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Sixteen years after Francis Ford Coppola won his second Oscar for The Godfather II (his first was for the 1972 Godfather), the director and star Al Pacino attempted to revive the concept one more time. Despite an elaborate plot that involves Michael Corleone seeking redemption through the Vatican while simultaneously preparing his nephew (Andy Garcia) to take over the Corleone family, the film fails to take shape as a truly meaningful experience in the way the preceding movies do. Still, Pacino is very moving as an elder Michael, filled with regret and trying hard to make amends with his wife (Diane Keaton) and grown children (one of whom is played, and not all that well, by the director's daughter, Sofia Coppola). --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (104)

A movie that should not have been attempted
"The Godfather", and its sequel, are quite possibly the greatest films made after the golden age of movies. It's all the more disappointing, then, that "Godfather Part 3" is a turgid, impotent movie that is always trying to set up a big finale, but never concludes anything convincingly. The cinematography lives up to the Godfather pedigree, but that's where the similarity ends. Coppola is clearly trying to revive feelings for Michael Corleone, his now-estranged wife Kay, and introduce newer characters like Sonny Corleone's bastard son (acted superbly by Andy Garcia) and the family's lawyer (George Hamilton). But years after Michael's overboard vendettas in "Godfather 2", the story has too much catching up to do to draw the viewer in. Coppola uses a heavy-handed technique to bring the audience along. The film often recalls previous scenes: the opener is a social gathering... there's a bloody "hit" that wipes out assorted gangsters... there's kitchen plotting... there's an Italian festival as a backdrop for murder. The look is there, but the feel isn't. Equally distressing is the casting. Hamilton's tanned, lounge lizard oiliness make him more of a corporate than "criminal" lawyer. Garcia should have acted the part of Michael's son. Sofia Coppola is sadly wooden, and I suspect she's not just acting the part of a bored princess. Michael's son is totally useless, as are the myriad characters flitting in and out of this film. We get a pope, a priest (unconvincing as Tom Hagen's son), a shifty cardinal, two beefcake bodyguards, a cowardly financier, an assassin who's not very good, and Father Guido Sarducci. Michael's old hitman Al Neri looks a bit paunchy as he fingers the chocolates that conceal his pistol... and what the heck is Brigitte Fonda doing in this story? In the first two films, every character mattered to the plot; there wasn't a dead character ('scuse the pun) in either story. Arguably, the first "Godfather" was a complete entity that needed no sequel. Coppola gambled and came up a winner with Part 2, but it's a tall order to repeat that formula in Part 3. When I fire up the "Godfather" films, I have no trouble forgetting that Number Three was ever made.

Great way to end the classic epic
i Don't understand why everyone are hating on ''the Godfather III'' after all it was nominated for a best picture in 1990 (Goodfellas should have won that year)true it's was not as brilliant as the first film mostly because there was too much recylcling going , but overall Godfather III was a good film .

Lay Off Sophia!
Sophia Copola has been bashed too much, and it's undeserved. While she had no experience, she had a certain sweetness about her. She's also much prettier than Wynona Ryder- YEAH, YOU HEARD ME! Coppola had a certain innocence about her. After all, she was never convicted of stealing.

The bigger problem is with Robert Duvall's absence as the lawyer Tom Hagan. Without his charasmatic presence, the film is seriously lacking. But the film does have its moments.

Good Movie, but ruined the Trilogy
Godfather 3 was a movie saved by one person, Al Pacino. His powerful acting in the first two Godfather films was without a doubt visable in the third. But this movie was destroyed by horrible acting. Andy Garcia portrays Micheal's (Al Pacino) nephew from his dead brother, Sonny. Andy plays Vinnie, a youthful hoodlum looking for power and respect. This movie got Andy Garcia famous, even though it was obvious he was just trying to copy Marlon Brando and Al Pacino's prefomance's in the last two Godfathers, and he did a horrible job and tore down the legacy of Godfather with every scene he was in.

But it wasn't just Andy Gracia who tore apart this movie, oh no. He had some help. Sofia Coppola plays Mary Corleone, Micheal's daughter. You could tell she had no idea what was going on. It was like Francis Ford, the director, just told her to say random things without even giving her a script. Marlon Brando, may he now rest in peace, was probably disgusted with this movie before he died.

To make this movie even worse, they decided to have a dramactic ending scene with Mary shot by a some random person sent to kill Micheal. This scene ends with Al Pacino screaming his lungs out, and the whole time I was sitting there saying, "That guy did you a favor by killing off that unholy death angle sent from the deep dark bowels of heck." The final scene, was indeed, a sad one, but with the acting skills in this movie, I don't blame Micheal for dying. I do have to admit, there are no words to describe the death scene of Micheal Corleone, because that marked the end of the Godfater lagacy, hopefully, forever. But don't get me wrong, I still love the Godfather trilogy, and always will. It just needs to end, here and now.

If you ever plan to watch this movie, tape a knife under your couch, just in case you feel like killing yourself after seeing the horrible acting presented by the infamous Andy Garcia and Sofia Coppola, The Destroyers of the Godfather Trilogy.

soso
godfather III was entertaining, in that we got to see what happened to some of the characters we loved (or hated) from the first two movies. this alone is reason enough to rent it (not buy!). however, godfather III should NOT have been made. the moral of the story is fulfilled with the last scene from godfather II, where michael is sitting alone, old and graying, face lined from a stressful life. after watching "II" i felt that the corleone tale indeed had nowhere left to go. anything after that would be harmful to the artistic acheivement of the first two movies. mario puzo said that his godfather books were really stories of family. michael the all-american marine, from the beginning of "I," and michael the morally bankrupt head of a crime family at the end of "II," should be seen with what has happened to his family along the way. THAT is what the godfather story means. godfather III isn't useless. again, it's fun to see what has happened to those interesting characters from the first two movies. but i wouldn't trade all three hours of director's cut "III" for that last scene in "II"! ... Read more

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Akira Kurosawa's rousing Seven Samurai was a natural for an American remake--after all, the codes and conventions of ancient Japan and the Wild West (at least the mythical movie West) are not so very far apart. Thus The Magnificent Seven effortlessly turns samurai into cowboys (the same trick worked more than once: Kurosawa's Yojimbo became Sergio Leone's A Fistful of Dollars). The beleaguered denizens of a Mexican village, weary of attacks by banditos, hire seven gunslingers to repel the invaders once and for all. The gunmen are cool and capable, with most of the actors playing them just on the cusp of '60s stardom: Steve McQueen, James Coburn, Charles Bronson, Robert Vaughn. The man who brings these warriors together is Yul Brynner, the baddest bald man in the West. There's nothing especially stylish about the approach of veteran director John Sturges (The Great Escape), but the storytelling is clear and strong, and the charisma of the young guns fairly flies off the screen. If that isn't enough to awaken the 12-year-old kid inside anyone, the unforgettable Elmer Bernstein music will do it: bum-bum-ba-bum, bum-ba-bum-ba-bum.... Followed by three inferior sequels, Return of the Seven, Guns of the Magnificent Seven, and The Magnificent Seven Ride! --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (92)

One of The Last Great Westerns
Before the advent of the Spaghetti Western and the few good films that followed came The Magnificent Seven. The Wild Bunch, The Long Riders and several others owe their creative souls to this movie. I like Yul Brenner, if you have seen Westworld, well this is where Mr. Brenner began the character he later used in that film. Charles Bronson , Steve McQueen, Eli Wallach, what a cast! And the heroic notion of helping a village of peasants fight tyranny....what more can you ask for!? The special features, well maybe not like in some more modern videos, but it is nice to hear Eli, and James Coburn and the directors and producers wax nostalgic about said movie...I admire their acting capabilities and their knowledge of film in general, so I enjoyed this a lot. If you are a lover of the Western genre, then by all means you have to have this for your collection! And the music too. What a score!

An Epic American Western
"The Magnificent Seven" combines the great elements of a successful western...exciting story, stellar cast, scenic locations, and a legendary soundtrack. A Mexican village plagued by a gang of bandits led by Eli Wallach solicits the aid of mercenary gunfighters. Yul Brynner, with his commanding presence and black attire, recruits a band of diverse characters, including a wry-witted drifter seeking excitement; a brash young man seeking respect; a skilled craftsman seeking challenge; an opportunist seeking wealth; a tough sentimentalist seeking redemption; and a man on-the-run tormented by fear. Together they assume heroic proportions in an altruistic fight against near-impossible odds.

Elmer Bernstein's memorable musical score has achieved a lasting stature. From his rousing signature title to the haunting Spanish-flavored themes, the music teems with scope, drive, and energy. After 40 years, "The Magnificent Seven" remains vibrant, robust, and enduring...a hallmark for American westerns.

Wanted to Give it 5 Stars, BUT...
This movie was excellent, from the brassy music to the awesome cast and storyline (from The Seven Samurai. It is just too bad that there are at least three scenes that require the viewers to leave the room until they are over. All three of these feature a certain person, played by Horst Buchholz. They say that his character's name is Chico, but I prefer to call him the "Stupid Kid." He is the only damper on an otherwise perfect movie. It is a terrible shame, from his lovely appearance, as he stupidly follows the hearse, to his speech to the farmers about how cowardly they are, to his love affair with the stupid girl, to his ....oh I can't go on.....

A review of the DVD in specific
This is a superbly remastered and restored film, It comes with some brilliant extras including original trailers and more interestingly a documentary on the film named "Guns For Hire".
If you are a fan of the actors in this classic you'll love the doco which shows what they went on to do and includes some interviews showing the actors today and telling how Yul Brynner brought this tale to life.
For Steve McQueen fans you get a little insight into how he tries to steal every scene he appears in.
The film is a great telling of an adventurous story based on the Toho studios film "The Seven Samurai".
The commentary features actors James Coburn, Eli Wallach, producer Walter Mirisch & Ass Director Rob Reylea. It covers many interesting stories from a set which saw several stars of the time and even the wedding of Yul Brynner.
Worth a viewing.

A cultural transplant that wasn't rejected
A small village in Mexico is repeatedly harassed by outlaws, and decides to hire seven gunfighters as protection. A simple idea, transplanted out of Akira Kirasawa's "Seven Samurai", but when the cast is right, the film is right. Steve McQueen, James Coburn, Charles Bronson, and Robert Vaughn were all up-and-coming stars, and Yul Brynner was perfect as the essence of cold, efficient, authoritative leadership. Add an unforgettable musical score, and you have a winner. ... Read more

Reviews (44)

A Lesson In Film
This once nearly forgotten movie, the last film of Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe is now coming forward in the lexicon of film history as an underrated gem. Universally misunderstood for the most part at the time it came out it is clear now that this film was at least five of six years ahead of it's time. It fits in more comfortably with films of the late 60's and early 70's.
The screenplay by Miller is one of his most striking works. A story of a group of people lost in the wide expanse of the West in search of the discarded souls of their misspent lives. The film's beautiful cinematography by Russell Metty stands out as superb artistry at the demise of the black and white era. It shimmers with the silver of the deep expanse of the desert and the flat grays and blacks of the distant mountains upon which the last act of the story plays. The music by Alex North is among his best work and gives a savage punch to the aerial scenes and the round up at the end of the wild mustangs.

Montgomery Clift, by now sliding into the last years of his life is touching in his performance of Perce. His broken cowboy with the broken heart is almost painful to watch. His phone call home to his mother is among some of his best work. Eli Wallach gives a strong deeply moving portrait of Guido who has lost his wife, his way, and his humanity. He shines in his scene with Monroe where he asks her to save him. When she can't to at least say "Hello Guido".
Thelma Ritter is, well, Thelma Ritter in yet another of her excellent character roles. Ritter is the master of the one line wisecrack but here as Isobel she laces the cracks with an underlying sadness and vulnerability.
As Gay Langland, Clark Gable gives what I consider to be the best performance of his career. It was a brave move for Gable to take on the role of what on the surface seems another one of his typical macho made to fit parts. But as the story unfolds from Arthur Miller's pen Gay reveals that beneath his gruff, not a care in the world, cowboy is a man in deep pain and despair at his losses. The world has left him behind. Abandoned by his children the drunken Gable breaks so violently it is a shock to watch the great man fall. This is Clark Gable at his finest ever.
Marilyn Monroe gives an astounding performance as Roslyn Tabler the newly divorced dancer. A damaged woman who finds in the company of these three men something to finally believe in, something to stand up and fight for, she finds life. It is a performance ground out in part from her own person and experience and in part by the director John Huston and the editor George Tomasini who helped a nearly destroyed Monroe create her stunning Roslyn. This, her last performance is her best and the true example of the collaborative creation that film really is. That Marilyn under the circumstances of her life at that time could be so good is a testament to her talent as an actress and a star. Watch her when she is listening to the other actors. This is where she shines; this is the true mark of a great screen actor. To be able to listen and draw you into the inner life of the character through that deceptively simple act of listening and reaction is her gift to the audience. Her scene with Monty in back of the bar, sitting on a pile of trash, her afore mentioned scene with Eli Wallach in the speeding car. These are but a few of the examples in this film of her great talent. In the 1950's and early 60's there were only a handful of great young actresses in film, Elizabeth Taylor, and Marilyn Monroe where at the summit of the small mountain.

Stark Drama
Arthur Miller wrote the screenplay for this film about a group of people, rootless and alone, who come together in Reno, Nevada and learn a little something about themselves. Marilyn Monroe stars as a dancer who has come to Reno for a divorce from her husband Kevin McCarthy. She stays with divorcee Thelma Ritter, and she has no idea where to move on to next. Eli Wallach is a pilot/cowboy who falls for her, and he's a widower with a house out in the middle of nowhere he offers to her. Clark Gable is his cowboy partner who falls for Monroe, too. Montgomery Clift is a walking rodeo accident/cowboy who joins up with them to go Mustanging. Each character has their own story, secrets, and pain, and Monroe seems to be the one who draws it out of them. Monroe gives an excellent performance, fragile yet sexy, and it shows the kind of actress she was becoming. The men all give top performances as well, and Thelma Ritter proves again that she could deliver a wisecrack better than anyone. The scenes surrounding the capture of the Mustang horses are unforgettable, and all the more starkly presented with the terrific black and white photography. This isn't a film that will make you feel good when it's over, but it presents some very real characters in an almost too honest way.

Monroe at her best
In "The Misfits," Arthur Miller creates an atmosphere which seeps directly into the viewer's bones...
Dark, depressing, gloomy, and filmed in black and white, works beautifully.
Monroe, Gable, Clift, Wallach, and even the Mustangs all search for their place among the elements.
From bar to bar they go, drinking, flirting, drinking... did I say drinking?
They all want Monroe, but she doesn't know what she wants...just
to take care of somebody, just to be loved, just to be left alone. (Sounds familiar) she was cast perfectly.
An unbelievably powerful scene is ...
when Monroe does not want the men to catch the Mustangs for dog food...she runs in the middle of the desert, screaming, yelling, crying, tossing the sand in the air...
"Leave them alone, let them be. Why are you doing this? They want to be free. Please. Please. Leave them alone."

The viewer will be there...

feeling, lifting whatever passion they may have too, letting it go, letting it go...

because without freedom or direction.... one has nothing, the characters had nothing, the mustangs with their hoofs tied, had nothing.

When Monroe screams like a mad woman, we all scream with her...
For any wrong ever done, any lonliness we ever had, any love we never recieved.

***Note***A must watch for Monroe's performance alone!

Marilyn's most seemingly realistic role
This movie seems to have followed her temporary relationships, but most haunting to me was the scene where Clark Gable says "Wer'e going home now" and they drive into the night as they admire the stars, it's like a huge ironic symbol or just an ironic METEPHORICAL way of them saying goodbye to life and filmmaking...just see it and you'll understand. It was amazing how good Marilyn looked, 35 in this movie and she looked 26, literally. It was a nice movie and I recommend it to all Marilyn fans and to all who say she can't act seriously, watch this movie and take that!

WHAT????????
iT's truly sad that Marilyn left us with a movie she wasn't particularly proud of and hated making...but it was still a fun movie, but acting is acting and if she decided to make it already, why not give it you're all!? ... Read more

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Audrey Hepburn was never more sleek and glamorous than in this delightful romantic caper costarring Peter O'Toole and directed by William Wyler. She's the chic daughter of a renowned art collector and covert forger (the always eccentric Hugh Griffith) who's deposited his best work, a famous statue, in a Paris museum. Trouble is, technology can now detect such forgery, so Hepburn plots to steal the statue with the help of O'Toole, an amateur thief and covert inspector. Of course, neither of them knows the whole truth about the other. They make an utterly charming couple, with O'Toole stealing the show in an uncharacteristically lighthearted turn. --Bill Desowitz ... Read more

Reviews (41)

"..OH, PA-PAHHH...SELLING A FAKE MASTERPIECE IS A 'CRIME'! "
This delightful comedy has all the delicate sparkle of a newly-opened bottle of French Champagne. Forget "My Fair Lady," forget "Breakfast At Tiffany's,"...1966's "HOW TO STEAL A MILLION" is Audrey Hepburn's best film from the 1960's. One of the last great romantic comedies of style to be filmed before the anti- establishment films of the late '60's prevailed, "How To Steal A Million" combines the elements of visual elegance (opulence even, look at the purple velvet bannisters and carpet on the golden staircase in Audrey Hepburn's Paris chateau) with sophisticated dry wit; a beautiful, romantic score with a "kooky" twist on the "French farce." Beautiful scenery, sublime chaos, near-Hitchcockian-intrigue, zippy car chases in quirky autos, and Audrey Hepburn's wacky fashions make for one of the best combinations the screen has seen so far. Ironically, the best twist in this story is that the "MILLION" Audrey Hepburn's and Peter O'Toole's characters are trying to "STEAL" is not what they 'actually' ARE stealing (on purpose). To figure that one out...watch AND ENJOY this MAGNIFICENT movie! "Oh, Pa-Pahhhh! ..."

Fantastic Movie :)
I love this movie. It has everything: romance, comedy, quirkiness and a kissing-in-a-closet scene! Audrey Hepburn was as adorable and entertaining as ever, and this was the first time that I'd ever seen a Peter O'Toole movie and he was fabulous! He's extremely funny and pretty darn spunky! You could just instantly fall in love with him, the second you saw those bewildered round blue eyes peering over the top of the "Van Gogh" painting. I didn't find this movie boring for an instant and I loved watching them steal back the "Cellini" sculpture, using, amongst other things, a bucket, a magnet and a boomerang! I think that this is now my favourite Audrey Hepburn movie. They make an extremely likable couple and their exploits in "How To Steal A Million" are engaging and engrossing.

I give 5 stars to everything I review...Don't I?
I love Breakfast at Tiffany's, but this has to be my absolute favorite Audrey Hepburn film!!! It will be released in December 2004 on DVD!!! Very good plot...cool cool cool....beautiful actress...yeah yeah yeah.....what more could you ask for???...It is a long wait, maybe you should order the video cassette used......!

You don't think I'd steal something that didn't belong to me
Charles Bonnet, Nicole Bonnet's incorrigible father, makes a living forging long-lost masterpieces and then selling them at auctions or to private collectors, such as American business magnate David Leland. Bonnet's quite a character and is an artist, albeit a forger, living the moment, but also being the artist. When he paints a Van Gogh, he IS Van Gogh. Nicole is exasperated, worried that he'll be caught and sent to prison. Charles' flippant response is "The trouble is, you're so honest." So when he authorizes the loan of the prize of his collection, the Cellini Venus, a copy of it sculpted by her grandfather which her grandmother posed for, Nicole thinks her father has flipped his wig. It is worth a million dollars--hence the title.

What Nicole dreads the most occurs when the museum announces that one Professor Bauer will be conducting tests to determine the statue's authenticity. To that end, Nicole enlists the aid of Simon Dermott, a burglar she caught in her father's house trying to steal a Van Gogh (fake, of course), to steal her father's sculpture to save him from being jailed for fraud. She doesn't tell him the real reasons, of course. Dermott thinks it's a crazy idea, given the high-tech security devices and the numerous police detail milling around the museum, but combined by Nicole's persistence and her charm, finally gives in. But just what does he hope to accomplish with a toy boomerang?

The actual heist and scenes in the museum are worth waiting for, as that's where the exciting parts are. The cramped quarters in the broom closet underlines the tension of two people scared that they'll be caught, although it furthers the budding romantic storyline. And Dermott's ingenuity is well demonstrated. As he says, "wait for normal human reaction." A particular comical touch comes in the form of a portly museum guard who has a large mustache and quite a fondness for the bottle. Oh, and that alarm is pretty annoying, so beware!

Audrey's Givenchy fashions become ridiculously funny, such as the pillbox hat and large-rimmed sunglasses in her opening scene, and even becomes a point of parody when Dermott remarks at Nicole dressed as a cleaning woman, "It Givenchy a night off." As it turned out, one night turned into thirteen years, as Givenchy was pressed back to work for Bloodline.

The last comedy Audrey acted in, How To Steal A Million, originally titled Venus Rising, was the third and last film Audrey did for William Wyler, after Roman Holiday and The Children's Hour. It was also the first time Hepburn acted with a leading man closer to her own age since Anthony Perkins in Green Mansions, Peter O'Toole being three years her junior. Her wide expressive eyes and that winning smile are put to good use here. And she does have a great line: "You don't think I'd steal something that didn't belong to me?"

Hugh Griffith is fun to watch as the rascally Charles Bonnet, with the same bulging eyes, funny hair, and goatee. O'Toole (Simon) is also an asset, suave, calm, clever, and quick with one-liners. So is Eli Wallach (Leland), an excitable and impulsive millionaire with his sights on the Venus. And Jacques Marin, who is the befuddled senior museum guard, previously appeared with Ms. Hepburn in Charade, as the chief of police.

Panned when it first came out, I'm not sure why this doesn't hold out even today. Hepburn herself acted in it because she felt indebted to Wyler, who made her what she became, but at least she had fun with O'Toole, as the two were gigglers and many takes had to be required, especially in the broom cupboard scene. It's an enjoyable and frantic caper film, a genre popularized by Topkapi six years ago.

Who Knew I'd Fal, For Someone old Enough To Be My Father?
After watching this movie I was struck by how gorgeous Peter O'Toole's blues are. He's funny and sweet and sarcastic, as well as wealthy and intelligent, in other words, any straight woman's dream. The plot is sweet and quick and very tongue in cheeck. Audrey's at her best and "gives givenchy a break" "in one of the scenes, a genuinely hilarious one that I won't describe lest I ruin the plot. And remember - boomerangs and empty whisky bottles are a lot more useful than you might think them. ... Read more

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Hayley Mills was well on her way to adulthood when she found intrigueand chaste romance on the island of Crete in this 1964 Disney attempt atHitchcock in one of his lighter moods. That means the principals do wind up in a hearse trapped on a narrow street by celebratory but ominous maskedparaders. And that seemingly good guys can and do turn out to be bad guys andvice versa. But it's Disney and Mills, so there are no deaths in thismystery, although gunplay and some scariness do earn it a PG rating. Based onthe Mary Stewart novel of the same name, this 118-minute film finds Mills andher aunt visiting a Cretan village on holiday. In the face of hostility fromtheir innkeeper's brother (Eli Wallach), the pair befriend a fellow Brit. Theyoung man's escapades with jewel thief Wallach draw a beguiled Mills into asometimes perilous adventure involving a harrowing ride upon the sails of awindmill, hiding out in an underground crypt, and a showdown with acheetah-loving millionairess (the scene-stealing Pola Negri) aboard heryacht. Probably a little too sophisticated for those under 8. --Kimberly Heinrichs ... Read more

Reviews (36)

Hayley in her element
Hayley Mills stars in the Disney thriller THE MOON-SPINNERS, a sinister and menacing story set against the dramatic backdrop of the island of Crete.

Nicky Ferris (Hayley Mills) and her aunt (Joan Greenwood) are travelling through Europe. Her aunt is a music historian from the BBC and is recording folk songs from the remote villages.

They travel into Crete, staying at the Moon-Spinners Inn, run by a kindly lady (Irene Papas) and her young son. However, some shady dealings are being done, with the owner's brother (Eli Wallach) heavily into astrology and smuggling.

Nicky finds herself thrown into a world of espionage and theft, and finds the love of her life.

Also featuring Pola Negri in a rare film appearance, THE MOON-SPINNERS is one of Hayley Mill's best Disney films.

EXCELLENT MOVIE
I first read the novel "Moon Spinners" by Mary Stewart and enjoyed the book thoroughly. When I saw that there was a movie based on the novel I was a little skeptical, but Disney usually does a great job so I decided to give it a try. If you like Trixie Belden, Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys mysteries, you will definitely enjoy this movie. Hayley Mills is wonderful as usual and the movie contains great suspense and mystery with just a touch of romance. I liked it so much, that I purchased the movie so that I could watch whenever I wished.

Now I want to go to Crete and have an adventure!!!!
The Moon-Spinners has to be one of my favorite movies of all time. Hayley Mills is the all-american girl....err...except for the fact that she's English (it makes no sense, but it is completely true). She gives a genuine performance and most girls can relate to her. I will not deny that this movie is completely cheesy, but it is all in the best way. This movie has everything; adventure, romance, drama, mystery, and is set in the beautiful isle of Crete. The love story is unique and original and will make you smile all over. This movie was acclaimed for being Hayley Mill's first onscreen kiss and I have to admit that it's a good one. I love how this movie embodies the essence of crete, with the beautiful beaches and little villages. I recommend this movie to people of all ages.

I love this movie, but...
I will not buy the DVD until I can get it in a W-I-D-E-S-C-R-E-E-N Edition!!! What good is beautiful Crete if it's panned, scanned,sliced, diced, and squashed? I want the whole picture, not 2/3rds!

Great movie! Full of exitment and adventure!
I think this is a wonderful movie that can be seen again and again! The acting is very good and there are some exiting moments to add suspense.
Hayley Mills and Peter McEnerny are both exellent in their roles and the acting of Irene Papas and Eli Wallach was also very good. You should get this movie and watch it with your children, it will be a great experience! ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Not Quite As Good As Cocoon
TOUGH GUYS is a movie about two aging train robbers who are released from prison after serving long terms. They have trouble adjusting to life on the outside and decide to once again try to rob a train. Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas have the starring roles as Harry Doyle and Archie Long. The supporting cast includes Charles Durning, Alexis Smith, Dana Carvey, Eli Wallach and Darlanne Fluegel.

The plot is predictable and unimaginative. The acting, however, is strong in spite of the weak material and the film is very enjoyable in spots.

Watch it if it comes on TNT.
This movie is hilarious because it is now 2004. I watched it the other day and really enjoyed. However, I would never buy it. If it comes on TV in the next ten years, I'll be content. I will say that the scene in the ice cream store is incredibly funny. That kid has some great lines.

ONE OF A KIND MOVIE
This movie is very unique. It is the only movie that I can think of that sticks two of the greats from the golden age of film into a modern day comedy. Just to sit and watch these two act in this type of genre is terrific. What happened to this style of acting?
All and all a brilliant comedy.
Would love to see a DvD release.

A triumph for the "geriatric set"
A cast of old pros (Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, Alexis Smith, Charles Durning, and a flat-out hilarious Eli Wallach) shine in a comic tale of nonconformity and criminal "readjustment".

As recently released cons trying to adjust to freedom, Lancaster and Douglas are in fine form. One really has compassion for all the amusing stumbling blocks that they, like many "elders", must endure. Smith, as the love interest of Lancaster, displays a beauty and elegance that can only be acquired by age. She possesses a stunning smile and gaze. Durning, as the police detective that captured the duo thirty years earlier, is relentless in his quest to prove that these "old dogs" haven't changed their spots.

Wallach, as the other reviewer has stated, is memorable as a bespeckled hit man with an agenda.

This may not rank along with other Lancaster-Douglas pairings like "Seven Days in May" or "The Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, but it does offer a last opportunity to see "originals" display their craft.

Reason Enuff to Stay on The Straight and Narrow....
...the way these two old cons are treated by the rest of society when they get out is criminal. Folks barking orders at you like you can't understand, the nursing home becomes more prison like than prison itself. And the new styles and fashion? Way too much lame (La-may). It's no wonder a pair of ol' tommygun criminals don't mind risking it all to take the train that they heisted years back again. After the thrill of seeing this pair of classic con actors reunited then the story is maintained by their delightful chemistry, the supporting cast--Eli Wallach, Dana Carvey and Charles Durning--and the fact that you start rooting for these thugs because you think, 'Hey, I ain't exactly a teenager, anymore, and what they're saying and doing makes a lot of sense.' It is an enjoyable flick in the vein of Grumpy Old Men. ... Read more

Description

After Hoffa, only one man was big enough to control The Teamsters and run the most corrupt union in America. Playing the FBI on one side and the mob on the other, Jackie Presser soon wipes out his rivals. Now he's got powerful friends - but he's also making powerful enemies. Based on a true story. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

HUMAN INTEREST
Good human interest story - the actors were excellent in their roles. HOWEVER - the ending stumped me. I mean, I like James Caan taking Kirk Calloway off to New Orleans to search for Marsha Mason, although why they'd bother with her I have no idea...but what didn't gell was the fact that you can (poof!) swap identities with a retired sailor and resume civilian life with no repercussions. Maybe in 1973 you could, but certainly not now. Probably not in 1973!

One of Marsha Mason's Best
I remember watching this movie when it first came to the theater and thinking that the actors were exactly as I had envisioned them while I was reading the book. Great movie. Marsha Mason is a delight and deservedly got the Oscar nomination. James Caan is perfect as the put-upon sailor whose records have been misplaced causing him to be land-locked. Mason is wonderful as a hooker who is perpetually down-on-her-luck. This movie should be on DVD. I'll add it to my collection.

IT WAS OKAY.
The beginning was kind of boring, but as it dragged on it got a little interesting. Let's just put it this way, the movie climaxes then tires out. But the fact that it was released in 1973, it had done good addressing the interracial bond between the mother, Marsha Mason and her son, Kirk Calloway. When James Caan, the navy officer stepped in and took on the role of fatherhood, because the mother decided she couldn't take it anymore and bolted out of the relationship; it was a little strange but touching. All in all, it was a good movie.

cinderella liberty
Very good movie, probably James Caan's best role other than Sonny Corleone. Oscar nominated Marsha Mason is perfect! Good songs by Randy Newman. A litle dated in spots, but worht it for Mason alone!

If The Shoe Fits...
Actually, the 'Cinderella' in the title refers to the 24hr. length of a pass. Hardly as gritty as the slice of life 'The Last Detail' this Navy film still turns in great acting performances, especially James Caan, and is quite entertaining. Caan plays a sailor put ashore for treatment of a minor medical problem, a paperwork SNAFU however leaves him stuck there performing boring tasks during the day and working Shore Patrol duty at night with an annoying motor mouth. While in town Caan strikes up a friendship with a bar girl whose shine is a little worn off, but these two loners find they are good for one another. Sadly this is probably one of Caan's least seen roles and in fact his character exhibits almost none of the characteristics you associate with the actor and you almost don't recognize him. A fine job indeed. Edward Hermann makes the most of a tiny role and there is a great running gag about Caan's continuous search for the Drill Instructor on whom he intends to exact revenge. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Barbra Streisand is a mad high-priced "escort" accused of murder, but whether she's mad as hell or mad as a hatter is the question in this courtroom drama, adapted from the play by Tom Topor. While her doting, willfully uncomprehending mother (Maureen Stapleton) and stepdad with a secret (Karl Malden) try to have her judged incompetent and sent to an asylum, she fights for her day in court with the help of a hapless legal aid attorney (a refreshingly understated Richard Dreyfuss). James Whitmore presides over the hearing with a compassion and sense of justice that gives onefaith in a system and la Streisand (who developed and produced the project) sinks her teeth into the tempestuous role like a starving actress. The plot holds few surprised, but the drama lies in the characters and veteran director Martin Ritt (Hud) brings out the best in a top-flight cast. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (26)

"I won't be nuts for you!"
I would give this film four-and-a-half stars. Badly neglected by both audiences and critics at the time of it's original release, NUTS is a film that is ripe for reevaluation. Based on Tom Toplor's 1981 courtroom play, NUTS is definitely a dialogue-based film with little Hollywood flashiness. Though generally well-written (by Toplor, adapting his own work with Darryl Ponicsan and Alvin Sargent) and sharply staged and directed by veteran Martin Ritt, it is the cast whom is really responsible bringing NUTS to life. Barbra Streisand gives an absolutely bravura performance that should have earned her an Oscar nomination. Alternately hilarious and frightening, Streisand is always mesmerizing as she delves so far into character.

Richard Dreyfess is nothing less than Streisand's equal as her public defender. He too was robbed of an Oscar nomination. The supporting cast is a top-notch ensemble of professional character actors (Maureen Stapleton, Eli Wallach, Robert Webber, James Whitmore, and Karl Malden), all of whom work their craft flawlessly. Nuts' screenplay does indulge in the predictability of some of the typical courtroom-plot conventions a little too often, and it hardly gives us any surprises. However, I still praise Toplor's script for it's fascinating exploration of what constitutes as normality and whether or not the insane should be required to receive treatment. NUTS isn't going to win over any fans of 3-cuts-per-second action films, but it leave lovers of thought-provoking, expertly-acted dramas fascinated.

About the DVD: The picture quality is dark and grainy, however, I believe that this reflects the film's intended look. The sound is fine, and it's nice to have the film's trailer included. Streisand's intelligent and entertaining full-length commentary is the main extra here, and it more than makes up for the disappointing tracks she contributed to the WHAT'S UP, DOC? and MAIN EVENT DVDs.

Nuts for NUTS
Barbra Streisand's 1987 film, NUTS, deals with appearances - a theme she explores in other films as well. NUTS is Barbra's second time out playing a prostitute. Claudia Draper, Barbra's character in NUTS, is very different from the comedic prostitute she plays in OWL & THE PUSSYCAT. In NUTS, Claudia faces a trial. The movie's drama lies in the outcome. Is Claudia really insane? Is she competent to stand trial for manslaughter? Or will her abrasive personality and challenging questions convince those in authority that she needs to be sent away to a hospital instead? Director Martin Ritt reveals what really happened to Claudia and her "client" (played by Leslie Nielson) pretty early in the story -- leaving the audience rooting for Claudia for the rest of the film.

Barbra's performance as Claudia is very good. Barbra admits in the audio commentary that the role enabled her to vent some of her anger and play "the bad girl." She does so with relish, spouting four-letter words and sexually explicit dialogue. Barbra is very bold here. It's refreshing to see her go for it.

It's hard to get past some of the obvious parallels in the movie with Barbra's real life. The entire theme of the film certainly pertains to Barbra's experiences in Hollywood - don't ask questions; stay in your place; play the part of the actress and don't rock the boat. In the commentary, Barbra admits that she gets into trouble when she tells the truth. Usually, people don't want to hear it and punish the truth-teller. Also, the stepfather role that Karl Malden plays brings to mind Barbra's difficult relationship with her own stepfather -- although the nature of the relationship in the film is quite different than Barbra's real-life experiences. Related to that is the mother-daughter dynamic. The film explores what choices a mother makes when she is divorced and desires another man in her life. How does the child suffer? What is more important -- one's own needs, or one's daughter's? On the surface level, the art direction for Claudia's apartment greatly resembles the color scheme of Streisand's art deco home, mauves and roses.

The supporting actors in the film are mostly Actor's Studio veterans and film legends: Karl Malden, Maureen Stapleton, Eli Wallach. Richard Dreyfuss is good as Levinsky, Claudia's public defender. His character learns that the client should be heard, not "whipped by rules." Dreyfuss is particularly good (and very natural) when he finally stumbles onto a direct line of questioning during a cross-examination of Claudia's stepfather.

As for the DVD, NUTS transfers pretty well. Andrzej Bartkowiak's cinematography suffers in electronic translation. His moving pictures are soft, dark, and subtle. The DVD looks grainy when the picture gets too dark. I'm sure this is a film versus video problem, as Warner Brothers DVDs tend to have excellent transfers. On my widescreen digital TV, NUTS looks best in its brighter scenes.

The Streisand commentary is very interesting. She speaks during most of the film. She recounts production stories (boyfriend Richard Baskin suggested Barbra for the role to a Warner Brothers producer during a tennis game) and her interesting research into the role.

I saw NUTS in the theaters in 1987 and was moved by the film then. Sixteen years later, the film holds up. The only weak link for me is the film's notion of a prostitute. I was confused by the portrait they painted. Barbra seems sophisticated and refined on Claudia's "dates." I kept wondering what type of call girl she was. Is she in the back of the phone book? Did she build a loyal clientele through referrals? The emotional part of the story, however, succeeds every time I watch NUTS. You'll root for Claudia. You'll hear what she's saying. She won't be another picture in your head. She won't play "nuts" for you.

CAPTIVATING PERFORMANCES OVERSHADOW SOMEWHAT CLICHED PLOT
The movie is almost solely carried by Barbara Streisand's scorching performance as a high class hooker wrongly accused of first degree manslaughter. The courtroom scenes are fascinating, and if you love fast witty banter, this is a delight. The subject is weighty (a couple of rants toward the end are also a bit predictably feminist) but thought-provoking, and its rendition into the dramatic screenplay is very, very satisfying. Highly recommended for the discerning viewer.

Entertaining, but only fair
A great cast, but sort of a hokey and predictable plot. It totally has the feel of an adapted play. It's entertaining once, but that's about it. I think the thing was way overdone on Streisand's character making her own decisions and the whole "crazy" thing was just too much and the audience was beaten over the head too often with these themes. It wasn't adapted too well from the stage, that is what plays often do.

Also, the whole premise of a 40-ish Streisand playing a successful high class call girl made this an unintentional comedy. The scene where she lists what she charges for doing what, I almost starting laughing outloud as the hilarity of anyone paying someone with her looks and age that much money. And the scenes where she tries to act like a sexy vamp, in both flashbacks, in court, and with her attorney, are equally hilarious. Streisand was miscast here, big time. She needs to stick with Fanny Bryce-type roles, or play women where looks are not dependent on the character. Streisand is not nearly as bad looking as people make her out, and has aged well, but a successful 40-ish high class call girl is just too much of a stretch. It's a meaty role I imagine she really wanted, but you have to be at least fairly attractive/hot to pull it off. She's not.

One of the best movies I have ever seen
This movie is absolutely breathtaking. I cried like, five times in it. People who have only rated this as one star are entitled to their opinion, but I mean, this is a movie that is too breathtaking for words. I think everyone should have it, because it touches everyone. Barbra Streisand is one of the best actresses I have ever seen. Wow, just wow! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Overlooked thrilled--and Sophia Loren
Firepower is a surprisingly good late 70's thriller with James Coburn and Sophia Loren. All of the key elements are here--"faceless" billionaire a la Howard Hughes, the saavy renegade in James Coburn, and Sophia Loren looking as striking and stylish as always--while making you wonder what side she's on. The plot--bringing the billionaire to justice--is a so so one...but the aforementioned elements as well as several exotic Caribbean locales make this a worthwhile thriller with a good ending. ... Read more

Reviews (185)

A few scenes more
Sergio Leone proudly served up his finest spaghetti Western to a Roman audience in the final days of 1966. The premiere print of "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" sprawled over three hours in telling its tale of three desperados in search of gold amid the chaos of the Civil War.

The men from United Artists also were on the trail of treasure. American audiences, they knew, would not sit for a 178-minute Western, especially not an import starring a TV actor (Clint Eastwood).

Out came 17 minutes, and so was breach-born the version of "Good, Bad, Ugly" that has endured as a male-bonding touchstone for four decades. Looking to make things right (and to mine more gold), MGM a few years ago decided to re-create the storied film that unspooled in Rome that night. The restored, full-length English version of Leone's epic is worth every dollar in this two-disc DVD Collector's Set.

Sure, Leone's film loses much on the small screen -- its borderline-surrealistic vistas shot in Spain are legendary -- but the DVD's visuals are clean, with decent contrasts (anamorphic widescreen, 2.35:1). Compared to MGM's 1998 release, there's a dramatic reduction in flatness, speckling and miscellaneous wear. The 5.1 Dolby Digital audio has its moments but isn't up to the standards of the imagery.

The DVD medium is, of course, unrivaled at presenting the history of complicated productions like these. MGM's set gets that job done, for the most part. Eastwood biographer Richard Schickel does the heavy lifting in a commentary that, amazingly, runs on fumes only near the end of three hours. The 2002 restoration project is covered in an 11-minute docu that goes over the added/restored scenes. They mostly just smooth out the narrative, but it's hard to reimagine the film without them.

"Good, Bad, Ugly" is as closely associated with composer Ennio Morricone as with Leone. Film music historian Jon Burlingame talks about the maestro in a short featurette and in a more-detailed audio lecture. No explanation is given for Morricone's lack of participation on the DVD, and you get the feeling he's been downplayed for not playing along.

There are two types of people, my friend......
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly is the classic spaghetti western that completes Sergio Leone's Dollars Trilogy. This is personally my favorite over the other two, although all three are great. The movie follows three men in their pursuit of $200,000 in gold. The story is set in the Civil War in southern Texas. The adventures of the three characters include a Union prison camp, a huge battle reminiscent of World War I, and of course the famous showdown in the Sad Hill Cemetery with Tuco running frantically around the graves looking for the one marked "Arch Stanton."

All three main characters give excellent performances here. Clint Eastwood stars as Blondie, Eli Wallach as Tuco, and Lee Van Cleef as Angel Eyes. The fourth star has to be Ennio Morricone's soundtrack. The music is fabulous throughout and well worth buying the soundtrack. Also starring are Mario Brega, Luigi Pistilli, and Aldo Sambrell. Leone's use of extreme close-ups and epic landscapes are excellent throughout.

The DVD is awesome and well worth the purchase. It contains the widescreen presentation, excellent color and sound, theatrical trailer, and 14 minutes of never-before-seen footage with English subtitles. This footage includes scenes that help explain how Angel Eyes ends up in a Union prison camp and also how Blondie later joins up with Angel Eyes' gang. After seeing the movie so many times without this footage, it was odd to see it, but still very entertaining. A must have for Spaghetti western fans!

Brilliant Restoration!
"The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" is Sergio Leone's magnum opus. An audacious undertaking, it would have flopped miserably in any other director's hands. Only someone so commited to his artistic vision as Leone could have pulled off this bombastic pageantry of human nature in all its facets, its capacity for cynicism, greed, bloodlust, revenge, heroism, redemption and honour.

This movie must be *experienced.* Put the DVD in, turn the stereo all the way up and let it pummel you from the moment the Lardani titles blast onto the screen in a blaze of Technicolor fury. The montage of colour, interspersed by stark black and white visages of Eastwood, Van Cleef and Wallach is a tough act to follow, like Saul Bass' mesmerising titles for Hitchcock's "Vertigo."

The wait is now over! Last year, MGM/UA issued a restored 35mm print, which showed at the Film Forum in Manhattan. First restored in Italian by Cineteca Nazionale, the English-language restoration was spearheaded by Martin Scorsese, whose efforts with the Film Preservation Foundation have helped fund preservation of America's celluloid heritage. Both Eli Wallach and Clint Eastwood returned to the sound studio to dub new dialogue for approximately 20 minutes of restored footage. Both sound a little older and scratchier, but these added scenes help to explain both Tuco's and Angel Eyes' gangs and some plot points that were previously unclear. However, they both sound great! (Van Cleef's voice was dubbed by a professional voiceover artist, and sounds almost on target). The movie now has the true feel of a sprawling epic, one that's earned its right to take its time.

This special edition DVD features the movie restored to its original length in the Italian version, and comes jam packed with interviews with Eastwood, Wallach, producer Alberto Grimaldi and -- most importantly -- Mickey Knox, who wrote the English language dialogue. Knox crafted lines that lived up to the larger than life screenplay. You'd swear the original was in English, the dialogue is so perfectly tailored!

But the vision is singularly Leone's. It starts slowly, as a band of bounty killers home in on their prey, small-time bandit Tuco Ramirez (THE UGLY, played by the venerable Eli Wallach). They pile through a saloon door, then the camera imediately pans away laterally. Suddenly, his body hurtling through the front window in a rain of glass, Tuco bursts onto the street -- in what has to be the most absurd grand entrance in screen history -- revolver in one hand, a chicken leg in the other. It's total chutzpah on Leone's and Wallach's part.

If you think *that* can't be topped, watch Wallach's entire performance. Animated is putting it mildly. More than a performance, Wallach is a one-man band, nay, Army. Never has such a selfish, petty, ratty and shifty little man been played so larger than life. Wallach smirks, scurries, grimaces, chuckles, shouts, bellows and slyly oils his way across the screen in what has got to be the hammiest performance ever by a method actor. Or *any* actor: He makes Orson Welles, Burt Lancaster and Charles Laughton look like the grey and sullen cast of Woody Allen's "Interiors," he's so alive with passion that he literally sweats his performance out through the filthy pores on his stubble-ridden face. And he's wonderful!

If that's a tough act to follow, you haven't met the bad. They don't come any badder than Angel Eyes, Lee Van Cleef's hired killer who's got ice water running through his veins. Van Cleef is ruthless, bold and heartless. Riding out of nowhere onto a doomed man's rancho, Angel Eyes pays a visit, carrying out a murder for hire. The price: $500. But the victim offers him $1000 to look the other way. No dice: Angel Eyes isn't in it for the money. Rather, he's a man who loves his work, and always sees the job through. So, the poor sod dies anyway.

Clint Eastwood is as cool as a cucumber as The Man With No Name (but really one with sort of a name, in this case "Blondie," which is Wallach's moniker for him). It's fun watching the ongoing relationship between Blondie and Tuco as bounty hunter and prey. In another life, they would have been great pals, but in this life ("we're all alone in this world," Tuco confesses to Blondie, half seriously, half cynically) their love of money is thicker than friendship. So, they invent ingenious and cruel ways to exact revenge of each other.

It's during one of Tuco's sadistic plots - in which he marches the pale-skinned Eastwood across 100 miles of scorching desert - that the plot finally comes to a head: A driverless stagecoach full of wounded Confederates happens across their path, and through a twist of fate, Tuco and Blondie each have two halves of a secret which, if put together, will make them a quarter of a million dollars richer. But, without each other the two halves are worthless. Thus does Tuco do a 180 from brutal executioner to Blondie's would-be saviour. Now that he could be rich, he suddenly realizes how valuable their friendship is.

It's not before long that they wind up with Angel Eyes, as they're captured by Union soldiers. At the prisoner of war camp, a deadly game of cat and mouse begins. Van Cleef is now more restrained and less thuggish as he deals with Tuco to extract the secret; his henchman Wallace (Mario Brega, a Leone stalwart), pummels it out of Tuco.

In epic fashion, after a shootout in a deserted town and a bridge demolition that explodes across the screen, Tuco, Blondie and Angel Eyes make their way to the cemetery where the treasure is buried. In a fanfare of brass, percussion and chorus, the three face each other down in the cemetery plaza. It's a gorgeous and cathartic set piece. Credit must go not only to composer Ennio Morricone but also to musical director Bruno Nicolai, who conducts the score con fuoco.

The West as it never ws
It took an Italian to revolutionize the American Western. Everything was strange and new about the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Perhaps the strangest was that it was not a contest between good and evil -- the white hats and the black hats -- as was the typical western, but instead had a plot driven by the greed of the three characters -- one of whom is charitably called good, the other two certifiably bad and ugly.

The music is extraordinary -- one of the best and most original soundtracks ever. The photography is weird -- no one had ever focused so close-up on people's eyes or the pores in their skin. The violence is brutal and surreal. The three-cornered gunfight is one of the great scenes from cinema. The scenery is off. It doesn't look like the American west -- and in fact it isn't. The movie was made in Spain. The characters are incredibly seedy. Most of them look like they took a bath about a decade ago and haven't changed their clothes since. And nobody gets the girl -- because there isn't any girl.

I love this movie! It makes my all-time top ten list. Clint Eastwood is cool beyond belief; Eli Wallach is a hoot; and Lee Van Cleef is really, really bad.

"Such ingratitude after all the times I saved your life..."
"The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" is Sergio Leone's epic masterpiece. While it is part of his Spaghetti Western Trilogy( all three films have different characters and plots), the film stands on its own and really shows you how good a movie can really be. This movie has it all. It has action, drama and even some comic relief in it. It is a timeless classic that is unforgettable. When I first saw it, I was a little kid and couldn't truly appreciate it as I can now at age 22.

Blondie (The Man with No Name) isn't your typical good guy. He mainly does things that suits his own agenda. However, when compared to the murderous Angel Eyes and the greedy Tuco, Blondie is saint. This tale involves bloodshed, shoot-outs, search for treasure, and double-crossing. And it all takes place while the Civil War is going on, which makes things a lot more "interesting" for the notorious three. The West has never been wilder or more unpredictable than it is now. With an incredible score, excellent acting, and superb story-telling, this is one memorable film that you will never forget.

As I said in the beginning, the first time I saw this was when I was a little kid. When I just recently purchased this new edition of the movie, it truly was like I was watching it for the first time. Coming from a guy who isn't a big fan of Westerns (I don't mind them, but I don't watch too many of them), I absolutely LOVED this film. In fact, I wanted to give it a standing ovation when it was all said and done due to how moved I was by it. This really is filmmaking at its finest. I wasn't terribly impressed with Leone's "Once Upon a Time in America," but he is absolutely flawless with this amazing and timeless Western. It is slower than the second film ("For a Few Dollars More"), but I think that makes this all the better. The build up of tension is much more present in this film, and you really get the sense that these characters are real people. Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef and Eli Wallach are brilliant in their roles, and a lot of props need to go to Lee Van Cleef as he is absolutely chilling in his role.

This new edition really does the film the justice it deserves. The film has been restored to the director's original vision as much as possible, giving you an extra 18 minutes. You will notice the added scenes as the voices have been re-dubbed (the first time you will notice this will throw you, as I think that specific part has the worst re-dubbing, but the other added scenes are done a lot better, even if you still notice it). The picture looks incredible and the sound is great. Extras included are commentary from Richard Schickel, a couple of documentaries and featurettes, poster gallery, deleted scenes and the original theatrical trailer. Along with the nice packaging, you get an 8-page booklet that includes pictures from the film along with Roger Ebert's most recent review of the film. And, you get some mini-posters included inside the packaging as well. A superior edition of the movie, without question.

"The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" is a pure triumph in filmmaking and should be seen by everybody at least once. Don't let the fact that this is a Western throw you. I think this can be enjoyed by everybody, and even by those who are not big fans of Westerns. A film filled with authentic emotion and action, this is one that shouldn't be missed by anyone. I LOVE this movie, and I cannot express that enough. -Michael Crane ... Read more

Reviews (10)

A movie that is deserving of being re-released.
I think Tommy Lee Jones does a wonderful job of portraying the life of an actual person. He shows you the many different sides, good and bad, of a man who probably wishes his life would have been different, better, and probably wishes he was never born.

Tommy Lee Jones is superb in his portrayal of Gary Gilmore.
What a great movie! Tommy Lee does a superb performance portraying the convicted killer Gary Gilmore. Tommy Lee and Roseanne Arquette really make this movie execiting. I think this is one of the finest true life dramas ever produced. BRING BACK THIS MOVIE!! I would really like to purchase this movie. Why isn't it available? I'm sure I am not the only one who would like to purchase it. Please BRING IT BACK!

EXECUTIONERS SONG TOMMY LEE JONES
Tommy Lee Jones is clearly outstanding as Gary Gilmore. He captures the expressions and emotions behind the character like noone else could. The drama takes you through the craziness that Gary Gilmore had throughout his life and shows the love-hate relationship that friends and family had for him. Tragic, yet facinating, this movie is sure to hold your interest time after time.

The Real Gary Gilmore is lost here
I found this movie rather disappointing.After reading the Pullitzer Prize winning novel by Norman Mailer,& an in depth interview with Gary Gilmore by Playboy in 1977,it is for certain that Gary Gilmore was not accurately portrayed in this movie.The book was well researched based on actual court transcripts,letters between Gary & Nicole,& interviews with several people who knew the convicted murderer.
In the movie,the man was played with far too much feeling.The character came across as too mannerly & wimpy.The real Gary was no wimp by any stretch of the imagination.Consider a man at 35 who spent half of his life locked up.A man who killed 2 men execution style for no reason whatsoever - without even batting an eye.A guy like that is not going to be overly sensitive.The movie portrays him as a sensitive person.In actual fact he was quite intelligent,but rather curt & aggressive in interview,& only showed any iota of feeling for his mother,his brother,& Nicole,& even then it was basic.
Maybe it was in part due to the fact the movie was made for TV.The first part of the movie I kept wondering when the real Gary would come across.It was only in the second part where Gary was captured,that parts of the real Gary Gilmore were allowed to shine through.Some things were true to form,for instance when the Judge asked Gary what his preferred mode of execution would be,Tommy Lee played that out exactly as it should be with the exact words Gary said.There were a few other scenes where he played it well.I don't think it had anything to do with the acting at all.It was probably the fault of writing & directing that caused the essence of the real man to be lost.As well I think Roseanna Arquette made Nicole seem a lot more intelligent than she really was.
What this movie needed was to show the character as hard,edgy,& aggressive.The movie should also have captured the period with more 70's hit songs,than just a couple with a great deal of hokey country tunes for the soundtrack.Also they completely botched up the music that actually played in the van when Gary was taken to the cannery for his execution.The real song that played would have been perfect because of the lyrics,but the filmmaker botched that up too,& once again,on comes another hokey,tear in yer beer country tune.
If you want to find out about the real Gary Gilmore,read the book by Norman Mailer.It's fascinating & factual.If you can get a hold of that back issue -The April 1977 issue of Playboy,that contains the powerful interview with Gary Gilmore ,GET IT!It's very enlightening & profound.Check out the A & E biography of him,& get a hold of Mikal Gilmore's book about his brother.
This movie is well cast,& fairly good.However you only get a tiny glimpse of the real killer here.

One of the BEST!
One of the best movies period! Tommy Lee Jones is great as Gary Wayne Gilmore. Rosanne Arquette does an outstanding job as Gary's wife and Eli Wallach is outstanding as Gary's uncle. The foreign version (in english) is better than the US version as it includes extra scenes. Should be released on DVD. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

An action-packed western, but not for kids. . .
Mackenna's Gold seemingly has it all; an outstanding cast, magnificent scenery, breath-taking action and a haunting soundtrack. Unfortunately, the plot is so convoluted it makes a pretzel look like a straight line.

Gregory Peck and Omar Shariff are the headliners, as their personal battle provides the major subplot to the search for a valley of gold called "The Lost Adams." They are almost too ably assisted by a stellar supporting cast including Telly Savalas, Richard Kiel and Julie Newmar.

The basic plot is typical of many westerns; disparate characters setting aside their differences to search for riches. However, there are so many characters, so many sub-plots and so many twists, turns, and double-crosses that a moment's inattention can cause the viewer to lose track of what is happening. This can be a very enjoyable film to watch, but it does require some effort on the part of the audience.

The movie is very violent and contains a good deal of adult content. Parents are cautioned to take a good look before letting younger children watch.

Mackenna's Gold may be a bit too long, too complicated and too violent, but it successfully provides a mature variation on the classic horse opera and will be a welcome change of pace for fans of the genre.

A fantasy western about gold fever and greed.
This is one of those odd Hollywood westerns that almost fits into the "science fiction" category. I like everything Gregory Peck has ever done... so I enjoyed the movie. I also liked the music if not the lyrics (Old Turkey Buzzard). The plot doesn't make much sense and could've been better. But this odd movie still qualifies as a classic in my mind.

The only movie ever produced about the Lost Adams Diggings
And it's a good one. The movie doesn't stick strictly by any version of the legend. It varies from the McKenna account as much as it strays from all the others. Still, Edward G. Robinson plays a great Adams. For me the most memorable scene has most of the characters sitting around a camp fire. One of them recognizes Adams as 'The Adams', and they all persuade him to tell the story of how he came to find the gold, how the massacre happened, and how it was lost. A great scene, even if it weren't about the Lost Adams Diggings legend. Adams sat around a lot of camp fires in the 1870s and told that story, probably about the way Edward G. Robinson tells it in the movie.
The final episode is pure fabrication, but spectacular enough to make up for it. This one's a winner and you don't need to care or know about the Adams legend of lost gold to appreciate it.

The McKenna version of the legend actually centers on Jacob Snively, the German or Duchman in Adams' tale. Snively fought at San Jacinto, served as Paymaster General for the Republic of Texas, raided commerce on the Santa Fe Trail as a 'land privateer' for the Republic and drifted west in 1849. The German found his talent by striking gold and starting several gold rushes in Arizona and New Mexico. (Snively was killed by Apaches in 1871) J. Frank Dobie's book combines several conflicting accounts given by Adams. John Brewer's story, (another survivor) varies considerably from the other accounts.

Ultimate Movie Marvel
Although, it has been trashed in the West, it was one of the biggest hits in India in those days. Movie audiences still feel its magic as one of the finest epic tales. And, I have not seen any other movie as many times as this. Every now and then, its re-release in the local movie theater sees it run for atleast 6-8 weeks.

There is a gorgeous charm that emanates from this movie. And that is reflected by the Grand Canyon, Colrado river, those Apache Indians, the haunting music,J.Lee Thompson, Tell Savalas, Omar Shariff and my man Gregory Peck. May His Soul Rest in Peace.

A Golden Classic
One of my all time favorites I was really glad when it was released on dvd. This western has it all. Lots of action, big name stars, and gorgeous scenery. This movie is why I bought a big screen (55inch) tv. You just can't appreciate this kind of cinematic splendor on a 27 inch screen. The opening sequence is terrific. The gunfight between Gregory Peck and the old indian chief is awsome in surround sound making the richoteing bullets bouncing off the canyon walls puts you right in the middle of the action. Omar Sharif pulls it off rather well as a mexican bandit. Gregory Peck...well shucks he's good here to as the marshal shanghaid to lead a band of misfits and cutthroats to an unbelievable valley of gold.
If there's anything for me to critize I guess it would be some of the hokey special effects. I still laugh every time I see the obvious models used in the near death scene on the creaky bridge. Still I can overlook some minor faults in such a great western. Not perfect yet few movies are. I give it 5 stars for sheer entertainment.
One other bit of critique is to the 5.0 soundtrack. Why leave out the subwoofer? It would have been great in the final earthquake sequence. ... Read more

Reviews (31)

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

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