Reviews (22)

Tea with Mrs. McGill anyone?
OK, who cares if it's "unrealistic." In the very small Hockey Genre this is without a doubt the best of the bunch. Why...because it's entertaining.

Rob Lowe and Swayze at their peak and a goofy first entry by Keanu Reeves gave us a glimpse of things to come. He cant act. The only downside to this flick is the highly irritating "lets get it on and make my dad angry" content but other than that a fun, and sometimes funny film.

The DVD is very very good with 4 stars for both the widescreen video and audio that you can't tell from 5.1. Four stitches.

Outstanding
Hockey movies are extremely hard to come by, but I think that allows for the few to be the best. Who cares if the plot is predictable; it makes the movie even that more enjoyable. And lets be honest here: the movie is about HOCKEY! What more could you really want out of a movie?!? :)

Rob lowe at his best
Rob lowe and Patrick Swayze are awsome toghter. it is the second best hockey movie behind slapshot. its about a kid rob lowe lives on a farm in stanton and get a chance to play JR. A hockey. he gets the last spot on the Hamilton Mustangs. he fall in love with the coaches daughter. so if you like hockey you will like this movie its a classic.

Not the worst hockey movie ever, but not exactly the best
As much as I wanted to hate a hockey movie with Rob Lowe and Patrick Swayze in it when it came out, it wasn't actually as bad as I thought it would be. The scenes on the ice are laughable, not just for the obscene WWF style fighting (even the minor leagues aren't this bad, and Canadian major junior, while having more fights than in American HS hockey, is nothing like the minor leagues), but with that ridiculous scene with Lowe and Swayze skating around in a circle and passing back and forth to each other. What was actually pretty accurate were all the scenes off the ice (at least the ones involving the team; I won't comment on the stupid love story). The locker room scenes and those in the bars are pretty dead on. Plus, the movie features future NHLers Peter Zezel and Steve Thomas when they were still in juniors as members of Rob Lowe's team (both were playing for the Toronto Marlboros when the movie was filmed). I think Zezel actually has a line! Plus, seeing Keanu Reeves pretend to have a French-Canadian accent is "worth the price of admission" alone.

A mission finally completed
Ever since the first time I saw this movie. I wanted to buy it. I have been searching for it for a long time and now I finally found it and bought it without hesitation. It is an awesome hockey movie that is perfect for any hockey fan ... Read more

Amazon.com

Director Herbert Ross (The Turning Point) pulled a winning movie out of this almost self-consciously archetypal tale of teenage rock rebellion. Kevin Bacon stars as a hip city kid who ends up in a Bible-belt town after his parents divorce. An ill fit for a conservative community where rock is frowned upon and dancing is forbidden, Bacon's character rallies the kids and takes on the establishment. Between a good cast really embracing the drama of Dean Pitchford's screenplay, and Ross's imaginative, highly charged way of shooting the dance numbers, you can get lost in this all-ages confection, and you won't even mind Kenny Loggins's bubbly pop. Bonuses include one of John Lithgow's best performances (a bit reminiscent of Jimmy Stewart), and Christopher Penn (who sure doesn't look the same anymore) as a good-natured hick who learns to boogie. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (50)

6 out of 5 Stars!!!
What can I say. This is the Godfather of dancing movies. You got served, Save the Last Dance, and Dirty Dancing 2 would not exist without Footloose. Kevin Bacon is sensational, that kid has a few moves!

Based on a true story (According to E!), Footloose is about a pack of high school kids fighting for their right to DANCE. "There is a time to laugh, and THERE IS A TIME TO DANCE," quote Kevin Bacon. You see, these kids live in a redneck town where people wear cowboy boots don't want kids to dance. Dancing was thought of as dangerous, and the leading cause of teenage pregnancy. So they want to ban dancing... but when the kid from Chicago (Kevin Bacon) showed up, he taught his redneck friends how to dance and decided to fight the resistance and want to be freed from the
anti-dancing act.

As with any movie, there has got to be antagonists. Besides crazy dancing and tight 80's style jeans, this movie is loaded with action scenes. There is a scene where Lori Singer's ex-boyfriend shows America how to beat up Lori Singer, and there is a scene where Kevin Bacon drop kicks Lor Singer's ex-boyfriend and helps young Chris Penn (when he wasn't all fat) kick 5 people's @SS. This movie is also loaded with testosterones: scenes of pickup trucks, roll bars and dancing on football field bleachers proves me right!

In many ways, this movie reminds me of the importance of Freedom. The need for Americans to fight for the right to party! Some people may laugh at the cheesy lines, lame outfits and the fact that Kevin Bacon's choreography is entertaining, but it should be taken just as serious as movies like T2 and Matrix in which the protagonist fight for the FREEDOM of fellow mankind.

If you are looking for a lighthearted film with plenty of action and laughter, you do not want to miss this great film. Kevin Bacon, I always knew you are a talent... Superb Cast and Excellent Film!

Fun and entertaining movie, but rated PG? I don't think so..
Teenager Ren MacCormack (Kevin Bacon) moves with his mom from big city Chicago to a small town in the Midwest after his parent's divorce. Ren is suprised to find that it's against the law to listen to rock 'n' roll and the law also prohibits dancing! Ren can't understand why these laws were brought about but tries his hardest to fit in with the town people. Unfortunately, though he's accepted as a friend by fellow student Willard (Chris Penn), no one else seems to like him, calling him a 'big-city kid' and a trouble-maker. After a while, he comes up with a plan to try to make it possible for the Senior students to be able to have a prom dance. He'll be going against the whole town, most specifically the Reverend Shaw Moore (John Lithgow) and the town council. Will Ren be able to change the stiff necked town people's minds? At the same time, Ren begins to fall in love with the Reverend's wild and unpredictable daughter Ariel (Lori Singer) while trying to keep his distance from her boyfriend Chuck (Jim Youngs). Also starring is Sarah Jessica Parker as Ariel's best friend Rusty, Dianne Wiest as the Reverend's wife Vi, and John Laughlin and Timothy Scott play Woody and Andy Beami, two of Ren's allies.

*PLOT* - This is my first and only 80's dance movie to watch and I must say that I very much enjoyed it. The plot was interesting though of course some points were a bit unrealistic. Basically the movie is in a way a 'coming-of-age' film. I loved the way each of the characters are portrayed. Kevin Bacon's character Ren represents the 'hero' of the movie. At first when I read the reviews I thought Ren would be your typical rebellious teenager. A bit on the contraire, he is responsible and you can't help but feel proud of him when he brings his case up to the council. It's hard to explain and I can't tell you much since this is only a review, but I must say that Ren's character was extremely well-done. Ariel on the other hand is very rebellious, and flaunts it to her father. I loved how she and her father were able to resolve their problems at the end.

*ACTING* - Kevin Bacon definitely steals the whole movie with his acting. He plays the part of a teenager perfectly, even the way he walks. His dancing was also spectacular, most notably his solo dance at the warehouse to the music, "Never" by Moving Pictures. If he was doing only half of what we see on screen, I'd still be impressed. John Lithgow is also outstanding, it was interesting to see his dramatic abilities after watching him on goofball comedy tv series, "3rd Rock from the Sun". He certainly can put power in his 'sermons'! Lori Singer beautifully stunning as Ariel, a perfect example of the category of 'wild and beautiful'. Besides the character of her father, Singer's character of Ariel has the most development in the movie.

*DANCING* - The dancing is just pure fun to watch, especially for people who loves 80's dancing. The last dance was not only the best dance, but the best part of the whole movie. If by chance somebody didn't enjoy the movie, I'm sure the end will make up for it. I loved it so much, I downloaded that segment onto my computer so I can watch it any time.

*SOUNDTRACK* - The soundtrack is another plus side to the movie. Besides the "Top Gun" soundtrack, "Footloose" is on my top list of favorite movie soundtracks. Great songs include two by Kenny Loggins, "Footloose" and "I'm Free (Heaven Helps the Man". Other of my favorites include "Let's Hear It For the Boy" (Denise Williams), "Almost Paradise" (Ann Wilson/Mike Reno), "Somebody's Eyes" (Karla Bonoff), and "Hurts So Good" (John Cougar Mellencamp). Plus there's plenty more!

*PG Rating* - From here I will be giving you the downside to the movie "Footloose". I was extremely disappointed that the movie does not hold true to what a real PG movie should be. There are many reasons as to why this movie should be changed to a PG-13 rating. Though the movie is about a small town which has a dislike for rock music and dancing, the movie portrays some of the teenagers there as being very immoral. Besides having sexual innuendo, some violence, and drugs scattered all over the movie, the language is also pretty strong. I strongly recommend parents not to have younger children watching this movie. Best for kids 15 and older.

Overall, "Footloose" has the great elements to make a good movie; great story, terrific acting, nice music, and cool dancing. But it also shows some of the immoralities of teenagers so parents should be cautioned. The movie is more aimed towards teenage viewers and adults might not find this movie terribly entertaining. But then again, adults might enjoy the movie for they might be able to relate to John Lithgow's character as the father who does not want to let go of his daughter because of his love for her.

Very classic movie and soundtrack
As I said in the title, great nostalgic movie, story, acting, etc. I enjoy watching the movie over and over. I would give this 5 stars but I will give the DVD tech guys an F for not putting any features (besides ws format) on this. I think some trailers, interviews, and other stuff would have fit. They could have done a little segment on all of the songs featured here. Aside from this, great DVD.

One of my personal favorite movies from the '80s
I was watching VH1 over the holiday weekend and came across a showing of "Footloose". "Footloose" is one of my favorite movies from the '80s. I actually saw the film in the theater with some friends. We wanted to see "Splash" but tickets for that movie was out so we settled on "Footloose". At the time I thought the premise of the film of a hip teenager rebelling against an ultra conservative town with its anti-rock music and dancing rules, was a bit farfetched, if not silly. I still do to this very day but I like this movie more now than I did back twenty years ago. It's amazing how much Christopher Penn has changed since then. Not to mention Sarah Jessica Parker (still with her "Square Pegs" look), and Lori Singer. Kevin Bacon remains the same today. John Lithgow gave me one of his best performances I had ever seen before that godawful sitcom he starred in years later. Dianne Wiest was also good in the movie. The stars of the film I thought were Kevin, Lori, Sarah, and Christopher. The music was great. I love Bonnie Tyler's "I Need a Hero" and John (Cougar) Mellencamp's "Hurt So Good". "Footloose" was one of those movies where music and film went well together. To the reviewer who thought this film deserved a PG-13 rating...um? Hello? There was no PG-13 back in 1984. It was either PG or R. I would hardly qualify "Footloose" as being R-rated material. Compare "Footloose" by today's movies, it is a tame comparison. Despite being cheesy at times, "Footloose" remains a blast to watch.

Nostaligia
I grew up in a rural, religous community on the edge of the Appalachia. We were not allowed to dance. It didn't strick me at all odd at the time, and it doesn't now, that a town council could make dances illegal or that the local pastor could almost single handedly control the town council. And yes, a small town police officer could, without getting into any legal trouble, in that part of the world in the 1980s confiscate a rock and roll cassette tape (Remember those things?) for being played too loudly or simply because he didn't like the attitude of the driver.

Having said that, the movie is extremely dated and so some parts of it look and sound a little silly today. Just like today's hip teen movies will look and sound silly two decades from now. But I still like this movie. Probably because some of these seens could be right out of my life. I too went to church and looked at girls acrossed the aisle. And after church we really did ride around in cars and pickups and hang out on family farms on Sunday afternoons doing really stupid teenage stuff with farm equipment. All of these seens are caught pretty realisticly and are done very sympatheticly. People with simple value systems are not mocked here, as they so often are in Hollywood. And the story line isn't all silly. The pastor character is especially well written and well played. And I should point out that girls really did wear their hair like that back then and really did wear tight sweaters and even tighter designer jeans. Youngsters now days don't know what they are missing. Buy this movie and watch Ariel move around the screen and you'll see what I mean. ... 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 (2)

Not bad...
Making a review for this movie isn't so hard. In fact, the movie is so simple and goes right to what he's made, to scare people, and do very well. Teenagers goes to the woods camping and one by one are kill by an mysterious murder. Some scenes are well made, and thinking about you could be there in all that darkness, that's scare you. Of course this movie is just fun, don't waste the money, in case you want to buy, but it's worth it if you're looking to rent some horror movies. Again, it's very simple, and the final isn't all that twist some new horrors movies have, but it deserve respect, being different from other ones. Good acting are showed when people are in dangerous moments, you can note they aren't "artificials" like most of horror movies out there, they do exactly what is the most common to do in that moment, and this is all about the movie. The sound (almost doesn't have music) fit exactly in this type of movie and the landscape isn't beautiful, more claustrophobic. See it once and you won't be disapointed, see it twice and you start to get bored.

"The Final Terror" worth a look for cast alone
Young Daryl Hannah, Joe Pantoliano, Adrian Zmed, and Rachel Ward are campers in the woods of Northern California who turn survivalist when they realize that there's a killer in their midst. Nothing terrific, but worth a look, if only to see the latter-day stars. ... Read more

Description

Tully High School seniors Richie, Joey and Perry run with a gang called the Wanderers in the Bronx.The time is fall 1963 but their experiences are universal:falling in love, surviving in school and defending turf against rivals like the Fordham Baldies, the Del Bombers and the Ducky Boys. ... Read more

Reviews (26)

The original Boys from the Bronx........
"The Wanderers" is a class act and a stylish movie that has a brassy toughness to it that is both infectious and moving. It was probably overshadowed on it's release by the other gang movie of 1979 "The Warriors", but "The Wanderers" easily holds an equal footing as an excellent period piece of working class lives in 1963. The film centres around the lives of a gang of young boys in the Bronx in mid 1963 coming to terms with friendships, school, girls and other gangs. Ken Wahl ( a promising actor who for some reason never quite made it to the big time !! ) plays a great lead as the smooth talking and charismatic, Richie, the leader of the Wanderers. Richie is struggling to maintain his gangs strength and position in the local neighbourhood as well as juggling his many relationships with different girlfriends. He meets a young and attractive Karen Allen whilst out on the streets with his buddies, and from there another relationship develops. Allen plays her role with style, and even though Allen is not a great beauty, she has that unmistakable feminine charm, especially when that wonderful smile lights up her face.

What makes the movie all the more interesting is the way it goes behind the scenes into the home lives and the hopes, fears and dreams of some of the gang members. We see Joey's artistic talents put down by his fearsome, aggressive father...we see Turkey struggle with his own identity within the different gangs...and we see Richie forced to take responsibility for his actions near the film's conclusion. Backing the movie up, is a dynamite soundtrack containing some top numbers including "Stand by Me", "Runaraound Sue", "Soldier Boy" & of course "The Wanderer" !!

A movie that has charm & talent, and stands up to repeated viewings with ease...if you haven't seen it already....catch up with "The Wanderers" soon !!

LEAVE THE KID ALONE....and let him watch this movie!
These were the OLDEST''TEENAGERS''since the Sweathogs!I mean,not one looked at least 18.That said,this is a wanderfull movie.The music,the acting,the chemistry,the atmosphere,everything worked.it had drama,comedy,horror(enter Ducky's Boys),action,and a love story(even though Terror's a lil too old for her!)The plot is basic gang rivalry set in the age of the do wop.We are introduced to the core members of a local gang,the Wanderers.Not a drug dealing,neighborhood wrecking gang.But the loveable,wiseguys you find bowling and hanging out.Tension mounts between rival gang the Del Bombers and the battle is set.Calmer heads prevail and the fight turns into a football game,which turns into a bonding inspired fight.There are subplots;1 Wanderer stealing anothers girlfriend,1 Wanderer becoming a traitor,the home lives of 2 Wanderers,to keep the pacing just right.I am glad to see this on DVD.Too bad theres no extras.Anyway,theres no question youll enjoy this movie,but would you ever mess with the Wongs?

a era we all wanted to live
I seen this movie at the theatre when it was released,
because it starred a guy i went to high school with
ken wahl.

this historical aspect on what gang life may have been like
in 1963, sorta a serious west side storey.

i also boight the soundtrack album and now have it
on cd as well.

good movie for a saturday afternoon

A VERY ENJOYABLE FILM.
"The Wanderers" is the kind of movie that you don't expect a lot from it before you watch it, but after the movie is over, you feel that seeing this film was the right choice, because it's incredibly amusing. In fact, "The Wanderers" is one of the few films that can make that the audience cares and feels interested for the life of the teenagers portrayed in the movie, "The Warriors", "West Side Story" and "American Graffiti" are some films that have that quality too.

All the characters in "The Wanderers" are very human and believable, some performances are slightly better than others, but overall all the cast is uniformly well in their roles. Definitely "The Wanderers" is a very recommendable movie, the characters, the situations and the script (based in a Richard Price's book) are very good. This is an enjoyable movie from beginning to end.

THOSE GUYS LOOK LIKE A BUNCH OF PRICKS WITH EARS
this has got to be one of the greatest gang movies ever made along with The Warriors. the best part of the movie is the big fight at the end in the football field. Joey's dad was kickin some major A** ! I like how all the gangs got together in the end to help each other out. Goes to show that in the end besides our differences, were all just a bunch of squirrels trying to get a nut. the soundtrack for this movie is off the hook too ! ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Only for the die hard angelina fans
... I'm not a big fan of elias koteas- you know the guy who always plays the dopey i kinda look like i could be robert dinero's goofy looking cousin. So watching him being the onscreen love of angelina jolie was torturous!

Angelina jolie put out a great effort in this movie however... and the chinese jacket she just happened to find on the streeet- in the perfect size for her- had part of my chinese name written on the back! lmao...

Billy drago-you don't really see him til the end of the movie- but if you're a fan- it's pretty a classic performance.

there's this one guy- who is also in... like every movie made that requires a ... chinese dude in this movie... i think his name is something lee... but it was pretty surprising to see him in this movie...

a teenage jolie
I think this is a movie that jolie fans would want to see because it shows Angie at a time at her life ( 17 or 18 ) that isn't documented anywhere else. All her other films show her in her 20's, but this movie shows her still young. It's quite interesting to watch. The only thing that struck me to this film was Angie.

a cool movie!!!
The reason why this has nothing to do with the first one is because the script was written to be the sequel to Masters of the Universe. When they decided not to do a sequel, they changed the names and made Cyborg 2. There ya go! Cool movie...

Seen better things
OK, so most of the reviews I read for this film said how great it was, well I for one think those opinions are based on the fact that young men and some women who enjoyed it mainly thrived on the sight of seeing Angelina's breasts. The acting was poor, the script was stupid, and the sets were lame. I have seen some pretty bad movies in my time (ie Killer Kondom) but this one took the cake.. I would watch tromavision flicks over this one ANY day. save your money. If you want to see a good sci fi type movie watch ones that have been in the box office for more than a week ;)

An Instant Classic
Wow! All I can say is that this movie was incredible. I was blown away by Angelina Jolie in another one of her hits. This movie is best watched with a bowl of Classic Trio ice cream. ... 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 (2)

If you see just one giant mosquito movie then skip "Skeeter"
If you see just one giant mosquito B-movie this summer then go see "Mosquito." That 1995 film is above average low-budget camp, as oxymoronic as that sounds. But the "1994" film "Skeeter" is just plain bad, without the redeeming quality of unintentional humor (the script is actually better in this film, but with the bad special effects it works against your enjoyment). This time around, instead of the skeeters feasting on alien blood they end up being mutated because of a toxic waste dump. Meanwhile, at our isolated desert town cattle showing up drained of all their blood through giant puncture wounds. Then a pair of sex starved teenagers disappeared, followed by the people looking for the aforementioned teenagers. The first people in town to spot the monsters are drunks, so they do not count and the locals have no clue until they are buzzed by mosquitoes the size of birds ("big" is a relative term in monster movies, and since we are talking swarms of mosquitoes, this size works better).

The hero is Roy Boone (Jim Youngs), a strapping lad who likes to work with his shirt off, and the damsel in distress is his once and future girl friend Sarah Crosby (Tracy Griffith). The local rich jerk Drake (Jay Robinson), is involved in land grabbing and his land has the toxic spill that leads to the mutated mosquitoes. Charles Napier plays the corrupt local sheriff, and William Sanderson is the perplexed county examiner, and Michael J. Pollard's character keeps one of the skeeters as a pet. All of your favorite conventions are here, the point of view shot from the perspective of the giant insects, the brutal deaths of the bad guys, and screams from the healthy lungs of the heroine. It is just that "Skeeter" is not bad enough to be enough fun. Do "Skeeter" as a late night double-bill with "Mosquito" and you will have to argee this is the lesser of two giant mosquitoes B-movies.

It's a bloody brilliant movie
I like it ... Read more

Reviews (2)

If you see just one giant mosquito movie then skip "Skeeter"
If you see just one giant mosquito B-movie this summer then go see "Mosquito." That 1995 film is above average low-budget camp, as oxymoronic as that sounds. But the "1994" film "Skeeter" is just plain bad, without the redeeming quality of unintentional humor (the script is actually better in this film, but with the bad special effects it works against your enjoyment). This time around, instead of the skeeters feasting on alien blood they end up being mutated because of a toxic waste dump. Meanwhile, at our isolated desert town cattle showing up drained of all their blood through giant puncture wounds. Then a pair of sex starved teenagers disappeared, followed by the people looking for the aforementioned teenagers. The first people in town to spot the monsters are drunks, so they do not count and the locals have no clue until they are buzzed by mosquitoes the size of birds ("big" is a relative term in monster movies, and since we are talking swarms of mosquitoes, this size works better).

The hero is Roy Boone (Jim Youngs), a strapping lad who likes to work with his shirt off, and the damsel in distress is his once and future girl friend Sarah Crosby (Tracy Griffith). The local rich jerk Drake (Jay Robinson), is involved in land grabbing and his land has the toxic spill that leads to the mutated mosquitoes. Charles Napier plays the corrupt local sheriff, and William Sanderson is the perplexed county examiner, and Michael J. Pollard's character keeps one of the skeeters as a pet. All of your favorite conventions are here, the point of view shot from the perspective of the giant insects, the brutal deaths of the bad guys, and screams from the healthy lungs of the heroine. It is just that "Skeeter" is not bad enough to be enough fun. Do "Skeeter" as a late night double-bill with "Mosquito" and you will have to argee this is the lesser of two giant mosquitoes B-movies.

It's a bloody brilliant movie
I like it ... Read more

Description

A flaky, southern waitress gives birth out of wedlock and becomes an outcast, only to come into her own after meeting a stranger passing through town. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Favorite Movie of all times
This movie needs to come out on DVD.... Does anyone know WHEN it might?

Sweet, offbeat romance
I saw this film when it ran in NYC in 1986, and like the rest of the audience (who applauded when it was over), was totally charmed by it. I could never understand why it didn't do better at the box office - poor marketing, perhaps? I understand it's done very well as a video.

The performances and the originality of the script are what stand out in this film. Rosanna Arquette manages to be funny and heartbreaking at the same time. Eric Roberts is so damned sexy and appealing in this film, it's hard to understand why he didn't get more romantic leads. When Arquette's character shouts at him, "Stop looking at me with those eyes!", every woman in the audience knows what she is talking about. He is magnetic, and gives great dimension to a somewhat underwritten part. The chemistry between these two is great. All of the supporting actors give first rate performances.

Some of the quirkiness of Beth Henley's script could have been whittled down - she seems to delight in presenting odd characters for effect, such as the albino bride, schizophrenic cousin and the obese younger brother, who don't add a lot to the story, but seem like contrived distractions. These elements might work in her plays, but only take away from the development of the main characters and their relationship to each other.

What she does get right is the complex relationship between love, obsession, humor and disaster. In Henley's world, tragedy exists right around the corner from happiness, and nothing is black and white.

It was interesting to read the comments from Dean, an actor in this film. It does seem like editing might have done this one in. I could have used more development of the Riley character, a little more humor, and less parading of oddballs.

But all in all, a worthwhile film for its performances and originality. It looks good too, with lovely shots of the outdoors, and attractive, appealing leads. All in all, one of the more memorable movies I've ever seen. Even if it stunk at the box office, those involved should be proud of it.

Good characters in a modest movie
Rosanna Arquette and Eric Roberts, especially, are very good in this movie. Their budding relationship and the unfolding of their ambitions for the future, circumscribed by their clear limitations, weaknesses, and past histories, is interesting and worthwhile. Unfortunately I was distracted by what I felt were cheap laughs at the expense of many characters, including Arquette's ridiculous birthday-balloon costume, the incompetence at the acting workshops, and the characters at her workplace. While it was insightful that Arquette was vilified for actions that would be easy to forget in a big city, her family's nature would be enough to place her at the margins of society. Pretty good and worth seeing, too bad it wasn't better.

Thanks for the nice reviews!
Hi, as one of the actors in this small film, I really appreciate the kind words about it. The screenplay by Beth Henley was very funny, infact, in it's original form, the script was a laugh riot. Somehow, either by cost cutting or by director and editing cuts the film was whittled down to a quirky romance, with a lot of the comedy missing. It's still a sweet and funny film. So buy it or rent it, but if you like quirky characters, you'll like this film. -Dean Ricca

High level of maturity needed absolutely. Great movie!
Most people won't understand the heartbreak of being pregnant and abandoned. I never see any movies that try to deal with this type of personal tragedy. If you can imagine the pain that Rosanna Arquette's character is dealing with, you can enjoy this movie. The pain of giving a child up must be severe. This poor girl has no one to talk to but brainless idiots and a friend who tries to understand. Did she grow up with no one to care for her? The father of the child marries some rich girl while Arquette's character is still pregnant. OUCH! This type of heartache is something that young women should make it their business to avoid. Watch it and learn. Please. ... 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 (2)

If you see just one giant mosquito movie then skip "Skeeter"
If you see just one giant mosquito B-movie this summer then go see "Mosquito." That 1995 film is above average low-budget camp, as oxymoronic as that sounds. But the "1994" film "Skeeter" is just plain bad, without the redeeming quality of unintentional humor (the script is actually better in this film, but with the bad special effects it works against your enjoyment). This time around, instead of the skeeters feasting on alien blood they end up being mutated because of a toxic waste dump. Meanwhile, at our isolated desert town cattle showing up drained of all their blood through giant puncture wounds. Then a pair of sex starved teenagers disappeared, followed by the people looking for the aforementioned teenagers. The first people in town to spot the monsters are drunks, so they do not count and the locals have no clue until they are buzzed by mosquitoes the size of birds ("big" is a relative term in monster movies, and since we are talking swarms of mosquitoes, this size works better).

The hero is Roy Boone (Jim Youngs), a strapping lad who likes to work with his shirt off, and the damsel in distress is his once and future girl friend Sarah Crosby (Tracy Griffith). The local rich jerk Drake (Jay Robinson), is involved in land grabbing and his land has the toxic spill that leads to the mutated mosquitoes. Charles Napier plays the corrupt local sheriff, and William Sanderson is the perplexed county examiner, and Michael J. Pollard's character keeps one of the skeeters as a pet. All of your favorite conventions are here, the point of view shot from the perspective of the giant insects, the brutal deaths of the bad guys, and screams from the healthy lungs of the heroine. It is just that "Skeeter" is not bad enough to be enough fun. Do "Skeeter" as a late night double-bill with "Mosquito" and you will have to argee this is the lesser of two giant mosquitoes B-movies.

It's a bloody brilliant movie
I like it ... Read more