Reviews (40)

Roughriders- true to form, accurate and inspiring!
Of all of the recent genre of movies depicting vignettes of American history, Roughriders goes the extra mile to capture the essence, mood and feeling of Victorian America as it flexed it's international muscles for the first time! Berenger and the supporting cast are outstanding, and the battle scenes are among the most accurate ever made. This is a must see!

Cowboys become Military Legends
This excellent mini-series (directed by John Milius) details the training and employment in battle of one of the most legendary units in American military history: the 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry, better known as the "Rough Riders".
Raised by then-Assistant Secretary of the Navy Theodore Roosevelt, a New York aristocrat-turned Dakota Territory rancher, the Rough Riders were perhaps the most unusual of all the volunteer regiments to be raised to fight in Cuba in 1898.
Comprised predominately of cowpunchers and lawmen (with a small sprinkling of outlaws), as well as a few Park Avenue socialites, the Rough Riders went on to be employed as (next to the 10th US Regular Cavalry, one of the regiments of "Buffalo Soldiers") some of the most effective troops in the War. The taking of the Spanish strong point in the San Juan Heights was pivotal to the defeat of the Spanish in Cuba.
Milius gives us a story which is equal parts western, period piece and war movie. The casting is especially masterful. Western stalwart Sam Elliott plays the commader of "G" Troop, Captain "Bucky" O'Neil, an Arizona Territory sheriff who ultimately falls victim to the bullet of a Spanish Mauser rifle in front of the San Juan Heights.
Tom Berenger portrays Theodore Roosevelt, and we see Roosevelt go from enthusiastic amateur soldier to hardened warrior. We also see the genuine affection Roosevelt felt for his regiment of cowboys. Gary Busey is thoroughly enjoyable as Maj. Gen. "Fightin' Joe" Wheeler. Wheeler was a Democrat Congressman from Alabama who led the Cavalry Corps of the US expeditionary force in Cuba. More significantly, he was a West Point graduate...and had served as a CONFEDERATE cavalry general in the Civil War. His command in Cuba was seen as being a significant step in the reunification of the US following the Civil War.
The battle scenes are well choreographed and the acting is superb throughout. Elmer and Peter Bernstein's score reinforce the "western" flavor of this film. My only regret (and it's a small one) is that the uniforms worn by the actors were not more accurate in detail. They retained a bit of "Hollywood" in watching the budget, and this shows in some of the small things (such as the hats worn by the actors portraying soldiers). Other than that, I have no complaints with this movie. It's fun, inspiring....and makes me proud to be an American, but above all else, proud to be a Westerner!
Gotta like it when cowboys save the day....and they did historically in 1898 at a hill in Cuba....

Great war movie, great cast, great future president
This movie deserves to be better known. It's primary subliminal lesson is that the Spanish-American war was not the kind of cakewalk that folks who use John Hay's oft-quoted phrase, "A splendid little war," make it out to seem. Quite to the contrary, it was deadly beyond imagining.

And it brought forth some great heroes, too, some of whom you will meet in this movie. The most famous, of course, is TR himself, Teddy, the "cowboy" who became our 26th president -- portrayed in the film delightfully human (as when he flirts with his wife) and courageous by Tom Berenger. Another familiar face (Gary Busey of "The Buddy Holly Story") portrays General Joe Wheeler, the only Confederate general to wear blue in the war of 1898. And Sam Elliott is cast in the role of another one of the Rough Rider heroes.

This film is a magnificent tribute to the men who fought the war that finally re-united a nation in an act of bloodshedding that was all but routine. "Rough Riders" makes clear just how far from splendid this "little war" really was, as well as just how heroic were the men who fought in it.

Please put this classic on DVD!!!!
There's not much to say here that hasn't been said by others.
This is one great film, historically accurate, and fun too,
while it gets all of this across. Why this is not yet on DVD,
when a great number of lesser films are, is anybody's guess.
I'll add my plea here too: PLEASE get this great film onto a
DVD format!

Outstanding!
John Milius did an absolutely amazing job of putting together a film that depicts the establishment and deployment of the 1st U.S. Vounteer Cavalry. Milius has done wonderful justice to his longtime hero, Theodore Roosevelt, who he once said was the embodiment of everything great about America.

As Americans, we take so much of our heritage for granted. In this day and age of our all-volunteer armed forces, high technology and limited warfare, any discussion of our heritage and sacrifice in the blood our ancestors made is neatly compartmentalized for Memorial Day and the Fourth of July. This is a shame.

Sometimes, the people who are supposed to be leading us aren't much help, either. Our elected and appointed officials often flounder in the face of bad press without explanation. The end result is that no one can understand how our government can ask people to fight and die in places far away, for causes that sometimes seem to have more to do with whether or not we can maintain our standard of living than anything else. The wars we fight now seem to be fleeting events that come and go. Tragically, the dead are gone, and life goes on without them.

In his various career incarnations as Governor of New York, the Secretary of the Navy, and as President, Roosevelt was always one to inspire controversy. As a Lieutenant Colonel assigned to the 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry, he was no different. To Roosevelt, war was not the drudgery of hell on earth, but an enobling excercise, one which all Americans should aspire to. Amusingly, after one visit with Roosevelt, author Mark Twain remarked that it was easy to see the Roosevelt was "cleary insane."

Whether you agree or disagree, Tom Berringer is the perfect Roosevelt. He portrays TR as a man of vision and backbone, as the sort of man who would one day forge the United States into the awsome power that it is today. Berringer's performance in "The Rough Riders" is possibly the best of his career.

In 1898, the American nation was, in many ways, still rebuilding from the civil war. For the people of America, this was the dawn of an industrialized nation, and for the first time, American industry was forging the tools that would take our Naval Forces into the twentieth century. Yet it would be twenty years before the new technology of the tank and airplane would be implemented in land warfare. The Spanish-American war is unique in that in many respects, both politically, strategically and tactically, it was a prelude to World War One.

Without going into a plot synopsis (I'm not going to explain something you can see for yourself), I will say that the story unfolds perfectly and the direction is impeccable. All of the supporting actors, Brad Johnson, R. Lee Ermy, Dale Dye, Brian Keith, Sam Elliott, Gary Busey and George Hamilton are superb in their roles.

Yes - this is a film that should have been a theatrical release. Yes - this is a film that ought to be put on a two-dvd set with lots of extras. Yes - this is a great film.

The "Rough Riders" was made for presentation as a made for TV film for Turner Broadcasting. It was first broadcast in 1998, roughly 100 years after the Spanish American war. I'll give Ted Turner credit; I don't agree with him on very much, but I will say that Turner Broadcasting performed a great service in broadcasting "The Rough Riders".

In a day and age where films depicting shoddy characters with even shoddier values are routinely churned out and targeted for specific demographic groups, "The Rough Riders" is an anomoly. It is an inspired film. ... Read more

Reviews (231)

The Greatest Vietnam Movie, In my opinon.
Oliver Stone's "Platoon" is one of the best and most powerful of all war pictures. It is the best movie ever made about the Vietnam war. Stone's film is gritty, frighteningly realistic and incredibly powerful. Stone doesn't just show us the Vietnam war, he takes into the Vietnam war. The screenplay is brilliant and doesn't fall into the trap that other war films fall into, where the violence turns into a fun experience and fighting seems "cool." This is a movie that truly shows the horrors of war realistically and with great effect. The cinematography by Robert Richardson (JFK, Natural Born Killers) is rich and gritty, giving more feeling to already great material. The characters are believable and convincing. It's great work because Stone himself went to Vietnam, so he has a better idea of what happened than Francis Ford Coppola when he made "Apocalypse Now" (which is also a great movie). "Platoon" is mesmerizing, powerful, effective, disturbing and even philosophical. It is one of Stone's greatest works. He ignites the screen with passion. The music is incredibly moving. No other director has made better films about Vietnam than Stone, who's "Born On The Fourth Of July" and "Heaven And Earth" followed "Platoon," and opened our eyes to greater clarity. I was never less than spellbound by this work. "Platoon" vibrates with realism and energy. A very special motion picture

The Nam
Oliver Stone's Vietnam War film, PLATOON, remains a very intense film, even some 15 years after its theatrical release.
As seen through the eyes of Private Chris Taylor, (Charlie Sheen), the film focuses on the experiences of this naive young man and the other soldiers in his unit. As tensions mount and fears of the enemy threaten to overtake the men, a sick rivalry develops between Sgt. Barnes (Tom Berenger) and Sgt. Elias (Willem DaFoe) that sets soldier against soldier. The entire film takes you inside the minds of these 3 men for different views on the war and what it was like for the men that were there. Of course some of it seems tamer now, especially after, more recent war films. But PLATOON still is an intense look at the war, that, even today, no one really understands. Stone puts his real life experiences as a "Nam" vet, to direct to perfection. The performances by the cast are superb...

The Special Edition DVD has an excellent retrospective documentary on the film that is quite comprehensive. Of equal interest, were the 2 audio commentaries The first by Stone, the second by millitary advisor Dale Dye---both men put the actors through their paces. The photo gallery, theatrical trailer, t.v. spots and "collectible" booklet round out the disc's extras. This edition is vastly improved over the movie only edition and comes highly recommended

not God as some people praise it at but pretty damn good
very very enjoyable flick, mainly because it reminded me of FMJ(full metal jacket) and the humor was pretty good too. i might have preferred this film a little better if charlie s. wasnt in it but he actualy didnt do that bad of a job one part i found hysterical was that johnny depp has a part in it. with short blonde hair and he just is walking by then gets blown up. this film should deffinalty be in a war collects colection.

way too isolated and without emotions
Oliver Stone's was a veteran of Vietnam himself and he appears late in this movie, which is unfortunate for his own sake, because if I were him, I'd want to be hiding from this movie, pretending to have nothing to do with it. The three main soldiers (Willem Dafoe, Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger) hate each other from the very beginning and everyone knows before it begins that it is about the loss of innocence because war is hell, so the things that happen to the three of them are pretty predictable. In some of his better work, mainly The Doors and Natural Born Killers, Oliver Stone uses a lot of effort to show the effect that the plot is having on the rest of the world. In The Doors, we see footage of Vietnam because it was transpiring at the same time. Likewise for Nixon. However, in this movie, we just see the war itself without seeing the outside world reacting to it as it unfolds. Oliver Stone does better work in the 90's.

Favorite Vietnam Piece
This is my personal favorite vietnam film. It blew away the others for me (ie..Hamburger Hill, Full metal jacket etc) The story, acting and gritty take of the war made this film VERY important. It asks some pointed questions and is a breathtaking film. Not to be missed! This should be in EVERY war film fan's library. plain and simple. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

WOW!
Stars
Paula Barbieri, Anthony Addabbo, David Duchovny, Francesco Quinn, Ron Marquette

Film Credits
Melanie Finn Screenwriter

Description
Another of Zalman King's steamy diary entries, this one featuring sultry model and O.J. Simpson ex Paula Barbieri.

This one grew on me. It's now one of my favorites.
Red Shoe Diaries 05 -- Weekend Pass.

Being repetitive, because in some respects the same can be said of every Red Shoe Diaries story, if you want only eye-candy go elsewhere and enjoy. If you want eye-candy (always), mind-candy (often), skilled actors (always) and easy-to-hear music, try one. Then try to stay out of bed.

In the stories in this movie, I see people dealing with strongly-felt needs to face life alone.

Early in the first story, Double or Nothing, you hear the words "Risk all to gain all." A woman who'd chosen between hustling her body or hustling pool battles her own past and a male pool hustler to find self-respect. The first time I viewed it I wasn't prepared for its intensity and disliked it. It's now my favorite of these three.

In the second story, Bounty Hunter, a woman is hired to find a fugitive. She finds him and both a contest of wills and a surprise ending follows.

In the third story, Weekend Pass,...gee, I could say more than that in the military (the U. S. Army here) some things have changed since my time in the then-all-male Navy and some things haven't. View the movie. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Fantastic! I Wish I Could Rate it More then 5 Stars!
I haven't read the Ernest Hemingway book yet nor have I seen the old Spencer Tracy movie yet but I saw this television remake starring Anthony Quinn and I loved it, it was a wonderful movie and I though Anthony Quinn was outstanding as Santiago the old fisherman. Anthony Quinn's daughter Valentina plays Santiago's concerned daughter in this movie and his son Francesco plays Santiago as a young man and the movie also stars Gary Cole and Patricia Clarkson as an American couple and I think this movie also had a young boy who befriended Santiago but I do not recall the actors name. This is a wonderful movie and I wish I could give it more then 5 stars and I very highly recommend it. The last time I looked up this movie on Amazon it was only available on video and now that it's also available on DVD I will definitely think about buying the DVD! I don't remember how long this remake was but I think it might have been a two part 4 hour mini series movie.

The film is better, really!
In my opinion, the film perhaps of its release date in 1963 is not at least standard for what I expect from a movie, but if you've read the book from Ernest Hemmingway it's pretty interesting watching the shark attacks, the big fish, the man and the boy and other events or protagonists of the whole story.

The visualisation makes the boring story a bit more exciting and the new elements that are implemented like the author Hemmingway itself and other persons not mentioned so directly in the novella surprise everybody who read the book at first in a positive way.

Once one said to me that a film as a visualisation of a novella could never as good as the written form. "The Old Man and the Sea" proves the contrary opinion because this movie simply is better than the original book.

Nevertheless also a good visual form cannot hide a weak story. For whose who have read the novella with pleasure or do like the great actor Anthony Quinn I can recommend the movie version.

Everyone else who don't like calm stories with philosophical background should take another video tape or DVD like "A Land Before Time" or "Predator"!

Great Remake!!
This film is a great remake of the former Spencer Tracey Film.Anthony Quinn Rules!! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Chris isn't the problem !!
Hey now everybody just listen up!! Chris wasn't the let-down this film, He's an excellent actor !! It was just the storyline that needed some work doing to it

Good Actor Not Okay Movie
Chris is a very good actor but this was not the role from him. To say that he is a poor actor is not fair if you have seen Greystoke of Highlander. If he was a poor actor he would not make as many movies. They sell a lot overseas. This role was just okay not great. He is much better in suspense and action.

If only Christopher Lambert wasn't in it.
Christopher Lambert is the worst actor I have ever seen. He is completly unnatural in movies, and worst yet he can't even muster movie chemistry with his then wife Diane Lane. She always proves to give wonderful performances, but even she couldn't make poor ol' Chris relax. The plot could have been better, the movie is kind of blah,but with only one real actor (Lane) not much can be expected.

OLD OLD story, re-hashed. Good try for director Finch.
Lambert (At the time anyway)needed to learn to relax and be himself in front of the camera. Lane on the other hand a consumate professwional did a crediclb ejob but couldn't rise above the material. Best performances were by J.C. Quinn(Whom we don't see enough of on the silver screen) and another actor whose name I can't recall except that his first name was Joaquin. Also in the credits you neglected to mention the son of Anthony quinn (Francesco). Finch(A multi-talented man) had a VERY limited budget to work with, a difficult fantasy to try & pull off and he also tried pushing the envelope a little using some blue screen work that I don't think he ever used. Plus, shooting in Rome is a little difficult. Everything has to be translated (And we know how much is lost when that happens). Carpenters and other workers are hammering and yelling when you are on a sound stage shooting a scene(They figure, what the hell, it's only going to be dubbed anyway). Now as much as I usually dread a 14 or 15 hour shoot back here in the good ole' USA in Italy(France also) they only shoot an 8 hour day, plus when you go through the catering truk for lunch they serve you a bottle of red wine with your lunch. Who the hll feels like working very hard after that. So, even though I wasn't knocked out by the film, having been involved with it from it's(almost) inception when we were going to shoot it in Mexico for a much smaller budget with Judd Nelson I must give Charles Finch (who happens to be the son of the late-great actor Peter Finch) a bit of praise for pulling this movie off, raising the money, getting it shot, edited and released. My hats off to him, it was a hard sell project to begin with. I assure you we will in the future see some wonderful films come out of him. Thak you very much-------J.C. Quinn e-mail: deweydavis@aol.com ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Fantastic! I Wish I Could Rate it More then 5 Stars!
I haven't read the Ernest Hemingway book yet nor have I seen the old Spencer Tracy movie yet but I saw this television remake starring Anthony Quinn and I loved it, it was a wonderful movie and I though Anthony Quinn was outstanding as Santiago the old fisherman. Anthony Quinn's daughter Valentina plays Santiago's concerned daughter in this movie and his son Francesco plays Santiago as a young man and the movie also stars Gary Cole and Patricia Clarkson as an American couple and I think this movie also had a young boy who befriended Santiago but I do not recall the actors name. This is a wonderful movie and I wish I could give it more then 5 stars and I very highly recommend it. The last time I looked up this movie on Amazon it was only available on video and now that it's also available on DVD I will definitely think about buying the DVD! I don't remember how long this remake was but I think it might have been a two part 4 hour mini series movie.

The film is better, really!
In my opinion, the film perhaps of its release date in 1963 is not at least standard for what I expect from a movie, but if you've read the book from Ernest Hemmingway it's pretty interesting watching the shark attacks, the big fish, the man and the boy and other events or protagonists of the whole story.

The visualisation makes the boring story a bit more exciting and the new elements that are implemented like the author Hemmingway itself and other persons not mentioned so directly in the novella surprise everybody who read the book at first in a positive way.

Once one said to me that a film as a visualisation of a novella could never as good as the written form. "The Old Man and the Sea" proves the contrary opinion because this movie simply is better than the original book.

Nevertheless also a good visual form cannot hide a weak story. For whose who have read the novella with pleasure or do like the great actor Anthony Quinn I can recommend the movie version.

Everyone else who don't like calm stories with philosophical background should take another video tape or DVD like "A Land Before Time" or "Predator"!

Great Remake!!
This film is a great remake of the former Spencer Tracey Film.Anthony Quinn Rules!! ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Platoon put writer-turned-director Oliver Stone on the Hollywood map; it is still his most acclaimed and effective film, probably because it is based on Stone's firsthand experience as an American soldier in Vietnam.Chris (Charlie Sheen) is an infantryman whose loyalty is tested by two superior officers: Sergeant Elias (Willem Dafoe), a former hippie humanist who really cares about his men (this was a few years before he played Jesus in Martin Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ), and Sergeant Barnes (Tom Berenger), a moody, macho soldier who may have gone over to the dark side.The personalities of the two sergeants correspond to their combat drugs of choice--pot for Elias and booze for Barnes.Stone has become known for his sledgehammer visual style, but in this film it seems perfectly appropriate. His violent and disorienting images have a terrifying immediacy, a you-are-there quality that gives you a sense of how things may have felt to an infantryman in the jungles of Vietnam. Platoon won Oscars for best picture and director. --Jim Emerson ... Read more

Reviews (231)

The Greatest Vietnam Movie, In my opinon.
Oliver Stone's "Platoon" is one of the best and most powerful of all war pictures. It is the best movie ever made about the Vietnam war. Stone's film is gritty, frighteningly realistic and incredibly powerful. Stone doesn't just show us the Vietnam war, he takes into the Vietnam war. The screenplay is brilliant and doesn't fall into the trap that other war films fall into, where the violence turns into a fun experience and fighting seems "cool." This is a movie that truly shows the horrors of war realistically and with great effect. The cinematography by Robert Richardson (JFK, Natural Born Killers) is rich and gritty, giving more feeling to already great material. The characters are believable and convincing. It's great work because Stone himself went to Vietnam, so he has a better idea of what happened than Francis Ford Coppola when he made "Apocalypse Now" (which is also a great movie). "Platoon" is mesmerizing, powerful, effective, disturbing and even philosophical. It is one of Stone's greatest works. He ignites the screen with passion. The music is incredibly moving. No other director has made better films about Vietnam than Stone, who's "Born On The Fourth Of July" and "Heaven And Earth" followed "Platoon," and opened our eyes to greater clarity. I was never less than spellbound by this work. "Platoon" vibrates with realism and energy. A very special motion picture

The Nam
Oliver Stone's Vietnam War film, PLATOON, remains a very intense film, even some 15 years after its theatrical release.
As seen through the eyes of Private Chris Taylor, (Charlie Sheen), the film focuses on the experiences of this naive young man and the other soldiers in his unit. As tensions mount and fears of the enemy threaten to overtake the men, a sick rivalry develops between Sgt. Barnes (Tom Berenger) and Sgt. Elias (Willem DaFoe) that sets soldier against soldier. The entire film takes you inside the minds of these 3 men for different views on the war and what it was like for the men that were there. Of course some of it seems tamer now, especially after, more recent war films. But PLATOON still is an intense look at the war, that, even today, no one really understands. Stone puts his real life experiences as a "Nam" vet, to direct to perfection. The performances by the cast are superb...

The Special Edition DVD has an excellent retrospective documentary on the film that is quite comprehensive. Of equal interest, were the 2 audio commentaries The first by Stone, the second by millitary advisor Dale Dye---both men put the actors through their paces. The photo gallery, theatrical trailer, t.v. spots and "collectible" booklet round out the disc's extras. This edition is vastly improved over the movie only edition and comes highly recommended

not God as some people praise it at but pretty damn good
very very enjoyable flick, mainly because it reminded me of FMJ(full metal jacket) and the humor was pretty good too. i might have preferred this film a little better if charlie s. wasnt in it but he actualy didnt do that bad of a job one part i found hysterical was that johnny depp has a part in it. with short blonde hair and he just is walking by then gets blown up. this film should deffinalty be in a war collects colection.

way too isolated and without emotions
Oliver Stone's was a veteran of Vietnam himself and he appears late in this movie, which is unfortunate for his own sake, because if I were him, I'd want to be hiding from this movie, pretending to have nothing to do with it. The three main soldiers (Willem Dafoe, Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger) hate each other from the very beginning and everyone knows before it begins that it is about the loss of innocence because war is hell, so the things that happen to the three of them are pretty predictable. In some of his better work, mainly The Doors and Natural Born Killers, Oliver Stone uses a lot of effort to show the effect that the plot is having on the rest of the world. In The Doors, we see footage of Vietnam because it was transpiring at the same time. Likewise for Nixon. However, in this movie, we just see the war itself without seeing the outside world reacting to it as it unfolds. Oliver Stone does better work in the 90's.

Favorite Vietnam Piece
This is my personal favorite vietnam film. It blew away the others for me (ie..Hamburger Hill, Full metal jacket etc) The story, acting and gritty take of the war made this film VERY important. It asks some pointed questions and is a breathtaking film. Not to be missed! This should be in EVERY war film fan's library. plain and simple. ... Read more

Reviews (231)

The Greatest Vietnam Movie, In my opinon.
Oliver Stone's "Platoon" is one of the best and most powerful of all war pictures. It is the best movie ever made about the Vietnam war. Stone's film is gritty, frighteningly realistic and incredibly powerful. Stone doesn't just show us the Vietnam war, he takes into the Vietnam war. The screenplay is brilliant and doesn't fall into the trap that other war films fall into, where the violence turns into a fun experience and fighting seems "cool." This is a movie that truly shows the horrors of war realistically and with great effect. The cinematography by Robert Richardson (JFK, Natural Born Killers) is rich and gritty, giving more feeling to already great material. The characters are believable and convincing. It's great work because Stone himself went to Vietnam, so he has a better idea of what happened than Francis Ford Coppola when he made "Apocalypse Now" (which is also a great movie). "Platoon" is mesmerizing, powerful, effective, disturbing and even philosophical. It is one of Stone's greatest works. He ignites the screen with passion. The music is incredibly moving. No other director has made better films about Vietnam than Stone, who's "Born On The Fourth Of July" and "Heaven And Earth" followed "Platoon," and opened our eyes to greater clarity. I was never less than spellbound by this work. "Platoon" vibrates with realism and energy. A very special motion picture

The Nam
Oliver Stone's Vietnam War film, PLATOON, remains a very intense film, even some 15 years after its theatrical release.
As seen through the eyes of Private Chris Taylor, (Charlie Sheen), the film focuses on the experiences of this naive young man and the other soldiers in his unit. As tensions mount and fears of the enemy threaten to overtake the men, a sick rivalry develops between Sgt. Barnes (Tom Berenger) and Sgt. Elias (Willem DaFoe) that sets soldier against soldier. The entire film takes you inside the minds of these 3 men for different views on the war and what it was like for the men that were there. Of course some of it seems tamer now, especially after, more recent war films. But PLATOON still is an intense look at the war, that, even today, no one really understands. Stone puts his real life experiences as a "Nam" vet, to direct to perfection. The performances by the cast are superb...

The Special Edition DVD has an excellent retrospective documentary on the film that is quite comprehensive. Of equal interest, were the 2 audio commentaries The first by Stone, the second by millitary advisor Dale Dye---both men put the actors through their paces. The photo gallery, theatrical trailer, t.v. spots and "collectible" booklet round out the disc's extras. This edition is vastly improved over the movie only edition and comes highly recommended

not God as some people praise it at but pretty damn good
very very enjoyable flick, mainly because it reminded me of FMJ(full metal jacket) and the humor was pretty good too. i might have preferred this film a little better if charlie s. wasnt in it but he actualy didnt do that bad of a job one part i found hysterical was that johnny depp has a part in it. with short blonde hair and he just is walking by then gets blown up. this film should deffinalty be in a war collects colection.

way too isolated and without emotions
Oliver Stone's was a veteran of Vietnam himself and he appears late in this movie, which is unfortunate for his own sake, because if I were him, I'd want to be hiding from this movie, pretending to have nothing to do with it. The three main soldiers (Willem Dafoe, Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger) hate each other from the very beginning and everyone knows before it begins that it is about the loss of innocence because war is hell, so the things that happen to the three of them are pretty predictable. In some of his better work, mainly The Doors and Natural Born Killers, Oliver Stone uses a lot of effort to show the effect that the plot is having on the rest of the world. In The Doors, we see footage of Vietnam because it was transpiring at the same time. Likewise for Nixon. However, in this movie, we just see the war itself without seeing the outside world reacting to it as it unfolds. Oliver Stone does better work in the 90's.

Favorite Vietnam Piece
This is my personal favorite vietnam film. It blew away the others for me (ie..Hamburger Hill, Full metal jacket etc) The story, acting and gritty take of the war made this film VERY important. It asks some pointed questions and is a breathtaking film. Not to be missed! This should be in EVERY war film fan's library. plain and simple. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

INDIO - A must see movie
I have seen this movie three times and it is well acted. Marvin Hagler has great acting appeal for being an ex-boxing champ. However, the real star of this movie is Francesco Quinn, who plays a half-breed Ex-Marine named Daniel Morel.

Daniel comes home to South America to find opportunist raiding and ravaging the jungle he once called home, for the purpose of building a road. People are killed and used as slave labor for the road to be built. However, Daniel will stop at nothing to save his home and people from these poachers. This marine goes into immediate action and from then on, its non-stop action that will keep you watching from beginnig to end.

This actor done such a good job playing a U.S. Marine, I actually believed he was a real one. Who knows, he might be.

He is an actor to definitely watch for. Not only is he handsome, but he can act. He also stars in other movies, such as: Platoon, Dead Certain, Red Shoe Diaries, and others. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Bravo! Almost A Woman is a must see Latino Heritage Film
I first read the book Almost A Woman by Esmeralda Santiago over three years ago and loved it. So when I received a notice from a friend that Lehman College in the Bronx, NY was showing a viewing of the movie I traveled from Philadelphia to New York to see this film. I was not disappointed! Almost a Woman was a wonderful representation of the book. I recommend that all Latinas between the ages of 10 - 45 see this film. It's a wonderful story of coming of age, of transcultural life, of the struggles and ultimate triumph of one girl who in the mist of adolescents goes against tradition to demand access to a better way of life and education. Bravo Esmeralda, you've done it again! ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Violent movie?
I find it hillarious that all those elitists are the same: they consider Chuck Norris' movies violent, yet they subjectively are keeping quiet about Tarantino's. Truth is that we watch the Chuck Norris movies because we like the man, the script is not really of importance but try telling that to those mentioned above, to them a good movie is something preferably European, black&white and not dubbed and if it has interpretative dancing in it, even better! So to them I am saying, "Get over yourselves", I rather watch a movie which you consider inferior anyday, simply because I will always support actors who will not sell their sense of ethics and morality.

strictly for the lobotomized folks of our great land
Chuck Norris continues to pollute the screens with this mad-cap
action-adventure crud-pot. For the serious scholars of bad movies, "Top Dog" is illustrative of the early nineties trend in Hollywood of indiscriminately turning out bad movies with dog-as-crime-fighting-partner plots. I think Belushi was in the other one, but heh, I don't have my Ph.D. in Awful Movie Studies so I can't elaborate TOO much on the specifics.
You're in for a real treat when you watch this 93-minute-long uprising against good taste.

brutal
Watching this movie will make you not only question your sanity, but the filmakers as well. This brutal movie comes from the same men that brought you, what will someday be considered the most utterly ridiculous televsion show ever broadcast, "Walker:Texas Ranger". I give the movie five stars for the same reason I'll buy every season of Walker when it's released on DVD:Absolute hilarity! This movie is so completely ridiculous, anyone with a sense of humor will be laughing from start to finish.

Kung fu or Kibbles and Bits? You be the judge.
I became aware of this movie when i first got into the many action films of kickboxing champ Don "The Dragon" Wilson. My father recommended Chuck "Texas Ranger" Norris to me. This was the first movie available to me. Let me tell you, that dog is a tremendous pain in the [***] to watch. Norris is much more entertaining, especially (and obviously) when he employs his karate into the action scenes. I particularly liked the fight where Norris is in an abandoned warehouse, and suddenly finds himself surrounded by at least twenty guys, who get creamed when they approach him individually, and eventually get the sense to gang up on him. While such a fight may not go quite like that in reality, is almost poetic to watch Norris kick guys so hard that the others get scared and will only approach him at the behest of the others. Trust me, the dog's presence is how the movie shoots itself in the foot. Better if you look at the relationship between Norris and the dog as the inspiration for ME, MYSELF, AND IRENE.

One funny movie..
I am a big fan of Walker, Texas Ranger w/ Chuck Norris, so I picked up this movie up in a cheap section of the dvds! I wasn't a disappointed! This movie is laugh out loud funny! Norris plays a crabby cop and get he gets a dog as his partner after the "Reno's" partner gets killed. This movie shows that C.N. can do humor along with action. Go pick it up! You will like it believe me. The dog is funny and some of the stuff that happens in this movie is classic. May I mention the "Scarfs" ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Middling World War II Action-Adventure
By no means is "Casablanca Express" a great movie, but it is passable entertainment if you're not too discriminating and can accept some lapses in logic. Jason (son of Sean) Connery and Francesco (son of Anthony) Quinn are assigned to protect Winston Churchill who's travelling through North Africa on the Casablanca Express during World War II. The Germans are tipped off about Churchill's presence on the train and soon paratroopers capture the train and Churchill. It's up to Connery and Quinn (and the comely female agent Lorna) to rescue Mr. Churchill. Glenn Ford and Donald Pleasence have extended cameos as members of the Allied military brass in this European production. "Casablanca Express" makes a nice companion film to the superior "The Eagle Has Landed," wherein a team of German commandos attempt to assassinate Prime Minister Churchill on English soil.

The DVD, from Front Row, is another one of their budget releases, so don't expect too much. There are chapter breaks and biographies/filmographies for Connery and Pleasence, though the filmography for Pleasence, a prolific film actor, is missing many of his films. The film is presented full screen and the transfer, while not great, is acceptable for a budget release. The bottom line on "Casablanca Express" is that it's a fair time passer if you're not too demanding. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Violent movie?
I find it hillarious that all those elitists are the same: they consider Chuck Norris' movies violent, yet they subjectively are keeping quiet about Tarantino's. Truth is that we watch the Chuck Norris movies because we like the man, the script is not really of importance but try telling that to those mentioned above, to them a good movie is something preferably European, black&white and not dubbed and if it has interpretative dancing in it, even better! So to them I am saying, "Get over yourselves", I rather watch a movie which you consider inferior anyday, simply because I will always support actors who will not sell their sense of ethics and morality.

strictly for the lobotomized folks of our great land
Chuck Norris continues to pollute the screens with this mad-cap
action-adventure crud-pot. For the serious scholars of bad movies, "Top Dog" is illustrative of the early nineties trend in Hollywood of indiscriminately turning out bad movies with dog-as-crime-fighting-partner plots. I think Belushi was in the other one, but heh, I don't have my Ph.D. in Awful Movie Studies so I can't elaborate TOO much on the specifics.
You're in for a real treat when you watch this 93-minute-long uprising against good taste.

brutal
Watching this movie will make you not only question your sanity, but the filmakers as well. This brutal movie comes from the same men that brought you, what will someday be considered the most utterly ridiculous televsion show ever broadcast, "Walker:Texas Ranger". I give the movie five stars for the same reason I'll buy every season of Walker when it's released on DVD:Absolute hilarity! This movie is so completely ridiculous, anyone with a sense of humor will be laughing from start to finish.

Kung fu or Kibbles and Bits? You be the judge.
I became aware of this movie when i first got into the many action films of kickboxing champ Don "The Dragon" Wilson. My father recommended Chuck "Texas Ranger" Norris to me. This was the first movie available to me. Let me tell you, that dog is a tremendous pain in the [***] to watch. Norris is much more entertaining, especially (and obviously) when he employs his karate into the action scenes. I particularly liked the fight where Norris is in an abandoned warehouse, and suddenly finds himself surrounded by at least twenty guys, who get creamed when they approach him individually, and eventually get the sense to gang up on him. While such a fight may not go quite like that in reality, is almost poetic to watch Norris kick guys so hard that the others get scared and will only approach him at the behest of the others. Trust me, the dog's presence is how the movie shoots itself in the foot. Better if you look at the relationship between Norris and the dog as the inspiration for ME, MYSELF, AND IRENE.

One funny movie..
I am a big fan of Walker, Texas Ranger w/ Chuck Norris, so I picked up this movie up in a cheap section of the dvds! I wasn't a disappointed! This movie is laugh out loud funny! Norris plays a crabby cop and get he gets a dog as his partner after the "Reno's" partner gets killed. This movie shows that C.N. can do humor along with action. Go pick it up! You will like it believe me. The dog is funny and some of the stuff that happens in this movie is classic. May I mention the "Scarfs" ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Hilarious trip to Cannes
I've been to the Cannes Film festival, and this film captures it perfectly - naked women on the beach and blowhards selling films, while celebrities cajole and cavort with each other. If you're a fan of filmmaking, look for cameos from the Director of the Usual Suspects along with Benicio del Toro, Robert Evans and others. The film is laugh out loud funny, and don't know why it took this long to be on DVD. Five stars.

Funny Film, Good Night's Entertainment
Sy is a movie producer who is in Cannes for the festival, as usual. However, he needs for someone else to pay all his bills there so takes a bet, that he can turn a young nobody seen on the beach into a credible writer that he can use to raise ...millions while in Cannes. Not a single word has been written but Sy sees that as no impediment to approaching every star in the universe to become involved in his movie, with virtually all of them saying yes, from Johnny Depp to Dennis Hopper to John Malkovich and so on. A hilarious, droll view at the film world that is light as a souffle. It won't stick with you but it is fun for a night. ... Read more