Reviews (16)

The best of the series
I liked both of the previous movies in the shrunk series, and "Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves" is no exception. In this third movie of the series, the inventor of the shrinking machine, Wayne (Rick Moranis) accidentally shrinks himself along with his wife Diane (Eve Gordon) and two of his friends. Soon they're running from a roach, riding toy cars down what will seem to them like a real roller coaster since they're so small, and they're watching their mischievous kids do things that they were told not to do. All the while, they have to find a way to get their kids' attention and be revitalized to being their real size.

"Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves" is great just like the previous two movies. Myself, I thought it was the best of the three. If you like "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" or "Honey, I Blew Up the Kid," I recommend getting "Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves." It has great special effects, it's an exciting adventure, and it's hilarious.

Honey,They Shrunk The Movie!
Yes they did!This movie is lightweight compared to the other 2 as it was only about an hour and a half long.This was surprising.I feel it was made in a big hurry.However,it is still some enjoyable entertainment.It deserves no awards though.Nothing with so little thought does.

A Discrace to all Disney movies
"Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves" is stupid to all movies, including the scene where the Szalinski Brothers (Pankin/Moranis) were showing their stomachs. I give this 1 star.

This movie is hilarious!
My favorite comedy part was when the parents were all shrunk and Gordon called Wayne's wife Thumbelina. Also, it was funny when Wayne shrunk the Tiki Man, himself, his brother, and their wives, his wife notices the Tiki Man and says, "You thought you could outsmart me and shrink the Tiki Man so I wouldn't notice, well guess what.." and then she shouts at the top of her lungs, "I noticed!!!!!" That was funny. The cockroach and daddy longlegs were cool-looking, 'cept daddy longlegs' creep me out (heheh). I would recommend this movie to any Disney fan because it is really funny. I also liked the part when Wanye was admiring the "detail of this big roach turd". This movie made me laugh, and you will, too!

Pathetic
Talk about bad sequels. Rick Moranis stars in this awful third sequel to the once-funny-and-entertaining "Honey I Shrunk the Kids". The concept basically plays the same way as the first film, but with the adults instead of the kids being shrunk and the inner house instead of the garden as the universe to explore. If you think this sounds interesting, think again. The movie is boring at best, right down an embarrassment at worst.

First of all, the continuity of the series has been completely flushed down the toilet. The only remaining actor of the first movie is apparently Rick Moranis. The actress playing his wife has changed, the actors playing the kids have changed, the ones playing the neighbors have changed... you name it. They try to make us believe this is the same family, but the results are puzzling to say the least.

Second, the story is a rehash of the first one, with not one bit of originality. All the few jokes (and there's barely any) and the dangerous situations presented in the movie are just copied straight from "Honey I Shrunk the Kids".

Third problem, the special effects. I'm sure this has been done on a smaller budget, but they are pathetic, way way worse than the ones appearing in the rest of the series. You're supposed to admire in awe these tiny figures exploring the huge domestic area, but you'll probably end up cringing most of the time.

Fourth problem, to locate the action inside the house is just boring. Only few things happen, and when they happen, they are not thrilling at all. The first movie was amusing because the kids were dealing with nature, the grass, and the bugs that live in it. In this one, the adults (which come up as rather boring, compared to the kids) deal with dust, a cockroach and a cockroach trap. Disgusting.

I don't know why the idea of releasing such a trite sequel to the already moribund series appealed Disney's executives, except maybe because they needed to cash in without spending five minutes thinking about something new. I'm warning you: leave this tasteless cash-in garbage where it should stay: getting dust on the shop's shelves. ... Read more

Description

A noir thriller set in 1948 L.A., pits Detective Harry Lovecraft against a cast of horrors in his search for a stolen book of ultimate mystical power. ' 'Imagine ?Who Framed Roger Rabbit?? with witches and zombies instead of toons.' ' (USA Today.) ' 'A great way to spend an evening.' ' (Entertainment Weekly) ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Guilty Pleasure
This is probably the "guilty pleasure" to top all other guilty pleasures. A made for TV flick that should have been released theatrically. No major stars--though Fred Ward you may remember from "Tremors"--but one of the best made-for-TV movies ever broadcast. No major special effects--no huge explosions--but the ones in the flick are human-sized (like the Borg queen in "Strar Trek") and thus twice as interesting. A lot of in-group jokes for genre lvoers, from Ward as Detective Harry P.Lovecraft to another named Bradbury. A real popcorn thriller that's frequently hilarious to boot. And at the price, one of the best bargains going.

Very good.
It's very good movie, though it'd never win an award. It has few insightful things to say, though you have to over-interpret to see them. One belief I hold dear came from this movie, which is why I don't practice witchcraft is so "...Nothing has a mortgage on my soul." It gives the message not play with things you don't understand. THere should be more movies like this one.

Very good.
This is a pretty good movie, though it'd never win an award. It has few insightful things to say, though you have to over-interpret to see them. One belief I hold dear came from this movie, which is why I don't practice witchcraft is so "...Nothing has a mortgage on my soul." It gives the message not play with things you don't understand. I'd suggest this to fans of H.P. Lovecraft.

BRILLIANT AND HILARIOUS LOVECRAFT SPOOF
Whether you are an "in the closet/out of the closet" Occultist, you'll love this film spoof of the occult in general, and HP Lovecraft in particular. The scene where Fred Ward has a conversation with a real estate agent who praises the fact that her homes are made with "the finest Thaumaturgy" and builder zombies falling in the background will split your gut...no pun intended. Anyone will enjoy this film; but Occultists will howl. Plus, Old Cthulhu never looked so good...

Great way to blow an hour and a half

It's not incisive or heavy and it won't inspire debate, but this movie is an absolute blast nonetheless, and a nice illustration of the fact that a movie doesn't have to be vapid pablum to work as light, fun, happy entertainment. Even the violence isn't anywhere near as gory as it could have been. In general, you'll hit the rewind button 90 minutes after starting the film and be pretty pleased at the way you just spent those 90 minutes.

The story is engaging and fun, Fred Ward (who I've had a soft spot for ever since "The Right Stuff") is perfect as the inexplicably sexy roadworn gumshoe, perfect casting. David Warner plays his standard "Hi, I'm Bob Evil" type of role and does a lovely job at it.

This could have been a lot schlockier than it was if it hadn't been played so straight, but as it is, with the actors playing it *absolutely* straight, you get to enjoy the movie on a variety of levels: just suspending your disbelief and letting yourself fall into the story, and enjoying the general fun of watching it all played so straight. One little wink at the camera would have ruined it.

It's called a comedy, but I'm not sure it is -- it's just that the way the film comes together just has you chuckling out of delight more than laughter. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Five years after Captain Blood made him a swashbuckling star, Errol Flynn returned to the high seas as privateer Captain Thorpe in The Sea Hawk. Flynn plays the dashing gentleman pirate as dedicated patriot, looting Spanish ships for English coffers with the private blessing of Queen Elizabeth (Flora Robson, reprising the role from Fire over England). The film opens with a rousing sea battle: broadside cannon fire sends masts falling and splinters a-flying before Flynn's men take their Spanish quarry in a furious shipboard cutlass battle. The fearless fighter becomes a stumbling schoolboy when he falls for the Spanish ambassador's niece, but he's back in his element when he sails to the New World for treasure and lands in the middle of a deadly conspiracy. Big-eyed beauty Brenda Marshall stands in for Flynn's usual love interest Olivia de Havilland, and the film misses the latter's sass and spirit, but it's a minor shortcoming. Claude Rains plays his usual smoothly conniving villain, and hearty Alan Hale returns as Flynn's loyal sidekick. Michael Curtiz proves once again why he was Warner Brothers' top director with a handsome, action-packed film that mixes intrigue and suspense with grand set pieces, concluding with a rousing series of escapes, chases, and a runaway sword fight. Classic Hollywood swashbuckling at its best. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Right up there with the top 10!
This movie has to be seen to be believed. It's an absolutely fabulous film. Director Michael Curtiz is, in my opinion, one of the great storytellers of all time. (After all, he directed "Casablanca" only two years after "The Sea Hawk.") This is a film unencumbered by flashback sequences and neurotic characters. At the same time, the characters are rich and complicated, all of them caught in an escalating war between England and Spain. These were symbolic when the film was made for the Allies and the Nazis, and you can almost feel the actors' intensity over their uncertainty of the future, and Erich Korngold's music is probably his masterpiece in conveying not only chivalry and heroism, but an extraordinary longing for freedom and release from political aggression.

Like the other reviewers have noted, Errol Flynn is at his best. The cast is generally superb, although I would have cast something closer to a real Spaniard for Don Alvarez instead of - again! - Claude Rains. As a Spaniard, he should at least have tempered his British accent. Flora Robson as Queen Elizabeth I is simply the best Elizabeth I have ever seen on film. (Sorry Bette Davis and Judi Dench.)

This film is not only thrilling, dashing, and heartwarming, it is really "about" something. And since September of 2001, this film has suddenly taken on yet a new meaning for our own time.

I am holding my breath for a DVD of this soon?? And please, be careful with the sound transfer. The music for this film is one of the finest film scores ever composed.

FLYNN IN HIS ELEMENT
An English privateer learns the Spanish are going to invade England with their Armada....Even without the benefit of Olivia de Havilland and Technicolor, this is a prime Errol Flynn outing. After CAPTAIN BLOOD proved to be such a gold mine, Warner Bros. put writer Delmer Daves to work adapting another Rafael Sabatini novel THE SEA HAWK; it ranks as one of Flynn's best all-round films, and remains a beautiful picture to see and hear. The 1.7 million dollar budget was lavish by 1940 standards; an enormous new sound stage was inaugurated for the film. Two newly built full-scale ships - one 165' long, the other 135' - both surrounded by 12 feet of water (!) helped make the opening of the movie an amazing, crammed-with-detail piece of filmmaking. The musical score by Erich Wolfgang Korngold was his last for an historical pageant and one of his best; his score splendidly captures the "sweep and roll" of 16th century ships. It's interesting to compare Flora Robson's interpretation of Queen Elizabeth I to Bette Davis's. Both are intelligent and convincing, but Robson conveys level-headedness with flashes of temper while Davis (in THE PRIVATE LIVES OF ELIZABETH AND ESSEX, which she made with Flynn one year prior) projects distinctly neurotic and indecisive aspects of her character. Flynn's performance is good and believable; he chose a relatively quiet, restrained delivery here and he was at the apex of his career both looks and performance-wise. The term was "sea dogs" was conveniently changed to "sea hawks", thereby refuting history and confusing Sabatini buffs, but giving a 'raison d'etre' to the saleable and dramatic title the studio decided to retain. Available colorized, which is advantageous for some, and an affront to others.

One of the great swashbuckler films
A REVIEW BY NICK EVANGELISTA:
The Sea Hawk is one of the great swashbuckler films of all time. Errol Fylnn was in top form for the movie. The fencing is a joy to watch. As the author of The Encyclopdia of the Sword and The Art and Science of Fencing, and the publisher of Fencers Quarterly Magazine, I recommend it highly.

Fabulous High Seas Adventure
This movie deserves 5 stars and so I had to vote. Great adventure, message, and appropriate for children. The action and story is awesome.

Stunning Errol Flynn Adventure On The High Seas
"The Sea Hawk" is the definitive swashbuckling tale and captures legendary actor Errol Flynn at his most dynamic. He was an actor born for these type of romantic action roles as seen in the earlier classics "Captain Blood", and "The Adventures of Robin Hood". This film reveals Flynn in a tailor made role when he was at the peak of his physical fitness, and athletic prowess and he brings a new maturity and depth to his character here after 5 years of top stardom at Warner Brothers. "The Sea Hawk", is everything a good high seas adventure should be with eye filling adventure, exotic locations, romance, dashes of intrigue and superb swordplay.

With the the huge box office returns Warner's got for "Captain Blood", it was certain that Errol Flynn would be the natural choice to head any future productions of lavish pirate tales being filmed by the studio. That encore came along in another adventure story written by Rafael Sabatini "The Sea Hawk",which Warner's planned as one of their most lavish productions for 1940. Discarding most of the original novel writers Koch and Miller fashioned an exciting and beautiful screenplay that worked wonderfully on screen. "The Sea Hawk", tells the story of British Privateer Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe (Errol Flynn), who with secret backing from Queen Elizabeth (Flora Robson), sets out on many voyages designed to harrass the Spanish Empire while enriching the British treasury with plunder from the Spanish Galleons that Thorpe raids on their way back from the New World. An adventure of a different sort confronts Thorpe when he inadvertently captures a Spanish ship that happens to be carrying the new Spanish Ambassador Don Jose Alvarez de Cordoba (Claude Rains),and his niece Dona Maria (Brenda Marshall) to England. What initially starts out as outrage at the injustice done to her by Dona Maria slowly turns to love as she sees Thorpe's humane side in rescueing the unfortunate slaves from the Spanish ship's galleys and in seeing to her comfort on the journey to England. Once in England after a superficial reprimand from the secretly pleased queen for the benefit of her Spanish guests, Thorpe and the other Sea Hawks press her about the seriousness of King Phillip of Spain's threat to England's security with the mighty Armada he is planning. Capt. Thorpe plans to attack the Spanish before they are ready to sail and with the Queen Elizabeth's un-official blessing secretly plans a voyage to the Carribean to raid more Spanish vessels to get more gold to help build England's defense fleet. He however doesn't count on English spy Lord Wolfingham who by underhanded means finds out about the voyage and warns the Spanish Ambassador of Thorpe's intent. Once the privateers are in Panama they are ambushed by the Spanish in a trap and sentenced to life imprisonment as galley slaves. All seems lost until Thorpe and his men orchestrate an escape plan which sees them get back to England. Aware that the Queen has been forced to put an arrest order on all Sea Hawks in England, Capt. Thorpe literally fights his way room by room to get to the Queen along the way duelling to the death with his enemy the traitorous Lord Wolfingham. Pardoned by the Queen the preparations to defend England from the growing threat of the Armada are put into place beginning with a rousing speech by the Queen about the need for the nation to be united as one in times of adversity.

"The Sea Hawk", is a stunning "A" class production despite it's strange absence of colour photography. It contains great work by Errol Flynn who is in turn rogueish and athletic on the high seas and then refined and subdued in the romantic and court scenes. The supporting cast is headed by "Flynn regular", Alan Hale in the role of Thorpe's offsider in adventure Mr. Pitt, and the lovely Brenda Marshall as Dona Maria who has just the right dark icy beauty to be perfect as the upright noblewoman who is melted by love for Capt. Thorpe. Claude Rains lends his usual excellent suport to the role of the Spanish Ambassador and Henry Daniell steals ever scene he is in as the traitor Lord Wolfingham. Flora Robson in a great performance also lends impressive support in the smaller role of Queen Elizabeth and delivers a totally convincing and balanced interpretation of this famous woman, at times stern and authoritian and at others almost playful and very human in her dealings with Thorpe. The "Sea Hawk", production christened the huge new sound stage at Warner's built to accomodate this huge production and two full sized galleons were constructed for the sea bound action scenes. With a huge budget of almost 2 million dollars the costumes, sets, and attention to historical detail are unsurpassed. Erich Wolfgang Korngold's sweeping Academy Award nominated musical score is one of the best in his distinguished career and really enhances the overall impact of the story. The recently restored "Sepia " sequence is also a highlight during the Panama scenes and it's murky quality really lends atmosphere to the hot swamp scenes when the men are being pursued by the Spainards and are dying of fatigue.

For all lovers of swashbuckling adventures you need go no further than the Michael Curtiz directed pirate classic "The Sea Hawk". This film is certainly what the legend of Errol Flynn is all about and his obvious appeal to movie goers is very evident in his powerful screen charisma here. Many copies of "The Sea Hawk", have been made but none come close to it in great story telling, lively performances and beautiful production values. "The Sea Hawk", is classic Hollywood at its very best and is esential viewing for all classic movie lovers. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

My Fair Lady 30th Anniversary Collector's Edition
I really enjoyed the movie. I was never into these types of movies until my girlfriend sat me down and had me watch it. I loved it and world recomend that everyone see it at least once and give it a chance ... Read more

Reviews (4)

This Show Should have Complete Seasons On DVD!
I was 13 when Mork and Mindy originally came on TV and I thought it was a cute show and funny too. I remember that stores were selling suspenders just like Mork's and a lot of kids were wearing them to school. Robin Williams was hilarious and adorable as alien from outerspace Mork and Pam Dawber was great as Mindy the young woman who finds him and lets him stay in her apartment. I also thought Conrad Janis was great as Mindy's father and so was the actress who played Mindy's grandma. This may not have been the best sitcom of all time and isn't quite as good as classics like I Love Lucy, Taxi or The Mary Tyler Moore Show but Mork and Mindy was a cute show with enjoyable episodes and I want to see it released in complete season DVD boxsets!

Mork And Mindy
I'm 13 years old and I wasn't even around when Mork And Mindy came to telvision and as soon as i heard about the show i got a video of vol.1. When I finished watching the video I was so impressed by the acting of Robin Williams, and I was because Robin Williams is my favorite actor. In vol.1 the eposides that are on there are the fist eposide which is "Mork Moves In" and the 7th eposide witch is "Mork Goes Public". In the first eposide on the tape it's about how Mork comes to Earth and meets Mindy lives with her, but Mindy's farther does not want Mork to live with her. Will Mork stay on Earth? In the 2nd eposide a reporter is looking for an alien to put in his magzine, so Mindy tries to hid Mork from him. Will Mork be gone for good?

So, So Video Quality
The show "Mork & Mindy" is a pretty good show. Pam Dawber, Robin Williams, and Elizabeth Kerr were great in it.

But the video quality [is quite poor]! It is recorded in SLP/EP mode. Now, this is okay for shows that are released in black and white, but not for shows in color. The image looks like it was recorded off TV, and the episodes were the standard cut versions that were shown on Nick at Nite from 1991-1995, and the now dead FOX Family Channel. They could've either:

A: Included more episodes for our money, or
B: Have Taped it in SP Mode if They Only Wanted Two Episodes On It

I think another company other then Paramount Video should release "Mork & Mindy" and it's sister series, "Happy Days" and "Laverne & Shirley"

excellent
mork and mindy have always been a fav of mine, i would like to purchase all season episodes, but can i? i haven't even seen it advertised in australia, what a waste, can someone tell me how i can get all the videos, without having to order them individually? ... Read more

Description

A couple expecting a baby discover it's a monster that kills when it's scared. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

"What's wrong with my baby!!?"
One of the great cult films of the '70's, Larry Cohen's "It's Alive" plays less as a horror film than as a psychological drama, smartly focusing on the emotional devastation wrought on the marriage of the parents, Frank and Leonor Davis (well played by John Ryan and Sharon Farrell) and, to a lesser extent, their existing eleven-year-old son Chris. The theme Cohen plays with is less a "monster on the loose" picture than one in which the very human parents are forced to confront the ugly consequences in which society, and particularly the media, want only to feed on and exploit the pain of individuals thrust into a situation beyond their immediate comprehension or control. Farrell, (understandably) close to the edge of insanity, still maintains a mother's love for her child - no matter what it might look or behave like. Ryan, seeing this as a slam against his manhood, simply refuses to accept that this "child" is anything that he could have fathered. The film also raises dark questions concerning the pharmaceutical industry's cynical promotion of birth-control drugs and their side-effects, as well as a speculating on the effect pollutants in the air and water might have on our bodies. (A theme revisited by director Phillip Kaufmann in the 1978 version of "Invasion of the Body Snatchers").

Unfortunately, these themes are a bit hamstrung by Larry Cohen's flat-footed direction; there are some great, and funny scenes to be sure (the milkman comes to mind), but the film is unsure whether it wants to be a social satire or a real horror film. Ironically, it ends up being neither; the "Davis baby" actually emerges as a truly tragic figure, crawling up alongside King Kong and Frankenstein's monster (who Ryan's character makes reference to in the film) as a poor creature unwittingly thrown into the harsh world of mankind, which always fears and hates what it doesn't understand.

Flaws aside, this is still a great example of how far out (and how much sick fun) horror films of the '70's could be. Even though this was distributed by a major studio (Warner Bros.), this was essentially a low-budget independent film. The "baby" was created by the brilliant, multiple Oscar-winning makeup artist Rick Baker. At the time the film was made, the "baby" puppet didn't permit (nor did the budget) any of the cable-control mechanisms inside to create movement, as Baker and his crew would later use to great effect on "An American Werewolf in London", "Harry and the Hendersons" and "Gorillas in the Mist". Still, few could argue that the "Davis baby" is one of the wildest and most bizarre characters ever to emerge from '70's horror films.

Highly dated, but still recommended nonetheless!

Funny, Ferocious Fun!
" It's Alive " is a part of a horror series directed by Larry Cohen, the sequels are " It Lives Again " and " It's Alive III : Island Of The Alive. " But before we get to those sequels, let's talk about this cult classic, of baby-time carnage!!

I absolutely love this movie and its sequels, I once watched, I believe all three films on Monstervision, hosted by Joe Bob Briggs. It was ofcourse during the nightly hours. I was just captured and must say these flicks are certainly some of the great mid-night horror marathon movies. I don't give a damn how long ago they came out, these are cheese-ball, absolutely hilarious classics! The humour is, intentional or not, abundantly apart of the fun. This first one picks up with a normal man and his wife who have a baby, who turns out to be a monster baby. The man is John P. Ryan, and his wife, Sharon Farrell, two marvelous actors in this movie. The supporting cast is there too. The Rick Baker babies may look cheesy, but its all apart of the fun. Some of the funnest moments come when the baby is running amock, attacking, milk men, and all sorts of prey. Also the score, by Bernard Herrmann (Psycho) is perfect, absolutely perfect. His last score by the way before his death was " It Lives Again, " the remarkable sequel, which is even better, and keep a look out for the third picture too, not as good as 1 & 2, but still just a great fun time.

It's a B-Movie Classic!
Larry Cohen has always had fun making no-frills, slightly creepy "B" Horror movies. As a result, his films tend to be non-cerebral, quirky, violent, cheesy-looking, infectiously funny, and, most of all, fun. It is in this spirit of fun that I write this review for one of Cohen's most memorable and fun films, IT'S ALIVE! (1974).

The plot is simple: a relatively normal (though slightly quirky) middle-aged couple with an 11-year-old son, who decided to have one more child, is going through what is obviously a prolonged, painful pregnancy for the expectant soon-to-be-second-time-mother. The Davis family, consisting of Frank (John P. Ryan), Lenore (Sharon Farrell) and Chris (Daniel Holzman) just want to get through it, already. Lenore finally goes into labor one night, and the whole family drives to the hospital, during which time Frank tries to lighten the mood with a little humor. During the interminable wait in the hospital lobby, Frank overhears two men discussing something about the toxins being released into the environment and how scientists are warning of the possible mutations this could cause for humans. Suddenly, a badly wounded doctor comes stumbling out of the O/R and drops dead on the hallway floor. Frank and the others run into the room to find a scene of sheer horror: five doctors and nurses dead, their throats all torn and bloody. As they stare in shock and amazement, Lenore (who is uninjured) delivers the chilling news: she gave birth to a newborn baby monster. As Frank and the police try to find the Davis' mutated son, who had escaped the hospital through a ventilation shaft, Baby Davis tries to find his way home by himself, dispatching several unaware victims in the process. Frank is torn amongst his feelings of protectiveness for his son, of the sense of duty to snuff out this newborn killer's life, and anger at those he feels are overly anxious to kill him.

I have rented this film and seen it on three separate occasions (all on VHS, of course; unfortunately, Warner Brothers has not yet seen fit to issue it on DVD) and it gives me something new to focus on each time. The first time, it was the visceral violence of the film (it is quite bloody); the second time, it was the sheer campiness of the whole thing. The third time, it was the emotional suffering of Frank Davis, as he tries to simultaneously make sense of the situation, figure out what his newborn monstrosity will do next, and to make it right.

Although all of the acting in the film is effective and dependable, none stands out more than John P. Ryan. I love his goofiness at the beginning of the film as he's talking to his "young whipperschnapper" son in a comic Humphrey Bogart-meets-Edward G. Robinson voice. I like the effectiveness of the quiet, tense scene that takes place right after the horrible slaying in the hospital, in which the police try to dance lightly around Frank as they begin to ask him uncomfortable questions at this very awkward time. Frank's foot-shifting, equally uncomfortable responses and increasing agitations hit just the right note, and are a subtle example of great Method Acting. Finally, I like the heartbreakingly somberness of the climactic, and inevitable, final scene.

The PG-rating for IT'S ALIVE! remains something of a deceptive mystery; it IS quite bloody, although there isn't much in the way of graphic gore. Still, this got rather strong ratings abroad: According to IMDb, it received a "15" rating in Sweden, an "18" rating in both the U.K. and The Netherlands (the numbers referring to the age at/above to which the film's viewership was restricted), an "R" rating in Australia, and in Finland, it was banned!

I know it's cheesy, I know that you hardly see the monster baby (which, given the lack of special effects, was probably a good thing and even added to the suspense), and I know that future multiple-Oscar-winning makeup genius Rick Baker was basically beginning to learn his craft here; the fact is, I find it impossible not to like IT'S ALIVE! If you love those late-night creepy old movies, then you know you will like this too. You've got to admit, you like this kind of stuff--and director Larry Cohen sure makes it fun to watch!

RECOMMENDED
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FOR FANS OF 1970'S FILMS

Terrible.
This movie is rotten. It's not scary enough to be a legitimate horror movie or funny enough to be a comedy. Instead, it's like a bad high school film project. Stiff acting, long boring periods where nothing interesting is going on, and a dopey looking monster baby puppet straight from the corner toy store. However, I did sympathize with the anguished cries of the monster baby, because that's exactly how I felt after watching this junk.

Songs that Acompany this trilogy
This is more like an inquiry....! I was just wondering if anyone out there knows the Hit single that was released from one of these movies, if so can you leave a message letting me know what it is called and by who

Thank you, Regards

Johnny ... Read more

Reviews (243)

Bruce Lee's got nothin' on the Boss
Jet Li, affectionately called Boss Li in Hong Kong, stars in this remake of Bruce Lee's Chinese Connection (a.k.a. Fists of Fury in China). The difference is this one's better. You don't agree? I'll do my best to convert ya. Li stars as Chen Zhen, a student in 1930's Japanese occupied China. He returns home upon receiving news of his master's death, who was supposedly beaten by a Japanese master in a challenge. Li smells a rat and challenges the Japanese master in return, to find the master's fighting ability's terribly inadequate to have defeated his old master. Li has the body exhumed and tested for poison, and we find that the old master was indeed murdered after all. And Li wants revenge. This is a truly amazing flick. The fights, performed with minimal wire work as found in other period martial arts pieces, are a showcase for the stupifyingly amazing martial abilities of it's star, and standout moments include the opening fight between Li and a slew of Japanese fighters and the duel between Li and his japanese girlfriend's uncle, an older, wiser fighter who, before the duel, insists that older fellas need a minute or two to warm up. Unlike the Bruce Lee film the Japanese are not presented as monsters, and this film goes out of it's way to prove it, whereas the Lee film goes out of it's way to show how heinous they are. Jet Li is a true phenomenon, and to quote the Hong Kong movie oriented book,...'Nuff said.

You Won't Believe What You Are Watching
Fist of Legend is a true powerhouse of a Kung-Fu movie, where 2 minute dialog scenes only serve to bridge the most amazing martial arts fights you will ever watch. This movie is a remake of Bruce Lee's "Chinese Connection", which is appropriate, because Jet Li deservingly surpasses the Master in skill and talent with his performance in this movie. Forget dialog and acting, the fighting absolutely rules this movie, and the story is told thru the fighting, like any good action movie should do. I consider this film to be the Best Matrial Arts movie ever made.

Jet Li plays a star kung-fu student returning from afar to avenge his master's death. Along the way, he fights just about everyone he sees. While there are a couple of large-scale gang wars, most action scenes are 2 man duels. These duels advance the plot and develop the characters while they dish out the action, just like the kung-fu in the Matrix, or the lightduels in the Star Wars films. These fighters dig deep into themselves, get out old grudges they have with old friends, and learn about the mysterious ways of the universe as they watch it flow through their bodies. Everything is present in the punches and kicks of this film - power, grace, spiritual peace, comedy, raging emotion, revenge, personal courage. Wire-work is subtle and restrained, and takes a backseat to Li's amazing speed and precision. If you are reminded of The Matrix you have a sharp eye, because the same choreographer worked on this film, and it shows. Many of the little touches in the Matrix were lifted from this movie, in homage to its genius. One unbelievable moment has Jet Li fighting a Japanese master while both are blindfolded. The finale is a gruelly 40 minute duel between Li and an absolute evil bad-guy, two towering masters giving their absolute 100%. In the end, you are just as exhausted as the fighters are, but you certainly had more fun.

"Fist of Legend" is definitely a must-buy, as you'll get many, many viewings out of this film.

Essential To Any Kung Fu Fan.
I am already a huge fan of jet li, and this is the movie that started my whole fandom. This is my favorite kung fu movies without a doubt, the fighting scenes are terrific, the story line was in my opinion good although ive heard the talk about how this movie copies the bruce lee movie "fists of fury/chinese connection" and to me, that really didnt make the movie any less spectatular. i myself own many bruce lee and jet li movies, and personally i enjoy this movie over all of them, but thats just me.. definately a must buy for any kung fu fan. makes matrix look pathetic, and w/o all the flying either

Inspiring
This is my favorite Jet Li movie of all time. Jet put Bruce to shame with this remake of the 1970s classic. I really enjoyed the way he blended his traditional northern shaolin style with that of Bruce's Wing Chun inspired style.

The fight scenes were excellent, and of course the story was too.

there's no way i'm gonna rate this less than 5 stars, but...
ok, awesome kung fu film, required viewing for any even casual fan of the genre, jet li exhibits amazing speed and skill, little wire work, good costumes, great blindfolded fight, amazing final fight scene, good humor, easy to follow story, excellent fight coreography by the legendary yuen wo ping.

but.

let's face it. american distributors simply have to stop editing these foreign films, dubbing them into english, and assuming it won't make a difference. it makes a HUGE difference, and this is glaringly obvious through this DVD release of fist of legend. while the english dubbing in this film isn't as awful as it could have been, it still takes away immensely from the film. the mood is totally thrown off by the english dubbing, and it's almost hard to take the movie seriously as a result of this. do yourself a favor and hunt down the taiwanese uncut fist of legend DVD with the original language tracks and english subtitles! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

better than what's said about it
this will be a very short review.The movie worked if you have patience,and the actors earn your attention.There was good chemistry between the two characters.ever see "Waiting for Godot"?This ain't a bad movie at all.She's done worse.

Oh, dear...what were they thinking?
Who greenlighted this dreadul spin on THELMA & LOUISE meets ALICE DOESN'T LIVE HERE ANYMORE!?? The wasted talents of Barbara Hershey and Carol Lynley are only the top of the list of problems with this one... Poor direction, sloppy Script Supervision and overall pointlessness make this entirely forgettable. .. Bizarre!

Insomnia? This is better than Sominex...
The only reason I purchaed this video was for the appearance of the fabulous Carol Lynley -- whose tiny role was cut to "don't blink or you'll miss it" status.

As much as I love both Barbara Hershey and Naveen Andrews (whose doing-the-nasty scene atop the hood of the taxi was the only thing that perked me up for a few brief moments), I can't find a single thing to recommend the rest of the movie, which is simply long, slow, and mesmerizing in its pointlessness. I don't know if the problem is in the writing or the direction -- I was too glazed over by the end credits to make a sound judgment.

Worth it only if you need to complete your video collection for one of the aforementioned stars -- or if sleeping pills just don't work for you. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Seven Deadly Sins - 1962
This is an awesome classic!!!

In the 'sloth' segment I saw the most beautiful body on earth. I was a twenty year old college student when I viewed this movie at the Times Fine Art theater in Milwaukee in 1962.

Her name, I believe, is Danielle Aubry. I have made love to women with gorgeous... but Danielle is still #1 even after all these (40) years.

There are also some socially redeeming qualities about this film but I forgot what they were.

GM ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Not So Bad, Actually
All right. I know practically no one likes this movie, but . . . I don't think it was that terrible. I know some parts of it were almost forced (Sybok was really over-done, and Scotty/Uhura? Ack.), but I really loved the acting of the major characters, McCoy in particular (especially the scene with his father). William Shatner may not get the best praise from the classic Trek supporting cast, but I liked his directing job. Overall, I can't say the movie was spectacular, but it made me laugh a lot. And it was better than some of the other movies as well (::cough-cough:: Insurrection ::cough-cough::). I really don't see why people hate this film so much. I think that the quest for God was an admirable endeavor on Shatner's part, and though I can see why that would make some people uneasy, I think it turned out great. Taking into account the limited budget allotted to make Star Trek V, the film was better than what you'd expect it to be.

Glad it was made into a movie
This was the last S.E. Hinton book to be made into a movie. Of course the book was better, but that goes without saying (for most films). Two very close teens, Mark, and Bryon live together with Bryon's mom. Mark's parents killed each other in a fight when Mark was a child. Bryon grows to maturity, and Mark wants to hold on to the good ol' days. Bryon gets a girlfriend and things look serious. Mark get's jealous and resentful. Mark turns to drug dealing, and deals some drugs to Bryon's girlfriend's brother, M&M. M&M loses his mind and is drugged out in a hippie type drug house. Things get heated between these two brothers, and Bryon is faced with a life changing decision. Good coming of age drama. Emilio Estevez wrote the screenplay to the Hinton book, but,unlike the other projects, she had nothing to do with the making of this movie. Morgan Freeman plays a very "cool" bartender in this movie.

This Is Not A Star Trek Movie, Folks!!!!
I can't explain why the reviews for Star Trek keep coming up, but this a movie based on an S.E. Hinton novel. A very good novel that I'm afraid wasn't adapted well to the big screen. The parts of the book that were followed were good, but there was entirely way too much foul language that was NOT in the novel, plus I was disappointed that the music and setting were strictly 80's. The book took place in late 60's early 70's. If you've never read the novel, you'll be mislead. If you've read the novel???? Well, Emilio Estevez is in it. That helps.

Is Amazon Screwey?
Since when does Star Trek Reviews end up on a review page for "That Was Then... This Is Now" staring Emeilio Estevez, Craig Schaifer, and Kim Delany? I Think Amazon.com has finally gotten to big to manage their own content!!!

However, this movie is one of the best movies that Emelio Estevez has acted in. We all know that [Estevez] had better rolls and was a more passionate actor during the earlier part of his career, that [this movie] demonstrates his acting ability.

The story is simple: two boys grow up together and feel like they are brothers. One of the boys [Estevez] gets caught up in the wrong crowd and ends up in jail. The other boy played by Schaifer tries to help [Estevez] stay on the straight and narrow.

Good story by the auther of the "The Outsiders", S.E. Hinton.

This is an under-rated film. Better then all the TNG movies
Given the very cheap look and budgets that the Rick berman Star Trek movies have had, it's amazing that Paramount has not already pulled the plug on the freature movies when it seems that they have still so much to tell. The era of the TOS movies have seen the fair share of comparsions to how Harve Bennet, Ralph Winter, Nick Meyer, and the various production teams that they worked with, starting with Star Trek III and continueing to Star Trek VI, how they approached each movie and how they pulled it off given the budgets and time that they were allowed for. These new special DVDs have been very informative in how the movies were made, and showed what happened with they were treated as films (and not big budget TV episodes that Berman has foolishly done). Case in point is Star Trek V. An actually pretty good movie that made some valid points about friendship and loyality. In that way, it had more substance to it then most other big budget sci-fi movies had to offer (or not.) This movie was certainly better then Generations, First Contact, and Inserection. And I still stand by that. ... Read more

Description

A man returns to his small Maine hometown to find it overrun with vampires. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

A Return to Salem's Lot
Larry Cohen wrote and directed this film which is very loosely based on the vampire legend of 'Salem's Lot. Stephen King had nothing to do with the making of this movie.

The plot (what little there was) was inane and virtually non-existent throughout most of the film. The acting wasn't great, either, not by fault of the actors, but because of the script. The weak attempts at humor are more pathetic than funny.

Here is the bit of plot I managed to glean: Joe Webber, played by Michael Moriarty, is an anthropologist who takes his son, Jeremy to Salem's Lot, where a colony of vampires has taken over the town. (Hmmm, wonder where THEY came from?) Well, the fact becomes clear that these blood suckers have no or very little association with the original vampires in Salem's Lot.

Webber visits Aunt Clara, played by June Havoc, the sole common character to this movie and the original novel. (Ben Mears mentioned an Aunt Clara in he original 'Salem's Lot.) Sadly, all similarities to the original end here. These vampires rely on human assistants for protection and provisions (human victims). And they want Webber to write a book about them. They should have also begged him to write a script.

Andrew Duggan bears the paper-thin character of Judge Axel as best he can. Evelyn Keyes stars as his wife. Even with Samuel Fuller as Van Meer and David Holbrook as a human assistant to the vampires, this movie cannot be salvaged, not even for spare body parts.

surprisingly good vampire movie
Having seen the first movie, read the book, and being a big Stephen King fan, I didn't have my hopes up for this "sequel" (when I was finally able to find it). However, I was surprised to find that this is actually a very enjoyable movie.

A Return to Salem's Lot doesn't really have anything to do with the first film or the book, but it stands on its own as a good vampire movie. The music for the film, mostly fast-paced organ music, seemed original and was strangely effective. The violence was occasionally remiscent of Romero's Living Dead series. The acting was decent and some of the dialogue is (sometimes unintentionally) funny. And you can't forget the scenes of vampires sucking the blood from a cow!

I'm not a huge vampire movie fan per se, but this was a very enjoyable film. I'd even go so far as to say that this is what all horror movies should be like. Highly recommended.

Corny piece of "terror"
I just saw this movie. I actually enjoyed the first one and the book, but this is kind of a mix between a cheese comedy and a very low budget horror film. The history develops around a town of vampires, settled since the colony times, and an antropologist "invited" to write a revindicative book about them. Well, it might sound interesting, but it looses interest at the mid point.
Save some bucks and buy other thing, or if you are too curious, rent it.

A YOUNG Tara Reid plus FILMED in MY HOMETOWN!
That's right, when you watch this movie...the young vampire girl who is hanging around Moriarty's son all the time is a YOUNG Tara Reid (from American Pie 1/2, Urban Legend, etc.). Enough of that though. The real reason I love this movie is because the majority of it was filmed in my hometown of Newbury, Vermont. The school where the Vamp kids hang out is the elementary school where I spent my grade school days, and the house with the Antique shop out front is where my friend Toby used to live (well, his parents still live there). I wish this movie would be released on DVD!!!!

A Horror Film for People Who Don't Like Horror Films
Actually, this little movie has a number of things to recommend it. A youthful Michael Moriarty looks charming romping about in baggy shirts and cargo pants with a camera slung over his shoulder. And there's a geriatric Indiana Jones---ex-Nazi killer, now Vampire slayer--played by a no-nonsens Samuel Fuller. When these two actors team up at the end of the film, along with Ricky Addison Reed who plays Moriarty's young son--it's really a lot of fun. There are also two eye-popping love scenes involving Katya Crosby, although the size of Ms. Crosby physical endowments seems to be in inverse proportion to her acting ability. And the film is riddled with amusing moments---some unintentional (B grade actors who looked as if they were cast because they just happened to wander onto the set at the right moment) but also intentional ones (hilarious dialogue deliver by actors with deadpan commitment). All in all, this movie is a great choice if you're looking for something TOTALLY DIFFERENT! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Nobody made a fuss about The Comancheros when it came out, yet it has proved to be among the most enduringly entertaining of John Wayne's later Westerns. The Duke, just beginning to crease and thicken toward Rooster Cogburn proportions, plays a veteran Texas Ranger named Jake Cutter. When we first see him (in a tongue-in-cheek delayed entrance), he's catching up with a New Orleans dandy (Stuart Whitman) who killed a judge's son in a duel just after that gentlemanly practice was banned. Monsieur Paul Regret--or "Mon-sooor," as Jake insists on calling him--is not a bad fellow, let alone a badman, and it only follows that, after the requisite number of misunderstandings, he and Jake will join forces to subdue rampaging Indians and the evil white men behind their uprising.

The Comancheros was the last credit for Michael Curtiz, who, ravaged by cancer, ceded much of the direction to Wayne (uncredited) and action specialist Cliff Lyons. With support from Wayne stalwarts James Edward Grant (coscreenplay) and William Clothier (camera), the first of many rousing Elmer Bernstein scores for a Wayne picture, and a big, flavorful cast including Lee Marvin (the once and future Liberty Valance), Nehemiah Persoff, Bruce Cabot, and Guinn "Big Boy" Williams (in his last movie), they made a broad, cheerfully bloodthirsty adventure movie for red-meat-eating audiences of all ages. Even the liberal-pinko Time magazine had to second the salute from leading lady Ina Balin at film's end: "Take care of yourself, Big Jake ... we've sort of gotten used to you." --Richard T. Jameson ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Lightweight but entertaining John Wayne western.
John Wayne rules in this big, sprawling western adventure film. The screenplay, co-written by western novelist Clair Huffaker, struggles with the historical accuracy of Texas in the 1840s and the rifles seem a little advanced for 1843, but, nit-picking aside, this is an entertaining film. Texas Ranger Jake Cutter (Wayne) and sometime gambler Paul Regret (Stuart Whitman) go under cover after a vicious army of outlaw raiders known as "Comancheros," led by the diabolical Graile (Nehemiah Persoff). Hard-hitting, large scale action sequences deftly directed by Michael Curtiz, who directd some of Errol Flynn's better adventure films, will please action-adventure fans. The movie includes a comfortable blend of action, suspense, and humor with occasional serious overtones of duty, friendship, and the love of a good woman. Taken within the context of the film that isn't as corny as it might sound. Great outdoor color photography adds to the appeal. A pulse-pounding musical score by Elmer Bernstein matches the excitement. Lee Marvin makes the most of his costarring role as Tully Crow, one of the West's wildest bad men. Watch for the hilarious vignette featuring Edgar Buchanan as a judge of dubious integrity. Ditto the comic relief segment with Guinn "Big Boy" Williams as a seemingly bewildered gunrunner. There is nothing intellectual or artistic to say of this movie, but it's good old fashioned fun. Recommended viewing.

Classic, Crowd-Pleasing Duke!
You can see by the title that I am a John Wayne fan, and this rip-roaring Western is one of the reasons why. With equal portions of rousing action, humor, and drama, this film keeps your interest and, like the Duke's performance, never loses its authenticity. It's said that John Wayne took over direction of some of the action sequences, and they're great. There are well-drawn, clear differences between the good buys and bad guys, but the characters are human and developed enough for the actors to sink their teeth into, which all do with gusto. By this time in his career, the Duke only had to show up on screen to be the authentic Western hero, but as usual he goes 'way beyond that, giving a colorful, humorous, absolutely real and terrific performance as the Texas Ranger who helps a man on the wrong side of the law redeem himself and find the woman he loves--as well as stopping a motley, dangerous bunch of white renegades (Comancheros) who are selling weapons to warring Comanche Indians. It's great movie-making and a great couple of hours with the Duke, so check it out!

Drunk Indians
This movie was good for the most part but then again if you dont want to see drunk indians shoot white people then dont worry about seeing it. There were some good parts in this movie but the whole movie was a rather large dissapointment. These Indains would kill people so they could get their Jollies off byy getting alcohol. This movie was very unrealistic(...). I take my reviews very serioulsly. John Wayne was a good actor props to my man Wayne, he's my man.

A Real Entertaining John Wayne Western
THE COMANCHEROS is one of John Wayne's most entertaining Westerns. It has a great cast, story, photography and one of Elmer Bernstein's best scores. The widescreen DVD looks incredible. John Wayne and Stuart Whitman play off each other brilliantly. Lee Marvin as Crow has a small but effective and outrageous character part. There's plenty of action and heroics to go around in this great outdoor adventure. I wish they would make movies like this today.

Excellent Duke western
The Comancheros is another great John Wayne western with a great supporting cast. The story follows Captain Jake Cutter, a Texas ranger, and his efforts to capture a prisoner, and then to infiltrate a group of gunrunners and bandits, the Comancheros. This group has been supplying the Comanches with repeating rifles who then wreak havoc on the area. There is plenty of action here with numerous shootouts, and also plenty of great characters. At parts during this movie, I wondered why the Duke never took more comedic roles since he is very funny in several scenes.

John Wayne plays Captain Jake Cutter, the big, brawling Texas Ranger who attempts to bring in a prisoner who keeps escaping his grasp, "Monsoor" Paul Regret, played by Stuart Whitman very well. Another notable performance is Lee Marvin's Crow, the contact between Cutter and the Comancheros. He doesn't have a very big part, but what is there is very good. The film also stars Ina Balin, Nehemiah Persoff, Michael Ansara, Patrick Wayne, Bruce Cabot, and Joan O'Brien. Elmer Bernstein also turns in another excellent score that has elements of the Sons of Katie Elder and The Great Escape. The DVD offers a widescreen presentation which looks very good, two trailers(one in Spanish), and also Movie Tone News about an award presented involving the movie. More John Wayne movies should be put out like this, and I give credit to the companies putting out so many new ones recently. A very exciting, enjoyable Duke western that all his fans will love! ... Read more

Description

America's favorite wild and zany funnyman, Adam Sandler (THE WEDDING SINGER), scores big laughs in a smash comedy hit where the laughs never run dry! Just an oddball mama's boy from the back bayous of Louisiana, Bobby Boucher (Sandler) never wanted anything more than to quench the thirst of the dehydrated athletes who treat him like dirt! But when Coach Klein (Henry Winkler -- SCREAM) makes the call that allows Bobby to finally stand up for himself, it unleashes a torrent of bottled-up frustration ... and exposes a talent for tackling that transforms him from a meek "water distribution engineer" into the hardest hitter ever to roam the gridiron! Also featuring award-winning Kathy Bates (TITANIC, MISERY) and sexy Fairuza Balk (THE CRAFT) in a hilarious cast of stars -- here's your chance to join the millions everywhere who've proudly stood and cheered for The Waterboy! ... Read more

Reviews (272)

The Waterboy-- Proof of the " I like Adam Sandler Syndrome"
The Waterboy left me scratching my head after watching it on DVD. I found myself wondering why this movie made so much damn money. Adam Sandler was pathetic in his role as a backwoods dullard that went from waterboy to football superstar. He seemed to be playing a much dumber and annoying Forest Gump. Kathy Bates as the insanely overprotective mother was much less annoying than Sandler but still could have been better. It seemed to me that "The Waterboy" tried too hard to make her funny in every seen. Too much snake eating, squirrel shocking, and hair brushing. The whole reference to "the devil" was too repetitive. The transition from her insanity to sanity in the whole hospital scene had no foundation. I thought Henry Winkler was okay as the Football coach with a few nuts and bolts loose. The scene with the Roy Orbison tatoo was shamefully the most intelligent in the movie. Farmer Fran was a total enigma to me. Was it supposed to be funny that you had absolutely no idea what he was saying? I always think that its what people say and do that is funny not what they sound like or move like. I'm not a big fan of the whole waterboy- gets-hit-with-football-everbody-giggle-philosophy.

A feel-good comedy featuring Sandler at his funniest
While The Wedding Singer will probably always be my favorite Adam Sandler movie, The Waterboy is by far his funniest, and I think I actually enjoy this film more each time I watch it. It is the perfect answer for a bad day, as not only is it hilarious and uplifting, it lets you take out some of your own pent-up aggression with each powerful hit Bobby Boucher (Sandler) makes out on the football field. Bobby represents everyone who has ever been excluded, picked on, or ridiculed. While he is not an intellectual giant and does not possess what you call people skills, his kind and simple nature makes him a man among men even before he finds stardom on the gridiron. The boy certainly loves his mama, and Kathy Bates shines in her role as the overprotective, quirky, slightly touched in the head Helen Boucher. If anyone ever questioned Bates' ability to do comedy, this movie should banish all doubts. Fairuza Balk is strangely beguiling as Vicki Vallencourt, a "bad girl" who has long had an interest in Bobby over his mother's objections, and the two make a really strange yet somehow logical couple. Bobby's mother describes Vicki as "the devil," but of course she considers just about every person on the planet besides herself and Bobby to be "the devil."

Bobby's real passion in life is his job as waterboy for the local college football team, a real powerhouse coached by Coach Red Beaulieu (Jerry Reed). When he gets fired, he goes seeking water management employment at South Central Louisiana State University, a legendarily bad team coached by Coach Klein, a very un-Fonzie-like Henry Winkler. When Coach Klein convinces Bobby to defend himself against the taunts of team members, he finds himself looking at a natural-born linebacker. Mama does not want her son playing "foosball," but what Mama does not know won't hurt her (Bobby ingeniously blames all of the cuts and scrapes he acquires during the season on an escaped gorilla). He records a record-shattering sixteen quarterback sacks in his first game, drawing national attention from the real-life sportscasters of ESPN. A magical season unfolds at SCLSU, setting up a Bourbon Bowl meeting of the little college who could and mean old Coach Beaulieu's undefeated championship squad. At this point, certain complications arise, a secret history between Coaches Beaulieu and Klein is revealed, and SCLSU's dream season stands on the point of suddenly becoming a nightmare.

This is not a high-brow comedy, but there is nothing wrong with corny comedy as long as it is funny, and The Waterboy is, to repeat myself, hilarious. Football fans will definitely get a kick out of the way Bobby just destroys his opponents on the field, using several moves that you will not see in the NFL any time soon in the process (certainly not more than once). Perhaps overlooked in the midst of all the comedy is a more serious theme, however. This movie is a story of overcoming obstacles, believing in yourself, and redemption, not just for the ultimate underdog Bobby Boucher but for his mother, Coach Klein, and several other characters. You almost have to feel pumped up and happy in the end, and that counts for a lot in and of itself. Sometimes the good guys do come out on top, or so most of us like to believe in order to get through each day. The Waterboy helps us keep our faith and inspires us to rise above all of the bad things in life and concentrate on such simple yet important matters as family, friendship, love, and always doing your best.

This is one of Adam Sandler's best movies.
The Waterboy is a movie that doesn't require a lot of brain power to figure out, but it's loaded with comedy and hilarious lines from Adam Sandler. One particular part of the movie that I love is when he is in a college class dealing with the agression center of animals and Bobby is asked why alligators are such aggressive creatures. Since his Mama was supposedly right about everything, his answer was "Mama says that alligators are angry 'cause they got all those teeth and no toothbrush." That's comedy, man! Simple comedy, maybe, but it's funny all the same! This is definitely a must-have for any Adam Sandler fan. If you don't like Adam Sandler, then you're not going to like this movie. End of story.

Torn
This movie is very funny in some aspects, however it's very hard to laugh or enjoy in comparison to Happy Gilmore or Billy Madison. I really loved Adam Sandler, however any movie made after Billy or Happy just seemed to lag off really badly, (i.e. Little Nicky, Big Daddy and various others)

I wasn't too thrilled with this one, except Kathy Bates, Blake Clark and Henry Winkler pretty much saved it from drowning (bad pun I know) in its own title.

I'm kind of disappointed with this movie, but I wouldn't say not to watch it or buy it because if you love stupid comedy like I do, then you'll like this. I'm more apt to rent it rather than own it (if I didn't own it already)

Silly and funny
If you like Adam Sandler, you will like this movie.
If you don't like Adam Sandler, then you will not like this movie.

I like Sandler.
This movie was funny, and if analyzed correctly, quite meaningful. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Britain's Ealing Studios was at the top of its game when this classic comedy was released in 1951--one of the all-time best crime-caper comedies and a quintessential example of the witty and subtly subversive Ealing style. Alec Guinness stars as a mild-mannered transporter of gold bullion who has spent 20 years moving gold bars to banks in an armored truck. Then one day he simply decides to help himself to a million British pounds' worth of the gold, but to pull off the heist he enlists and old friend (Stanley Holloway), who sculpts and manufactures paperweights. Once the gold is hijacked, it's molded into souvenir miniatures of the Eiffel Tower and shipped off to Paris, right under the noses of British customs officials on alert for the missing gold. Panic ensues when six of the gold miniatures are mistakenly sold to a group of English schoolgirls, and just when the amateur thieves think they've finally pulled off their heist without a hitch ... well, let's just say this classic comedy has a few climactic tricks up its sleeve. Guinness is in peak form here, and director Charles Crichton (who scored a late-career hit with A Fish Called Wanda over a quarter-century later) keeps the action moving with impeccable British efficiency. Along with The Ladykillers and The Man in the White Suit (both starring Guinness), The Lavender Hill Mob represents the golden age of British comedy, and it's still delightfully entertaining. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Black and white heist flick bathed in purple and gold
I'm usually not a fan of movies featuring bumbling innocents trying to do right, brought down by an endless series of accidents and mistakes. The futility of the whole exercise frustrates me, and I can't find any room for humour in the whole endeavor. "The Lavender Hill Mob" nearly falls into this trap, but thankfully doesn't. The reason it doesn't -- and it's a reason I can't go into without ruining the wonderful surprise ending -- preserves the comedy of this delightful little heist movie.

It's a very subdued comedy. The word on the street led me to believe that wacky hijinks and silly shenanigans would be the order of the day. Not true. Actually, there's a lot of quiet dignity here. Which makes the moments of action that much funnier. Alec Guinness as the mob's "boss" Henry Holland, a 20-year vet of the straight and narrow, is a desperate man, but he always does his best to maintain control in stressful situations. He screws up his face, peers (with glorious wide eyes) knowingly from behind his glasses, and does his best to understand and analyze the predicaments he finds himself in. When he's successful in that endeavor, the proceedings are funny. But when he isn't... well... they're that much funnier. Stanley Holloway plays his cohort, Pendlebury, a disgruntled manufacturer of cheap souvenirs. He's a less menacing, almost innocent Sydney Greenstreet-type, who gets roped into a situation that appears foolproof. Too bad these men aren't fools; they'd have gotten away scott free. It's their intellect that does them in. They're joined by a couple of charismatic career criminals, who may dress the part but seem more at home sipping tea than casing joints. The scene where the four men meet, while simultaneously trying to rob a payroll safe, is a wonderful moment of manners in the face of criminal activity. A joy to watch.

The giggly English schoolgirl scene (a classic) is creepy and disturbing. It's hilarious how a group made up of innocents can be turned menacing in a certain context. Combine the danger of the heights (they're at the top of the Eiffel Tower) with their high pitched giggling, and their tragic effect on the plot, and the girls turn into a dangerous phenomenon. It's quite ludicrous, and very funny. This is followed by a wonderfully surreal chase scene, in which Holland and Pendlebury chase them down via a spiraling staircase. Even though the special effects are cheap and obviously fake, it felt like a ridiculous version of Hitchcock's "Vertigo". It's combination of the stuffy Englishman, the Tower spinning around them, and a wind-whipped trenchcoat tossed overboard makes for some great fun. And the finale, a romp through a police exhibition, has a cool Keystone Cops quality to it that had me giggling with glee.

Unfortunately, at times, deteriorated audio tracks and murky, fuzzy video marred some of the action. Wading through the thick accents would have been tough enough, but when you can't hear their voices (or at worst see their lips move), understanding these men was a trial. Too bad, because what I did manage to hear was charming, witty, and terribly funny.

Classic British Caper Film.
This will be a short review, since I concur with the other positive comments on this classic Ealing comedy, as well as the extensive plot summary ( actually a little too extensive for people who have not seen the film ). I gave it four stars only because I consider "The Ladykillers" to be superior.

As always, Sir Alec shines in the lead role, with fine support from Stanley Holloway and Sidney James, years before his "Carry On" fame. The humour here is dark and subtle, and of course there is a delightful "twist" at the end, an Ealing trade mark.

I found the quality of this DVD to be more than acceptable for a 50 plus year-old film. Some of the location scenes in London are interesting, with areas damaged by the "blitz" in World War II still very evident.

So--if you like comedy with genuine wit and style ( very rare today, in the era of teen-oriented gross-out movies ), you will enjoy this one. Recommended.

A marvelous DVD version of a great Ealing Brothers romp
This marvlous film unites the talents of two of the greatest English comedians of the forties and fifties (Guinness more or less ceased doing comedy in the sixties on): Alec Guinness and Stanley Holloway. Guinness is, of course, one of the most famous and distinguished actors of the past half century, but Holloway is primarily known in the United States for a single role, though by no means his most representative, that of Alfred P. Doolittle in the film version of MY FAIR LADY. In this film we see him at his more typical, more akin to his performances in movies like PASSPORT TO PIMPLICO and BRIEF ENCOUNTER. Guinness, who was so versatile that he had no particular role that was typical of him, shines as a long suffering, faithful bank clerk of whom the old expression "still waters run deep" is especially true. Behind his nonexpressive, stoic face is the soul of a thief who intends to rob the bank of a small fortune. Holloway plays the owner of a very small company that makes tourist trinkets for souvenir shops. They team up to form the Lavender Hill Mob (named for the address of the boarding house in which they both live).

As in so many movies, it isn't the getting there but the going there that's good. The plot takes a definite second place to the performances of the leads. One of my major complaints with Guinness is that the further he went in his career, the more he foresook comedy for drama. He was a subtle and brilliant commedian who excelled in subdued performances. Guinness could get more mileage out of a sly grin and his eyes than most actors can in their entire body. Holloway, on the other hand, is the master of broad comedy: exaggerated facial expressions, horrified poses, distraught reactions. Together they balance one another out perfectly. In scenes like their frantic and futile dash down the steps of the Eiffel Tower they are used to perfection.

Ealing Studios made a string of utterly superb comedies in the 1940s and 1950s, and this is one of my favorites. I actually prefer this to the deeply cynical and dark KIND HEARTS AND CORONETS, and consider it on any grounds to be superior to THE LADYKILLERS (oddly marred by Guinness's inexplicable impersonation of Alastair Sim, down to false teeth, body padding, and a hair-do that mimicked Sims's--when you go that far, why not just hire Sim instead?), and an honorable companion to films such as PASSPORT TO PIMPLICO, THE MAN IN THE WHITE SUIT, and THE TITFIELD THUNDERBOLT).

Audrey Hepburn had a number of walk on roles in British films in the very early 1950s, but didn't achieve real success until her stage work brought her to the attention of Hollywood. She is easily spotted in a bit role in this one, as the radiantly beautiful woman who stops to say hello to Guinness in the opening scene of the film.

Minor classic of Ealing comedy
I do not rate this as among the great Ealing studios comedies and it trails behind such movies as Kind Hearts and Coronets ,The Ladykillers and The Man in the White Suit as examples of that genre.It is however ,an enjoyable and diverting piece of work ,solidly in the traditions of comedy established by the studio.
Th framing scenes depict Alec Guinness as Holland ,clearly a luminary of the expatriate English set of Rio De Janeiro ,relating the tale of how he came to acquire his wealth and postition .His audience is a soberly dresssed man clearly also English.
We then are taken back to the execution of a gold bullion robbbery ,masterminded by Holland ,a long serving ,meek and decorous Bank of England employee who has dreamed of robbing the vehicle containing the gold .He enlists the aid of Pemberton (Stanley Hoilloway)who owns a small souvenir making business ,and that of two small time professional criminals -played by two British comedy stalwarts in Sid James and Aldie Bass.The robbery is executed without violence and the ingots melted down into replicas of the Eiffel Tower which Pemberton and Holland go to Paris to rescue .Alas, some find their way onto the market and the duo are forced to try buying back the models from the schoolgirls who have purchased them .

There is a lively car chase -again comedic in tone rather than an exercise in screeching rubber -before the twist ending in Rio.

This is a gently amoral comedy -the larceny perpetrated is without violence or malice and is shown as the revenge of the timid and passed over in an age of drabness and austerity.It is a tale of the "little man "who rebels .In contrast to more recent caper movies these are not vicious professional criminals but opporunists who shrink from violence .It is thus a period piece and miles removed from the unappealing specimens deopicted in the modern British crime movies like those of the morally null Guy Ritchie.
Beautifully acted by Guinness and Holloway in particular this is a gently satiric ,nicely written comedy of the worm that turns.

Truly a "Classic" Comedy
I recently purchased The Horse's Mouth (1958) from Amazon as well as "The Alec Guinness Collection" which includes The Lavender Hill Mob (1951) plus four others: Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949), The Man in the White Suit (1951), The Captain's Paradise (1953), and The Ladykillers (1955). Frankly, I was amazed how well each of the six films has held up since I first saw it.

This film was directed by Charles Crighton. Noteworthy in the first scene is a brief appearance by Audrey Hepburn, identified in the credits as "Chiquita." After she departs, Henry Holland (played brilliantly, as always, by Guinness) begins to recount the Lavender Hill saga to his companion. As he explains, he was a mild-mannered fellow who supervised the transportation by van of gold bullion. His boss, the armed guards who accompany him, and those who receive the shipments all respect his fastidious (albei