Reviews (62)

Great 70's movie
I used to watch Convoy over and over as a kid. It is unfortunate that it is not being produced on DVD or VHS considering how many movies not nearly as entertaining are being marketed. I think if you didn't see it when it first came out you'd find it silly and dated today, but I feel to those of us who saw it initially growing up, it is a classic. Modeled after a catchy country western song by C.W. McCall and with stars such as Kris Kristofferson, Ali McGraw, Burt Young and Ernest Borgnine, I'm surprised it is so obscure. It has some great 70's car/truck chase and crash scenes and a good soundtrack. Hopefully it will come out of moratorium soon and be available.

Breaker-19
CONVOY is the best trucker movie of all time. I've watched this movie 1000's of times when I was a kid and I enjoy it even more now. This movie has action, comedy and romance. Kris Kristofferson was great in this movie, he really brought out the excitement of being a truck driver. As for Ali MacGraw, she was also great and beautiful co-star. The director, Sam Peckinpah did an excellent job capturing the essence of truck driving. After so many years of searching for this movie I finally have a copy of my own thanks to Amazon.com. I'm impatiently waiting for it to come out on DVD(extended verison)....

Convoy
I bought the VHS version of the movie going off the other reviews listed.I received it yesterday and watched it twice.The quality is excellent.No fuzzy picture or sound.If you want a copy of this old classic movie,get one on video.

CONVOY
i havn't played my copy yet. the dvd i got, came from half.com which is a letterbox version, not digitally remastered and released by PACIFIC FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT. i paid less than $5.00 brand new.

The old days
When you seee this movie, you will realinze how life in America was not anoying. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Amazingly good but very disturbing movie.
This movie is based on Herbert Selby's cult novel from the early 1960s. The novel traces the lives of some rough urban characters (prostitutes, street hoodlums, transvestites, striking dock workers) in 1950s Brooklyn. Think of this as "On the Waterfront" without the sugar coating. A friend of mine hates the movie because he feels it is nightmarish and lacks a moral center. I like the movie for just this reason, as deep down I think life is that way. The movie is a harsh and uncompromising look at people whose dreams don't work out; in fact, the dreams often explode in the characters' faces. Jennifer Jason Leigh, Stephen Lang, Stephen Baldwin, Jerry Orbach and Alexis Arquette are fantastic. Don't watch this with kids or with people with delicate sensibilities---it's violent, sexually graphic, and full of verbal abuse and foul language.

Nightmarish in the extreme!
(...) As it was, this movie profoundly depressed me. (...)There is tenderness in the depiction of a young man's adoration for a prostitute (Jennifer Jason Leigh), as well as comic relief (of sorts) in the complications arising from an unplanned pregnancy. Unfortunately these moments are few and far between, and the cumulative effect of numerous beatings (starting with the very first scene!), cowardice and sexual violence will greatly disturb most viewers.

The acting, however, is top-notch. The entire cast is thoroughly believable - depressingly so in the case of Stephen Baldwin and his fellow thugs. Director Uli Edel is a master at creating atmosphere, and an operatic sense of doom permeates the entire movie, helped in no small measure by Mark Knopfler's beautiful but ominous score.

As a movie I would give Last Exit to Brooklyn five stars for its execution, but just one star for its sense of life. Nihilists will love it for reinforcing their own bleak view of life, but romantics should definitely give it a miss.

Why the Dodgers left Brooklyn
It's the 1950s. Under President Eisenhower's administration, everyone has a house in the suburbs, a decent job, a gas-guzzling car, and a basic "Leave It to Beaver" lifestyle.

Not so, said Hubert Selby, in his novel, LAST EXIT TO BROOKLYN. For a good deal of the working class, times were still tough. Preyed upon by crime, toyed with by factory owners and unions, and, ultimately, shackled by their own ignorance, the working class had their promise of a white picket fence and primrose garden vacated. In Brooklyn, particularly, things were acutely tough. Manufacturing jobs were on a rapid decline, as companies moved out of town or out of state (which was why those companies remaining in Brooklyn were able to mess with their employees: take it or leave it, was their attitude). At the same time, an influx of immigrants seeking jobs made the hunt for work even more competitive--another bonus for the remaining factory owners. Slums rapidly worsened, so much so that Dodger owner Walter Alston decided his team's future was in jeopardy. L.A. looked like a much safer place for a stadium.

But neither Selby nor director Uli Edel portrayed this working class as merely innocent victims. Neither the book nor the film is a didactic rant about class warfare. The poor had their own vices of greed, brutality, and dissipation. Just about every other scene has someone going through someone else's wallets, union funds or pockets. If they aren't doing that, they're drinking, fighting, or whoring. It's a pretty dismal world. The natural response to this film might be: "Wait a minute. Not everyone working class Johnny-Punchclock guy was a criminal. Most people worked hard and honestly." Of course, this is true but it's not the film's concern. This is a study of those who were trapped in that world, and this study is compelling and horrifying.

Uli Edel has perfectly captured this bleak world, either bathing everything in a garish light or obscuring it in heavy shadows. The performances are brilliant. There's no understating Jennifer Jason Leigh's gritty and powerful performance. Also keep an eye out for a cameo by Hubert Selby as the driver who hits Georgette. Not for the weak-stomached and definitely not for kids, LAST EXIT TO BROOKLYN is as cinematographically close to the innermost circle of urban hell as you can get.

A Hell of a Film
Last Exit to Brooklyn tells a story the way it needs to be told...realistically. This film is not for everyone. If you can't accept the fact that some people do behave like this than this film is not for you. Everyone doesn't live in a fantasy land and Last Exit to Brooklyn shows this. People brought up in conditions like these or who are familiar with people such as this can vouch that people are truly like this in some places. It may not be an excuse for how others act but it is real and this film proves that. This is a powerful, moving film not to be looked upon if you're easily offended out of your own ignorance and live in a rose-colored world. If you have the ability to watch a movie, understand it and be taken in with what the film represents ( without feeling threatened ) then this movie is a keeper. If you can't see that Last Exit to Brooklyn deplicts reality for people other than the super fortunate, rent Sweet Home Alabama because this movie is not for you.

Nasty, Ugly, Wrong
People who think that the working class or anyone who is down and out is necessarily brutal and self-serving will love this film. For those who like their "social realism" as ugly and unambiguous as possible,this is the film for you. Most of the characters are one-dimensional,yell their lines and are either outrightly cruel/unfeeling (practically everyone) or hystrionic/narcissistic victims doomed to be wiped out by the end of the film (eg Gorgette the transvestite, Tra La La the town "tramp"). Almost all are totally unsympathetic--practically no-one in this film is worth caring about. Sorry, but real life is NOT like this,not even amongst the "downtrodden" who obviously make such sensationalist fodder for those eager to "slum it" vicariously for a couple of hours. This film might titilate nihilistic 20 yr olds or middle class suburbanites and has clearly thrilled all the critics (and almost everyone else in this forum) but I found it stupid and ugly (and boring). Jennifer Jason Leigh is terrific, I must add. That is the only good thing I can say about this film, I'm afraid. For those looking for uncompromising social realism and characters written with compassion rather than contempt, try reading Steinback's "Cannery Row" or see the movie of his novel "Of Mice and Men" or, for a more contemporary, very bleak but infinitly better film than Last Exit see "Nil by Mouth" directed by Gary Oldman. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

This movie has a checkered history, having been chopped from itsoriginal 227-minute director's cut to 139 minutes for its U.S. release. This longer edition benefits from having the complete story (the short version has huge gaps) about turn-of-the-century Jewish immigrants in America finding their way into lives of crime, as told in flashback by an aging Jewish gangster named Noodles (Robert De Niro). On the other hand, it's almost four hours long, and this sometimes-indulgent Sergio Leone film is no Godfather. Still, it is notable for the contrast between Leone's elegiac take on the gangster film and his occasional explosive action, as well as for the mix of the stoic, inexpressive De Niro and the hyperactive James Woods as his lifelong friend and rival. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (222)

It is about time!! GREAT MOVIE
Sergio Leone's "Once Upon a Time in America" was released almost 20 years ago, and it is still one of my all time favorite films. The film spans over a period of 20 years. The characters - Max, Noodles, Cockeye, Patsy, and Fat Moe, all grew up in the violent immigrant ghetto of New York's lower east side. The tough streets forced the group of friends to grow up fast, which in turn forces them to fight their way to the top. All of them vow to stick together. The story fastforwards 20 years into the future where childhood friends Max ( James Woods) and Noodles (Robert De Niro) form a partnership to run a powerful crime organization along with the rest of their childhood buddies -Cockeye (William Forsythe), Patsy ( James Hayden), and Fat Moe(Larry Rapp). However as time passes, things start to spin out of control, and the partnership between Max and Noodles unravels in death and mystery...

"Once Upon a Time in America" utilizes the four basic traits of human nature - friendship, crime, love, and betrayal, to create one of the most dramatic and rich stories ever captured on screen. The entire cast - Robert De Niro, James Woods, William Forsythe, Elizabeth McGovern, Treat Williams, Larry Rapp, James Hayden, Joe Pesci, and Danny Aiello were all unbelieveable and each helped to bring the story to life. However, the best performances given in my opinion were by the young actors that were chosen to play the characters as children. Their performances meant the most to the film, because that was the age when the tragic pattern of the characters lives were set. This film marked the first time appearance of Jennifer Connely, and even then at the age of 14, you could tell that she was a fantastic actress. Sergio Leone drew inspiration from the New York ghetto photographs of Jacob Riis. The authenticity that the photos provided to the settings was absolutely outstanding, and were the film's best feature.

The actors, well developed story, and stunning authenticity really provide for a wonderful film. "Once Upon A Time in America" offers a look at the dark side of the American dream that you can watch time and time again. Not to mention the fact, that this film finally came out on DVD!! If there was ever a film that deserved the special treatment of a DVD, it was this one. The movie is finally available with the best picture and sound quality available and we don't have to sit through the grainy picture of a videocasette either. This 2 Disc DVD set truly is a must buy!!

Great Film,VERY Dissapointing DVD!!!!
Sergio Leone's final masterpiece ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA is by far a unique and amazing piece of filmmaking by one of the cinema's greatest Italian directors since Fellini and De Sica.The story involves a ruthless gangster David 'Noodles' Aronson (played brilliantly by Robert DeNiro) who ends up fleeding away from his friends in the 1940's and returns back to them in the late '60's through many years of hardships as young kids growing up on the wrong side of the tracks to being successful in crime during the prohibition era of the '30's.Prior to its original U.S. release in 1984,this film recieved many great reviews and audience praise when it was shown at the Cannes Film Festival and The New York Film Festival.The film's distributor,Warner Bros/The Ladd Company,uncerimoniously cut out 90 minutes out of the original running time fearing that the movie would run too long and that they wouldn't get as many showings in a single day.The edited version totally changes the complete story continuity of the original film and therefore isn't even as good to watch ,even if you have already seen the longer version.In fact,this edited version of the movie has already been shown once on cable network television on the TNN network (now called SPIKE TV) in April,2003 and believe me,it isn't even worth watching! Warner's 2-disc Special Edition of the film is perhaps,in my opinion,one of the worst special edition DVD's I have ever purchased so far!!! Although the film is presented in its original 229-minute uncut version and in a beautifully preserved 1:85.1 aspect ratio,Disc one innapropriately stops in the middle of the Diamond Robbery scene,even though the disc jacket says it ends directly at the intermission title card!! But on Disc two,the intermission takes place nearly ten chapters into the second disc!! What a real travesty!!! Plus,there are no really great bonus features other than a terrific audio commentary by film critic/historian Richard Schickel,trailer,an excerpt from the hour-long documentary "Once Upon A Time:Sergio Leone" on the making of the film itself,and nothing else!!! However,the movie appears on HBO from time to time and is actually the same version that's on the DVD in which this version includes the Ladd Company credits and no intermission title card!!! I taped that version not too long ago and trust me,it's a lot better than this DVD mess,plus,I got the entire movie on one tape!!! Tape this longer version off of HBO and you won't be dissapointed and enjoy and appreciate this true masterpiece of Sergio Leone in its entirety!! Warner Bros could've done a lot better and nicer job on this DVD,but thankfully learned their lesson with better-selling DVD's after this fiasco!!!

be warned.........
If you're like me and you are thinking of buying this film because it's a Deniro/gangster movie, think twice. Despite some of reviews, this is NOT a materpiece. It is true that the cinematography is brilliant and the production design is top-notch. It is a very authentic-looking, well-made made film. However, those things do not make a masterpiece. The story is so convoluted and moves at such a glacial pace you lose interest. The climactic scene is anything but climactic. Nothing happens. Literally. Deniro and Woods' characters have a conversation and just walk away. Whatever emotional impact thier words are supposed to have has long been drained away by the four-hour running time. The packaging declares that Deniro "smolders" and a New York Times review anoints it as "the definitive gangster picture". Neither is true. You can count on two fingers the number of times Deniro changes facial expressions. He practically sleepwalks through the film. The worst flaw of the movie is that you cant identify with, or even remotely like any of the characters. At the end we are supposed to be moved by the tragic turn of events between two life-long friends, but after witnessing four hours of sexual perversion, graphic murder, etc., you end up having no sympathy at all for them. It has all the emotional impact of seeing Saddam Hussien and Adolf Hitler holding hands and running down the beach in slow motion. As a Deniro fan I really wanted to like this movie, but his character is repulsive. He's a serial rapist who takes his one true love out on a long awaited date and then forcefully rapes her in the back of a car. That scene alone is hard to watch. The Godfather films triumph because the characters have redeeming qualities that balance out thier evil deeds. This film wallows in dirt and excess from the very beginning and gives you no reason to care about these people. Almost the entire first disc is taken up by child actors who arent believable. When you see scenes of them walking around in fedoras and zoot suits acting like pint-size gangsters who intimidate the local cop and make deals with adult mobsters its almost comical. If they were'nt trying to trade cup-cakes for sex it would almost be Disney-ish. By the way, the four scenes that have been "restored" to this director's cut include the two rape scenes and two dialouge extensions. The added dialouge does flesh out the characters a bit, but it slows down an already slow pace. I wish that I had not seen the rape scenes. I hate to be so negative, but I wish I could get my money back. If you have an interest in seeing this movie, rent it- dont buy it. Dont believe the hype and the gushing declarations of being a masterpiece. Its altogether forgetable. The scenes that do stick in your mind do so because they are disturbing, not because of any great acting or artistic reasons.

A masterpiece no matter what anyone says
Yes, the film is four hours long, and yes, there is an hour and a half flashback sequence. But don't let this ward you way from what is truly a masterpiece of a gangster flick. The flashback itself is engrossing and endearing. If you love movies, if you love great acting, if you love history, this is the epic for you.

'Once Upon a Time in America' is a film about a group of four friends who have grown up together in New York City since the turn of the century. They grew up around crime and took part in it themselves. 'America' doesn't focus on the truly criminal aspects of the tale, though; nor does it glorify violence in any way. In a genius move, director Sergio Leone portrays how crime influences this tough, beautiful, but delicate friendship.

This brings me to the famously long flashback. Anyone who tells you it is boring, unimportant and relentless was obviously not paying attention. They must also have a short attention span, for the portrayel of the four main characters' childhood is at times beautiful, elegiac and hilarious. It tells a timeless tale of the central character in the film, Noodles (later played by Robert DeNiro), and his obsession with the local beauty (a young Jennifer Conally, later played by Elizabeth McGovern) who refuses to love him because he'll "always be a two-bit punk." It reminisces on the constant loss of virginities to the town prostitute who makes love for the price of one pastry (what accompanies this story line is a legendary scene where a young teenager succumbs to the temptation of his pastry gift). And it ends in one of the film's most emotional moments that proves you must have a strong stomach to really pay attention and/or appreciate the film to full extent. It is quite hard to watch not because of any sort of violence, but because of its emotional rawness ending in a near cataclysmic incident.

This carries over into the rest of the film, dotted with modern day looks at Noodles and his three friends who are dead at the beginning of the film. After his mental journey through the past, he searches in real life for the love of his life, played by Elizabeth McGovern. What ensues is a twist, one of the best in cinematic history (that I've seen, anyway). You won't be disappointed.

What is masterful about all of these storylines, flashbacks and flashforwards is the extent of their depth. Leone accompanies each detail with an unforgettable emotional truth that extends deep into each character's (and our own) psyche. And for those who love history, Leone sets this saga in the days of prohibition, which offers the four friends an occupation, of sorts.

Apart from the amazing depth in character and story, the production values are top notch, with glorious sets, cinematography and editing. And don't forget the delicacy of the writing and direction. It all works together so well on so many levels.

So to those who have strong stomachs (there are bouts of intense violence) and those who are not too young (this is definitely not a family film, as it portrays some graphic sexuality) and also those who are in love with cinema, I recommend 'Once Upon a Time in America.' Oh, and make sure you have a good attention span. This is not a short movie by any means, although it zips by in the best sense.

Why this "director's cut" is still a muddled mess
One thing that you should know about this movie, according to the running commentary on this DVD set, is that Leone originally shot 10 hours of film. Then from this 10 hours of film he apparently did an original 6 hour film cut. Realizing this length was not practical for a single movie release, and opting not to split his work into 2 seperate films, Leone then got out his scissors once again and cut his film down to this 3 hour 49 minute version. This, I think, is where the problems begin. For instance, Leone chose to leave in the now legendary 5 minute scene of a kid eating a piece of cake. However, Noodles' girlfriend Eve who gets wacked at the start of the movie, never gets properly introduced into the story after the film goes back in time, she just is suddenly there with Noodles in Florida. Even at almost four hours I got the feeling that the movie was over edited like the original US release. A lot of times in the second half of the movie I felt like I had to try and catch up with the story and figure out what had happened- i.e., suddenly the gang is backing up the trucking union, and we're thrust right in the middle of this intense situation.
And then there's the part of the movie where it's supposed to be 1968. The film critic doing the running commentary says that the film "works best" if you assume that the 1968 scenes are just Noodles' opium dreams in 1935. To me this just seems to be a cop-out to excuse the holes and confusing story telling. I don't see how Noodles in the 1930's could have a dream about watching a TV in 1968 when the television hasn't been invented yet at the time he was "opium dreaming".
Then there's the business of Mr. Bailey and the garbage truck at the end. I'll not spoil it for you, but James Wood says himself in the included documentary that he doesn't know what happened at this point and that was Leone's intention. I can accept what Lennon and MacCartney said about their song lyrics meaning whatever you interperate them to be, but in my own opinion this style doesn't translate for me when I'm watching a movie. I like a definate outcome to be evident, but if this is okay with you, well, I warned you. And if you don't mind being irritated by 20 loud rings of a telephone for artistic style, same thing applies.
I could go on and on but, hey, I already wasted 3 hours and 49 minutes of my life. Don't get me wrong. I've got all of Leone's spaghetti western's and I'd give them all 5 stars. There is some good stuff in this movie like the acting of the leads and cinematography but they don't make up for the other problems I mentioned. Like the Beach Boys ill-fated Smile album Once Upon A Time In America seems to be a project that "sank under the weight of it's own lofty ambitions". Maybe Leone was just ahead of his time. If he had filmed this story today perhaps it would have been a success as a one-season HBO series. ... Read more

Description

Alby Sherman is a man with a deli and a dream.He's looking to sell his greasy spoon in Brooklyn and buy a swanky Manhattan restaurant.His Uncle Benjamin will lend him the money, but only on the condition that Alby dump Elizabeth, his non-Jewish girlfriend, and marry one of the faith.Now Alby has to choose between his business and a dish who's definitely not on the menu. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Old Timers Shine
This film might have been the swan song for it's main characters; Gould, Hemmingway, Winters and Sid Ceaser. Incedently, a wonderful performance by Burt Young. Perhaps casting could have come up with a more appropriate shixa than Margaux Hemingway. Carol kane's character is a little to "pushed", fault the screen writer.

O.K. the film is frantic and perhaps overplayed but certain individual scenes were wonderful. A former Brooklyn boy like me especially enjoyed the scenes around Coney Island and the family squabble, in the new restaurant, is a gem.

Don't recall this movie ever being distributed to the theaters, perhaps the potential distributors thought it to "ethnic' if you get my drift. ... 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

Alan Alda wrote, directed, and starred in this lightweight comedy about a wedding and the havoc it causes in one family. Dad (Alda) wants it big and splashy; Betsy (Molly Ringwald), the one who's actually getting married, wants something small and personal (and is even considering eloping). As the momentum shifts back and forth between lavish and intimate, other comic tussles are played out in the background--such as how Dad is going to pay for all this. The best moments belong to the odd couple of Ally Sheedy and Anthony LaPaglia: She's a cop and the bride's sister and he's a Mafia underling who discovers he has a thing for a woman in uniform. Even if it doesn't add up to much, it's painlessly entertaining nonetheless. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Wonderful, Warm and Funny!
I love this movie. It's so funny and warm. Stevie D is hilarious, and of course Alan Alda is stupendous. If it was available to purchase, I'd own it!

Very funny. Alda comes off as the typical dad.
I've always been a fan of Alan Alda's work. This movie is one of his best. When he's eating dinner with the mafia gang and the bodyguard starts to shoot, I laughed to bust a rib. Alan Alda sure hasn't lost his touch.

One of 1990's most popular films
In Alan Alda's "Betsy's Wedding",he is Eddie Hopper,a construction foreman and architect. His daughter Betsy(Molly Ringwald) and her boyfriend Jake Lovell(Dylan Walsh) announce their engagement at a family gathering. Betsy's sister Connie(Ally Sheedy) is happy herself but jealously upset because she can't find herself a man. The late Madeline Kahn is Lola,Eddie's wife. At the gathering Lola's sister Gloria Henner(Catherine O'Hara) tells her she plans to get even with her husband Oscar(Oscar winner Joe Pesci) for all his inept schemes. Gloria says "Someday,when I have my nice little nestegg,I can take a walk and he can go f--- himself." Anthony LaPaglia is Stevie Dee,a guy who would later in the film become Connie's boyfriend. Stevie Dee's uncle Georgie(Burt Young) is a business associate of Oscar's. There's once scene where when Betsy and Jake meet with the man performing their wedding ceremony,the Dixie Cups' CHAPEL OF LOVE is played. They want to be pronounced "husband and wife" instead of "man and wife" and they have "obey" omitted from "love,honor and obey". The late Julie Bovasso plays Rose,Eddie's mother and Joey Bishop is Eddie's deceased father. The father,as a ghost,is seen and heard only by Eddie. The wedding was somewhat disasterous. It took place in a rented tent on a rainy evening. The tent was made of cheap,not-too-strong materials so a hole in the roof where the rain fell into increased to the point where it caved in. After a heated argument between Gloria and Oscar at the reception also in the tent,Gloria pulls a loose thread causing the growing hole and the dowse of fallen rain. So Connie and Stevie Dee can be together more often,Stevie Dee applies to the police academy,since Connie's a cop. Unbelievably,the wedding dinner was pizza! By the way,Oscar planned to divorce Gloria and become romantically involved with his secretary,who also attended Betsy's and Jake's wedding. That was one of the things that led to the argument. The wedding ceremony was performed in the Jewish style. Jake stepped on a wine glass wrapped in a cloth napkin. This film was Alan Alda's most successful and not a minor hit like "A New Life",another one of his personally scripted films.

ITS SO FUNNY I LOVE IT
ITS A FUNNY MOVIE ALAN ALDA DID A WONDERFUL JOB ACTING WRITING DIRECTING IT I CAN WATCH IT 10 TIMES OR MORE AND NEVER GET BORED WATCHING IT.

FROM A BIG ALAN ALDA FAN FOR 4 YEARS NOW KIRSTEN

Underrated Comedy about Family and Being Married.
When a family man (Alan Alda-Also the Film`s Director) tries to make the best situation of his daughter (Molly Ringwald) wedding, because he trying to created a old fashioned expensive wedding, but he`s needs the money, he needs but he caught between his complicated family and his gangster friends.

Directed by Alan Alda made a often uproarious comedy. This film has a great supporting Cast including:Madeline Kahn, Oscar-Winner:Joe Pesci, Ally Sheedy, Burt Young, Joey Bishop, Catherine O`Hara and Anthony La Paglia, this is a light-hearted film. Grade:B+. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Mickey Blue Eyes was crafted as a vehicle for the stammering British charm of Hugh Grant (star of Four Weddings and a Funeral and Nine Months), so whether or not you like the movie will depend heavily on your affection for Grant. He plays an art auctioneer who falls in love with schoolteacher Jeanne Tripplehorn (Basic Instinct, Very Bad Things), who just happens to be the daughter of mobster James Caan (The Godfather, Misery). To protect Grant, Tripplehorn tries to fend off his proposal of marriage, but some miscommunications lead to Grant being embraced by the "family." After the mob decides to launder money through Grant's auction house, an accidental killing results in Grant pretending to be Mickey Blue Eyes out of Kansas City (the sight and sound of Grant trying to say "fuggedaboudit" was undoubtedly what sold the movie in the first place). The plot isn't as well executed as it could be, but the leads are all well cast and there are some excellent supporting performances, particularly Burt Young (Rocky) as a myopic mob boss and Scott Thompson (from the comedy troupe The Kids in the Hall) as a sprightly FBI agent. --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (38)

IT'S SLIGHTLY BETTER THAN YOU'D THINK
To tell you the truth, I wasn't really expecting too much from this movie, it IS a romantic comedy, but not expecting too much is the best way to not be dissapointed.

Hugh Grant plays an auctioneer who wants to marry his girlfriend played by Jeanne Tripplehorn. The only problem is she wants to protect him from her family, who happen to be mobsters, most notable James Caan.

Hugh Grant's clumsy, stuttering style serves him well here because he is faced with a number of uncomfortable situations. He and Caan do fine work in the movie although Caan's character becomes weaker towards the second half of the movie. Tripplehorn is ok, in a role that only required her to be ok.

The rest of the mobster cliches, I mean cast, are made up of people who at one time or another have been or will be on The Sopranos.

The movie does have some funny moments, like when Caan teaches Grant to talk like a wiseguy, although that wears thin soon. But in the end the movies uneven tone between lighthearted romantic comedy and some violence ultimately keep it from being too memorable

Nice romantic comedy.
This film combines romance, comedy and the Mafia quite well. Hugh Grant is romantically involved with a beautiful girl whose father (James Caan) is a NYC mob figure. She tries to hide it from him, but eventually he finds out and becomes innocently involved with her father and the mob. Enjoyable flick.

IT'S NO "ANALYZE THIS", BUT FUN ROMP THRU A DOOZY SITUATION
Witty theme, darker than you'd expect and with some dead-serious undertones (Burt Young's character, for example, is *scary* without a trace of humor) but this is totally appropriate in context and gives the movie a punch that many comedies lack. Hugh Grant's comic timing took me by surprise, as did Jeanne T's convincing rendition of a mafia don's daughter. James Caan was actually the reason I picked this DVD up and did not regret it. Very worthy spin for an evening if you like atypical comedies in general or mafia comedies in particular.

Hugh Grant Provides Lots of Light-hearted Fun !!!
Whenever I find an unfavorable review for this film it really mystifies me. This is one of my favorite comedies!! Hugh Grant does his usual excellent job since this story serves as a PERFECT vehicle for his familiar cinematic personna. There are definitely some unforgettable scenes here...I'm talking about the botched up marriage proposal of course, and who can forget the part where James Caan has to teach Grant how to talk like a gangster?! There are soooo many laughs-- never a dull moment and a great bargain for such a fun movie! If you like Grant, this DVD is a must have! If you don't, then you cannot recognize a truly charismatic performer when you see one.

Fun.
Another great movie with Hugh Grant. I loved the parody of the mafia mobsters. All the things that are being played out so seriously in films like 'The Godfather', are being parodied in this film. ... Read more

Reviews (31)

Rocky III
Rocky III is one of the best films of the whole saga. It's to me the best only behind "Rocky IV", my personal favorite. The suspense starts when heavyweight champion Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) is suddenly defeated by a boastful contender, the brutish Clubber Lang (Mr. T). During the bloody defeat, his trainer and close friend, Mickey Goldmill (Burgess Meredith), passes away. Now clear that he has lost his edge, his only hope is when his old foe and nemesis, ex-champ Apollo Creed, comes to help him get back the "eye of the tiger" in Los Angeles. Training in L.A. with Creed and his former trainer, Tony Duke, Rocky attempts to triumph in a comeback rematch at Madison Square Garden in the Big Apple with the cocky Lang. A must-see hit from United Artists and writer, director, and star Sylvester Stallone.

Sylvester Stallone's Rocky III
This was the best sequel to Rocky for my opinion. After winning the title from Apollo Creed(Carl Weathers), Rocky Balboa(Sylvester Stallone) has defended his title several times. Then, Clubber Lang(Mr. T) challenges Rocky to a match and Rocky accepts. Before the fight, Mickey(Burgess Merideth), Rocky's trainer, has a heart attack and can't watch the fight. Rocky looses the match inside of three rounds. After the fight, Mickey dies in the locker room. Apollo Creed offers to train Rocky to get his title back in a rematch. This was a great sequel and it had great acting. Watch this movie, you won't be disapointed.

The saga continues
The saga continues - and I couldn't be happier. I believe each Rocky movie had its own appeal, and this one appeals to the 80's and to slacking. Rocky III is about resting on your laurels, and Rocky learns the failure in this when Clubber Lang (Mr. Midget throwing bouncer champ T.) shows up on the scene. I don't want to give it away that Mick dies...oops, and that Apollo trains Rocky to find the "eye of the tiger" again (apparently Rocky lost it when he became civilized).

This is a great film. Yeah, I know, the artsy-fartsy fans didn't like it. But they should stick to their abstract art shows and leave the movie reviews to us real-men.

Rocky III is action packed, movie making at its best. Buy it, even if its just to see Hulk Hogan throw Stallone out of the ring and into the audience. They should have made that a 3D scene!

See ya next review.

www.therunninggirl.com

I enjoyed it a lot
Yes yes I know....the first Rocky is the best....not going to front on that. But the sequels were very good and Stallone is not a bad director either!! He puts in plenty of action, good camera work, and once in a while a VERY hilarious comment hehe.

So if youre a fan of the Rocky movies, check this one out, its great entertainment!!

BETTER THAN THE FIRST SEQUEL
THIS TIME, ROCKY DEFENDS HIS WORLD TITLE AGAINST CLUBBER LANG [MR. T]. MORE ENTERTAINING THAN THE LAST SEQUEL. HAS MORE FIGHTS AND A BETTER PLOT THAN THE SECOND MOVIE. WATCH FOR AN APPEARANCE BY HULK HOGAN IN A BOXER VS. WRESTLER MATCH AGAINST ROCKY, WHICH IS ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS SEQUEL. I'D SAY THIS IS WORTH OWNING. FEATURES THE CLASSIC ''EYE OF THE TIGER'' SONG. ... Read more

Reviews (24)

A Little Swagger with your Pasta
"Chimes, Charlie, chimes..." The Pope of Greenwich Village was one of the great films of 1984 and offers a visually and thematically telling portrait of two small-time hustlers in Little Italy. Charlie, portrayed brilliantly by Mickey Rourke in his finest performance, is wed, in a brotherly sense, to his second cousin, Paulie, played with equal bravado by Eric Roberts. It is an Italian/NYC version of Of Mice and Men and proves that blood is thicker than water, and even a little thicker than a nice hot cup of laced espresso. Pay particular attention to the wonderful work of Burt Young as Bedbug Eddy -- a local boss that causes Charile and Paulie (not to mention Paulie's "thummmmb") a great deal of grief. Certain lines by Eric Roberts are unforgettable, Rourke's swagger is unparalleled, and great tracks ranging from Frank Sinatra to Mink deVille offer the wonderful back drop of the Village and equal dose of acoustic power. It is a New York movie, it is an Italian-American morality tale -- it's tough and gritty and damn good. Leave the gun, take the canolis...and the movie. -- Mr. Zelig

So Cool
How cool was Mickey Roarke? Check this film out and see for yourself. I love this movie. Micky plays Charlie a small time hood tryin to go straight in New Yorks little Italy, No matter how hard he tries he just can't escape the neighborhood or his Lowlife cousin Paulie,wonderfully acted by Eric Roberts. Yes at one time he could act too (See Star 80). Rounding out the cast are Geraldine Paige, Daryl Hannah and Kenneth McMillon, But the movie belongs to Rourke it was a springboard to things that never were to be. To bad.

one of the best mob flicks
This movie is chock full of stars. The one who is amazing is Tony Musante, Paulie's uncle. Take a look at a 1967 flick called the incident and he will show you what method acting is all about. His character in that flick is better than any in "the POPE" not to put down "the POPE" of course. Too bad they gave him this small role, cauz he was the original bad boy. Anyway, the pope is awesome, Roberts and Rourke are incedible and the flick is a classic. DONT FORGET MUSANTE IN THE INCIDENT.

An overlooked gem
Released at a time when comedies were measured by the number of exposed women's breasts or the quality of vomiting scenes, THE POPE OF GREENWICH VILLAGE was a refreshing movie that had actual character development and humor based on wit, not bodily functions. Paulie and Charlie (Rourke and Roberts) play two citizens of Little Italy that are on the criminal fringe, although they themselves are not criminals. But as they look around them, the criminals of the street are getting richer and the yuppies of the 80s even richer than that. When they are approached by Barney, a locksmith losing his sight (wonderfully portrayed by Kenneth McMillan) who has a plan for a quick score, the two fall in. Once they do, the pasta goes flying.

I won't go further into the plot. There are some great supporting performances here: Geraldine Page, Burt Young, Tony Musante, Phillip Bosco, and even Daryl Hannah. The direction is top notch. Check out this little period piece of a neighborhood that is rapidly disappearing.

Rourke's breakthrough performance!
"The Pope of Greenwich Village" could be considered Mickey Rourke's Swan Song. Rourke delivers a stellar performance laced with a brooding subtlety that prompts comparisons with Brando and McQueen. Eric Roberts, who is a seriously underrated talent of film, also offers an admirable performance. In contrast to Rourke, Roberts brings a comic element to the film. As a result, some scenes oscillate between compelling drama and off-beat comedy. There is an undeniable chemistry between these two actors and, hopefully, their work will be recognized in the future. Given their ostracism from the elitist enclaves of Hollywood, however, that does not seem likely. ... Read more

Amazon.com

In the mid-1980s, standup comic Rodney Dangerfield underwent a renewed wave of popularity, finding a surprisingly enthusiastic baby-boomer audience. What else to do but make a movie that shows off Dangerfield's alternately knowing and boorish humor? This may not be on the AFI list of great films, but it delivers laughs aplenty in its story of a rough-edged tycoon who made his fortune in clothes for the stout and tall and decides to attend college in order to be closer to his son (Keith Gordon). There's not much plot, but lots of room for Dangerfield's one-line riffs.The goggle-eyed comic veteran displays surprising charm, enough to make his romance with professor Sally Kellerman believable. Look for cameos by late comedian Sam Kinison and author Kurt Vonnegut Jr. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (34)

You Are About To Enter A Danger Zone
Aside from the comedy classic ensemble Caddyshack, Back To School is my favorite Rodney Dangerfield film.

Self-made millionaire Thorton Melon (Dangerfield) decides to join his only son, Jason (Keith Gordon), who is having difficulty fitting in, as a freshman in college. This impulse gesture drives Jason a little nuts, while setting Thorton on a path to a little romance with an English professor (Sally Kellerman). He also learns that there are things in life money can't buy, and in the process, somehow becomes the most popular man on campus.

Director Alan Metter allows Dangerfield to do his thing. But also allows him to show a softer side that doesn't seem at all out of place. Don't let that deter you though, there are still plenty of laughs to be had. Gordon is pitch perfect as Jason and provides plenty of grounding as well. The film also boasts solid support from actor Burt Young as Lou, and early performances by Robert Downey Jr. as Derek, Jason's roomie, as well as former Star Trek beauty, Terry Farrell.

Sadly, the DVD doesn't have any "real" extras, save of course, for the film's theatrical trailer. Typical for most MGM releases, the package also includes a "collectible" production trivia booklet. An audio commentary or a few deleted scenes, would have put this disc over the top. Still, this film is a must see, for comedy and Dangerfield fans. It's a very funny movie.

Rodney's All Time Best Comedy Get's Straight A's!
Don't you just miss 80's movies like Back To School? A film starring one of the funniest men on the planet (Mr. Rodney Dangerfield) with an ensemble cast of famous names unto themselves, has got to have SMASH MOVIE written all over it, and it does! A simple premise: Thornton Melon (Dangerfield) has become a wealthy millionaire even though he dropped out of high school, and now his son, Jason (Keith Gordon) wants to drop out of college, so in order to keep him from leaving, Thornton decides to go to college too! There are so many hysterical moments I just can't print them all. But some favorites are the big scene with Sam Kinison as the crazed history teacher, Professor Terguson ("Good teacher. He really seems to care. About what I have no idea".), Thornton doing the Triple Lindey swimming dive (with Derek[Robert Downey Jr.]distracting the rival diving team with loud noise and reflecting light to the face), Thornton's rendition of "Twist And Shout" at a local bar, and of course, the party in Thornton's dorm room, with Danny Elfman's band, Oingo Boingo and a killer hot tub, complete with BUBBLES! ("Now that's what I call marine biology".) But a truly winning comedy can't be completely great without heart, which is what this film has. Keith Gordon (John Carpenter's Christine), who is sorely missed in the acting world since he changed his profession to directing, is great as Thornton's son, Jason, who loves his father a lot but feels like Dad's always trying to do too much to make him happy when all he wants to do is live his own life. Terry Farrell (TVs Star Trek: DS9 & Becker) makes a good love interest for him too. I always knew she'd make a name for herself one day. Of course you can't make this sort of film without the bad guys and both father and son have each of their own: William Zabka (who we all should remember as bad boy Johnnie from The Karate Kid) as Chas, the snotty swim diver, and Paxton Whitehead as Philip Barbay, Thornton's economics professor are both out to give our duo a not so sweet time at college. But with Sally Kellerman as the funloving literature teacher, Diane, helping Thornton with reading (and biology) just made things a whole lot more fun. This film has such a great mix of comic chemistry and one-liners that you may miss after the first viewing from laughing so hard. But it's also a movie that just makes you feel good when it's all over.

The DVD isn't much on special features, only a trailer, which has a scene not in the film of Thornton and his bodyguard, Lou (Burt Young of the "Rocky" movies as Paulie) looking at a college sex book ("Well, they left out the most important thing...where to get it"). But at least they give you a letterboxed version (1.85:1) as well as a full framed version. But for the asking price, this disc is worth it. Maybe someday they'll get the gang together and make a documentary and audio commentary. Until then get this DVD. I haven't seen the picture look this good in years. The VHS pales in comparison.

So, if you're tired of all the bland humor that seems to be coming out of the Hollywood machine these days, go Back To School with Rodney Dangerfield, who will show you just how funny Comedies should be. "Ooh, I'd love to tame your shrew!"

Nothing to recommend
A syrupy sweet story of a dad and his semi-estranged son, this film feels like a low-rated sitcom. Other than a handful of smile moments, it's neither funny or remarkable at all. I'm not sure which of the film's premises are more frightening: Dangerfield the smart, confident, self-made businessman, or Dangerfield the expert diver. It's not that you should avoid it, but there are so many better films to see.

Funny, but make sure you get the NEWER DVD release!
After his appearance on Leno recently, it seems Rodney Dangerfield is losing his touch due to age and his admitted pot smoking. He still had it in Back to School, however. This has always been a good way to spend 90 minutes or so to get some laughs. Along with Caddyshack and Easy Money, it's his best work.

Be careful of which DVD version you buy. There are two floating around out there and they both look the same until you make a close inspection of the back cover. MGM quietly slipped this new transfer out there with the same cover without as much as a peep. The original copy was non-anamorphic widescreen and was a poor transfer with some framing issues. The new one is a great improvement with anamorphic widescreen and 5.1 Surround Sound. You have to look at the bottom left of the back cover. You will see 16:9 Widescreen 1.85:1 versus the old one which did not have the '16:9' printed above the word Widescreen. The free booklet with the older copy was nice but the new anamorphic transfer and 5.1 trump the importance of the little booklet included in the older DVD release. I don't know why they didn't throw in the old booklet but its importance is negligible. You don't buy DVDs for booklets anyway.

One more thing. Always buy DVD releases of films in their OAR(Original Aspect Ratio). Don't buy Fullscreen copies if the movie was originally released in Widescreen to theaters. The only time you should buy (Fullscreen, 1.33:1, 4X3) is if that was the OAR, which is usually only television these days and much older films from the early 50's and beyond. Why would you want to watch a film with the sides chopped off? You'll learn to live with the 'black bars' and realize that you're not losing any picture on the top or bottom.

This film stinks
This "comedy" isnt so funny because the acting reeks- Both Keith Gordon (Rodney's son in this film) and Sally Kellerman (the teacher) cannot act, will not act, or refused to do alternate takes, because they are the worst most unconvincing performances ever put on film. Try Easy Money 1983 instead. This is better than Animal House which says absolutely nothing since Animal House is the worst film ever released to the public since motion pictures with sound were invented back in 1929. ... Read more

Reviews (72)

ONE OF MY ALL-TIME FAVORITES!
This is my favorite out of the Rocky movies. I would give this movie SIX STARS if I could! I have seen this movie over and over and over again... maybe a couple dozen times.. at least. This movie was soooooo awesome. It is one of those few movies that you can see over and over again without getting tired of it. A true classic.

I liked this the best because I felt the most inspiration out of this film. I felt a lot of inspiration and emotion for Rocky to beat the heck out of Drago. In addition, unlike the original Rocky, this movie was fast-moving and there were not dull points. The story kept building as time went on which resulted in my getting riveted throughout this movie.

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THE SOUNDTRACK TO THIS MOVIE!! This is probably my favorite movie soundtrack ever. I really adore "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor and "Heart's on Fire." The combination of the awesome soundtrack cues along with Rocky's training and fight scenes just made those moments even more emotional. I really sided with Rocky and "felt like I was him" training for the final fight with Drago.

As for the final fight with Drago.. WOW!!! My favorite fight scene out of the 5 movies! It was without a doubt the best fight! I still feel inspired whenever I watch this fight... I love the combination of an awesome soundtrack along with the awesome, bloody, and emotional fight to go to the finish.

I LOVED this movie. It REALLY shows how perseverant Rocky is. Even more so than any of the other 4 Rocky movies, this movie helped congeal in my mind the idea of never giving up and achieving your goals. Throughout the series Rocky was an underdog and learned to overcome all the odds against him. "Rocky 4" is VERY CLOSE to being my favorite movie ever. It is JUST barely by an electron below "Return of the Jedi." "Rocky 4" was just sheer excellence. Spectacular!

Rocky & The Cold War
I remember seeing this on the big screen in its premier when I was 16, and that was the good ol cold war era when the Russians were the bad guys. I remember I enjoyed seeing our hero beat the tar out of this huge mindless Soviet machine!It was a very patriotic and Xenophobic film that aroused U.S. nationalism in audiences here. Now, the film seems dated as the world situation as changed(If Rocky IV were made now, maybe the Rock would go 15 against an Iraqi backed by the Hamass!), and it is a good piece of film nostalgia. The movie plays much like ROCKY III with a reliance on a lot of MTVesque sequences that are nothing more than music videos(for example, after Apollo's funeral Rocky climbs into sportscar and speeds away into the night as we are treated to a montage of flashbacks from earlier films while rock music blares on the soundtrack). It is another example of how pop & bubble gum the films got, but ROCKY IV is still good entertainment!

Drago!
This Rocky sequel isnt quite up to the standards of the previous films,but watching Dolph Lundgren as the russian boxer Drago is impressive.Dolph`s physique in this 1985 film is marvelous,6'6" 260 lbs and rock solid.It would take a bulldozer to knock this guy over! As a Bob Denver look-alike myself,I greatly admire Lundgren`s wide-jawed example of genetic perfection in this film.

The Cold War Rocky
Having lived through the period of time when, as a child, I worried about nuclear war, I really enjoyed this Rocky installment. Russia and America were at a stalemate for so many years, this movie did an excellent job of showing that people are just people, no matter what form of government they live under. Don't get me wrong, the movie was a bit corny, but the mere fact that Stallone pulled this off is amazing. He made Rocky movie that aimed as high as demonstrating the tension of the Cold War and the simplicity of what it might take to end that war. Stallone and Reagan may have made my fear of nuclear weapons go away. Thanks, gentlemen!

After Apollo Creed is killed in the ring by a massive new Russian boxer (Dolph Lundgren), Rocky steps up to the plate (ring) and serves the Russian a case of the Philadelphia two-step (you hit me two times, I hit you one). The Russian gets so wore out from beating on Rocky that he just about collapses. That's when Rocky releases a few nuclear bombs of his own! Great action and training sequences in this one; a really cool sports car and music video too.

Buy this movie, it is worth every penny!

See ya next review.

www.therunninggirl.com

BEST OF THE ROCKY SEQUELS
THIS TIME, ROCKY TRAVELS TO RUSSIA TO FIGHT A SUPER FIGHTER [DOLPH LUNDGREN] WHO KILLED APOLLO CREED IN A BOXING MATCH. IT'S BASCIALLY A REVENGE MOVIE, BUT THIS IS THE BEST OF THE ROCKY SEQUELS. THIS IS WHERE DOLPH LUNDGREN GOT HIS 1ST BIG BREAK. YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY ADD THIS TO YOUR DVD COLLECTION. ... Read more

Reviews (46)

THE BEST IN THE SERIES
The Amityville films have all been mediocre fare by far. This sequel stands out, however, as stylish, creepy, and shocking. The film keeps the viewer watching because of how the characters relate to one another in a very realistic way (You could almost swear you know a family just like this one). Yep, the film actually develops the characters nicely all the way up until that fatal night. The supernatural elements are only a side deversion as to the "real" problems the family faces. The film is a prequel to "The Amityville Horror," Taking place before the infamous story and focusing on the first family who was murdered by the eldest son in-real-life. This is probably why the film is much more richer than the rest of the series, because the actual family that lived there was very disfunctional and the incestuous relationship between brother and sister was even recorded in the highly interesting non-fiction book called "High Hopes." The book is not published as a novel but a recording of facts about the people related to the house and the crime itself. Unfortunately the ending falls flat when it goes into a different direction as if it were a different film all together... and just added on as a second thought. The film could have ended earlier with what happened with the family alone. The actors were very believable as the characters and helped enhance the film. But once again, the ending changes all of that when it strays from the original story and the remaining characters are left with nothing much to work with from the script.

Could've been as great as the first...
First off, let me say that I don't think THE AMITYVILLE HORROR should've gotten any sequels, because it was a very strong film on its own. But then, 1982 rolls around and someone suddenly gets an urge to ruin a good horror film by creating the unnecessary AMITYVILLE II: THE POSSESSION. It's a prequel to the first one, chronicling the events that occured when the original family, the DeFeos owned the infamous Long Island home, which I have been to myself. I live in Bohemia, New York and Amityville is only about 20 minutes away.

But, I digress. Instead of calling the family the DeFeos, they were called the Montellis. The movie starts off pretty good, actually, but then, eventually, everything goes downhill. It's not a good movie and I wouldn't buy it. It's worth a rent though.

When Sonny Gets Blue
If it wasn't for the recent marathon of the "Amityville" movies, well the first three anyways, on AMC the other night, I would never of bothered to check out any of these films besides the first one. After seeing this sequel, which is really a "prequel" to the original film, it's safe to say that you can stop after the first film because this one and the remaining films offer very little to watch or get excited about. This isn't saying much about the original either, because it too wasn't much of anything to begin with. This sequel, released in 1982, is more in touch, more or less, with the actual murders that took place in the infamous Long Island house on 112 Ocean Avenue on the early morning of November 13, 1974. It still exploits those tragic events into a supernatural haunted house story with it's facts turned around for entertainment value and a different family. Burt Young plays the overbearing and abusive matriarch of the family that consists of his wife and 4 kids. The oldest being Sonny(Jack Magner). It isn't long after the family moves into the house that strange things happen. In fact, they happen almost immediatley. Which was a problem with the first film. The James Brolin character got taken over so quickly, it was hard to connect with him because we didn't get enough time to know him. The same goes for Sonny, who is almost instantly changed once he moves in. The spirits and the voices drive Sonny over the edge, telling him to murder his family. His family are not very sympathetic and they don't earn your interest enough to care if they get wiped out or not. The family priest played by James Olson, gets in on the horror in the house and tries to help the family. The big action comes sooner than you would think, and the rest of the film turns into another Hollywood piece of mumbo jumbo that forgoes any kind of suspense or truthfulness that came in the film up to this point. It completely unravels and becomes a mess that seems as if it were just slapped together. It does have one harrowing scene when the son gets the dirty deed done on his family. That part was the only interesting and halfway creepy thing about this otherwise forgettable film. The acting isn't much better than the original, with the exception of Young as the brute father and Olson as the priest. The brother/sister action in the film is unsettling, but also a bit laughable. She has no problem with getting nude and posing and all this, instructed by her brother, but once she learns that he has some undergarments of hers, then hey!, she senses that something is odd. Really?!?!. The film is also kind of shocking in some ways because of some of the deaths that take place since it is unusual to see them in a horror movie. I won't say what it is though. The "Amityville" movies have been a questionable, and less than stellar affair right from the start. The original was not very good, and it didn't get any better with the unending amount of unneeded and uunwarranted sequels. Oh, and by the way, in case you were wondering, my title refers to an old Johnny Mathis tune. So, while this film has some things going for it that are a tad better than the original, like a faster pace, and a better priest, and that one harrowing set piece showcasing the murders, it still fails to come to the level of a film that was sub par to begin with. That kind of tells you everything right there.

Prequel to "The Amityville Horror"...
When I first saw this movie back in the 8th Grade, I was quite impressed with the scary atmosphere and the special effects that it delivers for a low-budget film. The story concerns an Italian family from New York who buys the old estate and once they move in, the horror begins... A father mysteriously turns abusive and starts beating the kids, a brother who ends up sharing a sexual relationship with his sister, and the terrifying supernatural which soon eventually drives him to the edge and causes him to kill off his entire family! Very bloody and gruesome storytelling no doubt! Sure the acting drags at some points (just SOME points) but it's a very good and original homemade horror "B" movie that's guaranteed to give you nightmares! You'll be wanting to watch with the lights on late at night! This is also a very rare and hard to find lost gem, so pick one up today and give it a try! I only wish they'd put this on DVD together with the ORIGINAL "Amityville Horror" (already out on DVD now) but maybe in some kind of Special Edition DOUBLE FEATURE pack! That would be most splendid for all horror fans out there!

A sequel that is a prequel and which fails either way
"Amityville II: The Possession" is essentially a prequel to "The Amityville Horror" in that it tells why the home in the Long Island community was available for sale for that the Lutz family could move in and end up running fleeing for their lives. This time it is the Montelli family that moves into the accursed house, which is not good because they are an unhappy family in the grand tradition of Tolstoy that is heading for trouble no matter where they live. The main tension is between the father, Anthony (Burt Young), and his eldest song, Sonny (Jack Magner), and if it were not for the fact that anyone who saw the original movie knows what is going to happen at the end of this one, you might be wondering which one of these guys is going to lose it first.

Surprisingly, this 1982 film goes through a lot of the same things as the original, which is not surprising for a sequel but more so because there was never a notion that every time somebody moves into this house rooms are covered with flies, blood comes out in strange places, and unseen presences are running around making people feel uneasy. In another move that makes sense only in terms of the movies rather than the "history" of the house, the unseen beings start covering the walls of the children's bedroom with evil pictures and phrases. At this point the film convinces you that there is something really evil in that house, and it would be Anthony Montelli. Even when the local priest (James Olson) comes by to bless the house and sees Anthony going after his family, he walks away (which would seem to be good advice with regards to this film).

On some levels this film is better than the original, but only in the sense that if there never had been an original this one might work better. The flaw with the film version of "The Amityville Horror" was that whereas the novel told a "true" story in a rather documentary style, which was abandoned for cheesy horror film effects. The simple idea of possession that was implied to be the reason the son went off one night and killed his family is now adorned with a whole host of tacky "Exorcist" like ideas. The irony, as I understand it, is that the killing of this family was the one bit of the hoax that really was true. The names are changed because this film would have been the target for a lawsuit otherwise. If director Damiano Damiani had stuck to the true story and forgot about all this other nonsense he would have had a better film. In fact, the only part of "Amityville II: The Possession" that really works is the night of the murders. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

It is great to have if you want to learn sign lan.
This movie did come out in the early 80's But I can remember watching it with my sisters and we learn to sign from it. I have recently found the movie and it all came back to me. THe shoe it self is heart warming and delightful. I feel that in a nutshell.. Its a movie about friends.. They come in all different shapes and sizes and it doesnt matter but you eill always have that special some one like toby had with k.c. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

only fuel for this movie is the cast
cast are great in this movie..Michael Madsen plays a bartender whos sister played by Virginia Madsen is getting married...Madsen's old boyfriend who left her at the alter played by Tom Sizemore(in one of his best performances) comes back for forgiveness..meanwhile theres this cocky scheme man played by Jim Belushi who becomes friends with Luke Perry..Perry takes Madsen's money for the wedding and Belushi ends up taken it and then when Belushi thinks hes gone Sizemore pops out of the back and takes it back....Jeremy Davies is a woman lover..Chris Penn plays a booky guy whos marrige to Mary Stuart Masterantonio is crumbling and Hal Halbrook plays a man at the bar with some old stories for Madsen...great performances all around. sort of dry in some spots though but you wont notice

the florentine
Great cast,
All the bad boys of film are in this film!

We need more films like this all heavey hitters in one movie and it works! No egos it looks like it was fun to make

highly recommend !

GREAT! character driven piece
This movie has moved into my top ten favorites of all time. What a hidden treasure! This movie must have lacked any public relations effort whatsoever, because it is just fantastic. You would be hard pressed to find a better group of character actors performing their craft at a higher level. The characters were true to life and the storyline was brilliant, funny, and at times, very moving. If you have a pulse and enjoy quality, get this movie! I would like to single out one or two actor's and talk about their performances, but that would not be fair to the rest of the cast. Just an awesome movie!!

What a Bar!
The cast of this movie intrigued me so I felt it worth my time to view. Stagliano was not a director with whose work I was familiar but his masterful direction of this packed cast of stars was incredible! The themes in this movie, both overt and gently flowing under the surface are enough to keep you mind busy for weeks after viewing! Belushi and Holbrook are stunning and Perry begins to show his depth and ability. I HIGHLY RECCOMEND THIS MOVIE!!

I Live Where This Was Filmed.
I live in Easton, PA where a lot of this movie was shot. We don't get much publicity in this small town and it was nice to have a film shot downtown. I was dissapointed that the movie was not released in theatres. It had an all-star cast and the story was very good. I hope more movies are made in this town. If anyone is thinking of purchasing this title, I urge you to. You will not be let down. Again, this was a brilliant movie and it gave the town of Easton a little piece of Hollywood. ... Read more

Reviews (62)

Great 70's movie
I used to watch Convoy over and over as a kid. It is unfortunate that it is not being produced on DVD or VHS considering how many movies not nearly as entertaining are being marketed. I think if you didn't see it when it first came out you'd find it silly and dated today, but I feel to those of us who saw it initially growing up, it is a classic. Modeled after a catchy country western song by C.W. McCall and with stars such as Kris Kristofferson, Ali McGraw, Burt Young and Ernest Borgnine, I'm surprised it is so obscure. It has some great 70's car/truck chase and crash scenes and a good soundtrack. Hopefully it will come out of moratorium soon and be available.

Breaker-19
CONVO