Reviews (14)

A great comedic discovery.....
Not too many people have heard of the 1967 film "The Flim Flam Man," and that's too bad for them. I have owned this lovely valentine of a movie for several years, and have always appreciated its comedic/dramatic allure. Everything clicks perfectly in this old fashioned film, from its authentic locations (this movie was filmed in small town Kentucky) to a wonderful musical score by Jerry Goldsmith.

I love George C. Scott's rip-snorting performance as a train-hopping con-man whose legend precedes him. He literally stumbles upon a military AWOL drifter in Michael Sarrazin, and the unlikely pair join forces to make a little cash. Camping in abandoned railroad cars, hiking cross country and stealing a car or two, this colorful pair eventually has the county police hot on their tails. Along the way, Sarrazin falls in love with the mayor's daughter, Slim Pickens loses his paycheck (great scene) and Scott samples a bit of the local moonshine.

"The Flim Flam Man" is aided by a cast of extraordinary character actors, including Harry Morgan, Jack Albertson, Strother Martin, Albert Salmi and Pickens. Morgan, as the local sheriff, is especially funny in a grand slapstick role. But director Irvin Kershner has done an excellent job in balancing comedy, drama and romance with skilled ease. It's the quieter moments in "The Flim Flam Man" that I truly admire, such as the scene when Scott reminisces about the purple-eyed girl he once loved in Missouri, or when Sarrazin discusses his dreams of the future with Sue Lyon.

This is such a charming movie, that each time I watch it I'm sad to see it end. "The Film Flam Man" transports us to a dreamy Southern land, colorful and optimistic, train whistles in the background, vibrant town squares, campfires beneath railroad bridges, bustling general stores. While this film was made in 1967, the small town ambiance of "The Flim Flam Man" harkens back to a time 30-40 years prior. It's a romantic recreation, in some ways a tender tribute to a past way of life. I always find the final image, of the abandoned bicycle resting at the railroad crossing, to be haunting, with Scott's character having disappeared to rustic parts unknown. I would love to join him on his journey.

For those anacquainted, "The Flim Flam Man" is a great discovery.

Forget Patton - give me Mordecai!
As loveable rogue Mordecai Jones, George C. Scott endures bad community theatre make-up and inhales acres of gorgeous Southern scenery in this picaresque crowd-pleaser about a veteran con-man and his reluctant apprentice (Michael Sarrazin). Three years shy of the career-defining "Patton," Scott clearly relished the chance to let his hair down amid "Flim-Flam Man's" feel-good flood of chicanery, slapstick and car chases (this one has a couple of beauts). Sarrazin, a good actor who unfortunately never found his big break-out role, is fine as Curley, an Army deserter whose talent for larceny is undermined by a stubborn streak of honesty. Flaxen-haired beauty Sue Lyon, who epitomized, in the Sixties, the image of the girl you wished lived next door, is wholesomely alluring as Sarazzin's love interest. Rounding out the cast is a dizzying assemblage of fun character actors - Harry Morgan, Strother Martin, Alice Ghostley, Slim Pickens, Jack Albertson, Albert Salmi - whose presence makes for a lively game of "Name That Second Banana."

An unassuming curio from the same year (1967) as the iconoclastic "Bonnie and Clyde," "The Flim-Flam Man" is good-looking, well-acted, imaginatively directed (by Irvin Kershner, who later skippered "The Empire Strikes Back"), and wildly successful at its sole purpose: to entertain. Hollywood used to excel at this brand of lightsome fare. Today, hopelessly vulgarized and dumbed-down, and hell-bent on dragging the audience down to its level, Tinseltown wouldn't know where to begin to make a flick like this. That's everybody's loss.

DVD Please
This movie is truly a classic. Very touching and funny is George C. Scott as Mordecai "the flim flam man". This could be classified as a road picture as Scott and Michael Sarrison an army deserter during the Vietnam War, go from town to town pulling scams on hicks who are also trying to get something for nothing. Henry Morgan is very funny as the sheriff chasing them. Where is the DVD for this movie. Sue Lyon who was a hottie in the 1960's plays the love interest of Sarrison, and daughter of Henry Morgan. Morgan starts out chasing a moonshiner named Dootle whom he thinks made his last escape by using an "anphobibias" vehicle. To not like this movie means you are humorless, there is a great car chase even by todays standards.

George C.'s favorite
A light comedy with some meaningful undertones. It was also one of George C. Scott's favorite roles. Filmed in beautiful central Kentucky in the early fall of 1966, this movie is somewhat dated in it's meanderings, but its value focus is as pertinent today as then. A can't miss for any George C. Scott fan.

A Serious Actor Does Comedy--Very Well, Thank You!
Most of us probably think of George C. Scott and think "Patton." In this movie he plays a character about as far removed from General George as you can get. Mordecai Jones is a con artist with a mission: to teach people (by "flim-flamming" them) not to give in to "greed and fourteen-karat ignorance." Jason "Curly" Treadaway, a farmboy who has deserted the Army after breaking the jaw of a mouthy Yankee sergeant, comes to his aid when he's thrown off a train. Since both are broke, Mordecai suggests that Curly shill for him long enough to accumulate a small stake. From this springs a partnership in which Curly, to his dismay, discovers he has a real gift for dishonest dealings. Tormented by conscience and shattered illusions, he still originates a plan to escape when the pair are finally run down and arrested--and then comes up with an even more audacious one to get Jones out, because, as he tells the girl he's fallen in love with, "he's my *partner*, and that means somethin'."

This movie lacks the slapstick that often characterizes comedy; there's a wild car chase (Jones and Curly in a convertible Mordecai has "borrowed," pursued by the local sheriff, turning their chariot into a "ramblin' wreck" and destroying a considerable portion of the town of Clayton in the process), but most of the film concentrates on Mordecai's schemes--everything from three-card monte and punchboards through the Pigeon Drop to an elaborate masquerade in which he manages to swap a truckload of moonshine for a mound of assorted merchandise. The supporting cast is especially good, with Harry Morgan shining as Sheriff Slade and Albert Salmi delightful as his young chief deputy, Meshaw. And while not for the morally ambivalent, it manages to bring up some important ethical issues. As Mordecai tells Curly, "You can't cheat a honest man!" With no sex or profanity to speak of, it could well serve as the launching point for some telling discussions with your kids about right and wrong, loyalty, and what honesty really is. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

It's a Movie - of course the book's better!
One of my all-time favorite novels, and now one of my favorite videos. Of course the book is better. A movie could never approach the philosophical breadth that Dostoyevsky does in his classic novel, nor could it develop the characters as fully and as masterfully. Lament that the "Grand Inquisitor" does not make an appearance in the film, and that the character of Father Zossima (a very significant figure in the novel) is not developed at all. But, for a movie, it's quite well done and worth the watch. Even my kids enjoyed it (my 10 yr-old daughter figured out the murder mystery before it was revealed). Yul Brynner is very concvincing and, I'm no "trekie," but Shatner rules! I liked it.

Pale version of the novel
This was fair as a movie, but an extremely poor adaptation of one of the finest novels ever written. It would be comparable to a cartoon version of Hamlet. Cobb is outstanding as Fyodor and Brynner is quite good as Dmitri, but they are hamstrung by a phenomenally flat script. Shatner is a disaster as Alyosha and the other characters are not particularly memorable. If you have not read the book, this is a decently enjoyable film. The original story is pared down and the ending changed, but still OK for a light viewing. If you have read the novel, however, this film will be neither entertaining not elucidating.

The Brothers Whats?..av
This movie doesn't go along with the book, but what movie about a book goes along with it? This movie is your typical movie about a book and kinda twisting the books details. But it is pretty funny.

Excesses of Every Description
THE BROTHERS KARAMAZOV is a movie about a dysfunctional nineteenth century Russian family headed by a domineering father (Lee J. Cobb). He and his strong-willed son (Yul Brynner) compete for the same woman (Maria Schell). The family which also has three other sons is torn apart by excesses of every description and some of the characters seem much larger than life - especially Brynner and Cobb. The thoroughly competent supporting cast includes Claire Bloom, Richard Basehart and William Shatner.

The film was based on a novel by Feodor Dostoevsky. It received one Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor (Lee J. Cobb). The main competition for Oscars in 1958 came from GIGI.

Richard Brooks also directed ELMER GANTRY.

Yul Brynner HOT as usual
Interesting how one of the greatest novels of all time can play like a pretty good episode of General Hospital on the big screen, when placed in the right(?) hands. See it for YB, God rest his soul, and some interesting family intrigue. You will be entertained, but if you want more than that, READ the book! ... Read more

Description

The greenskeeper is about to start World War IIIagainst a gopher.The judge plays to win but his nubile niece has her mind set on scoring her own way.The playboy shoots perfect golf by pretending he is the ball.And the country-club loudmouth just doubled a $20,000 bet on a 10-foot putt.Insanity?No. Caddyshack.

Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, Ted Knight and Bill Murray tee off for a side-splitting round of fairway foolishness that does for golf what Animal House did for college fraternities and Police Academy did for law enforcement.

Chase's laid-back delivery has kept audiences of Saturday Night Live and movie hits National Lampoon's Vacation, Fletch and Spies Like Us in the aisles for years.Sharing his wisdom with a caddy or his bed with debutante Lacey Underall, he never misses a shot.Rodney Dangerfield is well, Rodney Dangerfield.Even when he's off camera, he's on.And fans that have made Easy Money and Back to School box-office hits like him just fine.

Knight-possessor of the best slow burn since Laurel and Hardyfusses, fumes and finesses his way through his role as Bushwood Country Club's one-man Legion of Decency.Murray's hole-in-the-head assistant greenskeeper is straight out of Looney Tunes.Murray, who brought the house down in Meatballs, Stripes and Ghostbusters, is funny even when he talks to himself.

In Caddyshack, the term "golf nut" takes on a deranged double meaningand the laughs are par for the course! ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Funniest Sports Flick Ever!
"Caddyshack" combines terrific comic writing, a top-notch cast at the top of its game, and America's love affair with the silly game of golf to form comedy gold.

Using the most cliched plotlines imaginable (the "cools versus the rules," and "the little guy needs to find his way in life"), "Caddyshack" nevertheless breaks a lot of new ground with its timeless characters. Chevy Chase plays golf-stuf/playboy Ty Webb, who mangles philosophy while performing dazzling golf feats on the Bushwood Country Club course -- yes, the name "Bushwood" is revealing. Chase has never been better than in this film, and it's almost sad to see how phenomenal he once was when you stand this performance next to the dreck he's put out in recent years.

The underappreciated Ted Knight plays Webb's nemesis, Judge Smails, an uptight petty aristocrat who plays essentially the same role as Dean Wermer in "Animal House." Smails is Elmer Fudd to Webb's Bugs Bunny.

Rodney Dangerfield is also in the film, playing essentially himself as an obnoxious real estate developer with zero fashion sense -- ask ten people to name the character Dangerfield plays in "Caddyshack," and you'll stump ten people. But it's likely that most of those ten will be able to quote Dangerfield's character: "Lovely boy -- now I now why tigers eat their young!" "You're a caddy, huh -- for Italians, this is skilled labor." "This is the ugliest hat I've ever seen, I bet when you buy this they give you a can of soup . . . but it looks good on you, though."

And last but not least, the immortal Bill Murray plays Carl the Groundskeeper. Carl is charged with ridding Bushwood of a gopher, a varmint who loves nothing more than vandalizing golf courses and dancing to Kenny Loggins. Murray, in a performance bordering on madness, tries various futile strategies to nab the gopher, including sniper rifles, decoys, hoses, and plastic explosives, but it's his mumbled soliloquies that are the most hilarious. Murray's imagined golf game, whacking flowers with a rake, is one of the funniest scenes in any movie, ever.

Our "hero," Danny (Michael O'Keefe), is a minor character completely overwhelmed by these other characters, but his storyline is the thread that ties all the other subplots together. He cheats on his girlfriend Maggie (Animal House alum Sarah Holcomb, inexplicably with an Irish accent) with the gratuitous slut, Judge Smails' niece Lacey Underall (Cindy Morgan), and finds himself pitted against the Judge in the climactic golf match.

Not much of a plot. The movie's greatness is in its execution. The writers (Brian Doyle-Murray and Harold Ramis) find the underlying humor in the country club lifestyle and the unique culture that surrounds golf and skewer everything in sight. Be on the lookout for comic stereotypes . . . from the spoiled rich brats to the doctor who's never in the office to the profane pastor, nobody is safe. Fortunately, "Caddyshack" knows to stay just on this side of crude (coming nearest to the line with its classic "Jaws" parody involving a Baby Ruth) -- this is a witty film, not a cruel film.

This movie is a must for every guy's film library. Just be careful -- there's always a temptation to quote "Caddyshack" out on the golf course. Be warned, only about 5 million people have done it before you, and the novelty's wearing off.

Also be warned -- "Caddyshack" sparked quite possibly the worst sequel ever, "Caddyshack 2." Do not watch that movie!

Caddyshack-Golf at its funniest
"It's in the hole." Is only one of the great-remembered lines in the comical, 1980's golf film, Caddyshack. One might think that the words themselves is not funny, but when delivered by Carl Spackler (Bill Murry) a demented greens keeper, who is living out a fantasy of making a hole in one, using the tops of well groomed flower tops as golf balls. As the flower pedals are scattered all over the ground from the blow of an imaginary golf club, (sickle) you can't help to laugh at the hysterical scene. The brilliant script, written by Brain Murray and Harold Ramis (who also directed the film) is packed full of numerous hysterical lines which are used today when we are out on the golf coarse, laughing at our incompetent golf games.

The story kicks off as a snobbish head of a ritzy golf coarse, Judge Smails (Ted Knight) tries to take advantage of an high school student, Danny Noonan (Michael O'Keefe) who is interested in law school, but needs the job as a caddy to pay his way through college. Judge Smails is put in his place as a wealthy land developer, Al Czervik (Rodney Dangerfield) come on the scene and wants to build condominiums on the exclusive golf coarse. Ted and Rodney go at each other throughout the entire film, which leaves the viewer on the floor, laughing uncontrollably. If that's not enough, Ty Webb (Chevy Chase) a quiet co-founder of the coarse gets involved and gives his on hilarious performance as the middle man, pulled in many different directions. And of coarse, the most remembered character is the lonely green's keeper, Carl Spackler (Bill Murry) who is having his own private war with a gopher that has been digging up the golf coarse.
The above summery does not do the film justice. With an all star cast and a hilarious script, a soundtrack full of 1980s rock. How can you go wrong? Golfer enthusiasts, who see this hysterical comedy, will be chanting the funny punchlines every time they have a chance to, on the golf coarse. This is why I highly recommend this film and give it 5 stars.

Welcome to Bushwood Country Club
When I first saw the previews on HBO, it was to see Mr. Gopher, that wascally wodent, and yes, I'm ashamed to admit it, but to see Lacey Underall in action. Hey, gimme a break! I was thirteen, okay? I'm not attracted by that type anymore.

As for Mr. Gopher, he becomes the target of Carl (Bill Murray), the assistant groundskeeper, who is something of a basket case. He has funny monologues with himself, watches the elderly woman golfers and mutters things with ... undertones, and seems to be living in his own little world.

The previews described this as the slobs against the snobs. Well, Judge Smales (Ted Knight), Dr. Beeper, and the bishop definitely fit the latter. They try to keep certain people from becoming members, and are clearly the elite class. Result, they turn Bushwood into what Al Czervik calls a "crummy snobatorium." As Smales snidely tells off caddy Danny Noonan, who is unsure what to do with his life, but is aspiring for the caddy scholarship, "Well, the world needs ditchdiggers." His attitude changes when Noonan saves the judge from a golf mishap, but hey, as Czervik tells him, "Who made you pope of this dump?"

The laid back Ty Webb (Chevy Chase) is probably the one who's got the best philosophy to golf, just to play it. There's even a parodic reference to a certain George Lucas movie, when he tells Danny "There's a force in the world that makes things happen, and all you have to do is get in touch with it." Let's see, three years after... that'd be right. And I sincerely doubt that Matsuo Basho said this quote attributed to him by Ty, or if he did, it must have been in some very obscure renga verse of his: "A flute with no hole is not a flute, and a donut with no hole is a Danish."

In contrast, there's Al Czervik, a rich, loudmouthed, snazzily-dressed, life-of-the-party type who is full of jokes, wisecracks, and whether you like him depends on how uptight or laid back you are. At dinner, check out his rapid-fire delivery, "My compliments to the cook, this is low-grade dog food. The steak still has marks where the jockey was hitting it." He then makes a funny face as he passes gas, and asks, "Oh! Someone step on a duck?" His table dissolves with laughter. However, when an uptight man next to him fails to laugh, Czervik says, "The graveyard's two blocks to the left." Judge Smales taken an immediate dislike to Al, especially as the latter constantly needles him until he explodes in a temper.

The swimming pool scene is notable for the Busby Berkeley parody number, the usual party-like hijinks in the pool, and whenever I see Baby Ruths at my local store, I inwardly snicker--no pun intended. Although the next time I'm near a swimming pool...hmm, why not? With a candy bar, not what it was thought... never mind!

Dangerfield gets the best laughs and hands-down steals the movie as Al Czervik. Sure, he's got a big mouth and is an instant insult machine, but it's towards the uptight snobs. He also doesn't care too much for the club rules. Anytime I hear Journey's "Any Way You Want It", I think of this movie. And love his hi-tech gadgets! "Einstein sold me this golf club. Nice man--made a fortune in physics."

As for blonde Cindy Morgan (Lacey), okay, she only has one topless scene, but I've seen better looking models than her. And although the chittering, squeaking Chuck E. Rodent, who apparently loves swaying to Kenny Loggins' theme song "I'm Alright," clearly does not resemble a real gopher for laughs, he is to Bugs Bunny as Carl is to Elmer Fudd.

Much of the movie relies on Rodney Dangerfield's funny lines, Ty's deadpan quips, and some cartoon-style hijinks involving Mr. Gopher. In other words, classic 80's humor. But Danny Noonan's quest to find himself is a major part of this movie. Overall rating, 3.75, rounded to 4.

Winning the Caddy Scholarship, or just puttering around?
..."Caddyshack" might be the funniest film I ever have viewed... Writer/Director Harold Ramis and writer/actor Brian Doyle Murray have woven many strong comedic threads into Caddyshack's fabric.

Danny Noonan must win Bushwood Country Club's Caddy Scholarship to afford college. Danny circulates among Bushwood's members doing everything possible to win that scholarship. Danny panders to Ty Webb (Chevy Chase), an undermotivated overachiever whose father helped found Bushwood. Danny panders to Judge Smales (Ted Knight), the stuffed shirt who currently runs Bushwood. And Danny panders to Lacey Underall, Judge Smale's visiting niece who does not play ... golf. Meanwhile, Rodney Dangerfield plays Al Czervik, a nouveau riche real estate developer who attempts to breathe life into Bushwood's forest of bored stiffs. And Bill Murray plays Carl, the burnt-out assistant groundskeeper whose mission to trap a gopher escalates into World War III -- and the gopher survives.

"Caddyshack" shows Bushwood's members at extravagant play while the staff watches with scorn. *Carl, the burnt-out assistant groundskeeper, might be Bill Murray's greatest role.* Add original songs by Kenny Loggins and the result is an unforgettable masterpiece. "Caddyshack" has something for everybody -- even golfers.

Hillarious!
Loaded with a few of the greats in comedy. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Fatal Vision: Movie Suggests Doctor Guilty of Murder
The murder of the wife and children of Green Beret doctor Jeffrey MacDonald was the basis of a book, FATAL VISION, by Joe McGinnis. When Dr. MacDonald was accused of the murder, McGinnis at first believed in his innocence, but later changed his mind, so it is no surprise that his book reflects that belief. The movie version is a faithful rendering of the book and also reflects the same belief. Director David Greene presents MacDonald as a man who is totally narcissistic and capable of violence. Gary Cole, who plays Dr. MacDonald, is presented as exactly the sort of man who could kill his family, and then go on television to revel in the publicity. The first half of the movie is on MacDonald, and the audience is set up to first accept, then reject his claim to innocence. The second half belongs to Karl Malden, who plays Freddy Kassab, the father of the slain wife. He becomes enraged at what he sees as the obvious lack of remorse on MacDonald's part. He pushes the authorities for years to re-open the case. Dr. MacDonald is brought to trial and found guilty. He is now incarcerated for life, and is busy seeking a retrial. Both the movie and book suggest that an overwhelming mountain of circumstantial evidence is the proof of his guilt. The problem that I have with this is McGinnis and Greene present a case just as if they were sure of MacDonald's guilt. Especially reprehensible was the scene in which the prosecutor is describing the moments after MacDonald allegedly slaughtered his family. The camera shows him in the bathroom as he uses a scalpel to self-inflict minor wounds that he would later claim were inflicted by intruders. The impression on the viewer is that this scene is gospel truth. Doctor MacDonald did not help his cause by acting like an arrogant jerk in court. The prosecution got great mileage out of showing his opulent life style with an assortment of bimbos. MacDonald seemed the very picture of a cold-blooded wife killer. The first time I saw the movie, I thought that maybe MacDonald did kill his wife and maybe he didn't, and in the American system of justice, that translates to a verdict of not guilty. The movie was a stacked deck. As an afterthought, I learned in the media of a wave of evidence that could have exonerated MacDonald had the prosecution presented it. Further, key members of the prosecution staff themselves were later charged with perjury in other cases not related to this one and they went to jail. When films like FATAL VISION purport to show a true-life trial, there can never be a 'finished product.' The concluding comments that mention his current status ought to be updated periodically to include the generally unknown facts that point out that MacDonald could be innocent. FATAL VISION is a well-done movie and the court scenes are quite gripping, but the bias against MacDonald intrudes to make the consequences of a real life case seem as inconsequential as any found in a movie of pure fiction.

Superior made-for-TV movie
Although director David Greene is known almost exclusively for his work in television, this movie is several notches above most TV fare. Running a full three hours and twenty minutes in two parts, Fatal Vision is just about as riveting as the book of the same name from which it was adapted. The screenplay by long time Hollywood pro John Gay amounts to an indictment of army Captain Dr. Jeffrey MacDonald, but then again so did the book.

Gary Cole gives a convincing performance as the former Green Beret army officer who was accused, and then some nine years after the fact, convicted of the murder of his pregnant wife Collette and two young daughters. Karl Malden plays Freddy Kassab, Collette's father, with his usual skill, while Eva Marie Saint plays Kassab's wife.

Since it is still being debated to this day whether Jeffrey MacDonald really was guilty of this horrendous crime (as he continues to serve his prison sentence), perhaps we should appreciate this movie strictly as a study in sociopathology.

The story begins February 17, 1970 with MacDonald phoning the police to report that his wife and two daughters had been brutally murdered by a marauding gang of hippies who broke into his home shouting "Kill the pigs, acid is groovy." He claims he tried to fight them off and was injured and knocked unconscious.

In contrast, the story presented by the prosecution and detailed in McGinniss's book, portrays MacDonald as having, in a fit of temper injured or killed a member of his family, and then to cover up that crime killed all of them, and then fabricated a crime scene to support his story including the infliction of superficial wounds upon himself.

The question most people would like answered is WHY would a previously upstanding member of the community, a successful doctor as well as a decorated army Captain, go to such a horrendous extreme to cover up a crime no worse than manslaughter, if that?

The answer is in the character of Jeffrey MacDonald himself who is depicted as a psychopath possibly under the influence of amphetamines, a man so callous and unfeeling about the pain and suffering of anyone except himself, that he would murder his own family in an attempt to divert the blame from himself. This was the answer that McGinniss came up with after spending a lot of time with MacDonald and after initially believing him to be innocent. This is the answer that the jury believed, and this is the answer given in the character that Gary Cole so vividly portrays.

There are many kinds of truth--legal truth decided by a jury, scientific truth decided by experiment and confirmation, spiritual truth, etc. And there is cinematic artistic truth, decided by the viewer. I think the business-like direction from Greene and his adherence to McGinniss's "vision," along with the fine performance by Gary Cole make us aware of the reality that there are sociopaths among us who can charm and kill with equal ease.

Regardless of the true facts of the case (which we will never know for certain) it is this singular truth that makes this movie worth seeing.

Not Even Safe With The Military
The Manson family murders that occurred in August of 1969 were bad enough, but now this murder provided no safe haven for Middle Class America to run to; the world was falling further and further apart. For Green Beret Doctor Jeffery McDonald it had as he lost his family his wife and 2 little girls to murder. The world mourned with this man, and then came the accusations, and the fact that McDonald himself finds that he's leading the top of the list. His father in law defends him all the way, but then McDonald's behavior, and attitudes begin to make him wonder could McDonald have killed his whole family, and he sets out to find the truth. McDonald still claims that a bunch of hippies killed his family because McDonald wouldn't give out drugs for them. My honest opinion is that McDonald may very well be completely innocent of this crime, but his psychological state makes me have doubts. First of all the appearance on the Dick Cavett show in which he slams the U.S. Army during the investigation, and causing the audience to laugh. Then the fact he alienated his in-laws, and finally moving away makes me feel that he just was moving on way too fast, and not showing any signs of trying to find who killed his family. His psychological state is also showing that McDonald is a paranoid man who loves himself, and anything pertaining to him. I know that if anyone didn't like, or agree with him he's a controlling sort, and will snap at you. I know the one scene where they argued about a piece of evidence McDonald screamed "Warheidi's a Nazi". I feel that he may have been raised that way by his mother. I Can't look at it any other way. McDonald was found guilty, and will not be elligabe for parole for awhile. I found this to be a impressive movies.

This true story shows The Injustice Criminal Justice System
I have to totally agree with Dr. Charles T. Kelly, Jr from the first book review and the review on the second book to do with the McDonald case. With the information from the Freedom of Information Act there is enough evidence to at least be able to give Dr.McDonald a right to a second Trial and not go against his constitutional rights. In Fatal Vision there were mistakes that were made by the Military and our Government seemed to have decided to ignore other evidence and just decide to go after Dr. Mcdonald for the Murders of his Family.

Fatal Injustice
I watched this movie when it first came out. Since that time, I have read both books, Fatal Vision and Fatal Justice: Reinvestigating the MacDonald Murders. It appears as though this movie lacks sound, objective, logical reasoning based on the final product. Also, since many years have now passed, it may be a very profitable endeavour for someone to take all of the Freedom of Information documentation and court transcripts and write the TRUE story of what really took place. Additionally, a movement should be initiated to secure the release of or pressure applied on the government to force a reopening of this Fatal Injustice. Also, certain members of the governments team during the CID investigation and Justice Department investigation should be investigated and charges brought. Their actions, inaction, and damage caused to the criminal justice system must be reversed. As a professor of Criminal Justice and Criminal Investigations, I intend to have every student read both books and watch the movie. There is also a academic journal article written on these two books that is very good.

Most respectfully,
Dr. Charles T. Kelly, Jr. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

I Am Dancing As Fast As I am
I lived her life and it is almost 20 years since I read the book and saw the movie and it still haunts me. Today I am fine, and I can say nothing more than that book really helped me to believe in myself.

not easy going but rewarding
Although her screen persona in such films as Starting Over and It's My Turn was being the nice girl next door, Jill Clayburgh
also took some chances. Just think of her vomiting in An Unmarried
Woman and her incestuous opera singer in Bernardo Bertolucci's
Luna. This film is based on Barbara Gordon's book and what probably
helped Clayburgh to deliver her searing performance is that her
husband playwright David Rabe both produced and did the screenplay,
and the director was Jack Hofsiss who did The Elephant Man on stage to
such acclaim. Her Barbara is barely likeable - obsessive-compulsive,
hostile, chain-smoking and valium addicted. It's fascinating to see
how she conceals her pills, and clear that she lacks the support to
accomodate her impulsive decision to withdraw. She is told that valium
withdrawal is as traumatic as opiate withdrawal, and having an
alcoholic abusive lover doesn't help. As Barbara withdraws, Clayburgh
goes all out - convulsing, drooling, shrieking, maniacal, with wild
mad eyes and Frances Farmer hair. When she is eventually
institutionalised we see the anger that the valium had suppressed as
she rages at her therapist played by Dianne Wiest, who matches
Clayburgh. Wiest's first film had been Clayburgh's It's My Turn and
it's generous to think that Clayburgh helped her along with this role,
before she found greater success with Woody Allen. The film is
actually full of interesting actors in small roles - John Lithgow,
David Margulies, Kathleen Widdoes, Daniel Stern, Joe Pesci, Anne de
Salvo, Ellen Greene, Richard Masur, Jeffrey de Munn, and Geraldine
Page as a poet with cancer who Barbara is making a doco on. The poetry
we hear her recite is by Marsha Rabe. Occasionally Page slips into
Method-overdrive, with her hands and her little girl voice, and she
kills the meaning of the title, but mostly she is believable. The
casting of Nicol Williamson as Clayburgh's lover however doesn't quite
work. He is certainly creepy but we never understand his reluctance to
get Barbara medical help during her withdrawal. Hofsiss gives us two
great images - Clayburgh walking down a long corridor after having
been insulted by Page, aggresively wiping away her tears, and her
running on the beach in a white gown. The music of Stanley Silverman
and the Primavera String Quartet is particularly beautiful and
moving. Also Clayburgh is dressed very stylishly here, that is when
not draped in her crazy lady pyjamas.

I want to buy this video
I have looked everywhere for this video on Vhs. I can't understand why the price is so high. If anyone can suggest where i might find it please let me know. This is the most true to factual movie I remember seeing and my sister is ill with a similar disease. I would like to help by getting this movie and letting my sister, mother, and rest of the family view it. It is very informative. Please help.

I saw this movie when it came out and I loved it.
The characters are so pitiful that at times, I hate to say it, but they made me laugh.The mixture of their patheticness and how they dealt with their problems made me laugh at times, and that appealed to me. I want to see it again now that I am 18 years older and see if it still appeals to me. Thanks :-)

Interesting
I like it because it has the guy who played Merlin in the movie Excalibur in it. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Despite its box-office failure in 1981, Dragonslayer was gradually recognized as one of the finest fantasies to emerge from the post-Star Wars boom in special effects. It's still one of the best adventures of its kind, featuring one of the most fearsome fire-breathing serpents in movie history. Ominously named Vermithrax Pejorative, this ill-tempered monster terrorizes the peasantry of sixth-century England, feeding on maidens sacrificed by a duplicitous king until a sorcerer's apprentice named Galen (Peter MacNicol, long before Ally McBeal) is recruited as a reluctant hero. Aided by a tenacious beauty (Caitlin Clarke) and his resurrected mentor (Ralph Richardson), Galen confronts the soaring beast in a breathtaking climax. Employing a then-innovative technique called Go-Motion to animate the dragon, the special effects are still dazzling, and stunning locations in Scotland and Wales allow director Matthew Robbins (cowriter of Steven Spielberg's feature debut, The Sugarland Express) to maintain a vivid atmosphere for the wealth of movie magic. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (67)

One of the best fantasy films I have seen
And face it, there just aren't all that many great fantasy films around; "Dragonslayer" stands out, especially in the 80s era, where fantasy films were often a silly sword-and-sorcery affair. It is a dark tale of a sorcerer and a dragon that he must destroy, a fantasy story in the most classical sense of the word. The special effects might look just a little out-dated, but they still hold well for audience today. The acting is just a little contrived (with the exception of the sorcerer, performed by the great British actor Richardson), but the focus is not as much on the characters as on the atmosphere and the tale itself. What I like best about this films is that it is not quirky or childish, but has an atmosphere that holds true to the darker world of old fairy tales. I would love to see this movie come to DVD.

Dragonslayer!!!
Wow, it's about time! Dragonslayer, man! Remember Dragonslayer? If you had HBO back in the good ol' days, you most likely saw this many, many times along with The Beastmaster. This is THE dragon flick. It's everything you could hope for in a fantasy film. This is no wimpy dragon flick. Hollywood loves to throw all these friendly dragons into their films anymore, which is extremely irritating. You won't see some human loving dragon with Sean Connery's voice in this one! It may be PG rated, but it is quite dark, serious, and very violent. Your kids won't be wishing with all their hearts to fly with this dragon in the Land of Art, I can tell ya that right now! She ain't white and fluffy and willing to take you beyond the boundaries of Fantasia either. This dragon is pissed. This dragon is burning the village virgins to a cinder, and letting her kids chomp away at the princess. This is the kind of dragon from fairy tales, this sucker is scary! This dragon is probably the scariest and best looking put on film. The effects were pretty good for 82 , and the dragon is still creepy and convincing. The dragon doesn't have much screen time, but that's fine considering a very good story is fed to us. There are some decent performances too, especially Ralph Richardson as the wizard. I have not seen an actor since that fits the role of a wizard the way Ralph does here. Sorry, Mr. McKellen. Now that it's here, get it. It's the perfect addition to your fantasy flick collection, and will easily find a spot between Krull and Conan The Destroyer.

Slayer
Yes, of course it is showing its age. It was made in 1981. This does not change the fact that this movie totally owns. This rocked back in the day and it continues to rock if for nothing but the pure nostalgia factor (showing this movie to my older brother will be sure to conjure memories). 1981 seemed to be a big year for movies about Knights, swords and sorcery. This was one of the best and remained the best for a long time to come. Only today, with slick computer graphics do we see the failures of the special effects here and there. However, they tried their best, really they did. It remains an impressive tale about magic, progress, advancement, and heroism. One of the more memorable lines from this movie was something like :

"Well, I'm glad that magic is fading from this world, the dragons are fading along with it."

Hmmm.

Good when it came out--and still good now!
This has been a favorite of mine over the years, and its stood the test of time--I still like it! I especially like the characters, the way it lets you understand their motives without asking you to accept them. It shows you peoples foibles as well as their strengths. It includes several horrific scenes, but doesn't bog down in explicit detailing of gore (for example, when the princess sacrifices herself to the dragon, you don't see her killed, but only see a glimpse of her body where the baby dragons are feeding). Or, the old servant is murdered, and before he dies he says, "Someone's shot me!" in a voice of surprise, like he can't understand why someone would do that. And the dragon was believable to me. I accepted its sadness at being at the end of an era and without having a place in the new one. Dragonslayer is a good story supported by special effects and not the other way around--a movie with loads of special effects and no story--that would be boring!

More of a Merchant-Ivory costume drama than swords & sorcery
Dragonslayer is very much like a Merchant-Ivory costume drama -only with a fire-breathing dragon! Like Merchant-Ivory films, Dragonslayer is well-written, beautifully photographed, designed with an amazing eye for authentic costumes, sets and props to the last detail and masterfully acted by all the supporting characters. Unfortunately, like other M-I films, there is little action and a very unsypathetic "hero".

The plot: For years, the kingdom of Urland has managed to avoid being incinerated by a dragon by offering up maidens as a twice-annual meal. Like the draft during Vietnam, the lottery by which the virgins are chosen is more or less rigged to guarantee that the children of the rich and/ or well-connected aren't conscripted as dragon bait. One thing the movie should have addressed is the question of why the virgins of Urland don't "dodge the draft" in a rather easy and obvious (and fun!) way.

Since there are no slots in the "champagne unit" of the Texas Air Guard available to a young commoner named Valerian, she has spent her youth dressed like a boy. However, she refuses to just sit by as other girls are devoured, so she and other peasants seek out a wizard to kill the dragon.

The only one they find is Ulric (played perfectly as an almost senile hermit by Ralph Richardson), an octogenarian who lives 300 miles away and appears to already have one foot in the grave. He doesn't even look like he can travel all the way to Urland, let alone fight a dragon. He is also handicapped by a a clumsy and dull-witted apprentice, Galen (Peter MacNicol).

Enter Tyrian (Jack Hallam) a wonderfull villain played by a wonderfull actor. He thinks the old magician is a fraud and a troublemaker and calls him out. When he goes into his harangue about how wizards are con-artists and says "But comes a doubter..." you realize it's a great performance. Like others in Urland, Tyrian actually benefits from the sacrifice of young girls to the dragon. Like any society beset by a scary enough menace, people will allow their "protector" to get away with anything -even murder- if it means keeping the beast at bay. Tyrian serves King Cassiodorus Rex (Peter Eyre), who came up with the lottery (the "tiles" look suspiciously like old-style Army dog tags -a clever touch) after his brother, King Gaiseric tried to kill the dragon but was himself killed.

The over-eager and under-intelligent Galen tries to kill the dragon himself. Between his bungling, the King's conniving and pressure from the villagers whose homes and crops get turned to ashes, Galen finds himself in a deeper and deeper pit.

At this point, the movie falters. The fight scene between Tyrian and Galen is almost humorously bad. The fight with the dragon is great, but suddenly stopped for no apparent reason -it just switches to dawn the next day. And the way the dragon is beaten lacks any kind of thrill or suspense whatsoever. Peter MacNicol is badly miscast and other reviewers are right in pointing out how conspicuous American accents in a movie with an almost entirely British cast kills the suspension of disbelief.

Another problem is the score by Alex North. It's just plain bad.

On the other hand, Caitlin Clarke (American accent notwithstanding) is pretty good. Other reviewers think of her as a bit of a Plain Jane, but they forget that she is pretty (though not by absurd movie standards) and she can't have Kate Beckinsale's cute little button nose and pass herself off as a boy. The rest of the cast is perfect.

Of all the sword & sorcery films ever made, Dragonslayer is the best scripted and by far the best acted. The costumes are 100% accurate for the 6th-7th centuries in northern Europe, contrary to some assertions made here. If it had more action and a more appealing hero with real chemistry with the female lead, this movie would be a classic.

Finally, the dragon (Vermithrax pejorative) is the best dragon ever on screen, with the ones from Reign of Fire a close second. Vermithrax actually has personality! The special effects guys must have had Lee Strasburg coach her! The fact that she is used sparingly helps, too.

This is a good, but not great movie and I recommend it. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

good ol' fashion re-telling
Val Kilmer takes his part in playing Billy The Kid...another actor who played him was Emilio Estevez in the Youn Guns movies..fast paced shootings make this one a keeper...though dont get pulled in with some of the wooden things Kilmer does...but in the end hes always good

The ultimate Billy the Kid-movie
If you are going to watch only one movie about Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett,this is the one.Pat Garrett is unusually central as a character.We are left with a lot of new thoughts and feelings about him and his relationship with the outlaw Kid when the movie is finished.The movie has a very special,almost haunting atmosphere-you watch it...and the ever unresolved conflict of loyalty versus duty comes to life,along with the magic of the time and the place...and you`re there.

Good but not Perfect
This movie was pretty good, and I speacially like how they had Billy not drink much in the beginning. Sadly, they did the traditional thing and made Billy have very few partners. In the movie, Billy and Tom kill Brady and one deputy, in actuality, Billy, Jose Chavez Y Chavez, and 4 other regulators killed Brady and 3 deputies. I also hate how they skip the entire Lincoln county war.

Kilmer did good as Billy, but they made him too cold blooded. I admit, Billy wasn't a romeo or a Robin Hood, but Billy was not cruel! Every man he killed had it coming to them. In the movie they made Billy get mad fast and in the end he drank alot, where as in reality he didn't drink and he wasn't easily angered(or there'd have been alot more people killed by him).

Pretty Accurate Historically
There was Young Guns 1 and 2, which were certainly much more funner to watch, and then there's Val Kilmer's take on Billy the Kid. This movie is rather lackluster, but all in all, a pretty good western. Val does a good job portraying the Kid, and Duncan Regher plays a convincing slow and lanky Pat Garret. The thing I liked about it was that the history of the Kid and other characters is pretty darn accurate, more so than the Young Guns movies. A good watch but I don't know if you could get into it more than twice. ... Read more

Description

The greenskeeper is about to start World War IIIagainst a gopher.The judge plays to win but his nubile niece has her mind set on scoring her own way.The playboy shoots perfect golf by pretending he is the ball.And the country-club loudmouth just doubled a $20,000 bet on a 10-foot putt.Insanity?No. Caddyshack.Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, Ted Knight and Bill Murray tee off for a side-splitting round of fairway foolishness that does for golf what Animal House did for college fraternities and Police Academy did for law enforcement.Chase's laid-back delivery has kept audiences of Saturday Night Live and movie hits National Lampoon's Vacation, Fletch and Spies Like Us in the aisles for years.Sharing his wisdom with a caddy or his bed with debutante Lacey Underall, he never misses a shot.Rodney Dangerfield is well, Rodney Dangerfield.Even when he's off camera, he's on.And fans that have made Easy Money and Back to School box-office hits like him just fine.Knight-possessor of the best slow burn since Laurel and Hardyfusses, fumes and finesses his way through his role as Bushwood Country Club's one-man Legion of Decency.Murray's hole-in-the-head assistant greenskeeper is straight out of Looney Tunes.Murray, who brought the house down in Meatballs, Stripes and Ghostbusters, is funny even when he talks to himself.In Caddyshack, the term "golf nut" takes on a deranged double meaningand the laughs are par for the course! ... Read more

Reviews (172)

The slobs -vs- The snobs
This is a classic comedy that is still funny after so many years, I have read the reviews of this film left by others regarding the picture, I am not sure what they are talking about?!, I thought it had a great DVD transfer, the 19th Anniversary edition that is, they could be referring to the initial release of this film years earlier, however everyone plays their roles to perfection, Chevy Chase plays what is probably his best role as a playboy who golfs for fun, not scores, Rodney Dangerfield is perfect as a free-living, humorous & rude real-estate developer who loves getting a rise out of the late Ted Knight's uptight judge, & Bill Murray is lovable as the dim-witted groundskeeper who has a personal war with a gopher that is the film's real star, watching these characters unfold in neat as is Michael O'Keefe as a ambitious caddy who longs for somthing more, Cindy Morgan is Knight's niece with a questionable reputation, definately a movie that anyone could probably relate to, with the exception of some gross-out humor, the candy bar most noticebly, it is a straight comedy as Dangerfield squares off against Knight, watching these two is like watching politians go at it, but Murray's obsession with killing the gopher is never dull, watching the gopher react to his future plan of ridding him is funny as Murray uses plastic explosives in the form of other animals, this film had a sequel that had potential & had Murray & Dangerfield attached, but bowed out after Warner Bros. refused to compromise a script rewrite by them, only Chase returned for that one with little screen time, I highly recommend the original, but pass on the sequel, why Warner would allow Murray & Dangerfield to walk on the follow-up just shows how arrogant studio executives are, the follow-ups failure was their reward, the original is one of the best comedies ever!!!!!!!

Grab your bag
Caddyshack is a movie that takes place at a upscale country club. The plot is based around a golfing match for high stakes between a team of Rodney Dangerfield and Chevy Chase versus Ted Knight. Caught in the middle is Michael O'Keefe. But forget the plot, it really doesn't matter. What matters are the brilliant comedic performances given by the above-mentioned and Bill Murray. Mr. Dangerfield plays a wild and crazy land developer who is rude, crude and obnoxious. Mr. Chase is Ty Webb, who is independently wealthy and plays golf without keeping score. Mr. Chase is at his wisecracking, smug best. Mr. Knight, plays a stuffy judge and he brings his Mary Tyler Moore persona to the character as he thinks he's smarter than he actually is. Mr. O'Keefe is given the least funny of the roles, but we feel for his character Danny Noonan. Mr. Murray gives a tour-de-force performance as Carl, the bumbling, stoned assistant greenskeeper. His scene where he describes as the Cinderella story at the Masters is a movie classic and one of the funniest scenes ever filmed. If you like comedies and want to laugh, then Caddyshack is for you. It is a movie that you can watch a million times and laugh just as hard as the first time you saw it.

Belly laugh city
Just when I thought I couldn't watch the rest of the movie, a hysteric comedic scene or line brought me out of it. Rodney is unforgettable. When this one shakes out, some of the funniest stuff ever (so bad it's good).

A golf player's must!
If you play golf,this film is for you. I'm sure Jack Nicklaus,Arnold Palmer and Tiger Woods have all seen this film. Harold Ramis directs an all-star cast featuring Chevy Chase,Bill Murray,Brian Doyle Murray(Bill's brother),Rodney Dangerfield and the late Ted Knight. This film's fetured song is I'M ALRIGHT recorded by Kenny Loggins. This hit film,theatircally released in July 1980,spawned the sequel,CADDYSHACK 2 in 1988.

Best Golf Movie...Ever
While it's tough to put a golf movie ahead of Adam Sandler's great Happy Gilmore, no other golf movie has as many memorable lines in it as this one does. In fact, few other comedies have as many great lines as Caddyshack. Who can forget the conversation about playing with the Dali Llama or Bill Murray's monologue while "driving" the flowers?

"It's in the hole!"

One of the best scenes of the movie is where Chevy Chase drives the ball through Bill Murray's window, causing a great conversation between two comic greats of our time. Also, for anybody who has seen the new Tiger Woods' commercial where he's chasing the gopher and don't understand what in the world is going on- see this movie. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Snicker if you will, but Kung Fu was one of the most influential TV series of the 1970s, one that managed to inject a note of both spirituality and Eastern religion into the standard Western formula and make it seem new. This was the pilot, an intriguing and scene-setting TV movie in which David Carradine starred as the mysterious Caine--half-white, half-Chinese, reared in a Shaolin monastery in China by blind master Po (Keye Luke), then exiled to America, on the run for killing the men who killed his master. The pilot mixes flashbacks to Caine's youth with a story set in the Old West of Caine battling intolerance as he begins the search for his father. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Hope they put the whole series on DVD
I have loved this series for years. I just love the little thought provoking things that Caine, the main character says. I've watched it since I was a little kid, and when I was in my twenties, it came on at 4 am on a channel once a week so I'd stay awake just to see it. I really hope they put the whole series on DVD. I'd buy it in a minute.

I love the quiet demeanor of Caine. I enjoy his humility and his respectfulness. The Caine character proves that you don't have to be "bad" to be cool. The pilot movie is definitely worth watching.

Unique Western flick.
This is certainly by no means an all-time favorite movie of mine, but it's an excellent little flick nevertheless -- especially considering that it was made-for-TV, the pilot for the "Kung Fu" TV series. My wife and I just saw it tonight and quite enjoyed it. At a mere 74 minutes, it's short and sweet, kinda the way I wish more movies would be! It's definitely a Western, as it takes place out West in the late 19th century, but it's unique for this genre in that it incorporates Eastern philosophy/wisdom and martial arts -- sorry, no quick-draw shootouts here.

A great scene appears near the beginning wherein Caine walks into a saloon after walking (!!) across a desert to get some water. Naturally some redneck dork wants to start a fight with him 'cause he's one of them "slant-eyes." Three times the guy attempts to attack Caine and three times Caine swiftly and decisively repels the attacks. The guy wisely decides not to attack again as Caine finishes his water and humbly walks out of the saloon leaving the saloon patrons in astonishment.

There's more martial arts action toward the end, but, it should be noted, this is by no means a standard martial arts flick. The movie teaches humility and respect for elders & all fellow human beings.

Despite the fact that they have very little dialogue, Caine develops a close father/son relationship with blind Master Po.

Some scenes have such a reverent and touching quality to them that they actually brought tears to my eyes .

In Brian Garfield's "Western Films" guide he criticized this film as "Juvenile tripe." With all due respect for the brilliant Mr. Garfield, this film is neither juvenile or tripe! As far as Westerns go, it's quite mature and original. Good Eastern-style music too.

Kung Fu: The Movie of Respect
KUNG FU is one of the few movies I have ever seen that has respect for a foundation. It is unfortunate that the martial arts are what viewers most often think of when they remember either the movie or the long running television show. Yet, a respect for tradition and a veneration for one's elders form the philosophical underpinning for both. The young Kwai Chang Caine, played modestly by Rademas Pera, portrays Caine as the height of worshipful respect. Having grown up as an orphan, we see in flashbacks, that he and the other village orphans, were invited to visit the local Shaolin monastery. He waits patiently in the rain for days until he is admitted. Once he is, he and a group of ragamuffins sit down at a table laden with food. The other orphans gorge themselves. Young Caine does not. Because he had the manners to wait, he is invited to stay by Master Po. During his years in the monastery, there are many scenes of interaction between him and his Shaolin instructors. It is these vignettes of the Wise Sages instructing the Eager Youth that lend the movie its charm. Caine, played now by David Carradine, grows to adulthood and leaves the temple to wander China. He is forced to kill the Emperor's nephew and must flee to America. These scnes of exposition are required for the movie to make sense. Caine's rise to maturity forms the basis for his encounter with villainous engineers and a renegade monk.
One subtle scene of respect occurs midway in the film when the adult Caine is working on a desert railroad somewhere in the western region of the United States. A heavily loaded wagon threatens to tip over, and Caine rushes over to prop it up with his surprisingly strong skinny arms. As he raises his arms, the Chinese crowd sees the tatoo of a dragon on his arms, and they bow in reverent silence. Later at the end, Caine must fight an outlaw monk whom he kills, but takes no joy in his victory. Even in defeat, a beaten enemy commands respect.
KUNG FU is the movie that attempts to make some sort of sense out of a violent unpredictable life. Caine seems to say that respect for all may make that possible. Perhaps he is right.

Good Script Makes Up For Bad History...Grasshopper!
Much has been written about the philosophical & moral lessons that can be learned from watching the old "King-Fu" tv series. However, one lesson that can be learned from this show has not been mentioned...a good script & solid acting performances can make up for very bad history done in an American western!

Alright, David Carradine does do a solid acting job as the peaceful, philosophical Buddhist monk roaming the American west. (Yup, like that other early 1970's martial-arts hero "Billy Jack", Carradine's "Caine" preaches "peace" & "brotherhood", until he's harrassed by "rednecks", then he tosses out all of that philosophy & kicks...! This show isn't really a martial-arts showcase. It's a hippie's wish-dream!) The surrogate father/son relationship between Carradine & Keye Luke as the blind master "Po" is solid, & let's face it, the bad guys racial slurs of "Chinaman" & "slanty-man" are delightfully repulsive! (I'm an Asian-american, & I enjoy watching Carradine, who's really a white actor in "yellow-face", kick the stuffings out of the bad-guys after they insult him!) And this tv pilot does have solid social commentary, with the background of the Chinese-american railroad workers as symbolic of American racial-exploitation.

Okay, so what's off about this show? Actually, you can't harp on the lack of martial-arts flash in the fight-scenes, since Hong-Kong movies made about this time (the Shaw Brother's "Duel of The Iron Fist", "Street-Gangs of Hong-Kong", "Seven Blows of The Dragon", etc.) also have sloppy fight scenes! You might harp on the practice of casting a white actor in a Chinese role, but then prior to the 1980's, most well meaning films with an Asian as a central character usually were cast with white actors. (Remember "Dragon Seed?" It was a pro-China World War Two propaganda film, with the Chinese, who were our allies against Japan, as the heroes. Katherine Hepburn was the heroine! Yet, you certainly can't call that movie "anti-Chinese.") I don't even think you can harp on passing up Bruce Lee for the lead role, because the central character has to have an inner-peace to him, & Bruce, well....watch "Fist of Fury/Chinese Connection" to understand why I don't think his personality would fit the role (though physically, because of his expertise in martial-arts, he would have been great...in the fight scenes.) You certainly can't fault the writing & acting, which we already said was solid.

Nope. It's the "Chinese" history & culture presented here that strains the believability for a learned viewer. For one thing, Chinese martial-artists (& Chinese Buddhist monks for that matter) DON'T go around barefoot! (They wear shoes! It's the Japanese & Okinawans who don't wear shoes during practice!) The look of the Shaolin robes are off & the bald monks are lacking in incense burnings on the tops of their heads. (They look like dots when you see them.) Not only that, but going by strict Chinese history of the 19th Century, I don't think "the emperor" would have been able to send anyone after "Caine." He (or actually the Empress Dowager) would have been too busy fending off the Taiping Rebels, the British, the French, & the various secret societies that were tearing up China at that time! (Of course, if you go by strict Chinese historical events, "Caine" wouldn't have had to leave China! He, like various other real-life monks, could have joined up with the various rebel secret societies that were plaguing the Manchu government at that time & besides, China is huge! If David Jansenn's "Doctor Kimble" from "The Fugitive" tv show didn't have to leave America after being accused of killing his wife, why should "Caine" have to leave a huge, easily to disappear in country like China?)

However, when I watch "Kung-Fu", I'm not convinced that those are real Shaolin monks or that that was China! It's like watching a medieval knight with a six-shooter!

Rent this video if you can, but only buy it if you can't rent it!

Kung Fu - A Martial Arts Classic
This will go down in martial artis history as a classic.

The fact that Bruce Lee was denied the lead role because of his being "too Chinese-looking" caused it to lose some of its luster, but it is still a must-see. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Fatal Vision: Movie Suggests Doctor Guilty of Murder
The murder of the wife and children of Green Beret doctor Jeffrey MacDonald was the basis of a book, FATAL VISION, by Joe McGinnis. When Dr. MacDonald was accused of the murder, McGinnis at first believed in his innocence, but later changed his mind, so it is no surprise that his book reflects that belief. The movie version is a faithful rendering of the book and also reflects the same belief. Director David Greene presents MacDonald as a man who is totally narcissistic and capable of violence. Gary Cole, who plays Dr. MacDonald, is presented as exactly the sort of man who could kill his family, and then go on television to revel in the publicity. The first half of the movie is on MacDonald, and the audience is set up to first accept, then reject his claim to innocence. The second half belongs to Karl Malden, who plays Freddy Kassab, the father of the slain wife. He becomes enraged at what he sees as the obvious lack of remorse on MacDonald's part. He pushes the authorities for years to re-open the case. Dr. MacDonald is brought to trial and found guilty. He is now incarcerated for life, and is busy seeking a retrial. Both the movie and book suggest that an overwhelming mountain of circumstantial evidence is the proof of his guilt. The problem that I have with this is McGinnis and Greene present a case just as if they were sure of MacDonald's guilt. Especially reprehensible was the scene in which the prosecutor is describing the moments after MacDonald allegedly slaughtered his family. The camera shows him in the bathroom as he uses a scalpel to self-inflict minor wounds that he would later claim were inflicted by intruders. The impression on the viewer is that this scene is gospel truth. Doctor MacDonald did not help his cause by acting like an arrogant jerk in court. The prosecution got great mileage out of showing his opulent life style with an assortment of bimbos. MacDonald seemed the very picture of a cold-blooded wife killer. The first time I saw the movie, I thought that maybe MacDonald did kill his wife and maybe he didn't, and in the American system of justice, that translates to a verdict of not guilty. The movie was a stacked deck. As an afterthought, I learned in the media of a wave of evidence that could have exonerated MacDonald had the prosecution presented it. Further, key members of the prosecution staff themselves were later charged with perjury in other cases not related to this one and they went to jail. When films like FATAL VISION purport to show a true-life trial, there can never be a 'finished product.' The concluding comments that mention his current status ought to be updated periodically to include the generally unknown facts that point out that MacDonald could be innocent. FATAL VISION is a well-done movie and the court scenes are quite gripping, but the bias against MacDonald intrudes to make the consequences of a real life case seem as inconsequential as any found in a movie of pure fiction.

Superior made-for-TV movie
Although director David Greene is known almost exclusively for his work in television, this movie is several notches above most TV fare. Running a full three hours and twenty minutes in two parts, Fatal Vision is just about as riveting as the book of the same name from which it was adapted. The screenplay by long time Hollywood pro John Gay amounts to an indictment of army Captain Dr. Jeffrey MacDonald, but then again so did the book.

Gary Cole gives a convincing performance as the former Green Beret army officer who was accused, and then some nine years after the fact, convicted of the murder of his pregnant wife Collette and two young daughters. Karl Malden plays Freddy Kassab, Collette's father, with his usual skill, while Eva Marie Saint plays Kassab's wife.

Since it is still being debated to this day whether Jeffrey MacDonald really was guilty of this horrendous crime (as he continues to serve his prison sentence), perhaps we should appreciate this movie strictly as a study in sociopathology.

The story begins February 17, 1970 with MacDonald phoning the police to report that his wife and two daughters had been brutally murdered by a marauding gang of hippies who broke into his home shouting "Kill the pigs, acid is groovy." He claims he tried to fight them off and was injured and knocked unconscious.

In contrast, the story presented by the prosecution and detailed in McGinniss's book, portrays MacDonald as having, in a fit of temper injured or killed a member of his family, and then to cover up that crime killed all of them, and then fabricated a crime scene to support his story including the infliction of superficial wounds upon himself.

The question most people would like answered is WHY would a previously upstanding member of the community, a successful doctor as well as a decorated army Captain, go to such a horrendous extreme to cover up a crime no worse than manslaughter, if that?

The answer is in the character of Jeffrey MacDonald himself who is depicted as a psychopath possibly under the influence of amphetamines, a man so callous and unfeeling about the pain and suffering of anyone except himself, that he would murder his own family in an attempt to divert the blame from himself. This was the answer that McGinniss came up with after spending a lot of time with MacDonald and after initially believing him to be innocent. This is the answer that the jury believed, and this is the answer given in the character that Gary Cole so vividly portrays.

There are many kinds of truth--legal truth decided by a jury, scientific truth decided by experiment and confirmation, spiritual truth, etc. And there is cinematic artistic truth, decided by the viewer. I think the business-like direction from Greene and his adherence to McGinniss's "vision," along with the fine performance by Gary Cole make us aware of the reality that there are sociopaths among us who can charm and kill with equal ease.

Regardless of the true facts of the case (which we will never know for certain) it is this singular truth that makes this movie worth seeing.

Not Even Safe With The Military
The Manson family murders that occurred in August of 1969 were bad enough, but now this murder provided no safe haven for Middle Class America to run to; the world was falling further and further apart. For Green Beret Doctor Jeffery McDonald it had as he lost his family his wife and 2 little girls to murder. The world mourned with this man, and then came the accusations, and the fact that McDonald himself finds that he's leading the top of the list. His father in law defends him all the way, but then McDonald's behavior, and attitudes begin to make him wonder could McDonald have killed his whole family, and he sets out to find the truth. McDonald still claims that a bunch of hippies killed his family because McDonald wouldn't give out drugs for them. My honest opinion is that McDonald may very well be completely innocent of this crime, but his psychological state makes me have doubts. First of all the appearance on the Dick Cavett show in which he slams the U.S. Army during the investigation, and causing the audience to laugh. Then the fact he alienated his in-laws, and finally moving away makes me feel that he just was moving on way too fast, and not showing any signs of trying to find who killed his family. His psychological state is also showing that McDonald is a paranoid man who loves himself, and anything pertaining to him. I know that if anyone didn't like, or agree with him he's a controlling sort, and will snap at you. I know the one scene where they argued about a piece of evidence McDonald screamed "Warheidi's a Nazi". I feel that he may have been raised that way by his mother. I Can't look at it any other way. McDonald was found guilty, and will not be elligabe for parole for awhile. I found this to be a impressive movies.

This true story shows The Injustice Criminal Justice System
I have to totally agree with Dr. Charles T. Kelly, Jr from the first book review and the review on the second book to do with the McDonald case. With the information from the Freedom of Information Act there is enough evidence to at least be able to give Dr.McDonald a right to a second Trial and not go against his constitutional rights. In Fatal Vision there were mistakes that were made by the Military and our Government seemed to have decided to ignore other evidence and just decide to go after Dr. Mcdonald for the Murders of his Family.

Fatal Injustice
I watched this movie when it first came out. Since that time, I have read both books, Fatal Vision and Fatal Justice: Reinvestigating the MacDonald Murders. It appears as though this movie lacks sound, objective, logical reasoning based on the final product. Also, since many years have now passed, it may be a very profitable endeavour for someone to take all of the Freedom of Information documentation and court transcripts and write the TRUE story of what really took place. Additionally, a movement should be initiated to secure the release of or pressure applied on the government to force a reopening of this Fatal Injustice. Also, certain members of the governments team during the CID investigation and Justice Department investigation should be investigated and charges brought. Their actions, inaction, and damage caused to the criminal justice system must be reversed. As a professor of Criminal Justice and Criminal Investigations, I intend to have every student read both books and watch the movie. There is also a academic journal article written on these two books that is very good.

Most respectfully,
Dr. Charles T. Kelly, Jr. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Cloud Dancer
Like some say, a bit weak in the plot. But, Caradine is not a pilot! Yet, he flew in the front seat of most of the aerobatic scenes. Try pulling 6 G's and delivering your lines. Also, all the flying was done by the greats of the day. Paul Pobarenzney, Jimmie Leeward are just a few.
It makes a nice addition for someone that is building a descent airplane movie library. I'd put it right along side "Fate is the Hunter and The Great Waldo Pepper"!

Cloud Dancer review
I love this movie. The flying scenes are totally awesome and David Carradine is totally great in this movie. I can't believe I'd never heard of it before. I watch the flying scenes over and over. The dialogue leaves something to be desired and in the end Brad is a bit too accepting of his situation but its all about the flying, very good movie.

It's the only thing we've got, folks!
This is the BEST movie about Competiton Aerobatics in the WORLD! Okay, it's the only movie about Competiton Aerobatics in the World!
The story is goofy, the dialogue is hilarious - but, the FLYING SCENES ARE AMAZING!
We have an annual viewing of this movie to start the Aerobatic Season. I can't get enough of this stuff! ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Smile & prepare to snicker constantly throughout! :-)
Dean Martin as super cool, super lover, super boozer, super slick, super spy Matt Helm, aka Eric, aka James A. Peters, aka Lash Petrone, Beverly Adams as his secretary Lovey Kravezit, Karl Malden as arch villain and arch enemy of Matt, Julian Wall, Camilla Sparv as his assistant Coco Duquette, Tom Reese as his, snicker, hard-headed muscleman 'Ironhead', Corinne Cole as 'Miss January', James Gregory (I) as Matt's boss MacDonald and director of I.C.E. (Intelligence Counter Espionage), Ann-Margret as Suzie Solaris and Richard Eastham as her poppa and inventor of the super gizmo, Dr. Norman Solaris, in a fun little film that to watch you must first park your brain, your cynicism and put a smile on your face and prepare to snicker endlessly throughout! A delicious little spoof of the James Bond genre has Martin doing what he and the rest of the 'Rat Pack' did so well, drinking and wooing the ladies despite those pesky villains trying to take his mind off his favorite hobbies. This rates a solid 2.5 stars out of 4.

Dino still Cool
Ok,I realize that by any normal standard this would qualify as a bad film. The production values are as poor as you can imagine and the plot (something about retrieving a flying saucer from the clutches of the enemy) pretty damn ridiculous. Yet, the first time I saw this film several years ago I absolutely loved it. The jokes center on booze and sex,and needless to say,Dean Martin handles them as only he can. As far as Matt Helm films go,"The Silencers" and "The Wrecking Crew" qualify as better "spy" films,yet for pure trashy fun nothing beats the "The Ambushers". The babe factor is over the top, and the ribald humour of this film makes James Bond seem stilted and serious. From its cheesy theme song right down to the Slaygirls,this is politically incorrect sixties camp to the max. Watching it now you'll lament the fact that nobody can make a film this light hearted anymore. Dean and the rest of the cast treat the whole thing as a put on. A real drive in treat from the go go era; if this film actually had great action sequences I'd have died.

Double Disaster
If you ever heard that the Matt Helm series was entertaining, believe me, it wasn't these two entries. They, especially "The Ambushers", are just plain bad. Funny thing is, the other two Helm movies, especially "The Wrecking Crew", offer fine entertainment. It had to do with the directors, as Henry Levin directed the two bombs, and the guy, who would go on to direct the classic "Walking Tall", the others. There is nothing whatsoever redeemable about the Ambushers, and Murderers' Row is noteworthy simply for the appearance of Ann Margeret and an over-the-top performance as Karl Malden as the villian. Neither makes much sense at all.

A Great Bad Movie
A great many of us will be familiar with the image of Hugh Hefner (Founder and Publisher of Playboy magazine) at one of his famous parties. We can picture in our mind's eye Hef walking around Playboy Mansion in his robe and pajamas, cocktail in one hand, cigarette in the other. (Actually, Hef usually smoked a pipe. But for the sake of argument, we'll say it was a cigarette.) He's smiling. He's mingling. He's making small talk, with amusing bon mots and double entendres.

Now imagine that, instead of a robe and pajamas, Hef is decked out in attire that would have been fashionably casual for an affluent male in the 1960s. And while keeping everything else the same (the cigarette, the cocktail, the utterly casual attitude), imagine Hef in the underground lair of an evil Arch-Villain who is ready to visit death and destruction across the globe. Oh, and make Hef a James Bond-esque spy.

You now have the basic feel for the four Matt Helm movies, of which "The Ambushers" (1967) was the third. (The others were "The Silencers," "Murderer's Row," and "The Wrecking Crew.")

The Matt Helm movies were made as star vehicles for Dean Martin. By the mid-60s, Dino had cemented his reputation as a boozing playboy, and the Matt Helm role was written with this in mind. In the movies, Matt Helm is a boozing, affable, world-famous photographer of beautiful women who works for "Slaymate" magazine (which fits in nicely with the Hugh Hefner analogy...). BUT THAT'S JUST A COVER! Helm is REALLY a boozing, affable super-competent secret agent for the Intelligence Counter Espionage (ICE) organization. And in all four movies, he casually wanders his way through whatever the bad guys have to throw at him as though he were looking for the nearest bar.

I should point out that the Matt Helm movies are all pretty bad. But they're wonderfully bad, and they're great, cheezy, campy fun. I tend to speak glowingly of the Matt Helm movies because I enjoy them for their over-the-top campiness, but more serious-minded viewers will probably be turned off.

And let me tell you: THE AMBUSHERS spares *no* expense in the "campiness" department. Try this plot on for size:

The ICE organization is testing out a new, super-secret flying saucer. That's right, a flying saucer. As MacDonald (James Gregory), head of ICE points out, if it works it will put the other planets "right next door," and the rest of the universe will be "just around the corner." It's never sufficiently explained why a counter-espionage organization would need to go to other planets (much less the rest of the universe), but no matter. They've made it and they're testing it.

The test works fine, until the saucer is forced