Description

A young San Francisco widow is swept into a political uprising in Burma after her sister reluctantly drags her on a Southeast Asia tour. ... Read more

Reviews (25)

You feel the Heat
Beyond Rangoon is an excellent movie for understanding the struggle between freedom and oppression.

I happened to be on the Thai border in September of 1988 just prior to the massive movement of people across the border due to the response to Aung San Suu Kyi and her following. I did not know that at the time. All I remember is that on Thai TV a border war seemed to be starting and the road that I was driving on just the week before was being bombed by the Burmese.

The story, although referring to the rebellion and some of those who fled, is more about Archette's character as she struggled to forget the death of her son and husband. As a Doctor, she never took time to get away, and Rangoon seemed a place to be that was exotic.

She takes a walk one very balmy evening only to see Aung San Suu Kyi and her followers walking enmasse on the street. There is later the next day another protest, then things unravel and Archette, Dr. Laura Bowman, is forced to flee.

The flight across the jungle is intense. You actually feel the horror she feels, the close calls, yet, she is helped to flee by virtual strangers with a mutual desire to survive.

This is an excellent movie as an introduction to Myanmar/Burmese history. I have stayed on the border with some of the Karen peoples, whom you will be introduced to at the end of the movie. They are a kind people who also have been effected by the power politics that is Myanmar.

This movie is a keeper and worth watching now and again to remind you that the rest of the world does not rest as easy as we do in the west.

Painful but true
I watched this movie because having just spent 18 months living in Rangoon (Yangon to the Myanmar government at least) I was interested to see how it would be represented in a Hollywood movie. I was impressed by the attention to detail in representing the country, though I doubt very much that it was filmed in Myanmar. The government there doesn't even allow journalists in unless it feels like it, so I think the chances of a film crew being allowed in to make a movie critical of the regime are negligible. That having been said, it was a moving depiction of what did actually happen in 1988 (according to my friends there). Nothing much has changed since then - the government still brooks no criticism of its actions, as its recent treatment of Aung San Suu Kyi demonstrates.
Regarding the plot of the movie, I thought the reason for Patricia Arquette being there was a bit contrived, but apart from that, its excellent production values, solid acting, and convincing script provide a compelling and extremely watchable film.

Sad... But True
An incredible and precise depiction of the post 1988 era in the less known country of Burma.

I was appalled by the ferocity of the military regime and astonished by the courage of one woman, Aung San Su Kyi, a noble peace price laureate (1991), who stood up bravely in front of the pointed rifles for what she believes in. Although the scenes can not cover the entire brutalities, such as using rape as a weapon, carried out by the regime, the film indeed portrays the events with a moving plot; Patricia Arquette, a tourist in Burma, witnesses the inspiration of Burmese students who are willing to sacrifice for freedom.

Turning this VHS into DVD would be helpful in letting the world glimpse at the human rights conditions in Burma. Thank you!

One of my favorites
My parents owned a video store for many years, henceforth I have seen alot of movies in my time on this planet.This is one of my favorites. 'Nuff said

Profound and moving
My absolute favourite movie.
I can't believe it's still not available on DVD ??! :( ... Read more

Reviews (533)

Fun and Meaningful
I'm surprised by all the negativity this movie has produced, by the "fans" and at its initial run at the box office; truth is, I love this film and I found it to be quite entertaining and downright heartfelt at times. This new installment to the Star Trek universe marks the long-awaited return of the Next Generation crew -- and during a time when we are subjected to truly the worst of the franchise ('Voyager', and somehow even worse, 'Enterprise'), it was the perfect time to hail the return of this beloved cast of characters. The writing is top-notch by John Logan (who helped pen 'Gladiator' and 'The Last Samurai'), allowing the characters to finally grow and develop after a rather poor ninth movie ('Insurrection'). While, it's not the best of the series of now ten films, it is certainly one of the top four, providing action and intrigue at every turn.

The extras on the DVD are great, providing viewers with a pretty extensive look at how the film was made and several deleted scenes -- one or two I think should have made the final cut. This DVD is a must-have for anyone who enjoys science fiction films.

Nemesis plays well on TV, despite its flaws....
Star Trek: Nemesis, the 10th (and possibly final) feature film based on Gene Roddenberry's seminal science fiction TV franchise, isn't as bad a Trek film as some would lead one to believe. Sure, it isn't as good or satisfying as Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, but then again that film had Nicholas Meyer at the helm, which gave the Original Series' cast a worthy farewell.

Noted film editor-turned-director Stuart Baird isn't Nick Meyer, who gave his two Trek chapters its clever mix of Horatio-Hornblower-in-the-stars, literary allusions (Dickens and Melville in The Wrath of Khan and Shakespeare in The Undiscovered Country) and some outsider's irreverence to counter the first, flawed Star Trek film's pondering pretentions of grandeur. But as a Trek outsider, Baird attempts to tell a dramatic tale which pits Capt. Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the Enterprise-E crew against Shimzon (Tom Hardy), a human who has been a slave on the Romulans' sister planet Remus and has become Praetor of the Romulan Empire in a deadly coup d'etat. Cunning, ruthless and brimming with resentment, Shimzon is not only a fierce warrior and a veteran of the Dominion War, he's also Picard's clone.

For all its perceived flaws, Nemesis somehow plays better on the small screen than it does in the multiplex. It feels more natural watching this at home on a DVD player; screenwriter John Logan is an admitted Star Trek fan and blended elements from Star Trek II (which this movie's plot bears a similarity to in various respects) with an above-average Data-and-Picard episode from The Next Generation. After all, Nemesis revolves around Picard and Data (Brent Spiner, who, with Logan and producer Rick Berman, co-wrote the story); each finds a mirror image of himself -- Picard/Shimzon and Data discovers his flawed prototype B-4 -- and each is forced to deal with his "evil" twin.

At the heart of the story, Nemesis is also about family and the many transitions families go through in life. We first see the Enterprise family celebrating the long-awaited "conjugation" between Cmdr. William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) and ship's Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis), who, like children leaving home for college, are leaving the Enterprise for the USS Titan, Riker's first command. We follow the crew on this final trek across the stars, only to watch as they mourn the loss of a cherished comrade.

Star Trek: Nemesis' special effects are excellent, and Baird's experience as both an editor (Superman: The Movie) and director gives the action sequences a kinetic energy absent from the previous film, Insurrection. The score by noted composer Jerry Goldsmith is also outstanding. (Brent Spiner fans who know the actor is also a gifted singer should find his rendition of Irving Berlin's "Blue Skies" as a very enjoyable bonus.)

The Paramount Widescreen Collection DVD is above average considering it's not a 2-disc "Collector's Edition." It not only has a crisp digital transfer and clear sound, but it has audio commentary by Baird, deleted scenes and a handful of "making-of" documentaries.

Good but not great.
This final outing of the 'next generation' crew is one of the better films in the franchise but not the best.
On the plus side it offers some excellent action scenes and SFX and we finally get to see the enigmatic Remans who are being led by a clone of Picard. A lot of the story threads that have continued throughout the T.V. series and prior films are also tied up, such as Deanna and Will Riker finally marrying, Riker getting a command etc.
However, the film is not perfect. Data discovers a 'brother' on another planet but there is no indication of why/how he get there and this thread is never fully explored. Picard's clone seems obsessed with Deanna at one point...why??
This film works on a pure entertainment level but don't expect any complexity in it. It is like a marshmallow...a lot of bulk but not a lot of substance.

A Very Sad Farewell
Star Trek: TNG happens to be the best among all Star Trek Series EVER for me and growing up with this series on the sideline, it has been a part of my life. And they have come to their very last production of that series with this very sad farewell movie. I came out watching this movie with this familiar tugging in my chest, like you have when you are attending a funeral of a very close relative or friend.

This movie started with the most anticipated wedding of Riker and Troi, yes it is about time! While on their way to Troi's home planet, for the traditional naked wedding, they encounter a strange signal from an unknown source, which turns out of be a broken up android who looked like Data and it is not Data's evil brother. Trying to fix him, they continue course back to their original destination until Janeway (yes, yuck lol) contacted Picard about some political associated meeting and Picard agreed to help.

Arriving to some strange planet, Picard meet an unusual encounter with the leader, who looks exactly like him when he was way way way younger, who ironicly, is an exactly clone of Picard, and he extremely wants Picard bad. This is where the adventure really starts.

Gosh! I can't believe this is the end of TNG.

Don't listen to the critics....
This movie was released during the first Lord of the Rings maina a few years back. How did they expect to do going up against a blockbuster like that? It is a good film. It has space battles and a antagonist that would have made a good two part episode. It's all in the expectations...you are not watching the Matrix when you see a Star Trek movie. It's about a cast of characters we've been watching for seven seasons and three movies...it's not the loser that critics say it is... ... Read more

Reviews (20)

The only question remaining is are deleted scenes available?
The film was fabulous on the cinemas (I still can recall the sound of the cannonade, and there was no Dolby-Sensorround back there in the early 70's...). And the acting and cast absolutly fantastic from Steiger's Napoleon to the last historicall character... what a pity the French TV series based on Max Gallo excellent tetralogy (recently released in France) is'nt up to it! (the uniforms of the highlanders in it look as some sort of relic from a Gilbert&Sullivan musical comedy chorus boys ... probably they run out of money/interest at the end as it starts promisingly and slowly fades out...)
The VHS permited to have at home one of the best historic films ever (and even go for the battle itself when in a hurry...).
Now the DVD is perfect BUT... I do think (with the tecnology actually vailable) it's a missed oportunity IF THERE WHERE SCENES LET OUT IN THE CUTTING ROOM...
A diehard fan of napoleonic history I can't understand why the Prussians intervention has so few seconds... not even minutes... in the picture... I can understand THAT as a problem of editing the film to be released in cinemas, BUT (and it's a BIG BUT!) my question is...: ARE THERE IN SOME DUSTY ARCHIVE OF DINO DE LAURENTIS PRODUCTIONS HERITAGE SOME DELETED SCENES, FOOTAGE DISCARDED OR SIMILAR ???, IF THERE WHY NOT A DIRECTOR'S CUT!.
One of my favourites of all time.
If interested try to get a hold of the novel "The Limits of Glory", it reads like the film script sometimes... but it's not affected by budget... and have the best descriptions of the fight at Hougomont and La Haye Sainte I have ever read.
ENJOY.
PS: Yes, there are small innacuracies as the presence of the standart/guidon of the Grey's etc. But IMPRESSIVE still is!. And we do not stop wargaming it either...

Waterloo
Widescreen DVD please! This is definitely one of the best epic war movies ever filmed with sweping battle scenes and cast of thousands. It goes into great realistic details about the strategy for such an important battle. The cinematography, the acting, the costume and the score is absolutely fantastic. Why it is still not available in widescreen DVD is beyond me. I am sure this DVD will be snapped up like hotcakes. Many people missed it during its theatrical release. Waterloo would go down in the annals of film making as one of the best epic battle movies of all times.

This needs to be available on a region 1 DVD
Isn't there a way to vote on Amazon for this to be released on DVD (region 1)? This film is incredible, and the battle scenes are truly epic. It's an injustice not to have the film on the best media available.

Un-cut region 1 North American DVD - PLEASE!!?!?!?!?!?
I first saw "Waterloo" on television back when I was a kid growing up in the mid 70's. Ever since that first viewing, I was forever fascinated by what I remembered seeing.

Finally - after a long search to locate this OOP movie - I found a copy several years ago on VHS from a "movie archive house" on the west coast. Recently, I purchased a duped DVD on eBay, as the only region it is available on at this time is region 2 and PAL.

This is one fo the best historical war epics of all time. Plummer and Stieger are superb in their roles as Wellington and Napolean, respectively... and, the aerial shots of the British squares under attack by French cavalry, alone, earn this movie 5 stars from me.

What I detect, unfortunately, from the edited version (which is the only version I know of available on any format right now) is, well... that it has been edited!!!

There are far too many choppy transitions between scenes, and their are characters and sub-plots that seem tossed into the mix without any apparent reason. I have to believe that there was more time devoted to such major scenarios as the fighting in and around Hougoumont...... I have to believe that there IS a scene - somewhere - showing the circumstances of why Wellington sent his best troops to the complex, and the importance surrounding this sector of the battle. How can the story of the battle for Hougoumont be complete without the closing of the North Gate by the heroic band of Coldstream Guards? In the edited version, we are only shown teasing glimpses - in a fast-forwarded timeline - of fighting in and around the farm complex that was such a vital part of the battlefield. La Haiye Sainte is also breezed over in the edited version.

What we get with the edited version is a movie consisting of some of the grandest and breath-taking battle scenes. But the FILM - as presented at this time - is disjointed and incomplete as a whole. "Gettysburg" is a long movie (could hjave been longer, still!).... "Waterloo" needs the same running time to be a complete film.

What is called for - and it is high time we see it happen - is the un-edited, original "Director's cut" version on DVD. But not only on DVD - region 1 DVD!

Waterloo is both war-as-concept and high art
I'd like to supplement the other reviews. Waterloo did indeed screen in a 3-plus hour version which I attended in college circa 1972. In that edition, I would rate it 5 stars, for it did have the historical accuracy and timeline of 'The Longest Day' and the sweep and drama of such great period films as 'Ben-Hur' or 'Gone With The Wind'. But without all the personal subplots, the action was more intense and that helped this viewer stay focused. I was pretty-much blown away, so I did some homework.

This film is extraordinary for both it's scope and the high level of authentic detail. The uniforms, weapons and accoutrements are very accurate, and the battlefield tactics reflect great study on the part of the set decorators and stunt coordinators. From the individual line soldier with his flint musket to the massed artillery barrages and calvary charges, the period 'manuals of arms' were followed [rules for troop deployment; use and operation of weapons] in more detail for this era that has been committed to film before.

In contrast, each combat scene was reconstructed not from the combatant's surviving journals, but from art works made AFTER the battle and when the action periodically 'freezes' on-screen for a few seconds, each freeze is in fact a tableaux of a famous painting, many of which are on view at the Lourve or the Hermitage.

Someone said read your history for a fuller understanding? Okay, but try looking up the paintings and then re-view the film with those images in mind. Many master's art works are capured in hue and composition when the action freezes as perfectly as the arms and tactics. The effect is to make it seem as if the art was purloined from filmed news coverage somehow. I was blown away all over again!

Every film is a Hollywood magic show [or the eastern equivalent in this case]. But the inclusion of so much historical fine art is one of the best smoke and mirrors tricks ever put to film; shrewd, subtle, and a reminder that art imitates art itself as much is it imitates life.

The VHS version wouldn't fit on one tape if it contained the whole film. It was butchered by editors unfamiliar with the historical timeline, the weapons and tactics, or the art! I can hardly give it two stars in this edition.

So give us a region-1 DVD and please! Make it the director's movie, not some truncated and confused mass of sound and fury. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Engrossing and captivating! Highly recommended.
"The Tenant of Wildfell Hall" is based on the Victorian novel by Anne Bronte. It tells the story of secretive, passionate and outspoken Helen Graham who lives quietly with her young son in Wildfell Hall. She befriends a young neighborhood farmer, Gilbert Markham, and he falls in love with her, despite her objections. It soon unfolds that Helen is "on the run" from her privileged life and her cruel, alcoholic husband - Arthur Huntingdon - and a series of flashbacks tell the story of her life with him. The story itself is engrossing and, like Jane Eyre, it's ultimately a story of a strong woman overcoming the odds and coming out triumphant in the end.

The BBC has done a great job with this production. Tara Fitzgerald ("The Woman in White," "Brassed Off") is perfectly cast as the downtrodden but feisty Helen. Handsome actors Toby Stephens ("The Great Gatsby") and Rupert Graves ("Room with a View," "Mrs. Dalloway") are excellent as the devoted Gilbert and the detestable Huntingdon. Tara Fitzgerald and Toby Stephens have a chemistry that most would find irresistible. The performances from the principal actors are excellent and Rupert Graves does such a good job that I found myself hating and pitying him at the same time. I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys Bronte's work or first-rate British drama.

My favourite video!
This video (which runs for 160 mins) follows rather closely to the classic novel by Anne Bronte (except for the ending - nevertheless, it will still please you).

The production is lavish, the costumes beautiful and very correct to the period of time. The cast very capably brought to life the characters of the suffering Helen Graham, the scoundrel Arthur Huntington and the love-struck Gilbert Markham.

Tara Fitzgerald appeared a little miscast, owing to her often unnecessarly harsh displays of emotions and an unsuitable gruffy voice. But because she played the role of Helen Graham (who's an exceedingly likable heroine), I grew to ignore all that and found myself rooting for Helen to find all the happiness she deserves.

I simply love Toby Stephens whom I think, is just perfect as Gilbert, the handsome, young gentleman farmer who sees the goodness in Helen and seeks to protect her from the hypocrisy and prejudice shown by his unkind relatives and neighbours.

The cinematography is lush and breathtaking. It's obvious that this is a well-planned production with no expense spared.

I have only 1 minor complaint - that the romantic scenes involving Helen and Gilbert weren't made more passionate (the way it should be). Instead, we see more displays of love and affection between Helen and Lord Huntington (during their courtship days and early marriage). And to what purpose do they serve? - Since we know just what a brute Huntington turns out to be later!

If you love this video, please pick up the book (ie. if you haven't already) - the book fleshes out the thoughts, emotions and agonies of the love-lorn Gilbert much more effectively than could be captured on film.

Nevertheless, I love this video. It's great to have in one's collection for repeated viewings.

"He only wants for guidance."
In this excellent BBC adaptation of Anne Bronte's novel, an attractive young woman and her young son move into long-neglected Wildfell Hall. The woman (Tara Fitzgerald), Mrs. Helen Graham, claims to be a widow who is forced to make her living as an artist. Some of the local families try to befriend her, but they find Mrs. Graham to be abrasive and unfriendly. Local farmer, Gilbert Markham (Toby Stephens) is attracted to Mrs. Graham, and this does not escape the jealous eye of local lass, Eliza Millwood. Soon spiteful rumours abound about Mrs. Graham and her relationship to her landlord, Mr. Lawrence. Mrs. Graham tells Giles the truth about the past--including her desperate need for secrecy regarding her true identity. It seems that Mrs. Graham is really Mrs. Huntingdon--the wife of a dissolute rake who leads a life of debauchery in his constant pursuit of pleasure.

One of the reasons I enjoy "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall" so much is it clearly depicts Victorian notions of womanhood. Bronte, however, through the characters and the story shows the absurdity and unfairness of the woman's role. Helen Huntingdon embodies the Victorian ideal of "the Angel in the House" and certainly Huntingdon expects angelic behaviour from her--no matter what abuse rains down on her head. Huntingdon thinks himself above criticism, and yet he holds Helen to the highest standard. He's a petty bully with a penchant for gratuitous cruelty. While he criticizes Helen's housekeeping abilities, her performance as a wife and as a mother, he also calls her "half mortal, half angelic." Helen embodies this perfect Victorian ideal, but we see the absurdity of her sacrifices as Huntingdon tramples on Helen's "delicate goodness" again and again. Bronte's book was a scandal when it was published in 1848, and while this adaptation no longer has the ability to make the average viewer swoon, nonetheless, there is great power to this story.

Fans of the novel should be happy with this adaptation. It is perfectly cast--even in the fairly minor roles. The photography is stunning, the costumes marvelous, and a haunting score accompanies the drama. There are several very clever camera shots. In one scene, the camera sweeps slowly and lovingly along the curve of Helen's shoulders, and in some scenes, the camera appears to take a bird's eye view of ballroom dancers. Tara Fitzgerald is always wonderful in these period piece roles. As Mrs. Graham/Huntingdon, she has a veneer of coldness, and Markham at first finds her "too hard, too sharp, too bitter." Helen Huntingdon's character is explored very well in the flashbacks of her awful married life to Arthur Huntingdon. Toby Stephens as Markham is in complete contrast to Huntingdon (Rupert Graves). Markham plays a solid, genuine lover--conscious of his social inferiority to the Huntingdons. Rupert Graves is an old hand with these sorts of roles, and he really does a spectacular job as Huntingdon--a man who's used to using his boyish charm to get what he wants, and yet the most unpleasant side of him shows after Helen is at his mercy while he runs with his pack of equally dissolute friends. Huntingdon delivers some of the very best lines in the film. Bronte fans, and BBC costume drama fans should be equally delighted with this production. The video is 160 minutes long, and it's worth every penny--displacedhuman

I'm Wanting to See This Wonderful Movie Transferred to DVD!
I haven't read the Anne Bronte classic novel yet but I saw this movie version of The Tenant of Wildfell Hall on cable one day and this is the movie that made me love watching British period costume movies. It is a wonderful movie with some terrific acing from the whole cast. Tara FitzGerald and Toby Stephens are wonderful but I think Rupert Graves gives a standout performance and I very greatly recommend this movie and I'm hoping it will be transferred to DVD! I'm also thinking about reading the classic novel!

The spirit of the original left out
I read Anne Bronte's book, loved it, then checked out the reviews for the VHS version here at Amazon. I couldn't find it to rent anywhere, but the reviews convinced me that I could safely buy a copy without viewing it first. Now that I've seen it, I am scratching my head wondering why it got the great reviews it did (and KICKING myself for buying it). Compared to the book, this BBC rendition I just watched last night made me think of cutting the arms and half the body off of your favorite sweater so that you could pack it better; it may fit in your small suitcase now, but it's not at all what it was. I gave the movie two stars instead of one star because the filming locations were good, and the costuming and the acting were not distracting - but the spirit of Anne Bronte's original story isn't there at all. The only thing that keeps it going for two cassettes is whatever the screenplay writer picked out of the book to make it recognizable. I think the worst misconstrued line in the movie comes from Gilbert, and it illustrates my point about the spirit of Anne Bronte's work being cast aside: Gilbert goes to Helen when she is with her husband, who is still alive - NOT in the book - and tells her (by way of trying to woo her), "It's not a sin to be happy." This line has become a classic in our generation, but this spirit was nowhere to be found in the book, and makes a completely different Helen and Gilbert than Anne Bronte would have given her permission for, which says a lot, since Helen and Gilbert are the principle characters. This video adaptation ruins the message of Anne Bronte's wonderful work. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

This quintessential Mickey Rooney-Judy Garland musical has all the kinetic energy and beaming goofiness that made their films together (nine in all) so popular--and so easy to lampoon. The son of a vaudeville performer (Charles Winninger), Rooney decides to put on his own show (in a barn!) to save his family's fortune, his town, his peers, and, gosh darn it, even the American way of life. The star luster generated by Garland matches the explosive energy of Rooney's performance. Director Busby Berkeley's big production numbers are a sight to behold, from a march through town for the title number to an embarrassingly dated minstrel show routine. The movie was made the same year as The Wizard of Oz (1939) and featured the same villain: Margaret Hamilton. How popular was Rooney at the time? The number one box-office attraction was nominated for best actor at age 19 in that landmark year against some of the most famous performances of all time: Laurence Olivier in Wuthering Heights, Clark Gable in Gone with the Wind, James Stewart in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, and winner Robert Donat in Goodbye, Mr. Chips. --Doug Thomas ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Some Pretty Good Music
Pretty much long forgotten. Came out in 39 with a whole host of great movies including Wizard of Oz and Gone W the Wind. Very old fashioned and stagey. Some of the music is pretty hummable. The story is ordinary lets put on a show. Incredibly offensive blackface scene. Difficult to sit through. A few of the songs were reprised in the infinitely better Singing in the Rain. Good for Garland and Rooney fans and missible for everyone else.

Excellent Mickey and Judy!
This classic film stars Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland as teenagers living in Seaport, Long Island, NY just before the Great Depression struck. Vaudeville is dying; thus Rooney's family business as show biz perfomers is very much at stake. When the older folks leave Seaport to put on a show and prove to the world that Vaudeville is not dead yet; they leave the younger folks behind. What to do? Put on a show! Rooney's character trys to woo some fading child star so she can put up the money for the show and bumps Garland from the lead. She inevitably retakes the lead in the show and everything ends happily ever after when out of nowhere some hot-shot producer likes what he saw in the barn show scene. (By the way, one cautionary note: the barn show scene includes a minstrel show; although typical of that era it is not only dated but potentially ofensive to some viewers.) The viewer also gets an extra treat: Margaret Hamilton has a small role as the nasty old lady who runs welfare in the town and wants to send the kids off to a vocational school. All in all, this really is a very goood movie and great fun to watch. I would add that this is an obvious must-have for any Garland or Rooney fan. A BUY!

An Essential for Rooney-Garland Fans
In the 1939 Mickey Rooney was among the top box office draws in the world. Judy Garland had appeared as a supporting player in two Rooney films, and the two had significant chemistry--more over, Garland had just completed photography for THE WIZARD OF OZ--a film that MGM rightly expected would launch her to international stardom. The time was right to costar the two, and MGM did it with BABES IN ARMS.

The film was released not long after OZ and was an immediate and major hit, becoming one of the most admired musicals of the year. But time has a way of changing our perspective. Seen today, BABES IN ARMS feels a little strange, a little strained, and at times just downright, well, ODD.

BABES IN ARMS was originally a Rogers and Hart show that proved a smash on the New York stage--a slightly satirical script with one of the most powerful scores of the 1930s. MGM specifically purchased the property for Rooney and Garland and then promptly threw out the script, most of the score, and transformed the thing into the tale of young teenagers who decide to put on a show in a barn.

Although well performed, the songs that replaced the original score simply do not measure up to the play's original score, and viewers are likely to be startled by a minstrel show number that find Mickey and Judy romping in blackface. In justice to the film, it should be remembered that while minstrel shows had their heyday in the late 1800s and early 1900s, they remained popular well into the 1950s, and such great stars as Al Jolson and Eddie Cantor performed in full blackface well into the 1930s. While the number is stereotypical, that was in fact the essence of minstrel show; it is not meanspirited, and if nothing else it offers a glimpse into a now dead theatrical tradition.

But weirdest of all is the grand finale "In God's Country," a strange mixture of Hollywood ballyhoo, patriotism, and fear of the European war that would soon engulf the world. In its original form, the number also included Rooney and Garland doing a take off of FDR and Eleanor; although cleverly performed and quite mild in content, this was later cut in re-release, for MGM worried it might be construed as disrespectful during wartime.

The film also has a number of distinct flaws. Director Busby Berkley was most at home with big-budget musicals that had scope for the elaborate dance numbers he favored--he's something of a fish out of water with this more intimate material, and his approach feels heavy handed. Although much admired at the time (he actually received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for this film), Mickey Rooney's performance is absurdly manic by modern standards, and Garland's more natural performance is too often overshadowed by his excesses. The script is as weak as the score, few of the supporting performers are memorable (Margaret Hamilton is an exception), and the whole thing has a awkward quality to it.

Even so, it's still possible to see what all the fuss was about. The film does capture an inkling of the famous Rooney-Garland chemistry--a chemistry that would fuel three more "let's put on a show!" musicals, each one more more effective than the last. It is there in every musical number the two perform, in every line, in every scene, a very real and very powerful thing. While casual viewers would do better to select either BABES ON BROADWAY or GIRL CRAZY, in spite of all its flaws, Rooney-Garland fans will likely find BABES IN ARMS an essential.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

Hurray for Mickey and Judy!
The plot is almost exactly like those in Mickey and Judy's other films together, eg "Strike up the Band." But still, it's better than the junky movies Hollywood makes today.
Margaret Hamilton once again is excellent as the villian, a rich, elegant woman who wants to see Mickey, Judy, and the other children sent to boarding school to get a "proper education." Like "Wizard of Oz" in which she played the Wicked Witch, she seems to be always there though she is only on screen for a matter of minutes.
All in all, this is a good family movie for a rainy Sunday afternoon.

Dated, but charming.
I just saw it on TCM for only the second time in my life. I agree with most of the previous comments, but offer this anecdote. Indeed, much of the score from the stage BIA is not in the film, but that's not the ego of Freed, that's the ego of Hollywood. Hollywood has been tampering with the scores of stage musicals since the year 1. There's been stage-to-screen tampering done with SHOW BOAT, ON THE TOWN, BRIGADOON, GAY DIVORCE, SWEET CHARITY, and even A CHORUS LINE, to name a few. And Rodgers & Hart and Cole Porter were decidedly more sophisticated, adult composers; they had to endure the wrath of the puritanical Hollywood image back then. This is why I've always preferred musicals orignally created for the screen; no one looking for a stage predecessor would be offended. That was just the mentality of all film studios then. As it is, they did keep "The Lady is A Tramp" in the background and allowed "Where or When" to be performed in its entirety, albeit as part of a botched band rehearsal. But I loved the treatment of the title song (with its bonfire-rally choreography), and Judy Garland's torch solo "I Cried For You" is a stunning piece of poignancy which makes you forget that she is only 17 years old. As for the 'dated film' accusations: America just entered the war at the time of this release, and it's probably no coincidence that the film's finale "God's Country" is an especially long musical sequence. I mean, how ageless can it be with Mickey Rooney doing an impersonation of President Roosevelt?! ... Read more

Description

One-man stage show written by & starring Spalding Gray. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Monster in a Box
Brilliant, hilarious, my all-time favroite Spalding Gray work. When can we have it on DVD?

Treasure in a Box
I just saw this piece screened at a local film festival. I'm not ashamed to say I was blown away! It felt like I was sitting with Spalding and a few close friends just listening to him tell his story.
The darkness of the piece is balanced by laugh out loud humor and human insights.
This is a must see!

Poignant and sad
This film seems to mean so much more now that poor Spaulding is either dead or... he certainly is missing. The seamless transitions are classic in this 90 minute trail through the incredible mind of Mr. Gray. His HBO excursions, Stage Manager of 'Our Town,' going with his confidante Renee on the fact finding mission to Nicaragua while trying so hard not to let anyone know that he is a spy, but not for the CIA!! Do I have AIDS? etc. This is the ultimate monologue. You'll love his New England demeanor.

Theatre as therapy
Without a doubt the best of the filmed versions of Spalding Gray's monologues. Perhaps it doesn't have the cultural importance or impact of "Swimming to Cambodia", but it's his most personal and open monologue.
Like Jonathan Demme's approach with "Swimming..." Nick Broomfield (the second best documentary film-maker after Errol Morris) simply attempts to recreate the affect of seeing Spalding's live performance (Steven Soderberg's "Gray's Anatomy" tried a different non-live, internalised-externalised, impressionistic approach which doesn't entirely work, and the HBO production of Terrors of Pleasure is only worth it to actually see the peformance) and it's the best way of presenting such a theatre piece; point the camera at the man and let him talk!!!!!
There are a few visual/stylistic moments - but they don't detract from the reason to see this masterpiece - Spalding himself.
On the surface the monologue is about SG not being able to write his book Impossible vacation (largely about his mother's suicide) - but the bigger picture is a self-portrait of an impending nervous breakdown and his fortunate avoidance of it.
There's wit and pathos to Gray's dialogue and performance, you'll be laughing and feel touched at the same time.
If you've never seen or read anything by him - watch this and you'll be hooked!!!

unique
Only this guy can do this stuff. It's got hints of performance art but essentially he's just an old fashioned story teller telling modern, intelligent and very funny stories. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

When Universal Pictures picked up the movie rights to a Broadway adaptation of Dracula, they felt secure in handing the property over to the sinister team of actor Lon Chaney and director Tod Browning. But Chaney died of cancer, and Universal hired the Hungarian who had scored a success in the stage play: Béla Lugosi. The resulting film launched both Lugosi's baroque career and the horror-movie cycle of the 1930s. It gets off to an atmospheric start, as we meet Count Dracula in his shadowy castle in Transylvania, superbly captured by the great cinematographer Karl Freund. Eventually Dracula and his blood-sucking devotee (Dwight Frye, in one of the cinema's truly mad performances) meet their match in a vampire-hunter called Van Helsing (Edward Van Sloan). If the later sections of the film are undeniably stage bound and a tad creaky, Dracula nevertheless casts a spell, thanks to Lugosi's creepily lugubrious manner and the eerie silences of Browning's directing style. (After a mood-enhancing snippet of Swan Lake under the opening titles, there is no music in the film.) Frankenstein, which was released a few months later, confirmed the horror craze, and Universal has been making money (and countless spin-off projects) from its twin titans of terror ever since. Certainly the role left a lasting impression on the increasingly addled and drug-addicted Lugosi, who was never quite able to distance himself from the part that made him a star. He was buried, at his request, in his black vampire cape. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (143)

Lugosi Live Again !
Dracula has been the subject of numerous films. While many of them are memorable, of many actors who have played Dracula only two stand out as truly superb in their performance of the role. The first one is unmistakably Bela Lugosi who played the role in this 1931 film. While Lugosi's film portrayal has the drawback of being terribly out of date, now that more than 60 years have passed since, his magnetic appeal can still be sensed thru this release. (For those who are interested, the second truly superb actor is of course Christopher Lee, who unfortunately had to play ol' Drac to death in way too many Hammer movies. And Gary Oldman was good too but maybe a little over the top in Francis Ford Coppola's version.) TOD BROWNING's DRACULA was a hit in the early thirties. We can still see why. The film is said to have been restored but very little of this shows, as there are still plenty of signs of wear on the print used for this DVD. However, all the extra's more than make up for that. It is wonderful to be able to compare Bela to his Spanish speaking competitor, Carlos Villarias. Equally interesting is the comparison between Browning's direction and the direction of the Spanish flick, helmed by George Melford. Melford's version has the technical superiority, which cannot be denied, but Lugosi himself is more enthralling in his performance. (I feel a little uncomfortable with the Spanish version as I simply cannot help chuckle at hearing the changed names of Juan Harker and Eva instead of Jonathan Harker and Mina.) Again, the additional information due to special commentaries by David Skal, film historian, Carla Laemmle and Lupita Tovar, and the wonderful photographical montage added make this DVD extremely enjoyable and this not just for classic movie buffs. A note for Philip Glass fans: while Glass's new music score is very interesting to hear, the Kronos Quartet is unfortunately not adequate to the task of bringing the full range of Glass's thematics to life. That is very unfortunate for it makes the new score sound cheap, while it would have been great if it had been performed by a full orchestra.

A Stiff Production with Excellent early moments
Tod Browning's production of Dracula made Bela Lugosi's name immortal in the annals of horror film. While Lugosi had played the role many times on stage, he had a difficult time landing this role. He did and so became intensely identified with the role and never really overcame the typecasting. But he was brilliant in the style he portrayed the count. Helen Chandler was excellent as Bela's victim. The production bogged down in mid to late scenes but the early scenes of Castle Dracula and the bleak Carpathian mountain countryside are brilliant, some of the most gothically chilling in cinematic history. Dwight Frye's Renfield was a role of genius, his maniacal laugh still producting chills down the spine. I only rated this movie three stars because it is somewhat dated and does slow down in pace and drama in the last two thirds. The first third place it with the all time greats and if that mood could have been sustained, Dracula with Bela Lugosi would have been unmatched. Edward Sloan as Dr. Van Helsing was brilliant. The only one better was Peter Cushing.

DON'T REPLACE YOUR COPY!
While I fully understand the urge to swap this older release for one of the new Universal sets (Dracula or the deluxe Monster Legacy box), I implore you not to do it. Not only is the sound much better on this earlier release, but the new set contains the censored print that was originally released in 1931 in which Dracula's "death groans" are highly abbreviated. The contents of the two disks seem to be identical but the quality isn't. If you can put up with the very real possibility of having to repeatedly return sets in order to obtain one that performs perfectly, the Monster Legacy box is a good deal (especially at Amazon's price) and its transfers of the other films in the Universal series are very good, but this film is the exception. THIS ONE'S A KEEPER!

One of the best DVDs I own...
I love all of the old Universal Monster Movies and I love all the DVD versions that Universal has issued. They have done it right, giving us deluxe editions of The Wolf Man and The Mummy with all the bells and whistles. Of all of these, my favorite is Todd Browning's Dracula. Dracula may not be considered the best of the Universal films (that title usually goes to Bride of Frankenstein) but it certainly is the best DVD.

EVERYTHING is on this DVD. There is a wonderful DOCUMENTARY, The Road to Dracula. Amazingly, this is hosted by Carla Laemmle - the niece of the producer who actually ACTED in the movie. (She is the girl in the stagecoach who had the first line of dialogue in the film - indeed, in any sound horror film.) Clive Barker also adds valuable commentary. Although Barker is at the cutting edge (pun not intended) of hard-core horror, he still has great appreciation and insight about the classics.

FEATURE COMMENTARY: This is provided by David J. Skal, the noted Dracula/Vampire expert. Along with the documentary, this should tell you everything you ever wanted to learn about Dracula.

SPANISH LANGUAGE VERSION: It is now a famous story that, after Browning and his crew finished work for the day, a Spanish cast and crew would come in at night to film the same movie for the Spanish-speaking markets. The Spanish crew was very competitive and many critics say that the Spanish version is actually better. I do not agree with this. True, there are more interesting camera moves, but most of what we come to Dracula for is the Bela Lugosi performance - not to mention Dwight Frye as Renfeild with his inimitable laugh. The Spanish version is also great because it is a more accurate realization of the shooting script.

NEW SCORE: The old Universal movies did not yet have scored music. A few years ago, Philip Glass and the Kronos Quartet were commissioned to write a full score. It is excellent and it is also included on the disc. You can watch it with or without. I usually prefer without - I'll always think of the opening set to Swan Lake.

This movie is the all time classic universal monster movie!!
I am Drac-u-la , I bid you welcome, I never drink ... Wine
The 3 lines that famoused (new word of mine) Bela Lugosi and made him The Infinitive Count Dracula

Mr Reinsfield travels to transylvania to sail sum property to Dracula in england
Dracula welcomes him in for a feast and wine
while reinsfield is collectin all of the papers he accidently paper cuts his finger (which he really did in real life!)
Dracula goes for his neck but notices the crucifix on reinsfield's neck so he waits until reinsfield goes to bed and he pulls the chain off
all of a sudden reinsfield feels faint and passes out
leaving a feast for dracula

The next part of the film is the part of the ship which is very short
all of the passengers on board perrish from the hurricane or whatever as it travels to england accept for a mad man named reinsfield and a undead freak in the coffin named dracula (haha)

so dracula arrives to england and start's puttin the bite on the british

a classic i tell u and every1 who loves horror movies should have this!!!! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Romantic, thrilling period piece.....top notch drama!
This is a splendid dramatic adaptation based on the Catherine Cookson novel. It stars handsome Jack Davenport (The Talented Mr. Ripley) as a poor carpenter who works as a servant for a wealthy family and becomes the love interest of his boss' daughter (played by Juliet Aubrey - "Middlemarch"). It also stars Justine Waddell (lately of "Mansfield Park" and BBC's "Great Expectations"). It explores issues of class, family vs. personal obligations, and love vs. duty. This is one of Ms. Cookson's best work! I highly recommend it - great acting, production values and is very satisfying and enjoyable! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Anne Frank has not been forgotten. More than 25 million copies of her diary--which has been turned into a play and a movie--have been sold.This intense, richly detailed documentary paints a broad portrait of Anne.Documentaries are a dime a dozen, but few stories are as truly powerful, as sincerely moving and poignant as Anne's. Director Jon Blair does a phenomenal job with this carefully detailed, thoughtful, emotional film (his previous documentary on Oskar Schindler so captivated Steven Spielberg that he was inspired to make Schindler's List). Blair unearths a 1980 interview with the only surviving member of the Frank family, Anne's father, Otto, who offers an unpublished portion of her diary. Blair also discovers previously unseen footage of her watching a 1941 wedding, the only known film of Anne to exist; it's a brief, but breathtaking image of a girl who inspired the world. Blair also interviews Peter Pepper, who hid with the Franks, and Hanneli Goslar, who befriended Anne and her sister at camp and depicts the Frank girls' last days. The most potent interview, though, is with Miep Gies, Otto's employee who risked her life to help the Franks. Gies, modest and not completely comfortable on camera, is so likable that she seems to embody Anne's touching words, spoken amidst the horror of their lives: "In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart." Kenneth Branagh narrates and Glenn Close reads Anne's diary excerpts. --N.F. Mendoza ... Read more

Reviews (17)

This was definately the Best
Anne Frank Remembered was definately the best video of Anne Frank I've seen so far. I found myself watching in complete awe and silence as I saw Otto Frank, Miep Gies, and countless other people who knew Anne Frank speak of their times with Anne. This documentary is amazing. The mixture of the music, photos, and Glen Close reading quotes from Anne's diary give it feeling. The closing scene that shows the only known moving footage of Anne was breathtaking and left me with tears in my eyes.

An extraordinary video - A must see.
After reading Anne's diary, Muller's biography of Anne and the book "Anne Frank Remembered", I watched this video in absolute awe as before my eyes several of the people Anne wrote about were there on the screen - alive not just people whom I had read about in books. The use of photographs and interviews of Miep (who was the main caretaker for the families in hiding), Otto (Anne's father) and Anne's girlfriends were incredible. Hearing about this story from those who lived it gives a new dimension to this historic saga. There were no actors in this film. I found myself watching in tears, both for what had happened years ago and for how these people had such strength and vision to spread Anne's gift to the world. Anne Frank was only one of countless numbers of people who have been killed and continue to die due to intolerance of many sorts. This video left me feeling that each person is as important to the world as Anne Frank was and still is. This is a deeply moving video, the use of actual video footage of Anne in the closing scene is haunting as it shows Anne as a 12 year old child watching people from a balcony, a carefree looking child who has no idea that her future words will continue to inspire those of us fortunate to have come to know about her.

Phony All the Way Through
The Anne Frank diary was doctored up by Otto Frank who ended up paying Meyer Levin $50,000 "because he had used the dialogue of Author Levin just as it was and 'implanted' it in the diary as being his daughter's intellectual work." If one is really going to engage in the use of Anne Frank as a historical source, then the first place to begin is with the question of 'why was she moved to Bergen-Belsen, a site which no one since 1946 has tried to pretend had any "gas chambers," after passing through Auschwitz?' At one time the official establishment history used to be that all 'children were gassed immediately upon arrival' at Auschwitz. Obviously, Anne Frank has put a giant hole through that theory. The girl was good for more than she is credited, but you won't realize that from listening to financial swindlers such as Otto Frank and his cohorts who have deliberately manipulated the evidence.

Good At Heart, and In Our Hearts Forever
Young, rascally Anne Frank, if not for the extraordinary circumstances of her life, may have grown up to be a writer, a movie star, or any of the other thousand things she dreamed and fantasized about, as any adolescent girl does. Instead, she has become an icon, a symbol of hope, and an inspiration to millions of people around the world who have suffered under the hands of despotism and fear. This DVD serves as a documentary, and tribute, to this amazing girls life.

Directed by Jon Blair, who previously produced a documentary on the life of Oskar Schindler, brings his skills and expertise to bringing to life the life of Anne and her family as they first flee Germany to set up her home in Amsterdam, and then, to flee into hiding once German invades the Netherlands. As told through the eyes of her childhood friends, Anne is precocious, impish and fun. Interviews with Lies Gosslar and others provide first hand accounts about her, and make her real and authentic, not grandios or distorted, as the tendency may be for someone as famous as Anne. This documentary also doesn't shy away from Anne's burgeoning sexuality and her feelings about her adolscence, which provides a more complete picture of this girl.

The documentary moves into the Frank family needing to hide from the Nazis in their Secret Annex, and we meet the impressive Miep Gies, who sustained the people living there for two years. The footage of Miep in the Annex itself was astounding, and her testimony honest and compelling. A scene in which the son of Fritz Pfeffer, the Jewish dentist who also hid in the Secret Annex, meets Miep in Annex itself reduced me to tears in an instant; kudos to Blair for making this reunion happen and capture it on film. Amazing cinema.

What I appreciated most about this documentary occurs after everyone in captured from the Annex and forced into the hands of the Nazis. Blair painstakingly recounts the final months of the Franks lives, which in past documentaries seems to be rushed over. Blair brings Jewish survivors who knew the Franks back to the camps they were imprisoned in, and shared their experiences. The effect is chilling, and allows us to truly understand the last months of Anne's life more than I ever have before. He brings back Lies to talk about being with Anne during her last few days; incredible.

Also amazing, Blair digging up a very brief movie clip of Anne herself, leaning out the window watching a wedding happen on her street. The twelve year old girl becomes even more alive as we see her, hair blowing in the wind, looking up and behind her, not knowing what her fate will be in just a few years.

Anne Frank so longed to be known around the world, dreaming of becoming a famous writer, and even began to prepare her diary for publication after the war. While she never lived to see that occur, her legacy and gift to the world, through her inspirational words, remains with us today. And this documentary serves as an excellent tribute to her short, short life.

Beautifully done!
This real world, real people edition of Anne's life, and her impact upon the world is impeccable. I cannot top the other reviewers descriptions, they cover it all so very well, except to add that if anyone is dedicated to keeping the holocaust alive in history, and has any dedication to the ShoahFoundation, then yes by all means, get this documentary. It was wonderful to see Anne's childhood friends in this, who knew her, and to hear Miep speak of those days and all they endured. This was real, not any Hollywood contrived script. As an avid collector of realistic documentaries of history, this one is one of the very best. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Universal Pictures made a great deal of money from its monster movies in the 1930s. In the early '40s, the burlesque team of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello kept the studio's coffers full. When the two franchises were combined in 1948, the result was another windfall--despite the apparent oil-and-water mix of subject matter. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein was the first of these summit meetings, although the title is a misnomer. Actually, Bud and Lou bump into most of the Universal heavy-hitters, including Count Dracula (played by Béla Lugosi himself), the Wolfman (Lon Chaney Jr.), and the Frankenstein monster (veteran monster Glenn Strange). There's even a token appearance by the Invisible Man, whose disembodied voice is recognizable as that of Vincent Price. Sure enough, the film is funny, especially since it gives the portly Costello multiple opportunities to do his wide-eyed, quivering scaredy-cat routine. Audiences ate it up, and in future installments Bud and Lou would run into Boris Karloff, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the Invisible Man, and the Mummy. But the first was the best. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (86)

AN ALL-TIME CLASSIC!
This was the film that had me eagerly watching The Abbott & Costello Movie each week as a kid...praying that this would be the one aired. What a classic that works on so many levels. It's funny! It's scary! It's nostalgic! And most importantly it treats all of the Universal Monsters seriously! The movie does not make Dracula, Frankenstein, or the Wolf-Man cartoons an buffoons...Bud and Lou rightfully handle that aspect.

The DVD is overall a nice presentation complete with trailers, production notes and photos, a "Making of..." featurette, and an outstanding audio-commentary by film historian Gregory Mank. I loved this commentary because it includes a little bit of everything: how much did each actor make on the film, what were the actors like to work with, where did they go after making this film, where are they today, and how were aspects of this film made. You can tell that Mank did plenty of research before recording this commentary.

If you want to laugh, then check out Abbott and Costello and the monsters in one of the all-time classics from Universal. If you're a real fan of the Lon Chaney Wolf-Man character you may want to read the incredibly fun book by Jeff Rovin, The Return of the Wolf-Man which picks up right where this movie concludes.

Dracula, Frank, and Wolfman scare Bud Abbott & Lou Costello
Lon Chaney becomes "The Werewolf", Bela Logosi as "Dracula" and Glenn Strange as "Monster" (well we all know its Frankenstein). This film was a neat idea to get some of the well known liked actors who are known for their famous roles they have played before together again. Lon Chaney played "The Werewolf" in THE WOLF MAN (1941) and FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLF MAN (1943). Bela Lugosi played "Dracula" in DRACULA (1931). Glenn Strange played the Frankenstein monster in HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1944). If you've seen this film before, I would recommend turning on the Audio Commentary of Film Historian, Gregory W. Mank. This commentary played throughout the film is very detailed and precise. It's wonderful to have a commentary that you can learn so much from. Bonus materials are: a 33-minute featurette, "Abbott & Costello Meet The Monsters". Very entertaining behind-the-scenes info and interesting tidbits. The host is David J. Skal. Also 109 Production Photographs, Theatrical Trailer, Production Notes and Cast & Filmmakers' film info.

Richard Lees thanks for your incite
I just acquired this A&C DVD so I checked into amazon to see what the other customers thought and I enjoyed Richard Lees' comments and I'd like to invite him and all Abbott & Costello fans to www.abbottandcostello.net (the official site) especially the message boards where fans can meet and exchange stories and info. There is a lot to talk about these days with many of the movies and TV shows finally being released on DVD.

And now my first impressions about this DVD:

I tend to agree with other reviewers that say that a less than pristine film print was used to transfer to DVD when compared to the print for "Hit The Ice" on The Best of Abbott & Costello Vol.2, for example. There are the film "artifacts" and less than sharp image with harsh contrasts and not the subtle gray tones you see in some of the movies on the "Best of" packages. When the boys first turn on the lights in McDougall's House of Horrors the picture quality is particularly bad. Oh well, I bought "...Meet Frankenstein" for the special features that likely will not be included when The Best of Abbott and Costello Vol.3 comes out in August. I hope Universal has remastered the film for that edition, it will be the third time I have purchased "Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein". Yes, the film is that good. So I give 4 stars for the movie itself and the extras and not give it a full 5 stars because of defects in the print and/or transfering to DVD. Also, this DVD was a little pricey. For example, it cost twice as much (where I live) as "Once Upon a Time In The West" which just came out in a 2 DVD special edition with all the bells and whistles.

Bud and Lou's Fairst and and great scary comedy
I have just recieved Abbott and Costello meets Frankenstein and it is better watching it on DVD than on video, this is because of better sound and picture quality and to see a couple of very rare outtakes and the cometary was very interesting and informative about the actors and actress of it and of course the director. the interviews with daughter of Lou was also very interesting as well as the other people in the documentary.

I would highly recommend this DVD if you are an Abbott and Costello fan.

A Little family gratitude for all your kind reviews
Hello All
I was just wandering through amazon and came upon this section and was just delighted to find "A&C meet Frankenstein" getting such nice compliments.
I would like to let you all know that my father Robert Lees and his writing partner and an old family friend, Freddy Rinaldo, wrote this film.
Freddy is no longer with us but my father is still, all of 92 years old, and is thrilled that after all these years you all like the film.
A little addenda:
You all must remember that A&C were essentially radio comedians,
and it was from his training in radio that Costello had the bad habit of coming unglued if he didn't consistantly get laughs from the crew for each gag each take, no matter how many takes were involved in getting a scene right.. For him the crew was a live audience, so if he didn't take the house down, he would put in another piece of business and reinvent the scene on the spot until he did - and he was very inventive! I don't know how successfull they were, but they tried to take him aside and explain how important it was to actually follow the script!! Dad said that Lugosi enjoyed this aspect of Costello very much although I'm not so sure whether the director did, or the writers either for that matter.
Both Dad and Fred respected the "horror/terror" genre in literature very much noting to me when I was younger how complex and interesting the form had become in the hands of writers like Dunsynane Tolstoy Lovecraft Saki,or Poe to name a few.
Tolstoy wrote some strange and luminous things in this old form, once a short story about a Vampyre.
But in those days and by the time Universal Studios got through exploiting it all, "The Wolfman meets Dracula, meets Frankenstein,meets the Mummy, meets the Andrews Sisters" well, lets just say that the bloom was well off the rose.....
And so the object for them was not to parody the genre (at least the serious part) but to parody what Universal Studios had by this time done to the genre....
One of my favorite parts in the film is that sublimely dysfunctional chase scene at the end.
And its true, they had a blast writing the movie. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

The Wonder Years is the best T.V. show ever created!
Wow! This tape would make an excellent gift for all Wonder Years fans! In the first episode, sweet 12-year-old Kevin Arnold is trying to find a present for his girlfriend Winnie and at the same time, the whole Arnold household is hoping Jack, the father will buy them a color t.v. for Christmas. In the end, Kevin learns that Christmas is more than presents and is about the memories and special moments in life. In the second episode, Kevin is older (sixteen-years-old) and is trying to find the perfect present for Winnie again. After the family, suffers a financial blow because Jack's partner decides to not invest in the furniture company, the holiday spirit is again being tested. I enjoyed the tapes so much and I watch them over and over. Definately a good tape.

Poor Tape Quality
The story was excellent, but the tape quality was awful. It looked like somebody taped it at home off their VCR. I was beginning to think it was bootlegged.

The Most Touching and Heartwarming Show I have ever seen
When I first saw an episode of the Wonder Years, I didn't connect with it much. I thought it was a show for kids, one that didn't have much bearing on me. As I watched it more, especially on Nick at Nite when there was nothing else on, I began to realize that this show was unique. Not only did it appeal to younger audiences with its light-hearted humor, but that it even appealed to middle to late teenagers like me, with its displays of Kevin's relationships, his feelings, and his growth as a person. This show deals with practically every difficulty that adolescents must face, from strange parents to changing friends. It is rare that a show has actually been able to reach out and touch my heart, but it seems that this show is able to do it whenever I watch it. My only wish was that they had the entire series available, so that I could watch it from start to finish.

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the wonderful wonder years
I have enjoyed watching The Wonder Years from a toddler to a teen and tears still roll down my cheeks when i see the reality of the pain in the world that this program shows. Through Kevin's eyes I have seen the Vietnam War. I have felt love, rejection, acceptance, care, compassion and loss. The Wonder Years is the truth of the world then and now. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Paul Bartel's 1975 cheap-o satire about a futuristic international sport--an anything-goes car race where drivers score points for hitting pedestrians--stars David Carradine as a hero behind the wheel and Sylvester Stallone as his nemesis. The film is clever and macabre enough as a modernist satire, but finally overplays its hand in grim, decadent humor. The sets are gloriously artificial, and former Warhol star Mary Woronov is in sexy, comic form. A DVD release is available. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (48)

A bad film, unless you like that sort of thing.
This is a very silly movie that hasn't aged well since its release in 1975. It has aspirations of being a clever social satire, but it's really just low-brow entertainment, often not too far removed from the "Skinimax" flicks of the late-80's. That may be a good thing if you're into cult flicks and B-movies, but for most viewers this is too cheesy to even be mildly amusing.

In "Death Race 2000", David Carradine stars as national hero and veteran racer Frankenstein, while Sylvester Stallone plays Machine Gun Joe Viterbo, his biggest competitor. They compete against three other drivers in a transcontinental road race where extra points can be earned by running over pedestrians. One by one, the five cars fall victim to a group of rebels who are intent on putting a stop to the gruesome sport.

The violence, of which there is very little, is played for comedic effect. However I think the intended reaction was more along the lines of "oh man, that was BRUTAL, haha!" rather than "oh man, that looked so cheap, haha!" Low budget film-lovers rejoice! This is your movie.

Interested parties should be prepared for Carradine's "dominatrix" outfit, complete with mask and cape. I think it was supposed to make him look sinister, but instead he comes off looking rail-thin and ridiculous. Stallone, in a supporting role as a stereotypical Italian tough guy, steals the movie.

The beautiful supporting actresses also overshadow the star, Carradine. Anyone familiar with producer Roger Corman knows that, in his world, fast cars and gratuitous violence go hand in hand with bare-breasts and the occasional catfight. "Death Race 2000" is no exception.

If you've seen this before and decided it's your type of film, then this is definitely version to get. Stay clear of the 1998 release by Digital Multimedia, a very poor transfer with blurry, grainy images and an ever-present hiss. This 1999 release by New Horizons looks infinitely better and the sound has been digitally re-mastered. It also has a few extras, like the theatrical trailer, bios and an interview with producer Roger Corman.

Darth Frankenstein ?
Tell Me Mr. Lucas didn't get his idea for Darth from Frankenstein's wacky wardrobe. Even using the unmasking scene!!

If my Auto Insurance Agent only knew!
I loved this movie, actually caught it at a drive-in theater back in 1975, not that long after getting my drivers license. David Carradine, fresh from the cancelled Kung Fu television series, played Frankenstein, a master driver, rumored to be half cyborg. This movies motivation was all about the anti-establishment, post Vietnam War era, and reflected the prevailing attitudes against US Imperialism. Seems a little ironic it takes place in 2000, with our return to that sort of attitude in government today.

In about 1978, just before the launch of the video game Space Invaders, the most popular arcade game in America was Death Race. You chased little stick figures (they called them gremlins... but you know :) ) with a car, and ran them down. They squealed, turned into crosses, (tombstones that is) you would hit reverse, and keep driving. At the end of the game, your score was the number killed. The moms of America were outraged at the game, and later a version was modified, (They renamed it Demolition Derby) you were chasing cars, which then turned into wrecks. In a nutshell, the original game is the plot of the movie Death Race 2000.

The movie is about a national sporting event, apparently to show that life is cheap, and only the meanest SOB wins. Racers get varied degrees of points, for mowing down pedestrians in a cross-country, racing event. A pre-Rocky Sly Stallone plays the main competition for Frankie. Carradine handles the role with just the right amount of campy acting, and without going too far overboard. While some of this stuff plays like an episode of the Road Runner, they never lose the spirit of the film, so it comes off well.

Believe it or not, some of the race itself is very exciting. For a low budget film that was probably made in a week or two, the action sequences were well thought out. The politics may be a little preaching at times in the film, but don't really get in the way of the fun. My five star rating, does not mean I think this is on par with past Oscar winners. What it means is, that for this type of low budget, camp movie, I consider it a classic along the lines of Motel Hell, Little Shop of Horrors, Harold and Maude, and Easy Rider.

Very underrated movie
"Death Race 2000" is an incredibly entertaining movie on various levels. You can sit back and just enjoy the over-the-top acting, amazing cars, and bloody violance, or you can actually get into the story a little deeper, of how America is run by Mr. President and how various people (including, as we eventually find out, Frankenstein) try to take him down for the good of the country.

The film is filmed beautifully, especially when the cars are on the road. There's a lot of action as the cars run over people for points and battle each other to win the race.

The biggest regret I have about this DVD is that it is not in widescreen. This is a shame because, well, if it isn't in widescreen, you are being cheated. And this great film deserves to be in widescreen. (Let the VHS fans have the fullscreen.) Some deleted scenes would have been nice as well, as I have seen photos of action not in the final print, and even in the trailer on the DVD there is a line not in the film ("This is a death race," as said by Frankenstein). Despite no widescreen, still a must-buy.

Classic Comedy
This look at the year 2000 from the 70's, point of imagination, is just as funny as it is disturbing. This movie is for the hit and run junkie, only you get paid for vehicular murder. The drivers race cross country in an all out frenzy to collect as many points as possible running people over. From the young to the old, rich to the poor, no one is safe on the streets of the future. So the next time you cross the street you better think twice about it, because Frankenstein ( David Carradine) Or Sly Stallone's car just might mow you down. The quality of this flic is a little distorted, and cheaply made, but is worth it's weight in gold, and should keep you amused the whole way through.
So grab the gear shifter and hang on For Dear Life, this is one crazy ride. Beep Beep The KritiK ... Read more

Description

Something humongous is among us! A young boy rescues a huge robot which has rocketed to earth from space - and tries to protect the genial giant from a nosey government agent and the military. A captivating animated feature that's part metal, part magic and all heart. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Love it on many levels
I saw IRON GIANT for the first time today and fell in love with it. Sure, it's a cartoon, mainly for kids, but it didn't strike me as childish (which kids may appreciate).

There's plenty of action and laughs