather's plans for the domination of the American family unit is once again foiled. Or is it? The existence of another sequel seems to say no. Sadly, Terry O'Quinn fails to return in that movie.

All kidding aside, "Stepfather 2" is a very effective horror film. It is rare to see so many elements click in a film in this genre. The performances are much better than you would expect, with Terry O'Quinn leading the way as the oily killer. His portrayal of a sociopath with a one-track mind is chilling to behold. One minute he's the caring suitor to Carol and the benevolent father figure to Todd, but look out when things don't go his way. Only a few people survive one of the Stepfather's killing rages. O'Quinn plays it all with ease, conveying a complex range of emotions with subtle facial gestures. Equally effective is the always awesome Meg Foster as Carol Grayland. You've seen Foster in several other films, "They Live" serving as a prime example, so you know she's the gal with the amazing eyes. I never tire of watching this actress in a movie, so her addition to the cast was a good one. Even Jonathan Brandis does an acceptable job as the surprisingly nonirritating Todd. Set these good actors up with a surprisingly engaging plot and sauce heavy murders and you have all the fixings for a great film experience.

The DVD has several surprising extras. You would think a sequel, probably a straight to video sequel at that, would be a bare bones production. Think again. You get a commentary track from the director and the producer, extensive alternate scenes, stills, and several trailers for other films like "Dracula II," "Below," "Asunder," and "Halloween: Resurrection." It's been a few years since I saw the first "Stepfather" film, but if memory serves me correctly I would have to say that this sequel is as effective, if not more so, than the original. Still, I am looking forward to the day when they release the first and third movies on DVD.

AWESOME SEQUEL
i just wish they would bring out the first and third one on DVD, im still waiting!

Great horror sequel that rivels the previous
I actually enjoy Stepfather 2 more than the first Stepfather movie. The haunting theme does a lot for creating a truly sinister atmosphere. Rarely does a film score stick in my head, but this one does. And then there's Terry O'Quinn who plays the character just right.

You have to remember that this film was basically made in only 4 months. That's writing the script, casting, shooting, post production, etc. It was made for about 1 and a half million dollars and originally was supposed to be a direct to video release. Some additional shots were added and changed when the studio decided it was going to run a theatrical release like the first Stepfather, and they needed a more violent "Horror Movie".

The DVD release presents the film in it's original Widescreen format, and it's a very sharp Animorphic transfer. A great thing included on the disc is that it has many alternate and extended scenes that were from the original Director's cut. There is also a short still gallery, and a very interesting full-length commentary by the Director and Producer of Stepfather 2. The only thing missing is a theatrical trailer...albeit most Buena Vista DVD's lack a trailer so it's no big surprise there.

If you like this film then you need this DVD, it easily blows away the old VHS and Laserdisc editions. Now, if only they'd release the 1st Stepfather movie on DVD!!!

Definately Worth Seeing....
Hey there movie fans...

If you've seen the Wonderful part 1 of this title, Stepfather, you wont be too dissapointed with this Stepfather II sequel.

It brings Terry O'Quinn back with a good story line, after all, we all thought he died in Part 1 at the end but he didnt.
and im not spoiling anything here people due to a PART 2 !!!!

Basically like part 1 our infamous step daddy wants the perfect family, perfect house, and perfect wife!!! all is going 'oh so well' when..... well, you'll have to find out!

All i have to say is that, this wedding scene ROCKS!!!!!
It takes allot for my jaw to open with disbelief. Its a pretty good flick. I'd add it to your Crazy Stepfather Psycho movie list!

enjoy! I'd like to hear back from any fans out there that seen this. FlaMiataGlenn@aol.com

SoFlaGlenn

Stepfather Review
This movie was very good, although I'm sure that the first Stepfather is the best. I remember seeing the first Stepfather years ago when I was younger but can not find it now. I have looked everywhere. Some sequals are good but the original is always the best. The Stepfather II is better than the Stepfather III... ... Read more