Reviews (11)

One of the Best Horror Movies Ever Made...
This has to be one of the best scary movies they have made. It might not be the very best but of course it is really not the worst. I remember seeing this movie on TV about 5 or 6 years ago and I just bought it. The first story deals with a lady being chased around by a maniac, when she goes out for a pack of cigarettes this story is ***1/2 out of ****. The second story is about a kid that just has to get to level 13 on an arcade game (stars a young Emilio Estevez) this story gets *** out of ****. The third is on of my least favorites about a priest who is being chased by a truck from hell (it really is a truck from hell)this gets ** out of ****. And the last (Night of the Rat) is my favorite. It is about a rat who just wants a simple thing to leave find out what that is after watching "NIGHTMARES" on VHS or DVD! This movies get a **** out of ****

Good Rainy-Day Horror Flick
This 1983 Universal romp is a decent (albeit sometimes vapid by today's Generation X horror standards) anthology flick. "Nightmares" explores a heterogenous quartet of "scream themes" from serial killers (Terror in Topenga) to cursed video games (The Bishop of Battle), and from muderous fabled rodents (Night of the Rat) to Satanic wrath (The Benediction). Humble, yet effective performances by Emilio Estevez, Lance Henriksen ("Aliens", the "Milennium" TV series), Richard Masur, and Veronica Cartwright ("Alien", "Invasion of the Body Snatchers-1978"). Estevez's character clings on to the "Brat Pack" image levied onto him during the mid 1980's as a vociferious, hot-headed, adolescent ignoramus whose only purpose in life is to conquer the "challenging" Bishop of Battle arcade number, but at a grisly cost. "Night of the Rat" probably has the best storyline of all the tales about a loving family who becomes beseiged by a monstrous mythological rat living in their home's crawlspaces (the FX in this one are quite cheesy). Joseph Sargent ("Jaws The Revenge") directed and Christopher Crowe ("Jerry MacGuire", "Fast Times at Ridgemont High") scripted. "Nightmares" is good for a slumber party/late-nite flick or for lazy weekends when there's nothing on the tube.

Rat as big as Shaq
Finally I found the title of this flick!! I was like, 6 or something when I first watched this, and forgot the name for 20 years until tonight!!!! The movies that stand out is the video game one, the one where the Estevez dude turns to a monochrome dude trapped in the game, and then of course the last one, with the rat, as big as Shaq!!!! Now that is scary!!!!! This is a dandy 80's flick!!!

don't lose your faith
Nightmares has 4 vignettes:
1.) a nasty video game that consumes JJ (Emilio Estevez)
2.) a psychopathic killer that almost gets smoker(Christina Raines)
3.) A Satanic black Chevy truck trying to kill a faithless priest
(Lance Henrickson)
and 4.) a dumb story of Giant Rodent ... at a dopey husband
( I forget his name)
an enjoyable movie nontheless

decent horror movie...awesome soundtrack
This is a decent anthology film from the early 80's with a great soundtrack. The first story is only decent , not great , but not bad either although the scene where the gas station attendent busted through the chick's window scared me the first time I saw it. The second story is the best one , with Emilio Estevez as a arcade junkie who gets more than he bargains for when he reaches the 13 level. The third story is the worst and a waste of time even though Lance Henrikson is an awesome actor. The fourth is also great about a mythological devil rat harassing a suburban family. That story also featured an hillarious scene where Richard Masur is shooting at the rat and the stereo blast Black Flag's "Louie Louie" (what middle class home would even own a Black Flag album). I wouldnt recommend buying it..but it's a cool movie to rent or watch on late night tv ... Read more

Reviews (31)

Scary flick!
"The Sentinel" is a grand 1970's horror film staffed with a cast rivaling the pictures made by Robert Altman or Irwin Allen. I can't remember the last time I saw a film with so many recognizable faces--Christopher Walken, Chris Sarandon, Beverly D'Angelo, Burgess Meredith, John Carradine, Jerry Orbach, Jeff Goldblum, Ava Gardner, Martin Balsam, Jose Ferrar, Eli Wallach, Arthur Kennedy, and Tom Berenger all pop up in roles both major and minor throughout the film. "The Sentinel" obviously takes films like "The Omen," "Rosemary's Baby," and "The Exorcist" as its role models, and it holds up surprisingly well in comparison. When I stumbled over this film a few months ago, I was quite astounded I had never heard of it before considering I am such a fan of 1970's horror films dealing with satanic influences. Michael Winner, the director who presented us with such classic cinema as "Scorpio," "Death Wish," and "The Mechanic," gives us his all in this chilling story about a gateway to Hell and the poor souls entrusted to protect the rest of us from the evil spirits dwelling there. The movie is an adaptation of a book written by Jeffrey Konvitz.

A model named Alison Parker and her successful lawyer boyfriend Michael Lerman (Christina Raines and Chris Sarandon respectively) begin their descent into madness when Parker rents a room in a creepy old apartment building from mysterious real estate agent Miss Logan (Ava Gardner). The model soon discovers her new dwellings possess a decidedly sinister atmosphere--a blind priest sits and stares out of the window of the top floor apartment, an elderly creep spouting cryptic comments (Burgess Meredith) keeps dropping by, and a couple of females in an extremely close relationship live in a neighboring apartment. Within a few days of moving in, Parker begins to hear strange noises, starts having vivid memories of a suicide attempt she made as a child, sleepwalks, and discovers a few hideous secrets about the other tenants in the building. By the time Alison starts having fainting fits during fashion shoots, her boyfriend Michael steps in and starts investigating the strange apartment building. Lerman's nosing around brings in a couple of detectives (Wallach and Walken) who remember well how Michael's first wife died under mysterious circumstances. When bodies start turning up, "The Sentinel" becomes a race to discover what evil lurks in the apartment building before the cops pin the weirdness on Lerman.

Winner's film evokes shudders on numerous levels. You'll gasp in surprise several times during the film, from the eventual revelations about the strange residents to what Beverly D'Angelo's character does when Alison Parker pays a visit (I had to replay that scene a couple of times just to convince myself that I did really see that. Purely from an academic aspect, of course. Honest.). I've seen several films where Burgess Meredith works hard at being weird--"Burnt Offerings" is an excellent example--but I don't remember him ever attaining the level of bizarre he does here. He's downright disturbing as the elderly neighbor who drops in on Raines's character from time to time. The conclusion of the film definitely constitutes one of the more disturbing endings I have seen in a horror film, and it does so with a lot less gore than you would expect. I thought the plot of "The Sentinel" was a good one, a plot both frighteningly offbeat and effectively eerie.

I had a lot of fun watching for famous faces. Most of the actors who appeared in the film weren't that well known yet, and they look younger than you could ever imagine. Jeff Goldblum plays a pushy fashion photographer, Beverly D'Angelo turns up as a lesbian with a penchant for showmanship, and Christopher Walken plays a cop. Walken especially is humorous to watch. He only has about two lines in the entire film yet still manages to exude his now famous sense of weirdness. Chris Sarandon has since become a better known actor through such roles as the vampire in "Fright Night," and Jerry Orbach made a name for himself as a character actor in films ("Brewster's Millions") and as one of the cops in the television show "Law and Order." The only real mystery here is Christina Raines as Alison Parker. Here's an actress in the lead role in a film loaded with young and old talent alike, and she barely makes a splash. In fact, she hasn't made a movie or television show since the late 1980s. What happened? Personally, I didn't care for her character in the movie or how she played the part. Even worse, considering she's supposed to be playing a big buck fashion model, she isn't very attractive. You will have a better time watching the interesting mix of actors and actresses instead of focusing on Raines's histrionic performance.

"The Sentinel" doesn't provide much in the way of extras outside of a trailer and some production notes. Even the picture transfer isn't all that good, unfortunately. You would figure a movie loaded with so many once was and would be stars would get a better treatment. Oh well, give the movie a shot if you love horror. Creepy, grotesque, and shocking--"The Sentinel" managed to surprise me, a jaded horror aficionado, more than a few times. Let's hope they rerelease the movie on a DVD with a better picture transfer, more extras, and perhaps a commentary from the likes of Sarandon.

Great atmosphere, a stunning cast, well worth watching!
This is a classic '70s style horror film, probably quite shocking at the time, and still very effective today. Atmosphere is everything in this film, but be prepared for a few truly shocking jolts as well.

The story is pretty straight forward. A young woman moves into a new apartment where strange occurrences begin to take place...but the story is in the details, and the wonderful performances of an amazingly chosen cast that consists of a who's who of veteran stars and up & coming talent. Trust me, you'll have a field day spotting such familiar faces such as Chris Sarandon, Burgess Meredith, Eli Wallach, Christopher Walken, Martin Balsam, John Carradine, José Ferrer, Ava Gardner, Arthur Kennedy, Jeff Goldblum, Jerry Orbach, Sylvia Miles, Beverly D'Angelo, William Hickey, Tom Berenger , & Nana Visitor. They don't put together cast like that anymore, even some of the smallest parts have outstanding actors & actresses playing them.

The film features a very effective performance by Cristina Raines that shouldn't be missed.

Excellent Horror Classic; curious difference in story
I have just purchase the DVD from Goodtimes Video of the 70's horror classic. As other customers have noted, it is really worth having, and there is indeed a lot that you will see that is cut out of "TV" versions. However, there is at least one scene missing from the DVD, and I wonder if other viewers have noticed this..that is the scene or scenes that pertain to the group of priests who call themselves "The Brotherhood of the protectors" who had been disbanded from the church for their beliefs. The is at least one scene showing a meeting of the "brothers" that is in my age-old tape of a television broadcast of the film that is not shown in the DVD. However, in the beginning of the DVD, the movie begins in Northern Italy with a group of priests discussing the "danger" as do the "brotherhood" in the "other" version. I also note the another DVD version is set to be released on September 7, 2004 by Umvd. So, I await this release to see if the deleted scene is included. I wonder if anyone would like to comment on this oddity? Aside from this curious detail, I thoroughly enjoyed the DVD from Goodtimes Video.

Look Out For Lippy!
This film was a bit above the standard genre fare being released at the time. I remember going to see it after reading the book and it really freaked me out. Towards the end, when all the "poor souls from hell" appear, they actually used some disfigured people (saving money on fx make-up?). There was this man from Coney Island, we used to call him "Lippy," that scared the hell outta me when I was a kid (in the 60's). He was probably a nice man, but I after the 1st time I saw him I had nightmares for months. I did a double take when I saw him in this movie... it was incredible to have one of your childhood fears realized like that... got me again dude (lol). So look for Lippy at the end of the film...ya can't miss him ; )

Still scary
I remember watching this movie as a kid. It was so eerie and horrifying, and many of the scenes stayed embedded in my head. But I didn't know the title and I had never seen it replayed, or heard people talking about it. It was as if it never even existed. For the last 10 years, I've been going back and rewatching the old horrors I grew up with--like the Omen and Rosemary's Baby--only to be disappointed over and over again (they just aren't scary to me anymore). For years I wanted to watch the Sentinel again, but in a sense I was afraid to ruin the experience I remembered (like seeing the old man stare out the window high up). Finally, after explaining to a friend the five or six things I remembered about the movie, she told me the name of it and I ran to the video store. Surprisingly enough, it was still scary and eerie! ... Read more

Amazon.com

The dialogue is laughable, and the plot is by the numbers. But if you're a surfer (or an armchair surfer), this ultra-silly movie may prove hard to resist. It's the one about the kid from Arizona (Matt Adler), who's surfed only on artificial waves in that landlocked state, coming out to spend his last free summer hitting the serious water of Hawaii. He falls in with a mystical surf guru (Gregory Harrison), one of those surf-Zen masters obsessed with the cosmic significance of hanging ten, but he's also tempted by the flashier stunts of the younger surf crowd. Oh, and the Arizona kid also gets romantic with the prettiest girl on Oahu (Nia Peeples), which precipitates trouble with her resentful native family. If the story's no winner, the surfing action is excellent, with many real-life surfers contributing their talents. For shredders, a guilty pleasure. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (62)

ho bra, lines so great. try watch?
I LOVE this movie...got introduced to it by some Hawaiian mates at Uni, and now I've seen it about a gzillion times...got my friends Down Under hooked on it, too...and my sister...anyone who watches it likes it. Don't own it yet, but it's on the 'to do' list I didn't surf before I watched it, and now-I'm learnin'! Anyone who has an appreciation for it should read all the reviews: you'll crack up and 'relive' the movie reading peoples' quotes. Also, I must say, it's not "we treat friends mo betta on the North Shore", it's "here on the north shore, we treat friends mo betta", then Turtle tosses his hair and drives off. However, Vince and Chandler are my favorites...awesome guys! Rick Kane is a weenie kook, and Chandler was SO right when he said, "you got a lot to learn, so why don't you just shut up and watch." also, there is a North Shore line for every occasion. Watch it. Love it...Learn it. use it.

Occy, Curren, Hamilton and the kid from Teenwolf...
...and that old guy from TRAPPER JOHN, M.D.

Ok, so this movie is from the Hot Tuna era of surfing when Billabong was lost in neon colors. So what? It's brilliant. Featuring some of the best surfers of the time, and the best surfers of our current time...with epic Pipeline surf. Get it just to have the chance to see Laird Hamilton decades before he became the big-gun town-master of Jaws Maui or TO' Tahiti.

Slightly cheesy lines...yes. Turtle...he's the man...the greatest...movie moved him so much he became a surf instructor. I'm so glad to finally have this movie on DVD. My tape version of it wore thin years ago.

It's simply a great movie that even non-surfers can appreciate. Even though I've surfed for over 20 years now, I still find this movie enjoyable despite it's "Gleaming the Cube" vibe....it's truly far better than that.

Also...when the heck are they gonna release Endless Summer 2 on DVD??? Every single Bruce Brown film ever made is on DVD but that one! What gives!?

Sorry for that...get this movie, get this movie, get this movie. You'll thoroughly enjoy it and get to capture a period of surfing not captured many other places.

no title
this movie rocks!! "Eh haole, you stay J.O.J. or what?"

Paddle Yo!
Ahhh, so many North Shore fans out there. I love it! I must say that myself and older brother have got to be the ultimate fans. Not to many people I'm sure can say they have taken surf lessons from John Philbin (Turtle). I don't say this to brag or boast, but that's how much this movie meant to a couple of guys from the West Coast of Florida. Like so many have said, North Shore touches your soul. It's hard to say what it is, but this movie is an absolute classic! No vulgarity, nudity, or violence. Just an all-around great "feel good movie." With of course, so many memorable quotes. No doubt my favorite movie of all time!

Anyways, we found out that Philbin is now teaching surf lessons in Southern California. After finding this out, we jumped at the chance to have him teach us. We packed our stuff and flew out from the east coast to Cali. What a great experience! I loved this movie as a kid, and to be paddling out in the Pacific Ocean with Turtle was an absolute thrill! Philbin's a very cool guy and an excellent surf instructor. If you have the means and are going to be in So. Cal, or live in Cali, and REALLY want to learn to surf, look up Philbin for surfing lessons. - Nice little plug for my boy John!

Laters Brah

"Paddle Yo!"...John Philbin

Chandler Surfboards North Shore T-Shirts Rule
"Chandler teach me how to big wave surf not even" Turtle
"Here on the North Shore we treat friends mo better" Turtle
"Yeah, design thing...design me right out of the picture howle"
"He one bad ripper yeah. I hear he break his stick he shred so bad"
"Scrub it kook!"
And the list goes on. If you love the movie you can quote every line. The DVD rules. Kudos to the company for actually believing in this film, after all of these years, and including interviews with the original cast.
This film touched a nerve in a whole generation of surfers and wanna be surfers alike.
If you love it like I love it, send an email to skatervet@yahoo.com. I'll send you a pic of the tribute Chandler Surfboards North Shore Hawaii T-shirt like the one Rick Kane (Matt Adler) wore at the end of the movie. Maybe one can be yours.
Later Barneys. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

This one is personal
I have Cerebral Palsy, so does my husband. The movie is so true to the life we live on a daily basis, of rejection and the need to find a 'star' to guide our lives by. The bond between the girl and her care attendant is significant, as the letter writing in hopes of meeting something greater that the mondane in our lives. Lastly, to have love. I recommend this movie to anyone who needs a 'charge' to jumpstart their lives, or for anyone who want to understand the on going issues of disability.

I am so thankful that Amazon is carrying this movie. Thanks

touched by love
When I first saw this movie I was so moved by it. To think that the king of rock & roll touched the life of this young lady and inspired her to look at her life and those who really cared and loved her and bring her out of her shell was incredible. I have always been a fan of Elvis and to this day I cherish his music, I can relate to the young lady in this movie because I too when I am down or sluggish all I have to do is listen to my Elvis music and that man will bring out the best in me. Elvis was a very special person and with his music he brought life and happiness to a beautiful young lady when she needed it the most. There will never be another Elvis he was a legend but he left us with the one thing we all need and that is his music. You won't regret watching this movie I can bet you that you will watch it more than once it was that moving. There was a lesson to be learned from this movie and that is to never give up on something or someone you care for if you're patient like she was you will eventually receive an answer.

A MUST FOR ANY SERIOUS ELVIS FAN
It details the life of a special little girl with cerebal palsy and how her love of Elvis made her remaining years joyful. Diane Lane is outstanding. John Amos and Michael Learned give much in supporting roles. While some may find this a weak production, any true Elvis fan will view it as quite an emotional ride and confirmation of the largeness and humbleness of The King of Rock n' Roll. As a "devout" Elvis fan he greatly touched my life. This movie, which I treasure, details just how special his life was and how much it meant to so many in so many different ways. Again, it's a must for ANY true Elvis fan.

True stories ALWAYS make a movie!
As a once very avid Elvis collector and music history specialist, I must say this movie is worth your attention! Based on the true story and book of a very wonderful woman who works with handicapped children in a special care facility. She meets a young lady (Diane Lane) who is a total fan of Elvis Presley and not only works with her therapy, but her love for Elvis. The unbelieveably true part is that Elvis personally begins to correspond with the young lady through a private mailing address. The complete story is golden, like a fairy tale. But this one is amazingly true, confirmed by the author, Joe Esposito, and once, at a press conference, Elvis, himself. 5 STARS- ALL THE WAY, (and remember the Kleenex box)!

A Wonderful Heartwarming Movie
I just love this movie. I have this in VHS and I wish it was in DVD. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

First film by director Ridley Scott barely got released in this country in the mid-1970s, but stands up, despite the rather noticeable accents of its stars. That's because Brooklynite Harvey Keitel and Westerner Keith Carradine are playing a pair of officers in Napoleon's army--oops! The plot centers on Carradine insulting Keitel and Keitel demanding vengeance. But every time they get into the middle of one of their duels, war breaks out or something else happens to interrupt. Keitel, however, is too pig-headed to let it drop and dogs Carradine over the course of 20 years. Strong performances otherwise and amazing cinematography, as well as a cast that includes Albert Finney, Edward Fox, and Tom Conti. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (61)

Uncompromisingly a five-star flick...
Based on Joseph Conrad's book "The Duel", the true story of a 30-year feud between two Napoleonic cavalry officers, "The Duellists" was Ridley Scott's first major film. Starring Keith Carradine as the pompous D'Hubert and a particularly menacing Harvey Keitel as Feraud, the film climbs inside the minds of two men for whom honor is more important than life itself.

The two antagonists begin their series of bloody encounters when D'Hubert is ordered by his commanding general to arrest Feraud for wounding the local mayor's nephew in a duel. Feraud, in a hopelessly irrational state, challenges D'Hubert to a duel, which is carried out more or less on the spot. D'Hubert comes off slightly better in the initial encounter, which only serves to fuel Feraud's rage, and the course of the film is set.

The cinematography of this film, shot by Frank Tidy, is almost beyond comparison. The previous versions on VHS simply looked muddy and rather washed out. The colors lacked any real saturation, rendering Feraud's bottle-green dolman black and it almost looked like a poor quality black and white in some scenes, especially those set in Napoleon's abortive Russian campaign.

The DVD transfer, by contrast, is staggeringly beautiful and releases colors, which I did not realize existed in the original. I am, by coincidence, a professional cameraman and I rate this as the best shot film I have ever seen. The only criticism I have is a somewhat inconsistent use of graduated filters, which, whilst they were probably quite innovative for their day, don't always work well. Grads are always a problem and any film made since will tend to suffer the same way. A very minor point.

The costumes and settings; mostly in The Dordogne, make the film not only totally authentic but defy the viewer to believe that it was made on a shoestring budget. The visual splendour challenges any modern filmaker to create the same effect without spending a vault full of money to achieve it. That is only part of the appeal of the film.

The acting performances, particularly by Keitel, want for nothing. The scene with Feraud standing on a cliff overlooking the river valley, taken in context, makes you realise that his life and pretensions to honor have been for nothing. His mania for revenge has cost him everything. Melded to the other performances with superlative skill by Ridley Scott, this film is a masterpiece and has now gone from a film I liked a lot to one which is now firmly wedged in my top ten. Like as not, it will stay there for a long time.

An overlooked masterpiece
Ridley Scott's film The Duellists is due out on Region 1 DVD soon. I have been waiting for a DVD release for this film since I first got my player. It's due out on December 3rd from Paramount.
It has a widescreen anamorphic transfer and looks set to have loads of extras.

This was the first film from director Ridley Scott.
The story is about two Napoleonic officers played by Keith Carradine and Harvey Keitel. One offends the other and so they duel. But there is never a conclusion to the duellists bouts and one of the soldiers demands satisfaction and will not let the matter drop. He dogs the other over the course of twenty years. The final sequence in the woods is played out to perfection and I think Harvey Keitel captures the soldiers feelings brilliantly.
The cinematography and score are amazing, performances are strong despite the two leads strained accents. This film is one of the most breathtaking to look at, it's shot on a beautiful landscape and I really liked the story. To offend someone then and for them not to take up the duel was the markings of a coward and not one of honour. I think The Duellists is an overlooked masterpiece.

VISUAL FEAST -
I enjoyed this film because the producers have captured the era magnificentley with respect to period detail as well as the language and of course the mood of the time.

I was captured by the opening scene and wasn't released till the end,as the story appealed to my interest in history in general and the film certainly fulfilled this aspect as well.

The question I asked myself after seeing this film was "...why can't they make films like this anymore?..." as I learnt of the paltry budget this film was produced from. Instead of overdone special effects and mindless violence which assaults us today more often than not, this genre/style of film is appealing and should be copied with more frequency.

Superb Keitel and good solid performance by Carradine.

Obsession
Driven by a compulsion to fight a duel at the slightest insult, Harvey Keitel plays Lt. Feurandin the French army during the time of Napleon who lives by the sword. When Keith Carradine's D'Hubert is sent out to convey a message from their French commander to cease fighting duels after badly injuring the mayor of a town, Keitel's character finds the message and delivery insulting enough to--yes--challenge Carradine to a duel then and there. Carradine ends the duel by knocking Keitel's character out with a block from the butt of his sword.

From there they both spiral into the madness and obsession of Feruand and D'Hubert's need to win at all costs. Fighting over the years, they lose loved ones and, in a sense, lose themselves as the passion for the fight becomes everything. By the end neither man understands why they are truly fighting or what they are fighting for.

Ridley Scott's first feature film was his fourth attempt at making a full length film. Based on a short story by Conrad that eventually became part of a much larger narrative canvas, "The Duelists" catches Scott in perfect form the first time out. While Scott expanded his scope in higher profile films ("Alien", "Blade Runner", "Thelma and Louise" and "Gladiator"), his visual and narrative style blossomed in his very first "epic" (made for a paltry $1 million)film.

The powerful performances by the international cast manages to overcome the minor differences in accents (Keitel's Brooklyn accent vs. Carradine's California twang vs. Tom Conti's British accent, etc.). Visually and thematically powerful, "The Duelists" remains one of Scott's best films.

The anamorphic widescreen transfer looks marvelous despite some minor blemishes. Paramount has Packed this film with extras including a commentary from Scott: "Dueling Directors" featuring director Kevin Reynolds interviewing Scott; Scott's first short film "Boy on a Bike" (featuring his brother and future director Tony Scott); isolated score and commentary by Howard Shore as well as the theatrical trailer. The sound although not quite up to the standard of current films (it was made, afterall, in 1977), has a splendid range and there's minimal distoriton.

This sharply directed and written film deserves as much attention as Scott's other more mainstream features. Although no Scott film is without merit (even "Someone to Watch Over Me" and the Hammer-like "Hannibal"), "The Duelists" deserves its spot as one of Scott's five or six best films.

Point / Counterpoint
The Duellists finally arrives on DVD. At long last Ridley Scott's first film is available to the public and it was well worth the wait. The skimpy $900k budget looks more like $60 million in the hands of Scott. Using only real locations and splurging on costumes, this Napoleonic epic looks as good as any other, if not better. This is an intimate story and not one of those sweeping, libertine war melodramas. The story and acting are good, but what really stands out about this picture is the jaw droping cinematography. Scott employed a special photochemical process to enhance the contrast of the film. This is most noticed in the velvety depths of the shadows, and darker tones. The end result is a film that, often, looks like a moving Rembrandt. The above average DVD transfer serves to preserve this. I may be crazy, but it seems to me that Scott may be trying to provide us with contrapuntal films to those of Kubrick. I think that, thematically and stylistically, the Duellists is simply a boiled down version of Barry Lyndon. I think that it could also be said that Alien was probably the reactionary product of 2001. Anyway, the DVD extras provide some interesting vantage into the making and history of this great film. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A brilliant performance by Carol Burnett
"The Tenth Month" is a made-for-TV movie that surpasses anything that Carol Burnett has done. This is perhaps one of her most touching performances. What's sad is that this movie is so hard to find in mint condition. It isn't as much as a tear-jerker as it's meant to be but it certainly has its moments where your heart goes out for Dory (Burnett's tormented character) and her boyfriend (a wonderful British actor). I highly recommend this movie to any Burnett fan or anyone who is the parent of an adopted child or an adopted child. It's wonderful! 5/5 stars ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Sexy David Essex Will Blow You Away!
The best thing about this movie is David Essex. He is georgeous!
He just keeps getting better and better. And for any of you Essex fans who haven't seen this movie yet, there is a shower scene! As far as I'm concerned David shines in this. The song "I think I'll always love you" was composed by him but sung by someone else. It is lovely. I enjoyed this film so much I bought it in BETA, and am now purchasing it in VHS!

Silver Dream Racer
This is one of those movies that you can tell while watching it, that you know you're seeing something bad. But I continued to watch. Only to be completely "blown away" by the horrible ending. What a waste. I basically watched the entire movie to get the big race at the end, and I'll admit that I was slightly more interested in the characters at this point, so what do they do? KILL the star, and thus, the relationship with the girl. If your into torture, or a laugh then rent it.

BEST BIKER MOVIE
Quite a while since I first saw the film but having been to see David Essex live a couple of days ago when he sang the title track - it evoked memories of what an excellent "biker" film this was. It was a classic for its time - the race scenes were excellent and David portrayed the part par excellence.

The ending was unexpected and very dramatic - it leaves a constant memory for what was a brilliant film.

Best movie about motorbike racing I've seen
Read this review with the understanding that I first saw this movie as a 12-year old at my local cinema around 1980. And then I went to go and see it another four times in the week after that. At that time, this movie just blew me away with its motorbike race scenes - and I also wasn't puked out by the romance sub-plot either - which is saying something for a 12-year old. The sight of David Essex zipping around the track on that gorgeous silver bike - and the sad conclusion to the movie -was enough to create a warm memory of the movie for me. I'll probably see it today and be able to intellectually accept its hokiness, but sentimentally - hey, it's a good memory from my youth so I'll probably buy it for my Guilty Pleasures collection (alongside An Officer and a Gentleman and Against All Odds).

ROADRACING ACTION!
With footage from Barry Sheen, David Essex plays an always strugling racer who have the willing power to build the ultimate machine. Nice shots and good story produced with technical motorcycle parts and a lovely girlfriend. Does anyone have a copy to sell? ... Read more

Reviews (11)

One of the Best Horror Movies Ever Made...
This has to be one of the best scary movies they have made. It might not be the very best but of course it is really not the worst. I remember seeing this movie on TV about 5 or 6 years ago and I just bought it. The first story deals with a lady being chased around by a maniac, when she goes out for a pack of cigarettes this story is ***1/2 out of ****. The second story is about a kid that just has to get to level 13 on an arcade game (stars a young Emilio Estevez) this story gets *** out of ****. The third is on of my least favorites about a priest who is being chased by a truck from hell (it really is a truck from hell)this gets ** out of ****. And the last (Night of the Rat) is my favorite. It is about a rat who just wants a simple thing to leave find out what that is after watching "NIGHTMARES" on VHS or DVD! This movies get a **** out of ****

Good Rainy-Day Horror Flick
This 1983 Universal romp is a decent (albeit sometimes vapid by today's Generation X horror standards) anthology flick. "Nightmares" explores a heterogenous quartet of "scream themes" from serial killers (Terror in Topenga) to cursed video games (The Bishop of Battle), and from muderous fabled rodents (Night of the Rat) to Satanic wrath (The Benediction). Humble, yet effective performances by Emilio Estevez, Lance Henriksen ("Aliens", the "Milennium" TV series), Richard Masur, and Veronica Cartwright ("Alien", "Invasion of the Body Snatchers-1978"). Estevez's character clings on to the "Brat Pack" image levied onto him during the mid 1980's as a vociferious, hot-headed, adolescent ignoramus whose only purpose in life is to conquer the "challenging" Bishop of Battle arcade number, but at a grisly cost. "Night of the Rat" probably has the best storyline of all the tales about a loving family who becomes beseiged by a monstrous mythological rat living in their home's crawlspaces (the FX in this one are quite cheesy). Joseph Sargent ("Jaws The Revenge") directed and Christopher Crowe ("Jerry MacGuire", "Fast Times at Ridgemont High") scripted. "Nightmares" is good for a slumber party/late-nite flick or for lazy weekends when there's nothing on the tube.

Rat as big as Shaq
Finally I found the title of this flick!! I was like, 6 or something when I first watched this, and forgot the name for 20 years until tonight!!!! The movies that stand out is the video game one, the one where the Estevez dude turns to a monochrome dude trapped in the game, and then of course the last one, with the rat, as big as Shaq!!!! Now that is scary!!!!! This is a dandy 80's flick!!!

don't lose your faith
Nightmares has 4 vignettes:
1.) a nasty video game that consumes JJ (Emilio Estevez)
2.) a psychopathic killer that almost gets smoker(Christina Raines)
3.) A Satanic black Chevy truck trying to kill a faithless priest
(Lance Henrickson)
and 4.) a dumb story of Giant Rodent ... at a dopey husband
( I forget his name)
an enjoyable movie nontheless

decent horror movie...awesome soundtrack
This is a decent anthology film from the early 80's with a great soundtrack. The first story is only decent , not great , but not bad either although the scene where the gas station attendent busted through the chick's window scared me the first time I saw it. The second story is the best one , with Emilio Estevez as a arcade junkie who gets more than he bargains for when he reaches the 13 level. The third story is the worst and a waste of time even though Lance Henrikson is an awesome actor. The fourth is also great about a mythological devil rat harassing a suburban family. That story also featured an hillarious scene where Richard Masur is shooting at the rat and the stereo blast Black Flag's "Louie Louie" (what middle class home would even own a Black Flag album). I wouldnt recommend buying it..but it's a cool movie to rent or watch on late night tv ... Read more