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Just as Do the Right Thing was the capstone of Spike Lee's earlier career, Malcolm X marked the next milestone in the filmmaker's artistic maturity. It seemed everything Lee had done up to that point was to prepare him for this epic biography of America's fiery civil-rights leader, who is superbly played by Oscar-nominated Denzel Washington, from his early days as a zoot-suited hustler known as "Detroit Red" to his spiritual maturity after his pilgrimage to Mecca, as a Black Muslim by the name of El Hajj Malik El Shabazz. Do the Right Thing climaxed with the photographic images of Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King engulfed by flames of rage; Malcolm X explores the genesis and evolution of that rage over Malcolm's lifetime, and how these two great figures--held up to the public as polar-opposites within the African American human rights movement (King for nonviolent civil disobedience, Malcolm for achieving equality "by any means necessary")--were each essential to the agenda of the other. Lee careens from the hedonistic ebullience of Malcolm's early days to the stark despair of prison, from his life-changing conversion to Islam to his emergence as a dynamic political leader--all with an epic sweep and vitality that illuminates personal details as well as political ideology. Angela Bassett is also terrific as Malcolm's wife, Betty Shabazz. --Jim Emerson ... Read more

Reviews (72)

Awesome man, excellent tribute
Denzel Washington makes this little understood nearly mythical man breath. After studying the life of Malcolm X in a sociology of religion class, we watched this film to relax a bit. The script seems fairly accurate to history, and the imagery helps bring the conflict, drive and sincerity of Malcolm X to life.
In the movie, it becomes so obvious that Malcolm had just reached a kind of Buddhist nirvanna in his Islamic faith. Had he been allowed to live, his newly found spiritual insight gained from his pilgrimage to Mecca most likely would have helped to enlighten other Americans, Muslim or Christian, white or black. Malcolm appears on the verge of something even greater than he had previously been. Malcolm appears to be on the verge of becoming a national and perhaps even global spiritual and secular leader at the time of his death. Denzel makes more mourn the death of a man I never met. Inspiring, insightful. I'm grateful to Denzel and Spike for bringing me this "joint."

Excellent Biopic, One of the Best!
A sweeping biopic of an admirable man, who, while his ideas were wrong, had the will and the determination to defend his ideas and to say them publicly. A powerful film, with a sweeping force and excellent production values. While the film is extremely long (200+ min.), it is never boring ans always fascinating, it is divided in equally interesting stages; Malcolm's youth, prison time, his dedication to Elijah Muhammad, and the ultimate betrayal and death of Malcom X. A compelling study of a complicated, angry man, and whether you agree with his ideas or you don't, the movie remains a riveting biopic that is one of the best movies of the 90's. The reason the film works so well is mainly because of the performances and the assured direction by Lee. Not as incendeary or provocative as one would expect from a Spike Lee film, only the first and last few minutes are controversial. Denzel Washington delivers a powerful performance that ranks among his best. Also Angela Bassett is great in support. From a scale of 1-10 I give this film a 9!

Powerful...
...is the best way to describe Malcolm X, Denzel Washinton's greatest work in cinema so far. It tells the story of Malcolm X, the strong-willed black revolution leader whose ironic and powerful views differed very differently from Martin Luther Jr.
Denzel Washington gives an extraordinary performance, and with heart he shows the metamorphosis of Malcolm X, from hip young kid, to his life of crime days, to when he was a white-hating civil rights leader.
There are many other great performances in the film, and Spike Lee makes Malcolm X his best "joint" ever. You can feel that this is a Spike lee film, because it is a little strange and it swings from one mood to another. Spike lee also stars in the film, but as a minor character.
I thoroughly enjoyed watching Malcolm X, and it ranks as one of the best film of the '90s. If you love Denzel Washington, you haven't seen him perform until you have seen him in Malcolm X.

BEST MOVIE EVER
Movies are never good as the book, but its good to see a visual. One thing I didn't like about the movie is the way they protrayed Elijah Mahammad.
This movie changed my life, for someone like me in High School that didn't like to read. lol It was becasue of this movie I joined the Nation Of Islam when I was 18. I figured I would go to the source, Malcom X just repeated what Elijah said, and look how great he became. Malocom X was so great, but always thought he would come back to the N.O.I....Give thanks to Malcom X our living Ancestor...

Definite classic
But... while this film marks Spike's high point as a director and one of Denzel's highest points as an actor (THIS is what he should've goitten the Oscar for, not Training Day, and it's criminal that Spike wasn't nominated.)
That being said, the film is overall excellent and historically accurate, even when it hurts, such as the corruption of the Nation of Islam. Two things, however, mar it: First, Freeman's Elijah sounded like he belonged in Kung Fu film; the real Elijah (there are tapes)didn't quite sound that Asian. Second, the ending just didn't fit. That was just Spike trying way too hard to say something that really didn't need to be said. The film could've ended at the assassination and been near perfect. The rest was attempted spin-doctoring.
DEFINITELY see this film. It's essential in understanding a lot of the early '60s political scene. ... Read more

Description

Daughter of a legend.Rising superstar.Proud mother and wife.Natalie Cole seemed to have it all, but a recurring addiction to drugs and hidden grief took her from the top of the charts to the depths of despair.In this powerful and authorized story of her life, Natalie shares her inspiring journey back, and the enduring spirit of the man who led the way -- her beloved father.Directed by Robert Townsend. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

"This Will Be" a great video to own!
Natalie Cole's story, which was based on her best-selling autobiography, comes to vivid life on screen. Like Ms. Cole's book, this movie pulls no punches about the seemingly fairytale life she had as a child to her bouts with drugs, her rise to fame as a singing star, her family life, only for it to all come crashing down due to her addiction--and her amazing comeback due to the one thing she was running away from all her life: acknowledging the legacy of her father, the legendary pop/jazz artist, Nat "King" Cole, who had died a tragic death from lung cancer at the age of 45. At the time of his death, Natalie had just turned 15, and has said that his death was something she never got over, but never had the chance to grieve, which eventually led her to drugs. That, and the need to be daring and experimental. But she explains that it wasn't until the mid-80s when she was in rehab for the second time that she realized this. Bottom line was, she missed her father tremendously.

Diahann Carroll is fantastic as Maria Cole, Natalie's strict disciplinarian mother, and James McDaniel captures the gentle and understanding man that Nat Cole was perfectly, even though his role is not a large one. The two young actresses who play Natalie as a child are enchanting, and Theresa Randle as the young adult Natalie pulls out all the stops for a Emmy-deserving performance.

One of the most touching and true scenes in the movie is when Natalie, playing herself, has to break the news to her young son right before a concert that his father has passed away, then she goes on stage and dedicates her hit song "Our Love" to her former husband. The emotion is very real, and you can tell that Natalie was reliving the pain she must've felt then. Also at the very end of the film, you see real footage of Natalie singing the smash "Unforgettable" with Nat on video at the 1992 Grammy awards. Another heart-touching moment. It also shows the ups and downs of the music industry and how certain situations are handled and overcome. A phenomenal story. Highly recommended! Now if only we can bring Nat's story to the screen....

A GREAT LOOK AT NATALIE COLE'S LIFE
I SAW THIS MOVIE ON TV AND IT WAS FANTASTIC. IT SHOWS HOW SHE USED DRUGS AND HOW IT AFFECTED HER LIFE AND CAREER. IT SHOWS HOW SHE WAS NOT CLOSE TO HER MOTHER. HER MOTHER DIDN'T WANT HER TO BE A SINGER. UP UNTIL THE LAST 30 MINUTES OR SO, THE ACTUAL NATALIE COLE TAKES OVER AS HERSELF. THE MOVIE ENDS WITH NATALIE RECORDING A DUET WITH NAT "KING" COLE AND HER PERFORMING ON THE GRAMMYS. ALL TOGETHER: FANTASTIC ... Read more

Reviews (48)

Slam Dunk
Space Jam teams up His Airness, Michael Jordan, with His Hareness, Bugs Bunny, for a fun, and funny, family film.

Michael Jordan has retired from basketball, and currently playing baseball, when Bugs Bunny and his Looney Tunes pals ask for his help in playing a b-ball game against diminuative aliens from Moron Mountain. These aliens have stolen the talent of 5 NBA players, including Charles Barkley and Patrick Ewing, and are now larger than life. Since this is Looney Tunes Land, this game is NOT your average basketball game. If it was, it wouldn't be any fun.

Though not an actor of any kind in anyone's book, Michael Jordan does a very good job of interacting with his cartoon co-stars. Most of the jokes are well done and the basketball game itself is a lot of fun. In addition, it is quite funny to watch the 5 NBA players that had their "games" stolen trying to cope with their newfound ordinaryness.

This movie is not groundbreaking by any means and most all of the original Looney Tunes cartoons are better. But this movie never tries to be more than it is: a good time. And at that, it succeeds very well.

Jordan and the Tunes score a slam dunk
Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fudd, and the rest of the Looney Tunes call on Michael Jordan to help them win a basketball contest after they're kidnapped by a group of aliens. Jordan agrees and if they lose the basketball game, he agrees to be the aliens' star attraction.

"Space Jam" isn't like you might expect it to be. It's not just a movie showcasing Jordan's talents as a basketball player. It is more of a great comedy movie, particularly with the Looney Tunes. Some of the funniest parts are when Sylvester gets shot and Tweety flies through him and says "Holey Putty Tat." Another good one is when one of the men from "Seinfeld" gets blown up like a hot air balloon and then deflates, stinking up the basketball court. Bill Murray also makes an appearance to give Jordan and the Tunes some extra help.

If you're a fan of Michael Jordan or if you used to like watching Looney Tunes, this is one movie you've got to see. It'll keep you entertained and laughing throughout the whole movie.

Warner Bros. has finally flipped
Three stars is high praise for a show like this, it DID have it's great parts, but on the whole, it shows little indication that the directors or the voice artists even WATCHED payed attention to the characters they were basing it off of!
The characters are unlike the originals. Case in point:

DAFFY DUCK -- One of the worst voices for Daffy I've ever heard! He has his funny lines, but when making a movie with Daffy Duck in it how CAN you even AVOID funny lines? This classic character (created by Fred Avery) is my favorite cartoon character. Why did they have to spoil him like this?

BUGS BUNNY-- Bugs Bunny's voice is bad, too. But aside from that, Bugs is OK (one of the few characters who is).

ELMER FUDD-- Yeechh! I could do a better Elmer voice than THAT! And the scene where Elmer Fudd makes a slam dunk is about as uncharacteristic as it gets.

PORKY PIG-- His voice is bad too. His lines aren't funny. He doesn't act like Porky...but besides that...

LOLA BUNNY-- Where in the heck did SHE come from? She isn't in any of the Looney Tune cartoons, so why is she in Looney Tune Land? Her voice is fine (just because she isn't in anything else, so I have nothing to go by), but if she had any personality to start with, she lost it halfway through the film. And when the giant alien is about to jump on Lola, she just stands there. WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH HER??? At least Wile E. Coyote TRIES to run (he doesn't ever get anywhere, but his legs move). Did she WANT Bugs to get crushed (as in flattened.) Bugs loves himself too much to do that, anyway.

THE TASMANIAN DEVIL-- After you watch the picture, you forget he was even in it. His voice is OK, though.

TWEETY-- Awful! Terrible! Horrible! Embarrassing! Tweety's voice is the worst I've ever heard, Tweety isn't innocent like he is on the cartoons, he's MEAN (and he's not even FUNNY mean, like Clampett made him).

SYLVESTER-- Call me crazy, but he's the highlight of the movie. He doesn't do anything, but his voice is great, his lines are funny and his personality is "spot on". I don't like what he does with the fishing pole, but hey! I'm sure he was looking for fish!

WILE E. AND THE ROAD RUNNER -- Funny, but they don't do much.

For much (...) better results, watch Looney Tunes: Back in Action!

Big Macs for life
How any critic can call Looney Tunes: Back in Action an exercise in franchise promotion but not puke at the 80-minute commercial that is Space Jam is beyond me.

Our plot has Danny Devito play the voice of an evil, monster type businessman who's theme park is failing. In desperation he sends 5 little creatures to capture the Looney Tunes and bring them back as the new attraction.

So...where is Looney Tune land? Apparently it's underground. And digging up any golf ball hole will eventually lead to it. When the Looney Tunes challenge the would-be kidnappers to a basketball game they kidnap Michael Jordan to be on their team.

The quality of the film nosedives from here on. Jordan's acting is so wooden it's mahogany. He expresses no confusion, joy or surprise at being yanked into Looney Tune land and confronted by all the toons. 'Bugs Bunny you're a cartoon you're not real', he says in the most flat, boring and dullest way (missing commas intended as he doesn't use them).

And then the big game follows. Once it's over, and there's no reason left to continue watching, the film goes on for another 10 minutes (to beef the running time up 'feature length') with the basketball/Jordan story. It's rubbish.

It's no surprise that the film is directed by Joe Pytka (he's NOT Joe Dante that's for sure), a man who has never done any other features but over a 1000 TV ads, or something. Space Jam is nowt but 100% proof Warner like to whore out their most famous creation to make a few quick, and cheap, bucks. It's heartbreaking, heinous stuff.

Casting Michael Jordan alongside the Looney Tunes is not inspired and imaginative. It's crass and desperate. Now they can attract sports fans AND kiddies. And Michael Jordan of all people! He's not a good actor and his fame outside of the U.S. is minimal to say the least. Moreso today.

The only part of the film that comes (very, very remotely) close to the true spirit of the Looney Tunes is the score. James Newton Howard (a truly bizarre choice, how about Jerry Goldsmith, Bruce Broughton or even Danny Elfman) recognizes the classic Looney Tunes themes and uses them appropriately in certain moments but the rest of the score is generic and uninspired.

Back in Action was intelligent, witty and satirical. Space Jam is corny, cheap and classless. It's an absolute travesty. How can we honestly take seriously a movie that has every cast member awe at Michael Jordan, has not too subtle product placement for McDonalds and has the Looney Tunes (one of the most ingenious creations in history) exploited in the most shameless and guilt free manner. With Space Jam, Warner showed that they'd cash in the Looney Tunes at a pawn shop for $5 if they could. A total lack of respect for Chuck Jones, Friz Freleng and Robert McKimson.

And they don't even act Looney. The only laughs come from Bugs and Daffy. And it's sporadic and inconsistent. Producer Ivan Reitman (who has no experience and no business with this franchise) managed to convince Bill Murray to appear in this drek (for about 10 minutes) so the trailer could boast an ACTUAL star other than Jordan. Murray's performance is the bare minimum and has a let's-get-this-over-with feel (though Murray working below-par is still miles ahead of many other actors at the top of their game). His appearance in the film is massively oversold.

It's just not fair that THIS is a big hit while Back In Action flopped horribly. I consider it the biggest miscarriage in justice ever. I still blame the marketing for Back in Action. It was bad, REAL bad. But still has some sort of quiet dignity about it when compared to the McDonalds promoted, in your face junk that was Space Jam's marketing. Is it any wonder Joe Dante had Back In Action nicknamed 'The Anti-Space Jam movie'?

And just what the hell is a Space Jam anyway? It's not even set in Space!!!

It took Warner 3 tries but the finally released the movie in its original aspect ratio. The DVD presents the film is 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen with pretty active Dolby 5.1 sound. There are loads of features but they are all fluff. Some 80's Looney Tunes shorts are included too.

A funny film
If you're a fan of the Warner Bros. cartoons,basketball,or golf,this film is for you. Basketball great Michael Jordan stars in this half-animated feature. At a basketball game,we see Bugs Bunny,Porky Pig,Daffy Duck and Elmer Fudd in the audience. To the best of my recollection,Bill Murray and Danny DeVito have cameos in the golf scene(s). We also see Pepe Le Pew,Wile E. Coyote,Road Runner and Speedy Gonzales in this film. The featured song in this film is R. Kelly's "I Believe I Can Fly",which was on hit parade in the fall of 1996 when this film was released. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Perhaps only Spike Lee could make a dignified yet extremely funny comedy-drama about phone sex. Theresa Randle (Bad Boys) is the title character, a hard-working actress who becomes addicted to this peculiar form of safe sex (the movie is verbal, not physical, in that department) at a high-class New York agency. Throughout the film, Girl 6 (she's unnamed beyond this) sports a dazzling array of new looks, hairstyles, and clothes. Randle radiates every step of the way. Lee even delivers on fantasy elements when Girl 6 finds herself in a send-up of blaxploitation films and a keen lampoon of The Jeffersons (the three-minute sequence is better than any planned TV-to-movie film that may come along). Revelations about Girl 6's life are brought out through her ex-husband (Isaiah Washington), who, in his very flawed but honest way, plans to reunite with her. Better yet are conversations with the next-door neighbor (Spike Lee, doing some of his best work). Solitary, experimental, with plenty of delicious cameos (including Madonna), Girl 6 is playwright Suzan-Lori Parks's first screenplay. Similar in tone to Lee's debut, She's Gotta Have It, Girl 6 also boasts an energetic mix of old and new songs by Prince and, as always with Lee, colorful camerawork. An alleyway kiss near the end is a great romantic image. --Doug Thomas ... Read more

Reviews (15)

One of my favorite films
I really liked this movie so much that I want to buy my own copy. I'd heard about the film when it first came out in 1996, but like so many smaller films, if you don't see it right away you miss your chance. Right away, the Prince soundtrack is wonderful and sets the tone and you hear so many great songs throughout the film. This movie has great dialogue and is very well written. If that isn't what you like, you will be bored and should go see some mindless action flick. I can't imagine how anyone would not like this film. It is my favorite Spike Lee film without a doubt. There is definitely an ethereal and dreamy quality to the film that I liked very much. The main character, Lovely or Girl 6, played by Theresa Randle, is stressed and and overworked from too many part time jobs. The movie is set in and around Manhattan. Lovely is working all the jobs so that she can be free to go on acting auditions. Her agent gets her a great audition for a film and she believes she is doing fine until the director says he needs her to take off her top so he can look at her breasts. She is so disgusted by this treatment that she walks out on the audition and she becomes increasingly frustrated at what it seems it will take for her to get a break in the acting field. While looking at want ads while riding the subway (we see her sick, coughing and exhausted from overwork and stress) she sees an ad that promises great money doing phone sex and she interviews for the job. The whole process of her inquiring about the job, training for the job and the people she encounters, not to mention the whole "business" of phone sex is so entertaining. There are some great cameos in this film, including Madonna (who is terrific), Naomi Campbell, Richard Belzer and Quentin Tarantino. Debi Mazor is another phone girl who warns Lovely (Theresa) not to take it all too seriously. Spike Lee is wonderful as Lovely's neighbor- a dreamer just like her. He chastises her for doing the "phone bone" when she ought to be pursing her acting career, but as Lovely points out, her job actually is acting on a certain level. There are some touching moments, too such as when Lovely hopes to meet one of her clients in Coney Island and she's waiting for hours and looking for him. There is also a very frightening scene when a sicko (snuff fantasy) client finds out where Lovely lives and wants to make his fantasy a reality. There is a funny side plot about Lovely's ex-husband who steals from local merchants such as fruit vendors. This ex-husband wants Lovely back and never stops trying. I won't give the rest of the plot away, but if any of this sounds remotely interesting, check out this film. I think that this film was well done in all aspects and I consider it one of my all time favorite films.

A Serious Comedy From Spike Lee
1996: Spike Lee directed this movie believe it or not. He wrote the screenplay and performed in the role of the wise, comforting and dreamer neighboor in Lovely's apartment. Theresa Randle of the Bad Boys film, stars as Lovely, or the eponymous Girl 6. When I saw this film, I could not believe it was a Spike Lee film, but his presence in the movie and his signature urban themes are distinctly marked in this movie. The film deals with an aspiring actress who is coaxed into working as a phone sex operator. Despite the good money it pays, it becomes messy and dangerous for her after a client becomes insanely obscessed with her. Her relationship with her (boyfriend ? husband ?) is in jeopardy due to her choice of work. Although clearly this movie attempts to be serious, there are many comic features written into many of the scenes, particularily the sordid, bizarre and outrageous sexual fantasies of the clients. The phone sex scenes that play out between the operators and their clients are hilarious! The "fantasy sequences" in which Lovely acts out various roles from television and film are also hilarious. These roles are: Lovely as Dorothy Dandridge in Carmen Jones, as the daughter in the old sitcom The Jeffersons, as Pam Grier's Foxy Brown in 70's exploitation movies and as a 30's or 40's Hollywood Golden Age diva towards the end of the film shot in black and white.Guest stars abound in this witty urban comic drama. Among them Madonna, as a phone sex operator instructor who is giving the girls tips and advice via a monitor, Halle Barry in a brief interview scene, and even Quentin Terentino shows up in the film. I don't know whether to laugh non stop at one of the silliest films ever made by Spike Lee or to wonder at the subtle signficance of its theme. Spike Lee seems to be portraying a strong black woman who undergoes terrible misfortune in a dark and risky business only to give it up in a beautiful scene towards the end when she and her boyfriend/husband kiss and telephones start falling from the sky in slow motion. In Hollywood, she does not give up her morals or dignity and refuses to do a nude sex scene that might be featured in pornpgraphy. It's really a look at Hollywood's love for sex, its classless tastes and its exploitation of women. It might be Spike Lee's greatest film. Just try to look beyond the comedy.

This is in my top 10
One of my favourite films of all time. There's something about Spike Lee's *Girl 6* that's particularly stuck with me. In short, it's about a phone-sex agency and the people that work there. Theresa Randle plays Girl 6 brilliantly as a woman of great strength and tenderness. Like the film itself, very funny, yet painfully gritty. A surprisingly good performance from Naomi Campbell as Girl 75. An excellent cameo from Madonna playing the aging scarlet-woman with too much makeup spouting sexual profanitys - typecast or what! And the cherry-moon on the cake is the ace use of Prince music running through the film... *How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore* (which was a rare track back then), *HouseQuake*, *17 Days* and *Hot Thing* (which plays during Madge's monologue) being the musical highlights, for me. Oh, and Mr Lee himself is pretty good in it too... I really hope he gets around to releasing this on DVD... soon?!

A Spike Lee Surprise
Spike Lee's "Girl6" proves to be a fantastic exploration into the urban american dream. Although it took me more than one viewing, i find this movie to be on the same level as "Do the Right Thing" and "Crooklyn." What does it take to strike out on your own? What is the difference between reality and imagined reality? These are questions that Theresa Randle encounters as she executes a steller performance as an aspiring actress new to the Big Apple in "Girl6". Lee's unique use of composition and setting create tangible texture with potent imagery. Originally a play, "Girl6" maintains theatrical dialogue and pacing. At first, subtleties are difficult to tap into, but through a more aware viewing "Girl6" blooms into a cinematic gem.

Uneven and Inaccurate
The film had uneven humor throughout and little accuracy in it's portrayal of the phone sex industry. I am in the phone fantasy business and "Girl 6" is largely fantasy. While callers do indeed have a racial bias and many quirks; offices never are even half that nice and working from home isn't scary. Although I suppose there are girls who give their personal number out to callers and obsess over their work; most of us are well adjusted educated women with normal homes and families in suburbia who keep a safe distance from our clientel. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

This is *the* 80's movie!!!!
This is one of the greatest movies ever made in the 80's. It is so funny. Ally Sheedy is great as the spoiled Jessie Montgomery who goes from riches to rags and Beverly D'Angelo is excellant as fairy godmother Stella whom Jessie calls a 'major whacko!' (It's so 80's!) The best part would have to be when Merry Clayton (who plays the maid Audrey) belts out a 'lovely little ballad' called 'I can Still Shine!' That song is so good but I can't find it anywhere. Valerie Perrine and Dick Shawn are also good as Jessie's employers Mr. and Mrs. Starkey (Mrs. Starkey kind of reminds me of my yearbook advisor) but that's ok! Great movie! A must-see!

A fairy godmother helps a spoiled little rich girl grow up
Any movie that has Beverly D'Angelo as the fairy godmother is going to be my kind of movie. I have been a fan of D'Angelo's ever since she played Patsy Cline, including doing all of her own singing, in "Coal Miner's Daughter," and when I saw "National Lampoon's Vacation" I was not disappointed to discover that the film's R rating did not involve nudity because of the scene with Christie Brinkley in the swimming pool. Besides, when you throw supporting performances by Tom Skerritt and Merry Clayton into this film, you can forgive a lot of the shortcoming of "Maid to Order."

D'Angelo's fairy godmother is named Stella (interesting, since D'Angelo got rave reviews for a television production of "A Streetcar Named Desire" in which she played Stella Kowalski), who shows up to deal with spoiled little rich girl Jessie Montgomery (Ally Sheedy) who needs to learn a lesson. This means going the riches to rags route by coming home from a party one morning and discovering that nobody remembers her, including her father (Skerritt). It looks like Jessie is going to have to try to make it on her own and the future does not look bright.

Jessie eventually manages to get a job as a maid (saw that one coming, did you?) for rock 'n' roll promoter Stan Starkey (Dick Shawn) and his airhead wife Georgette (Valerie Perrine), who are attempting to redefine new money vulgarity. Slowly but surely Jessie learns to do her job and starts to connect with the downstairs staff, who take pity on her even though there is very little to like initially. This includes the cook, Audrey James (Clayton), the maid Maria (Begona Plaza), and the handsome chauffer, Nick McGuire (Michael Ontkean), who become the closest thing Jessie has to family and friends in the brand new world in which she has to live.

"Maid to Order" is fairly predictable and while we never really believe that Jessie was evil rather than stupid, there are a couple of heartfelt moments when she realizes that whatever she was it was wrong to be that way. The strength of the film remains the relationships she forms with the rest of the staff, which matters in the big magical moment when she has the opportunity to wish for anything in the world and she actually thinks of her friends instead of herself. This 1987 film might be predictable, but at least "Maid to Order" never gets stupid, which means this sweet little comedy comes from Amy Holden Jones out ahead in the end.

What a story!
I first saw this on TV, I think it was on UPN Local TV. I have since gotten ahold of the DVD. Beverly D'Angelo plays a stunning role as Ally Sheedy's Fairy Godmother; Ally Sheedy becomes poor and must get a job as a maid. Everyone she had always known is now under a spell and does not recognize her including her friends, her father, his workers, and his friends and colleagues. It is a bit of a tear jerker but there's a lot of humor mixed in mostly aimed a reality, "Life is not fair". All in all it is a dose of the real world for Ally Sheedy! On the DVD, the only options are to play the movie and to select a scene, but most mid-eighties movies are like that with no special features. I find that they usually update them with an anniversary DVD depending on how well it does. Being that it just came out about a year and a half ago on DVD, it may be a while before there is an anniversary DVD, perhaps in 2007 as a 20th anniversary DVD!*****

1980s tale of riches to rags
Brat Packer Ally Sheedy plays rich girl Jesse Montgomery who is careless about her finances and other people-- when cut off by her well-meaning dad, she borrows money off the butler -- who works for a living unlike her! I love how Jesse is supposed to be so cool and fashionable because in retrospect those 1980s hair and fashion are so heinous.

When her father says he wishes he never had her, a fairy godmother (Beverly D'Angelo) makes it true. Jesse is rebvorn as someone with no past. Her family, friends and dog have no idea who she is and she is ordered off the property. She has no money and only the fancy dirty dress she wore to her last party. Now she has to look for work.

She goes to a temp agency that has just received a call for a white maid. ("There is no such thing as a white maid in Los Angeles", says the woman seconds before Jesse appears with no credentials and experience. Such a racist premise as comedy could only come from the 1980s.)

Jesse is placed with a wealthy family that knows her father, but she was be subservient to all of them. Her ineptitude and idiocy make her realize how badly she has behaved in the past and that, since she does not know when if ever she will go back to her old life, she better learn to be a good maid and quick.

If you like a good 1980s romp that is feel-good, this is for you!

Taking The Road Less Traveled
Maid To Order is one of those small budget movies that proves that it is worth its weight despite its simplicity.

The movie stars Ally Sheedy (Breakfast Club, St. Elmo's Fire) and was filmed during the 80s. Ally plays a spoiled rich brat named Jesse.

She could careless about her life and those around her. She spends her father's money without care. Her dad doesn't control her because he just wants to make up for her mother's death.

Tom Skerritt(Alien, Contact) plays dad to Ally Sheedy, and he starts to learn that his daughter has no conscience.

He becomes so fed up with her disrespectful behavior that he wishes that he never had a daughter. His wish is granted by a fairy godmother named Stella played by the one and only Beverly D'Angelo (National Lampoon's Vacation).

Jesse doesn't take the situation seriously but learns quick when her father doesn't recognize or acknowledge her. Jesse is forced to take care of herself. Jesse pleads for Stella to fix the situation but Stella knows that Jesse is completely insincere.

Stella tells Jesse that if she wants her old life back, she needs to make some improvements. Jesse asks how and Stella bluntly tells her to get a job.

What does a kid that has never had to work a day in her life do with herself? She becomes a maid. Ironically, she becomes the maid of a rich Beverly Hills couple.

Of course, you know that this movie serves the purpose to teach you a lesson, which is about taking responsibility for your actions and your life.

However, I won't say anymore and let you discover things for yourself.

Watch this movie! It is funny, sweet, and charmy. It's a feel good movie.

The only reason I give this movie 4 stars is for the lackluster transfer of the movie to DVD.

However, I am just amazed they decided to release this film gem on DVD. Thanks to Artisan for releasing this wonderful 80s movie. ... Read more

Reviews (111)

Great for Spawn newbies, problematic for hard-core fans
I came to this movie knowing basically nothing about the Spawn character, the comic strip, and the whole story behind Todd McFarlane's vaunted modern-day hero. I am familiar with McFarlane's work on Spiderman in the early nineties, but that's basically it. My reaction may thus be much different from devoted Spawn fans who had definite expectations from this film. Fans are apt to either love or hate the real-life movie dramatization of a favorite character, and this movie had definite limits that could easily rub fans the wrong way. I understand that there are some significant differences between the Spawn storyline we see here and that of the comic book series, that this is a much more linear retelling of the legend, one that could not afford to leave many unanswered questions at the end because the chances of making a sequel were unquantifiable at the time. The special effects are not bad at all, but the movie suffers from the overinflated billing of these special effects; if the studio hadn't overplayed their hand by naming this "the special-effects movie of the year" 1997, all of the computer animation would have been scrutinized less completely by moviegoers. The limitations imposed by the MPA ratings board in securing the film a PG-13 rating also basically ruined the film that was shown in theatres; this "director's cut" of the film is a complete and much, much better version than fans originally paid to see.

Spawn, for those who don't know, is not your typical superhero. Trained to be an elite assassin for the CIA, he ultimately decides to get out after a mission that kills a lot of civilians who, he was promised, would not be in the area of operations. His boss, played quite wickedly by Martin Sheen, basically sets him up and has him killed. Al Simmons, our hero's real name, goes from being burned alive to the always-flaming pits of hell, where he agrees to lead the devil's army in return for getting his wife back. While no time has passed for him personally, five whole years have come and gone back on earth, his wife is married to his best friend, he's horribly burned and disfigured, a rude and crude Clown keeps pestering him, and some old guy in a long coat keeps giving him the business about taking the wrong path. John Leguizamo is brilliant as Clown, the devil's representative on earth who has a hilarious yet nasty nature to match his dramatically strange appearance. It is his job to make sure Simmons, now being reborn as Spawn, acts according to plan and starts Armageddon as scheduled. Spawn isn't happy at all, despite the painfully new amazing armor his body begins to grow, and he lashes out in anger at the man he blames for his death. There is still a lot of Al Simmons underneath the scars and living armor, however, and the ultimate test will find him choosing whether to accede to the devil's plans or betray his evil covenant and become a dark angel for good in the world.

There are a lot, and I do mean a lot of CGI effects in this movie. Most of them are quite good, but as a whole the effects do not live up to their over hyped billing. The scenes taking place in the pits of hell, in a sense thrown in during the final stages of production, do not look very real at all; in truth, they look like the kind of animated sequence you might find in the computers games Doom or Diablo. Spawn's living armor is capable of extraordinary things, as is his vintage red cape, but some of the effects are a tad rough around the edges and all of them look and feel cinematic rather than truly realistic. As explained in the film's commentary, time and budgetary constraints explain the limits seen in this regard. Don't expect to see the world's greatest CGI here, and you stand less chance of being disappointed. The human side of this story is a compelling one, even though the film does not allow for the type of exposition found in the comic book series, I am sure. Spawn truly is a new kind of hero, a hero created from the pits of hell itself. For my money, though, the antics and unforgettable performance of John Leguizamo as Clown steal the show.

There are oodles of special features included on the DVD. I made a point of listening to the commentary because I wanted to know more about Spawn's story, and it made for fascinating listening. Featuring all of the men who basically created the movie, the most remarkable thing about the commentary is the list of all the cuts that had to be made in order to get a PG-13 rating for the film. Many of these cuts are frankly ridiculous and show just how out of touch with reality the censors have become these days. This theme is further expounded upon by Spawn creator Todd McFarlane in a series of fascinating interviews; you have to love the guy because he is anti-corporate to the core, fearlessly pointing out many of the problems with moviemaking today. The making of featurette is good, the music videos are must-see (especially Marilyn Manson's), and there are loads of original sketches and illustrations that will be of interest to hard-core Spawn fans.

Will This Film Spawn Another Sequel? Let's Hope Not!
Dreary and forgettable "super(anti-)hero" flick based upon Todd McFarland's comicbook character. SPAWN is an interesting antihero, but ultimately the background and origin of the character which manifests repeatedly during the film depresses the movie. He is a hell-spawned creature given a chance to live outside of damnation by becoming an agent of hell and walk among the living. This is heavy-handed and boggs down the the story and Spawn himself. If Batman's origin which also manifests throughout the course of the history of the character (his parents get murdered in front of him) is a downer, Spawn's is just too much depressing. The visual special effects that depict the hellish atmosphere are graphic and detailed. However, who wants to be reminded of going to hell every second of the movie. Then there is John Leguizamo as "Clown" playing one of the most annoying characters in recent cinema history (up there with Jar Jar Binks). Finally, Spawn pining over losing his wife and seeing her married to, and having a child with another man (his best friend of all people)is another depressing aspect of the movie. Only thing noteworthy is seeing a rare film appearance by actor Nicol Williamson (EXCALIBUR)as Cogliostro, Spawn's mentor. Overall,a Grade B flick that has no universal appeal whatsoever. SPAWN's main theme is death and hell (not necessarily in that order), with a depressing title character, a depressing origin,depressing plot and story, depressing looking visuals of the afterlife, and one annoying Clown (Leguizamo).

This movie was great, but it needed some time to be finished
Spawn is a great, big and dark charecter, i still think they should've taken their time to finish this movie rather than casting quick and not polishing up the special effects. Other than that, a legendary comic charecter has been brought to life, so no more reading, watch the damn movie.

VERY DISSAPOINTED!
I have bin collecting spawn comix for 9 years and I really thought this movie was gonna rock when it came out in theaters. BOY WAS I WRONG. THE FILM IS HORRIBLE.
1 STAR FOR SPECIAL EFFECTS
2 STAR FOR THE CAST MEMBERS WHO COULD HAVE MADE THIS A BIG FILM.
WHY TODD WHY?!!! You should have directed this film and well, we sure as HELL would have expected a hard R but who the hell got this guy to direct it?
They could have made this movie big and they messed it up.
When I saw the R rated versian of the film I was like...WHAT THE HELL?...THERE WAS NOTHING R ABOUT THAT. YOU JUST SEE A FRIGGIN' HOLE IN A WOMANS HEAD....OH YEAH....AND INSTEAD OF THE LINE HE SAID IN ONE OF HIS BATTLES IT got changed to holy s**t...THAT WAS PRETTY MUCH IT! I thought the violator was gonna rip the homles kids dad apart. NOT SHAKE HIM AROUND AND SLAM HIM TO THE WALL! This is not how spawn is in the comics. The comic is very dark and mature. Same with the series on HBO.
The HBO series makes up for it so go watch that. I read that columbia or paramount is gonna produce spawnII and Todd Mcfarlane is gonna' direct it! YAAAAAAAAAAAA! Later....

Great!
This is very nice movie... filled with great FX... BUT beware! it doesn't have any Spanish subtitles!!! as announced here at Amazon. ... Read more

Reviews (53)

The best gangster film you've probably never seen
Ranking up there with Scarface and even Goodfellas, King of New York is one of the best gangster films ever made, thanks largely in part to the magnetic and explosive performance by Christopher Walken. Walken is Frank White, a ruthless kingpin freshly released from prison who vows to use his connections and money for charitable means. On his trail however, are three cops (David Caruso, Wesley Snipes, and Victor Argo) who, by any means necessary, vow to bring Frank down. Profane, action packed, and filled with unforgettable performances (Walken, Caruso, and Laurence Fishburne are incredible), Abel Ferrara's King of New York is hypnotic from it's first frame to final shot, and the action scenes are pulled off better than most major budget pictures. This new Special Edition from Lion's Gate/Artisan includes a nice amount of extras to tide fans of the film over, and the commentary by director Ferrara must be heard to be believed.

THE KING IS DEAD...LONG LIVE THE KING
Frank White (Christopher Walken) is a crime boss just released from prison. He rejoins his henchmen, headed up by Jimmy Jump (Laurence Fishburne). No sooner does White step out of prison, that the killing games begin. White is out to finance a local inner city hospital that is on the verge of being closed for lack of funding. He is determined to do this by using the ill gotten gains of drug trafficking, his and that of other drug lords. Since the others apparently will not relinguish the money voluntarily, force is used, quite a bit of it as a matter of fact, to get their money and/or drugs.

Officers Dennis Gilley (David Caruso) and Thomas Flanigan (Wesley Snipes) are part of a team of cops that are looking to stop White. They are outraged that he is on the street and that they are seemingly unable to stop him by fair means. They decide to resort to foul means and end up all the worse for their efforts. Throughout the film, the line is sometimes blurred between the good guys and the bad guys. There is no happy ending here, and justice may or may not be deemed to have been served, depending upon the viewer's own subjective viewpoint.

The performances are good overall, and in particular, Fishburne's manic character, Jimmy Jump, is a good foil for Walker's coolly detached character, Frank White. This is not really a character driven movie, however, but rather a plot driven one. There is a lot of action, a lot of shootings and carnage, and some car chase scenes that will keep the viewer on edge. The violence, when it occurs, is bloody and protracted. Moreover, in addition to being bimbos and sex toys, the women also pack high powered heat and shoot with the best of them. Despite some plot holes, the film entertains, though just how entertaining the viewer will find this film will depend on the viewer's tolerance for violence.

The DVD itself is pretty much no frills, offering pretty standard features, such as widescreen, a theatrical trailer, scene access, and a music video. There is no commentary. The picture, though dark, is clear, as is the sound.

"King Of New York" DVD Review
Just like "Scarface" and "New Jack City" before it, "King Of New York" is a gritty gangster flick that takes real-life issues and mixes them with charismatic characters and stylized action that is so over-the-top that it could only work in a cinematic world. Walken's Frank White is the ultimate anti-hero, a murderous drug kingpin who uses his money for good purposes. No matter how good intentioned his motives are, the police are sick of his whole operation and are ready to go to war. The first half of the film has a rough but realistic edge to it while the second half spins into a bullet-riddled, blood-soaked, Hollywood action movie. The movie does have its faults. Fishburne's violent sidekick, while providing some entertaining moments, does occassionally come off looking like a dated and ignorant sterotype of Black youth in the late 80's. Not that it ever kept this movie from acheiving a type of urban cult following that is rivaled only by "Scarface". This movie was one of the first to showcase such young unknowns as David Caruso, Wesley Snipes, and Steve Buscemi and while it can't exactly be credited for launching their careers, it can at least boast their talented performances. But everyone in this film pales in comparison to Walken. He steals the show here. Speaking of steal-showing, this special edition DVD features an audio commentary with director Abel Ferrara that has to be heard to believed. I can safely say that I've never heard a director's commentary like it. A documentary on Ferrara should have been as entertaining but due to the fact that it has no interviews with the director himself, it doesn't quite live up to my expectations. There are a few colorful stories here and there but nothing like what you get on the commentary.

Nice new DVD package
I own the new special edition 2-disc set that includes 2 versions of the film- standard frame and widescreen, and contains the director's audio commentary track voice-over the video portion the film.
The director is a very very sick dude, folks, who hates the police and makes films which accuse the police of being responsible for everything thats bad in this world- both Bad Lieutenant and this film contain the cop haters theme to the max.

What makes this director a nihlistic sick mother is his attitude and language in his commentary (which quite frankly I enjoy!)- during the film his voice-over commentary reveals a sick mind- every woman who appears on the screen is singled out by the director and called a "piece of ..." while other such ditties do not pass unnoticed. This director has a serious mental abberation, a problem which he uses film to work out- hes basically working out his emotional problems by directing very sick films. While I enjoy his choice of language in the commentary and his absolute honesty, I cant help thinking what a sick mother this director is in real life.

The most darkest charecter, Frank White
This is one of Chris Walkens best movie, rated and nomminated for 4 oscars, King of New York is a classic gangstar movie based on 1930s crime caper lifestyle and the hunger of ruling the crime world, Frank who recently is released from the pen, he too has eyes set on dominating the crime world and goes into deep trouble and gang bangs to get to where he is, a grand kingpin.
This movie may be cliche but the storyline is like no other and the acting is what makes this movie great, sure it may be low budget but its a one of a kind and frankly, this is the movie the started all dark crime gangstar movies like Goodfellas and The Untouchables, it deserves props. 10/10. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Somewhere between Airplane and Oh Brother Where Art Thou
The dialogue in this brilliant. There is a lot of punnish humor but also a lot of anachronistic dialogue that is just situationally hilarious.

Paul LeMat stars as the leader of the Born Losers, a biker gang of good guys with three missions in life: Find the evil, Destroy the evil, and find a really great lite beer. He has visions because of a steel plate in his head and he is being studied (sort of) by one of his fellow bikers who is from MIT.

The bad guys are a biker gang of women who wear what appear to be leather jackets with the letters WOW written on the back (later we find out that the jackets reverse to be bowling league jackets). WOW stand for Women of the Wolf. They are kidnapping babies for fun and profit, says one of the girls but the truth goes much deeper. The leader of the WOW, played by Eileen Davidson, was abandoned by her parents afer a shoot out with the law and was subsequently raised by wolves. So now she has plans to create a new generation of fearless independent women by kidnapping baby girls and taking them to the woods to be raised by wolves.

It is up to the Born Losers to take on this bevy of beautiful biker babes and put an end to the kidnapping. Davidson will have to choose between the attraction she feels for LeMat and the culmination of her feminist ideals.

Absolutely fantastic but probably is not appropriate for kids.

Break out the "movie helper!"
It's so bad, it's funny. It's so funny, it's good.
You'll be singing the songs for years to come. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Comedian Chris Rock is the leader of a middle-class rap act that wins fame and fortune after donning a prison persona. The title stands for Cell Block 4. Naturally, they are mistaken for the real thing by everyone but the incarcerated gangstas, who are none too happy at the theft of their identities. One of the better efforts from Saturday Night Live alumni, this "rapumentary" is a hip-hop hit. However, it is not up to the cutting humor of that granddaddy of all spoofs, This Is Spinal Tap?, as misogyny and meanness get in the way. It has an anything-goes mentality, so expect outrageously filthy lyrics and plenty of tasteless humor. Of note: Director Tamra Davis was also behind that wild 1992 road movie, Guncrazy. --Rochelle O'Gorman ... Read more

Reviews (11)

MC Gusto Rules!
While on a hiatus from his long stint on Saturday Night Live, comedian Chris Rock took time to write and star in this film spoofing the world of gangster rap and hip hop. Directed by Tamra Davis ("Billy Madison"; "Half Baked"), "CB4" stars Chris Rock as Albert Brown, a young African-American guy living in Locash, California who dreams of making it big as a major rap star. With his friends, Euripides (Allen Payne of "Jason's Lyric") and Stabmaster Arson (Deezer D), Albert sets his sights on landing a contract with mega produced Trustus Jones.

However, trouble comes along when Gusto (played by Eddie Murphy's brother, Charlie Murphy), the owner of the most popular club is arrested in a drug transaction that Albert witnessed (Gusto believes he was an informer). With Gusto out for revenge on Albert, Albert decides to take advantage of Gusto's name and personality and create the biggest, baddest rap group of all time-- CB4 (short for Cell Block 4).

Throughout the film, the band faces challenges to their freedom of speech, problems in their love lives, band disunity, and a reconnection with their African roots. With a variety of jokes primarily targeted for urban minorities, CB4 will have you rolling on the floor laughing.

Also starring in the film is the late Phil Hartman who plays a California conservative politician bent on destroying CB4. Khandi Alexander (television's "Talk Radio," which also had Hartman as a cast member) is hysterical as the hip hop groupie Sissy who is a "businesswoman" due to her get rich scheme of capturing rap stars in embarrassing Polaroid shots and blackmailing them.

Chris Rock has sure come a long way from his days on Saturday Night Live. "CB4" was his first starring role, and after watching this film you'll see why he is one of the funniest comics alive today. "CB4" is to rap music as "This is Spinal Tap" was to rock. It's funny to the last minute.

M.C. Gusto Rules!
While on a hiatus from his long stint on Saturday Night Live, comedian Chris Rock took time to write and star in this film spoofing the world of gangster rap and hip hop. Directed by Tamra Davis ("Billy Madison"; "Half Baked"), "CB4" stars Chris Rock as Albert Brown, a young African-American guy living in Locash, California who dreams of making it big as a major rap star. With his friends, Euripides (Allen Payne of "Jason's Lyric") and Stabmaster Arson (Deezer D), Albert sets his sights on landing a contract with mega produced Trustus Jones.

However, trouble comes along when Gusto (played by Eddie Murphy's brother, Charlie Murphy), the owner of the most popular club is arrested in a drug transaction that Albert witnessed (Gusto believes he was an informer). With Gusto out for revenge on Albert, Albert decides to take advantage of Gusto's name and personality and create the biggest, baddest rap group of all time-- CB4 (short for Cell Block 4).

Throughout the film, the band faces challenges to their freedom of speech, problems in their love lives, band disunity, and a reconnection with their African roots. With a variety of jokes primarily targeted for urban minorities, CB4 will have you rolling on the floor laughing.

Also starring in the film is the late Phil Hartman who plays a California conservative politician bent on destroying CB4. Khandi Alexander (television's "Talk Radio," which also had Hartman as a cast member) is hysterical as the hip hop groupie Sissy who is a "businesswoman" due to her get rich scheme of capturing rap stars in embarrassing Polaroid shots and blackmailing them.

Chris Rock has sure come a long way from his days on Saturday Night Live. "CB4" was his first starring role, and after watching this film you'll see why he is one of the funniest comics alive today. "CB4" is to rap music as "This is Spinal Tap" was to rock. It's funny to the last minute.

Funny......
I'm usually not a big fan of most SNL comedians movies, this one kept me laughing. A few middle-class black young men who dreams of making it big. Pulls off becoming famous as portraying thugs turned rappers. Good movie!

one of the funniest spoofs
OMG this movie is soooooo dammmmmm funny, If you wanna see something that will make you roll on the floor, then this is a must. One of Chris Rocks best performances, plus the sound track is funny. Another movie to check out is FEAR OF A BLACK HAT.

Fine Spoof of a deserving target
The crudity and ignorance of so-called "gangsta rap" is such a self-caricature that it would almost seem redundant to spoof the genre, but Chris Rock and co. effectvely manage to do this with success. The "LoCash Crew's" foolishness and stupidity could easily be mistaken for a real rap documentary. However, I really liked the scene here Chris Rock's father lays down the law about this mockery of ghetto life, which really is not funny at all. I wish some real rappers (some who appeared in this film) would have gotten the point!! The late Eazy (Eric Wright) E, who deserves the blame for inventing this garbage-filled genre and whom this film is largely based on, appears in a cameo. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Silly, but quite enjoyable horror thriller.
I always enjoy a good splatter flick and while I wouldn't necessarily call The Guardian a "good" film, it sure as hell is an entertaining one. The plot's pretty silly, with Jenny Seagrove as Camilla, a newly hired caretaker of a young couple's (Dwier Brown and Cary Lowell) infant son. Camilla appears to be the perfect nanny, sweet and loving, but actually, she's a Druid who needs the baby to prolong her immortal life, or something to that effect (the movie really didn't explain too much, and if you think I gave anything away by mentioning her as a Druid, the opening subtitles already state that info). She's also got a weird relationship with a big tree in the forest.

The film's got a lot of stupidity here and there, especially the young couple, who don't bother checking Camilla's references before hiring her, or the fact that this caretaker happens to be able to move around so many residences freely without too much suspicion (okay, for a while, at least). And considering the fact Camilla's a Druid, where'd she get this tree? This is set in L.A., not Europe. As I said before, not much is answered, and I guess I should be grateful because I can't imagine any answers that wouldn't delve the material into further silliness.

But I credit director William Friedkin for handling all this with a straight face. Some of this stuff (particularly the scenes with the tree) could have been played as camp, but I'm rather glad Friedkin plays this seriously and, as he did with The Exorcist, he manages to craft some truly suspenseful and frightening moments here. Still, the film does slide into scenes that simply can't be taken very seriously; you'll know what I mean when you see the chainsaw scene near the end of the movie.

Unlike The Exorcist, he shows no restraint with violence, preferring to give us several enjoyably gory death scenes and a LOT of blood spattering everywhere. There's also a decent amount of nudity present, courtesy of the rather lovely Jenny Seagrove. She's not quite as effective a horror villainess as, say, Mathilda May in Lifeforce, but gets the job done. Dwier Brown and Cary Lowell are okay, a little flat during some scenes and certainly not aided by a script that makes them act like idiots, but are convincing enough as caring and concerned parents.

Surprisingly very little music is used, with Friedkin trying to use the sounds of the wind and other such natural elements to create goosebumps. It's a good attempt, and while it works during two very lengthy, suspenseful sequences, he's still no M. Night Shyamalan. Considering the rather negative critical response The Guardian received, it's easy to see why Friedkin hasn't made a genre film since. But I enjoyed almost every minute of it would recommend it to horror fans seeking a quick-paced, gory thriller.

Those are some scary wolves!
Man this is a good movie, ignore the other reviews the scene where the tree kills the bikers is amazing, love that head chop. The Guardian takes the babies she baby-sits to the tree and oyu could say feed it? Well there is a scene in this film that is very scary. It's when the man follows the baby-sitter because he has a crush on her, he sees her going into the forest very late at night so continues to follow. WHen he sees the tree he gets very scared because he sees her with the evil tree. A pack fo evil wolves sees that he has walked on their territory then chase after him, he runs all the way to his house. He sees them running around his house, this scene is very suspensful! What happens to him your gonna have to find out on your own!

Underrated Thriller from Director:Friedkin.
When a Wealthy Young Couple (Dwier Brown & Carey Lowell) hires a Attractive Nanny (Jenny Seagrove) for thier new born baby but the Nanny has a Secret of Unspeakable Horror.

Directed by William Friedkin (The Exorcist, The French Connection, Rampage) made a Strong Supernatural Horror film. Seagrove delivers an Strong Performance in this. DVD's has an terrific anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1) transfer (Also in Pan & Scan) and an digitally remastered-Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. DVD Extras are the Original Theatrical Trailer & an fine Commentary Track by the Director & Interviewer Critic:Dennis Bartok. This one is Friedkin's most underrated & personal film. Based on a Novel by Dan Greenberg (Novel's Title-The Nanny). Screenplay by Greenberg, Friedkin & Stephen Volk. Grade:A-.

Well it is entertaining....
The movie starts with a text about druids who worshipped trees and sacrificed human victims to them. After that there is a prologue where a family's nanny does this. Then we get to know the heroes of the movie, Phil and kate, just moved to Los Angeles and expecting a baby. After the baby boy is born, they find Camilla, who seems to be the perfect nanny. But under the charming surface lies a dark secret... You figure out the rest...

This movie is occasionally a little silly and without the info about the druids in the beginning, the story wouldn't make much sense. But that doesn'r matter. The Guardian is a nice and entertaining movie. A sequence in the middle of the movie and the ending are especially good. Jenny Seagrove is very good as Camilla. While not a masterpiece, this is an entertaining movie, definitely worth watching and a fun addition to your movie collection.

Watch it on Sunday afternoon cable...
...at least via television, you won't feel guilty when you get bored and retire to re-organize your sock drawer. This is B-movie drivel of the highest order.

Allow me to put this in perspective for you. I have only walked out of two movies, ever! "Arachnophobia" and "The Guardian." Truth be told, I'm a fan of Friedkin's work from "The Exorcist." His adaptation of his own novel was exceptionally executed and character driven. This film is merely a shallow attempt by a movie studio to bank on the naivete of horror fans. How? By repackaging and disguising a slasher script with clever direction by a horror film veteran and his impressive dossier.

Friedkin's vision is second to none, but the message and the suspense get lost in the predictable, cookie-cutter plot. Friedken works best as a builder of suspense by cultivating the charaters involved in the cine-play. The script for this film does not allow for this crucial development to take place. Thus, once the blood starts flowing we feel no remorse for any character's loss, or for the loss of any character for that matter. Very sad.

You will not be disappointed in Friedkin's direction. Hence the two stars. However, with dim narrative support, the film comes off as if Friedkin had been handed a butter knife to carve the Thanksgiving turkey. The vision is there, but the tools are not.

Save yourself twenty clams. If you want slasher suspense, invest in "Friday the 13th." Wait for this one to show up on UPN or a Turner network. ... Read more

Reviews (59)

The rise and fall of a '60s group
"The Five Heartbeats", one of my favorite films by Robert Townsend, is a wonderful movie about a fictional singing quintet's rise to fame in the 1960s. It somewhat echoes the story of the Temptations, but in actuality, it could have been a profile of just about any black male singing group of that era (it was supposedly based on the story of The Dells). The struggles to get to the top, what happens when you get there, the egos, trying to keep up with musical trends and of course, the racism, backstabbing, and shady characters -- it's all included here as a very real look into just how ruthless the recording industry can be. There are scenes that will make you laugh, make you cry, and just make you feel good all over!

With strong performances from Leon, Robert Townsend and Michael Wright, this movie is a CLASSIC and extremely enjoyable. Also included in the cast are Hollywood legends Diahann Carroll and dancer Harold Nicholas. I highly recommend this...great acting and great musical scenes add up to a GREAT FILM. Get it today!

This is a must have
The Five Heartbeats is one of my favorite movies. Robert Townsend does an excellent job. This movie is action packed (The beginning), funny (Big red), and heartbreaking (Eddie on drugs). This movie is one of the best. This is a must have.

Much Dap to Robert Townsend
for telling the Story od the Dells&congradulations to them for fianlly getting into the Rock&Roll Hall of Fame after waiting way to long. this story deals with the Music Industry&Mirriors alot of the same Politics you see today.Racisim,Sexisim,Bad Contracts,Drugs,Hustling,Pimping,&all still waiting on that Hit to Emerge.the Cast was Strong in this Film.Dap for Holding it down.Brother Townsend knocked this Film out just as he did with "Hollywood Shuffle".also He had a cool Role in "Cooley High".this is a Film that spoke then&Speaks even more today about the Shady Industry.

Wonderful Movie!!
Wow, what a film! It is a movie about a fictional vocal group from the 60's that is loosely based on The Dells( as opposed to The Temptations, like a lot of people thought). Writer/director/actor Robert Townsend works overtime to make sure we get the whole story of how a vocal group had to make it in the 60's. Michael Wright steals the show as the lead singer who is asked to leave after showing up too late, too many times due to drug and alcohol abuse. Michael Wright has a (should have been) Academy Award winning scene in a parking lot after a show where he sings to prove he still has the chops, only to embarrass himself in front of his ex- group members. The pathos is palpable as the rest of the cast hits the right note of sorrow showing that they still respect him, but now pity him. There are plenty of moments like this, both dramatic and musical that will make the hair stand up on your neck. The soundtrack really resembles songs from this era and I am definately interested in getting the soundtrack.

Good Movie
It's one of the better films on black music group singers. the casting and acting was one of the better. I would recommedn this movies for entertainment. ... Read more

Reviews (111)

Great for Spawn newbies, problematic for hard-core fans
I came to this movie knowing basically nothing about the Spawn character, the comic strip, and the whole story behind Todd McFarlane's vaunted modern-day hero. I am familiar with McFarlane's work on Spiderman in the early nineties, but that's basically it. My reaction may thus be much different from devoted Spawn fans who had definite expectations from this film. Fans are apt to either love or hate the real-life movie dramatization of a favorite character, and this movie had definite limits that could easily rub fans the wrong way. I understand that there are some significant differences between the Spawn storyline we see here and that of the comic book series, that this is a much more linear retelling of the legend, one that could not afford to leave many unanswered questions at the end because the chances of making a sequel were unquantifiable at the time. The special effects are not bad at all, but the movie suffers from the overinflated billing of these special effects; if the studio hadn't overplayed their hand by naming this "the special-effects movie of the year" 1997, all of the computer animation would have been scrutinized less completely by moviegoers. The limitations imposed by the MPA ratings board in securing the film a PG-13 rating also basically ruined the film that was shown in theatres; this "director's cut" of the film is a complete and much, much better version than fans originally paid to see.

Spawn, for those who don't know, is not your typical superhero. Trained to be an elite assassin for the CIA, he ultimately decides to get out after a mission that kills a lot of civilians who, he was promised, would not be in the area of operations. His boss, played quite wickedly by Martin Sheen, basically sets him up and has him killed. Al Simmons, our hero's real name, goes from being burned alive to the always-flaming pits of hell, where he agrees to lead the devil's army in return for getting his wife back. While no time has passed for him personally, five whole years have come and gone back on earth, his wife is married to his best friend, he's horribly burned and disfigured, a rude and crude Clown keeps pestering him, and some old guy in a long coat keeps giving him the business about taking the wrong path. John Leguizamo is brilliant as Clown, the devil's representative on earth who has a hilarious yet nasty nature to match his dramatically strange appearance. It is his job to make sure Simmons, now being reborn as Spawn, acts according to plan and starts Armageddon as scheduled. Spawn isn't happy at all, despite the painfully new amazing armor his body begins to grow, and he lashes out in anger at the man he blames for his death. There is still a lot of Al Simmons underneath the scars and living armor, however, and the ultimate test will find him choosing whether to accede to the devil's plans or betray his evil covenant and become a dark angel for good in the world.

There are a lot, and I do mean a lot of CGI effects in this movie. Most of them are quite good, but as a whole the effects do not live up to their over hyped billing. The scenes taking place in the pits of hell, in a sense thrown in during the final stages of production, do not look very real at all; in truth, they look like the kind of animated sequence you might find in the computers games Doom or Diablo. Spawn's living armor is capable of extraordinary things, as is his vintage red cape, but some of the effects are a tad rough around the edges and all of them look and feel cinematic rather than truly realistic. As explained in the film's commentary, time and budgetary constraints explain the limits seen in this regard. Don't expect to see the world's greatest CGI here, and you stand less chance of being disappointed. The human side of this story is a compelling one, even though the film does not allow for the type of exposition found in the comic book series, I am sure. Spawn truly is a new kind of hero, a hero created from the pits of hell itself. For my money, though, the antics and unforgettable performance of John Leguizamo as Clown steal the show.

There are oodles of special features included on the DVD. I made a point of listening to the commentary because I wanted to know more about Spawn's story, and it made for fascinating listening. Featuring all of the men who basically created the movie, the most remarkable thing about the commentary is the list of all the cuts that had to be made in order to get a PG-13 rating for the film. Many of these cuts are frankly ridiculous and show just how out of touch with reality the censors have become these days. This theme is further expounded upon by Spawn creator Todd McFarlane in a series of fascinating interviews; you have to love the guy because he is anti-corporate to the core, fearlessly pointing out many of the problems with moviemaking today. The making of featurette is good, the music videos are must-see (especially Marilyn Manson's), and there are loads of original sketches and illustrations that will be of interest to hard-core Spawn fans.

Will This Film Spawn Another Sequel? Let's Hope Not!
Dreary and forgettable "super(anti-)hero" flick based upon Todd McFarland's comicbook character. SPAWN is an interesting antihero, but ultimately the background and origin of the character which manifests repeatedly during the film depresses the movie. He is a hell-spawned creature given a chance to live outside of damnation by becoming an agent of hell and walk among the living. This is heavy-handed and boggs down the the story and Spawn himself. If Batman's origin which also manifests throughout the course of the history of the character (his parents get murdered in front of him) is a downer, Spawn's is just too much depressing. The visual special effects that depict the hellish atmosphere are graphic and detailed. However, who wants to be reminded of going to hell every second of the movie. Then there is John Leguizamo as "Clown" playing one of the most annoying characters in recent cinema history (up there with Jar Jar Binks). Finally, Spawn pining over losing his wife and seeing her married to, and having a child with another man (his best friend of all people)is another depressing aspect of the movie. Only thing noteworthy is seeing a rare film appearance by actor Nicol Williamson (EXCALIBUR)as Cogliostro, Spawn's mentor. Overall,a Grade B flick that has no universal appeal whatsoever. SPAWN's main theme is death and hell (not necessarily in that order), with a depressing title character, a depressing origin,depressing plot and story, depressing looking visuals of the afterlife, and one annoying Clown (Leguizamo).

This movie was great, but it needed some time to be finished
Spawn is a great, big and dark charecter, i still think they should've taken their time to finish this movie rather than casting quick and not polishing up the special effects. Other than that, a legendary comic charecter has been brought to life, so no more reading, watch the damn movie.

VERY DISSAPOINTED!
I have bin collecting spawn comix for 9 years and I really thought this movie was gonna rock when it came out in theaters. BOY WAS I WRONG. THE FILM IS HORRIBLE.
1 STAR FOR SPECIAL EFFECTS
2 STAR FOR THE CAST MEMBERS WHO COULD HAVE MADE THIS A BIG FILM.
WHY TODD WHY?!!! You should have directed this film and well, we sure as HELL would have expected a hard R but who the hell got this guy to direct it?
They could have made this movie big and they messed it up.
When I saw the R rated versian of the film I was like...WHAT THE HELL?...THERE WAS NOTHING R ABOUT THAT. YOU JUST SEE A FRIGGIN' HOLE IN A WOMANS HEAD....OH YEAH....AND INSTEAD OF THE LINE HE SAID IN ONE OF HIS BATTLES IT got changed to holy s**t...THAT WAS PRETTY MUCH IT! I thought the violator was gonna rip the homles kids dad apart. NOT SHAKE HIM AROUND AND SLAM HIM TO THE WALL! This is not how spawn is in the comics. The comic is very dark and mature. Same with the series on HBO.
The HBO series makes up for it so go watch that. I read that columbia or paramount is gonna produce spawnII and Todd Mcfarlane is gonna' direct it! YAAAAAAAAAAAA! Later....

Great!
This is very nice movie... filled with great FX... BUT beware! it doesn't have any Spanish subtitles!!! as announced here at Amazon. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This low-budget crime thriller has the feel of a major blockbuster and owes its roots to the hard-edged crime movies of the 1930s. Christopher Walken stars as a drug kingpin who is released from prison and vows to use his position and influence--and criminal enterprise--for charitable means. But a core group of New York cops are all over him and his gang, determined to go to war, whatever the cost, to bring him down. Eventually his empire--headquartered at, of all places, Donald Trump's Plaza Hotel--crumbles under the weight of double-crossing and a body count of open warfare with the cops. This is one of the most stylish films of the last decade, with a strong supporting cast (including Lawrence Fishburne, Wesley Snipes, and David Caruso) and some truly enthralling set pieces, including a stunning car chase and gunfight across a rain-soaked Queensboro Bridge. The film's tongue-in-cheek, over-the-top style offsets its nihilism; and its riveting visuals will have audiences hooked from beginning to end. --Robert Lane ... Read more

Reviews (53)

The best gangster film you've probably never seen
Ranking up there with Scarface and even Goodfellas, King of New York is one of the best gangster films ever made, thanks largely in part to the magnetic and explosive performance by Christopher Walken. Walken is Frank White, a ruthless kingpin freshly released from prison who vows to use his connections and money for charitable means. On his trail however, are three cops (David Caruso, Wesley Snipes, and Victor Argo) who