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In the closing paragraph of his 1996 review of Dragonheart, noted critic Roger Ebert summed up this adventurous fantasy quite nicely: "While no reasonable person over the age of 12 would presumably be able to take it seriously, there is nevertheless a lighthearted joy to it, a cheerfulness, an insouciance, that recalls the days when movies were content to be fun." That's precisely the quality that makes Dragonheart so appealing, despite the fact that it didn't exactly take flight and breathe fire at the box office. The movie takes itself seriously without sacrificing the wit and cleverness that make it so entertaining. It's about the last of the great dragon slayers, Bowen (Dennis Quaid), who teams up with the last of the great dragons, Draco (and voiced by Sean Connery), after they realize that killing each other would put them both out of business!So they devise a bogus dragon-slaying act that's a huge hit as they tour from village to village. Later, they must rouse the peasantry against the loutish Prince Einon (David Thewlis), whose life was once saved by Draco, but who now violates the "Old Code" of honor with a ruthless reign of terror. As Ebert rightly noted, Dragonheart is no masterpiece, and its story (which was originally conceived as a darker, more serious drama) isn't likely to capture everyone's heart (dragon or otherwise). But it's full of exciting action, witty dialogue, and gallant heroism, and in the presentation of a realistic talking dragon it's a milestone in computer-generated special effects, far surpassing the breakthroughs of Jurassic Park three years earlier. --Jeff Shannon. ... Read more

Reviews (102)

Leaping Lizards
Director Rob Cohen (XXX & The Fast and the Furious) brings mythical creatures to life in the grand fantasy adventure "Dragonheart". In a medieval land, Bowen (Dennis Quaid), a fallen knight of the old code of honor, forms an unlikely alliance with a noble fire-breathing beast (voiced by Sean Connery). These two sworn enemies aid a peasant rebellion against a spoiled tyrant. "Dragonheart" is a truly entertaining epic fantasy for the whole family. Its enchanting story is quite engaging and its characters are certainly memorable. The film contains some great action, amazing special effects and delightful humor. Dennis Quaid delivers a surprising performance. Draco is a terrific visual creation and Sean Connery is perfectly cast as the voice of the dragon. The cast also includes David Thewlis, Pete Postlethwaite, Dina Meyer and Julie Christie.

As one of Universal's earliest DVD releases, "Dragonheart" Collector Edition is a highly recommended purchase. The 1996 fantasy adventure is presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen format. The DVD contains a spectacular picture quality with striking detail and bright colors. Its 5.1 Dolby Digital sound is great with fine clarity and good bass. Unlike the DTS version, this DVD features numerous supplements including an audio commentary by director Rob Cohen, the excellent "The Making of Dragonheart" documentary, theatrical trailers, outtakes, picture galleries and production notes. Overall, "Dragonheart" (Dolby Digital version) has a superb DVD presentation and scores a definite "A-".

One of the best fantasy films of recent years!
In 1996, a fantasy film by the name of "Dragonheart" hit theaters and didn't really garner much at the box-office. Quite a shame, because this movie is quite a good one. "Dragonheart" took place during medieval times in England with a story about a bloodthirsty king's son's (David Thewlis) pact with a dragon to live with the half of the dragon's heart. The dragon, Draco (Sean Connery's voice), later befriends Bowen (Dennis Quaid), Einon's mentor, after they realize Einon has the same treachorous blood of his father's.

The acting is quite good in the film, especially Quaid and Pete Postlethwaite as Gilbert (he's a poet and a monk, and he gets the best lines). Julie Christie plays Einon's mother and she does a decent job. The only one I can detract is Dina Meyer's and considering her character's father is murdered by the evil king, I expected a more angst-filled performance. Unfortunately, she plays the role rather blandly and it's quite a shame; she was excellent in "Starship Troopers" (one year later) and very good in her small role in "Star Trek Nemesis." Oh well, onto the other good stuff...

The dragon effects were VERY WELL DONE and detailed, and it's not surprising that one of the head dragon creators (Phil Tippett) from 1981's "Dragonslayer" is involved. Sean Connery gives the character much personality and I'd place him #2 in the best lines category for this film (as I mentioned above, Gilbert has most of the best). The music was composed by Randy Edelman, a prolific composer of notable films including "Kindergarten Cop," "The Last of the Mohicans," and the brilliant "Gettysburg," among many other films. The music is superb.

On a closing note, I'd say for recent years, this is an awesome film. It may not be academy award winning material, but it's visual grandness for the medieval period and it's overall great sense of fun, it's a winner. It almost feels like those old Indiana Jones/Romancing the Stone/Back to the Future/etc. films in which a movie is content on being fun, whether or not a lot of brainpower is involved. A good film, excellently directed by Rob Cohen ("Fast and the Furious").

This movie will bring the heart out in you!
I don't know about you guys,but I difinitly belive! The story of a valent Knight serching for the last of the dragons,who he belives bewitched his student. Dennis Quaid never ceases to amase me! And Sean Connory will make anyone belive. But, put those two together and you got a great movie. David Thewis even adds to the excitment. I would not trade this one for anything. I guess it's safe to say that I enjoyed this one immensly!!!

LOVED IT!!!!!
(I'm really 17 but I'm not a customer, my parents are. BTW.)
This is a brilliant movie, the story and the acting was beautiful and stunning!
I'd recommend this to everyone because I feel that it's that good!
However, if you'd like to read how it was supposed to be, I'd highly recommend that you read the novel of the same title based on the original screenplay. It takes the story to a whole new level, bringing more to the story and a slightly darker tone to it as well!
I hope you find this helpful.
P.S.
You must read the book!!!!!

The Best Dragon Movie EVER!!!
I LOVE THIS MOVIE!!! It is one of the best ever!!! It shows dragons the way I think dragons should be shown: as good guys, with feelings and a personality, not the way some movies show dragons as mindless, heartless murdering beasts.

Summary: A knight of the Old Code named Bowen has sworn himself to hunting down and killing every dragon in the world. The reason: his apprentice, Prince Enion, was badly wounded when the villagers revolted against his father, the King. The Queen took the prince to a dragon that lived nearby and the dragon saved him by giving the boy half of his heart. Soon after, the ex-prince became the King and began to forget everything Bowen taught him. Bowen, thinking it was the dragon's heart that corrupted Enion, vows to kill all dragons.

12 years later: Bowen comes across a dragon who claims to be the last dragon. After a endless fight, the knight and dragon form a truce. After their schemeing makes them a lot of $, Bowen and the dragon, who Bowen named Draco, meet a villager named Kara, who wants to lead a revolt against Enion. With the help of Bowen and Draco, she is able to get villagers to join their cause.

As the fight begins, Draco is captured. Now Bowen must find a way to rescue his dragon friend and somehow kill Enion. But... what will the knight of the Old Code do when he finds out that there is a terrible and deadly connection between Draco and Enion? What will Bowen do when he finds out that the only way to end Enion's terrible ways once and for all is to...

I love how the director added in the parts of light humor along with action and slight plot twists which all add up to a slightly surprise ending. The end (which I wont give away) is so sad that I always get teary eyed no matter how many times I watch it. Bring lots of tissues to this movie. If you like dragons, then you will LOVE this movie!!! I can promise you!!! ... Read more

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The 1988 follow-up to Paul Hogan's international hit "Crocodile" Dundee is less interesting and more formulaic than the first film, while a silly suspense element about a retaliatory drug kingpin has an air of contrivance. The story reverses the course of "Crocodile" Dundee, this time beginning in New York City and switching to the rugged bush country of Australia, where Dundee and his companion (Linda Kozlowski) run into trouble with the aforementioned villain. Hogan's natural charm keeps the movie afloat and easy to stick with, but the production lacks all the freshness and surprise of its predecessor. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Paul Hogan tries to get more serious for Crocodile Dundee II
"Crocodile Dundee" was a surprise hit in 1986, more on the strength of Paul Hogan's whimsical charm as the title character, an alligator poacher from Down Under who is taken to the big bad city of New York where he does an engaging Innocent Abroad routine. Two years later came the sequel, "Crocodile Dundee II," which tried to sound all of the same notes as the original while reversing the patter--Mick Dundee starts in NYC and then ends up back in Australia at the end of the film--while adding a whole plot line about an evil drug lord. After rescuing Sue (Linda Kozlowski) from the fortress home of the drug lord in NYC, the scene shifts back to Australia when the drug lord decides to take on Mick on his own turf, which may well be one of the ten stupidest things ever done by a bad guy in a movie (it at least deserves a nomination).

The strengths of "Crocodile Dundee II" are the same as the original. Hogan has an easy-going charm and his character is nonplussed by any situation in which he finds himself or anybody that he meets. He is the common man with the common touch, even if he is from an uncommon part of the world. The relationship between Mick and Sue seems a bit more real this time around, and there are even signs of some actual chemistry, which might have something to do with the fact that Hogan and Kozlowski were going to end up getting married two years later (instead of making "Crocodile Dundee III" apparently). But the drug plot line is an unnecessary attempt to up the ante (compare it with the mugger/big knife scene from the original), which just leads the film too far astray from what really worked that first time around. Those who really like the original will find this enjoyable enough. But Hogan's "Almost an Angel" is a much better film.

Croc is at it again!
Crocodile Dundee II is a classic. No matter how much one doesn't like the turn that this second film took, it will always be a memorable sequel. When you create a sequel, you're also supposed to "up" the level of conflict. And that called for a serious tone. But at the same time, they kept it as light as they could. It isn't bad at all. The drug dealers who followed Dundee and his Lady back to Australia were in for a shock.

What other sense of a sequel were we supposed to be provided with? I mean, they had to think of something. And this was it! It has a more intense conflict, still with a light tone applied to it-- and much humor. We are allowed a look into the life of Crocodile Dundee, and what he looks like when being confronted with a conflict on his own turf down under. It was nice to see him play games and run numbers on the bad guys. Quite memorable this film was, indeed!

Be sure to check out the third installment, "Crocodile Dundee In Los Angeles" It's not as serious of a tone, but still a great watch!

Darker, yet not bloody
This sequel is something of a departure from the original, less comic but equally character-driven, and gives us the opportunity to see Mick Dundee exercising his bush skills on his "native heath." The story reverses the geographical course of the original, taking Mick and girlfriend Sue Charlton from New York City back to the Northern Territories in an effort to escape the Colombian drug kingpin (Ubarry) who has targeted them for death. Bad guy Rico has the men and the guns, but Mick Dundee knows the territory, and he exploits that knowledge to the fullest. Like Matthew Quigley, he picks off (or scares off) Rico's men one or two at a time, but manages not to kill any of them, while still contriving to keep himself, Sue, and old partner Walt Reilly (Meillon) alive and unpunctured--and maintaining his lighthearted outlook on the world in general. A good comedy-adventure for families to share.

Mick "Crocodile" Dundee is Back!
If you saw the original, this one will seem like a visit with an old friend, that being the likable Mick 'Crocodile' Dundee. This time around there's not as much 'whimsy' to it, though, and as things get a bit more heavy-handed, Mick finds himself in some rather murky waters as the story unfolds. Still, the appeal of the character and the easy, intrinsic humor at the heart of the film is enough to make 'Crocodile Dundee II,' directed by John Cornell, a satisfying cinematic experience.

As the film opens, Mick (Paul Hogan) is happily ensconced in New York City with his lady-friend, journalist Sue Charlton (Linda Kozlowski), and life is good. Mick, however, tired of just laying about has decided it's time to seek gainful employment, and sets out to do just that. His job search gets put on hold, though, when Sue's ex-husband, Bob Tanner (Dennis Boutsikaris), a journalist currently covering a story in South America, sends some photographs he's taken-- the subject of which is of a particularly serious and sensitive nature-- to Sue, and something else arrives along with the them: Trouble. Trouble, as in the man in the pictures is one 'Rico' (Hechter Ubarry), a big time drug dealer who is more than a little concerned about the compromising position these particular photos will undoubtedly put him in. He will stop at nothing to get them, and he has the 'muscle' to do it. But there's one small item Rico hasn't factored in to his agenda and his plan of attack. And his name is Mick Dundee.

Written by Paul Hogan and his son, Brett Hogan, this film suffers the 'Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom' syndrome, in that-- like the 'Indy' film-- it is a sequel to a hugely successful original, and takes that same 'turn' toward the dark side. And in the case of this film, it's even more noticeable inasmuch as this is a comedy rather than a pure action/adventure movie, and-- let's face it-- it's tough to find a light, comedic touch in a film that deals with a kidnapping, killings and drug dealers. Still, just as Spielberg did with the 'Indy' sequel, Hogan pulls it off; and he does it with a winning smile and bit of sleight-of-hand.

As the great Steve Allen would say, 'All seriousness aside, folks--' And in a nutshell, that's the trick Hogan, Hogan and Cornell use to make this offering a viable commodity. Taken out of context, the story alone is serious stuff, more conducive to a 'Traffic,' 'Blow' or 'Scarface' than a 'Crocodile Dundee' movie. But therein is the rub; the filmmakers here take a lighthearted approach to a serious issue, being careful, however, not to discount or be dismissive of it, but rather by toning down the 'results' of the violence while infusing it with humor and some genuinely engaging characters, and presenting it all in a way that is palatable to a wide audience.

Cornell, like Peter Faiman (who directed 'Crocodile Dundee'), is destined to be the forgotten man of this project, and for the same reasons. Cornell takes the wheel of the ship here, takes his audience on a cruise then deposits them safely back on shore, where most will agree it was a trip worth taking. But in the end, there is nothing about it that identifies Cornell; nothing with his 'signature' on it. And, like Faiman, he only directed one other film, 'Almost an Angel' in 1990 (also starring Hogan and Kozlowski), which was mediocre at best. So there's simply nothing to reference him. He may have been the captain of the ship, and he did a good job, technically speaking, but he kept himself in the wheelhouse too long to be noticed.

Hogan, meanwhile, was taking center stage in the lounge, successfully reprising his role as everyones favorite 'Aussie.' Without question, no matter what Paul Hogan does for the rest of his career, this is the character moviegoers everywhere will forever associate him with, and for good reason. Quite simply, Mick Dundee is just such a likable bloke. And it's a theme that runs throughout the entire series-- everybody likes him; no matter where he goes or who he meets, he makes them feel as if they've known him all their lives. He's amiable, good looking, charismatic, and has an entirely non-judgmental, matter-of-fact way of dealing with people and situations that provides a refreshing perspective on the human condition. That's what makes this character so memorable, and there's no getting around it: Just as Leonard Nimoy will always be 'Spock' regardless of whatever else he ever does, Hogan will always be Crocodile Dundee. Because he IS Mick Dundee.

Also in fine form for this second go 'round is the beautiful Linda Kozlowski, returning to the role she created in the original, Sue Charlton. And-- as in the first one-- it's the on screen chemistry between Kozlowski and Hogan that really sells it; whether it's in the Australian outback or on the streets of New York City, they find the magic, and it comes through to the audience, loud and clear. This isn't, of course, the kind of stuff that wins Oscars, but her performance is honest and convincing, and Kozlowski has a screen presence that is altogether natural and real, all of which makes the relationship between Sue and Mick all the more believable.

Also turning in noteworthy performances are John Meillon, returning as Mick's friend and business associate, Walter Reilly; Charles Dutton as the street wise Leroy; and Ubarry, who makes Rico the bad guy you love to hate.

The supporting cast includes Juan Fernandez (Miguel), Kenneth Welsh (Brannigan), Ernie Dingo (Charlie), Luis Guzman (Jose), Jace Alexander (Rat) and Steve Rackman (Donk). An entertaining film, but not nearly as 'fun' as the original (the 'Indy' syndrome, again), 'Crocodile Dundee II' is nevertheless a worthy addition to the series, as it puts you together with one of the screen's most unforgettable characters, 'Crocodile' Dundee.

Loved it!
I enjoyed this sequel just as much as the original. If you're a fan of Crocodile Dundee then you can't go wrong in buying this DVD. ... Read more

Reviews (269)

Bend it like who??????
There was much debate over the title for "Bend it Like Beckham." It was deemed too unappealing and was thought the title would hurt the film's box-office performance, despite its tremendous overseas success. But the title is like the movie itself--smart, original, and unique.

It refers to English soccer superstar David Beckham and his ability to curve a ball straight past the goalie. He's a hero to Jess (Parminder Nagra), an Indian girl residing with her traditional, hard-headed family in England. Jess is torn between being a dutiful younger daughter and her overwhelming passion for soccer. When Jules (Keira Knightley) spots her playing with a group of local boys and is awed by Jess' talent, she invites the Indian girl to play for her team, coached by a charismatic young Irishman named Joe (Jonathan Rhys Meyer), who they both fall for.

Jess' father (Bollywood actor Anupam Kher) holds a grudge against the English but is soft-hearted toward his daughter. Jess' mom (a wonderful Shaheen Khan), who is preparing Jess' older sister, Pinky, for her wedding, prays that Jess will forgo her obsession with the sport for marriage and a life cooking Indian food for her future husband and family. Jules' mom (a hilarious Juliet Stevenson) tries to sway Jules into Wonderbras and girly clothes. But Jules, strong-willed and independent, is sure of her future: She wants to play soccer in America and nothing, not even her crush on Joe, will stop her.

Mix-up's, family complications, a beautiful Indian wedding, and a neat resolution all follow.

Like last year's equally thrilling "Monsoon Wedding," "Bend It Like Beckham" is terrifically fun entertainment; wonderfully shot and acted, instilled with spirit and life and able to woo us with its exhuberant freshness despite a triumph-over-adversity theme we've seen many times in different incarnations. It's explores the culture clash beautifully, and despite the predictabilty, it's a winner in every sense of the word. Definitely this year's feel good crowd pleaser.

Coming of age, Indian style
Cultures clash when talented young Jesminder Bhamra (Parminder Nagra), an Indian girl living with her family in England, earns a spot on a girls' soccer team. Running around in shorts in public is simply not appropriate for a proper young lady, and the time needed for practice would clash with Jess's many obligations, such as preparing for the wedding of her older sister (Archie Panjabi), learning how to cook a proper Indian meal (including vegetarian), and getting into a good school. Jess is soon trying to juggle her home life and her exciting new soccer life, which includes a new best friend (Keira Knightley) and a love interest (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers).

This is a very exhuberant and entertaining film. It follows the basic formula of a coming-of-age film but does it without any missteps. The cast is wonderful. Special mention goes to Anupam Kher and Shaheen Khan, who play Jess's parents. Writer/director Gurinder Chadha (with co-writers Paul Mayeda Berges and Guljit Bindra) has made a very entertaining movie.

Oligobi?
Family values and girl power rules in this movie.

The story is about a tomboy girl growing up in a traditional Indian family, which of course is more partial for her to be more feminine as she grows up and learn how to do housework. Jess, the tomboy star, is infatuated with soccer and her idol is avid Beckham and we all know what that leads to...her having the need to be just like him.

So behind her family's back, she sneaks around, join a women football team and have her gay bestfriend cover up for her. She has another new girlfriend named Jules, and both of them gets into a few weird fix with their family, eg their parents thinking they are lesbians. On the side, they are both in love with their coach and of course jealousy would really be in the way of their friendship.

One day, the coach got the team an European cup match and of course it would end up in the newspaper where the parents found out their daughter is still playing soccer! *gasps!*

Watch it if you like a story about family value and girl power. I'm mostly into this movie because of it's comedy ^_^

The US thinks it's the only country that has rascism...
This is a truly wonderful story. Okay, it has some sort of silly bits, but overall it offers a moving portrait of a young Pakistani girl living in London, and coping with her amazing soccer skills in the face of tremendous cultural opposition.

The movie is well made: not only is the writing good but I was particularly impressed with the editing and the music. I don't usually notice such things, but I thought both were very well done and added to the movie. A lot of the humor was very subtle and showed a very dry wit. I particularly liked the touch of the ditzy, slutty sister who is the "perfect" daughter because she hides her rebellion.

I found it a little upsetting, when I saw it in the theater, that the scene where the father describes the rascism he encountered when he first tried to play cricket in Britain elicited a chorus of laughter from the audience. When Americans think of rascism, they think of "white people versus black people," but there is formidable rascism in Britain against people for Southeast Asian descent. In order to fully understand and appreciate this movie, you must understand that.

Suprisengly Great
What makes a great movie is that the viewer should leave watching this film with a good taste in the mouth that "the movie was good. I enjoyed it." This movie delivers exactly that. The movie shows how traditional values get in the way of the dreams of a British Indian girl looks at. Making "curry", cooking "roti", and singing praises of her husband is a cliché of any Indian girl. How about playing football (soccer in British) Sounds strange? Well, that is what you are all set to witness. A British Indian girl is just about excellent playing football (soccer) and wants to excel in it. But that's not her parent's cup of tea. More than that, she falls in love with a white guy? The Indian cliché family is not going to stand for it. How she hides, runs, and gets her bit of the world is all, "Bend it Like Bekham" is all about. Wait a second, did you think than the movie is a serious melodrama? Hell No! It's an out and out comedy. The comic scenes are extremely hilarious and make you laugh and enjoy the good times melt on the big screen. This movie was surprisingly great, when my cousin brought this film I thought typical chick flick, but it is for some reason a great film. This is a must see film. ... Read more

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George Cukor, Hollywood's legendary "woman's director," had his hands full with the all-female cast of this 1939 film adaptation of the Clare Boothe play. The story finds a group of catty, competitive friends destroying reputations at social gatherings. The dialogue sparkles, Joan Crawford's performance as a husband stealer is still a classic, the film looks wonderful in Cukor's hands, and the Technicolor fashion-show scene is a one-of-a-kind Hollywood experience. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (86)

Meow! Meow! Meow!
A veritable Who's Who of great 1930s actresses--and no men!--appear in this film version of Clare Booth Luce's play. Norma Shearer plays a devoted wife whose husband is having an affair with the "salesgirl" at the perfume counter (Joan Crawford). Her "friends" know. She doesn't--at first. "The Women" is set at beauty parlors, bridge parties, fashion shows, a Nevada divorce ranch and the ladies lounge of fine restaurants. The catty dialogue and wry commentary about men and women is truly fun to experience.

For fans of vintage fashion, this film is wonderful eye candy. Not only are the outfits that the main actresses wear quite fun to check out, it even features a fashion show.

Crawford is wonderful as the conniving other woman, and "The Women" made me an instant Shearer fan. Shearer manages to come across as a strong, self-reliant woman throughout most of the movie, despite being the wronged wife still in love with her husband.

Keep in mind while watching that "The Women" is definitely a film of its times. Enjoy it as such.

Cat Fight In B&W, but with a splash of Technicolor
Screen queens, Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford and Rosiland Russell round out the leads in this scathing comic bobble from MGM that is a riot and a half. Legendary film director, George Cukor directs his all female cast in a witty adaptation of Clare Booth's off Broadway smash hit. The one liners are plentiful and biting and the slant on divorce that the film takes is remarkably contemporary. Shearer is Mary Haines, a trophy wife who finds herself on the shelf when man trap, Crystal Allen (Joan Crawford) moves in for the kill. Russell is Mary's cousin, Sylvia, but she swings both ways and often sides with Crystal on matters of the heart. Also stars Lucille Watson, Marjorie Main, Paulette Goddard and Joan Fontaine.
Warner Home Video has done an outstanding job on remastering this film for DVD. The black and white picture exhibits fantastic resolution, albeit with a touch of digital noise noticed from time to time but nothing that will detract from your enjoyment of the movie. The Technicolor sequence, a fashion show advertising the designs of resident studio fashion guru, Gilbert Adrian, has been magnificently restored. Colors are vibrant, bold and do not bleed. The extras on this disc included a couple of featurettes that MGM used to put out before their theatrical releases, an isolated musical score that has been wonderfully restored and theatrical trailers. This is a definite must have in every sense and one that will surely become part of any collector's most treasured movies.

Classic Chic Flick
I am a big fan of black and white movies. The movie is kept at a high tempo - never a dull moment. I recomend it to everyone.

The Women
This is definitely ny favorite movie. Norma Shearer and Rosalind Russell are hilarious as two pampered Park Avenue socialites. Morma Shearer plays Mary Haines, a devoted wife and mother who is greatly upset by marriage troubles about her unfaithful husband. Rosalind Russell plays Sylvia Fowler, a catty gossip who just has to get the dirt on everyone. The best parts are the fight scene in Reno, and the end. This movie is great for anyone who prefers classic movies to the boring and awful recent ones. Rent this movie today

Highly Entertaining and Engaging
Holds your attention the entire way through at its 2 hr and 13 min running time. Norma Shearer and Joan Crawford steal the show and Rosalind Russell of Auntie Mame fame gives one of her best performances. I appreciated Cukor's brilliant use of color for the fashion show sequence and some of the cinmatography throughout the film is truly thrilling. The ending is the best part of the film with a comical and fast paced cat fight and Crawford getting her come uppance. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Lovely
An absolute must see for all age groups, but especially the kids. Has to be Shirley's all time best.

poor little rich girl rich in talent & music
This is one of my favorites, not only an engaging storyline but great music engaging charictors & great dance number at the end. This has great songs like you gotta eat your spinach baby & Oh my goodness.

A TEMPLE OF DELIGHTS.
When eight year old Barbara Barry, the daughter of a wealthy, widowed soap manufacturer, sneezes three times at the dinner table, the strict servant Collins (Sara Haden) sends her off to bed. Woodward, (Jane Darwell) another servant - who has a kinder approach - suggests that little Barbara be sent to a school in the Adirondacks where she can be happy with many other children her own age...A thoroughly delightful Temple vehicle, this colorized video will please children from 5-95. The picture bears little resemblance to the 1912 Eleanor Gates novel because many of the incidents in the movie come from a Ralph Spence story entitled BETSY TAKES THE AIR. A highly successful version - which was much truer to the original book - was filmed as a 1917 silent starring Mary Pickford. Amusingly, Shirley sings the song BUT DEFINITELY in a manner a'la Crosby singing WHERE THE BLUE OF NIGHT MEETS THE GOLD OF THE DAY. By 1939, this movie reaped a $2.5 million profit. One of Shirley's better films, to be sure.

Shirleys talent radiates the screen
In this movie Shirleys talents shine. Her singing and dancing are a cut above. I especially love when she sings to her dolls!
The dance sequence in the end with Alice Faye and Jack Haley is incredible! I just LOVE this movie!!!

Shirley Temple
This movie is so funny it is one of my favorits. ... Read more

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Blood Simple made it clear that the cinematically precocious Coen brothers (writer-director Joel and writer-producer Ethan) were gifted filmmakers to watch out for. But it was the outrageously farcical Raising Arizona that announced the Coens' darkly comedic audacity to the world. It wasn't widely seen when released in 1987, but its modest audience was vocally supportive, and this hyperactive comedy has since developed a large and loyal following. It's the story of "Ed" (for Edwina, played by Holly Hunter), a policewoman who falls in love with "Hi" (for H.I. McDonnough, played by Nicolas Cage) while she's taking his mug shots. She's infertile and he's a habitual robber of convenience stores, and their folksy marital bliss depends on settling down with a rug rat. Unable to conceive, they kidnap one of the newsworthy quintuplets born to an unpainted-furniture huckster named Nathan Arizona (Trey Wilson), who quickly hires a Harley-riding mercenary (Randall "Tex" Cobb) to track the baby's whereabouts. What follows is a full-throttle comedy that defies description, fueled by the Coens' lyrical redneck dialogue, the manic camerawork of future director Barry Sonnenfeld, and some of the most inventively comedic chase scenes ever filmed. Some will dismiss the comedy for being recklessly over-the-top; others will love it for its clever mix of slapstick action, surreal fantasy, and homespun family values. One thing's for sure--this is a Coen movie from start to finish, and that makes it undeniably unique.--Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (109)

Can't Remember the Last Time I Laughed This Hard
For some reason, I had no idea that this was a Coen brothers production until the end of the movie. Then, when it was all over and the credits began to roll, it all finally made sense. In fact, I didn't know why I hadn't guessed it. Because this movie is so... Coen brothers.

Nicolas Cage plays Hi, a repeat inhabitant of the Tempe, Arizona prison, where he meets police officer Ed (Holly Hunter) and falls in love with her. After Hi's third parole, he agrees to give up his life of crime for Ed, and the two get married. Before long, they decide that they want nothing more than to start a family. Ed, however, is barren -- and they find that it's not exactly easy for a repeat offender to adopt a child.

When Nathan Arizona, owner of the furniture chain, Unpainted Arizona, is blessed with quintuplets, Hi and Ed decide that the Arizonas have more than they can handle -- so they decide to take one of the babies. But before Hi and Ed can settle into their new lives with little Nathan, Jr., Nathan Arizona offers a reward for the baby, and suddenly everyone's after him.

I honestly can't remember the last time I laughed so hard while watching a movie. I laughed so hard that I choked. I almost died -- but really, can you think of a better way to die? I can't.

Raising Arizona is bizarre and quirky -- and just the expression on Nicolas Cage's face throughout this movie (not to mention his wild hair) will keep you snickering from start to finish. Mix the perfectly ridiculous dialogue and the perfect amount of slapstick, and you've got the perfect addition to any DVD collection.

Quite possibly the funniest movie ever made
I've seen Raising Arizona far more times than I can count. It is, in my humble opinion, next to Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove the most original, inventive comedy ever made.

The dialogue is absolutely razor-sharp -- plenty of examples are certainly readily available in the reviews preceding this one -- and the camera work is wonderful, as well. I'd rank Raising Arizona a VERY close second to Miller's Crossing in a list of the Coen's best films. It is admittedly not as visually stylish as Miller's Crossing (then again, very few films ever made are), and the storyline is not as cohesive as Miller's Crossing, Fargo, or Barton Fink. However, the film is so full of verbal gems that it definitely ranks as the Coen's best dialogue writing effort. Cage and Hunter are wonderful, and John Goodman and William Forsythe are absolutely perfect as the Snopes brothers.

Admittedly, the DVD is nothing very special. All you really get is the more durable medium and a widescreen format. Some kind of "The Making of..." mini-documentary, or better yet, a commentary option with two or three of the actors, the director of photography, or ideally the Coens themselves would have been a priceless addition to the DVD.

Raw, Unvarnished Comedy -- Laughs Galore!
One of the earlier films of the Coen brothers (Joel and Ethan), "Raising Arizona" nevertheless lays the foundation for the Coens' later, more polished efforts.

H.I. ("Hi") McDonough, played with an earnest romanticism by Nicolas Cage, is a classic Coen protagonist. He means well, even if he can't get his master plan to quite come together (this is a man of dreams, forced into the life of a small-time hood by trickle-down economics), and he is prone to speaking in fits of poetry that often go awry ("There's what's right and there's what's right, and never the twain shall meet"). In one of the most inspired courtings ever to be put on film, Hi woos and wins Police Officer Edwina ("Ed"), played by Holly Hunter in a career-defining role, while being booked on numerous occasions.

Denied the joys of parenthood by Ed's infertile womb ("a rocky place where my seed could find no purchase") and Hi's criminal past - Ed's police service doesn't quite "cancel out" Hi's record like they had hoped -- Hi and Ed can't really enjoy their "salad days" in their trailer in the Arizona desert. That is, until the Arizona Quints are born to unpainted furniture magnate Nathan Arizona. Deciding that old Nathan and his wife have more kids than they could handle, Ed and Hi decide to kidnap one of the little nippers. In a scene that parodies "Jaws," Hi snags Nathan Jr., and Ed and Hi are parents.

Unfortunately, Hi's criminal past catches up wtih him as Gale (John Goodman) and Evelle (William Forsythe) break out of prison and hide out with Hi at the family trailer. Soon they are on to Hi's kidnapping, and they decide to pursue their own agenda. Unfortunately for all concerned, bounty hunter Leonard Smalls is on the hunt for the kidnapped youngster, too -- and a nasty bloodhound from hell he is, too. Surely casting "Tex" Cobb in this part is one of the most inspired bits of casting ever!

The movie is chock full of surprises, from the chase scenes involving what seems like ten packs of hounds and more gunfire than one could possibly imagine, to a fight in the trailer that won't be topped until "Kill Bill, Vol. 2," and an over-the-top cameo performance by Frances MacDormand as a nosy neighbor with a fondness for bibical names and a trove of baby advice. The dialogue is rich, filled with comic inspiration and a touching devotion to family. And, like most Coen brothers movies, things generally turn out all right for our heroes, they definitely don't wind up the way they planned.

For fans of the Coens, off-beat comedies, Nic Cage and Holly Hunter (which should describe an awful lot of folks), this is a heck of a film.

Did anyone else notice??
Did anyone else notice that while H.I. (Nicolas Cage) was working in the sheet metal factory after being released from prison, the patch on his jumpsuit said "Hudsucker Industries"??

Had the Potential to be Better
Although this movie had its funny moments and some very memorable lines and quotes, overall I thought it was mediocre. I'm normally a big fan of Nicholas Cage and Holly Hunter, however this movie just didn't deliver. The plot was original and it could have had the potential at becoming a real classic, amusing film, however the hysteria overshadowed the entertainment value of it. There was too much predictable shrieking, screaming, and yelling that it just got annoying after awhile. I thought the worst part was towards the end when things just starting dragging on. Because it's a typical Hollywood movie, the storyline climaxes towards chaos and turmoil, but you can predict that in a typical fashion, there will be a few carchases, some yelling and screaming, some explosions, and then a happy ending (surprise). This movie could have been outstanding if the humor were more carefully thought out and skillfully crafted. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Steamy and Vicious
This is a awesome movie. Anything with Molly Ringwald is hot though. She is so ... yet so freaky in this movie. I personally bought this movie as soon as I saw the one I rented. It stuns you after thinking about who this young virgin was, and than she plays this naughty girl who yerns for ... and devotion. It is a kick ... movie. I recomend all the way.

not bad
Not a bad litte film ,it's faults are compensated for by the interest generated by Ringwald's departure from type. Good for her--she's not bad and the movie is watchable.

Great set of ...eyes
Just watch the movie, nothing more needs to be said!!

WOW! What a set of talents!
I've only seen a short clip of her topless, but her breasts are fantastic. They are perfectly shaped, probably a healthy C-cup. If she was like that in the whole film I would buy it and never leave the house again. I just can't get enough of them.

Molly Ringwald, as you only imagined her
If, as a teenager, you sat through countless John Hughes films hoping that this would be the movie that would find Molly Ringwald going topless, this is the film for you! Sorry for being sexist, but the sight of Molly Ringwald's breasts are pretty much all this film promises. The plot -- a Fatal Attraction rip-off -- is obvious, the ending predictable, and the acting is pretty much second-rate except for Ringwald who reveals a zest for over-the-top villiany and, in her earlier scenes, actually does manage to bring some sympathy to her spurned woman. Still, the film is mostly a tease that lures its male viewers along with the promise of showing us what we were fantasizing about during the Breakfast Club. It must be said that when they finally do make their debut, Molly's breasts are not a disappointment -- even if the rest of the film is. Still, its hard to get over the fact that this is the quissential '80s teenager -- the star of 16 Candles, the girl who helped make "Are you a virgin, Clare?" a pop cultural catch phrase -- wandering around topless and engaging in soft-core sex. Its one of those weird, pop moments that pretty much distances the viewer from the film (so much as it is). But that curiosity valure pretty much gives the movie whatever worth it might have. Brat Pack indeed! (Yeah, I know that last comment doesn't make any sense but how could anyone review this film without a pointless Brat Pack comment?) ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

In the tradition of such obsessively driven directors as Erich von Stroheim and Werner Herzog, Francis Ford Coppola approached the production of Apocalypse Now as if it were his own epic mission into the heart of darkness. On location in the storm-ravaged Philippines, he quite literally went mad as the project threatened to devour him in a vortex of creative despair, but from this insanity came one of the greatest films ever made. It began as a John Milius screenplay, transposing Joseph Conrad's classic story "Heart of Darkness" into the horrors of the Vietnam War, following a battle-weary Captain Willard (Martin Sheen) on a secret upriver mission to find and execute the renegade Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando), who has reverted to a state of murderous and mystical insanity. The journey is fraught with danger involving wartime action on epic and intimate scales. One measure of the film's awesome visceral impact is the number of sequences, images, and lines of dialogue that have literally burned themselves into our cinematic consciousness, from the Wagnerian strike of helicopter gunships on a Vietnamese village to the brutal murder of stowaways on a peasant sampan and the unflinching fearlessness of the surfing warrior Lieutenant Colonel Kilgore (Robert Duvall), who speaks lovingly of "the smell of napalm in the morning." Like Herzog'sAguirre: The Wrath of God, this film is the product of genius cast into a pit of hell and emerging, phoenix-like, in triumph. Coppola's obsession (effectively detailed in the riveting documentaryHearts of Darkness, directed by Coppola's wife, Eleanor) informs every scene and every frame, and the result is a film for the ages. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (285)

The Best War Movie Of All-Time!
Francis Ford Coppola risked his career, his money and his sanity in making this Vietnam adaptation of 'Hearts Of Darkness'. The result is a large-scale war movie that ranks among the best movies of all-time. Martin Sheen has the role of a lifetime as Captain Willard, and he does deliver a credible performance. Marlon Brando is equally credible as the mysterious and possibly mad Colonel Kurtz. Robert Duvall creates a brilliant character; Colonel 'I love the smell of napalm in the morning' Kilgore. Grandly majestic war sequences are awe-inspiring. Thought provoking and filled with eerie chaotic imagery. Simply masterful filmmaking from Coppola. Extras: Laurence Fishburne and Harrison Ford in small roles, also spot Francis Ford Coppola in a cameo. From a scale of 1-10 I give this film a 10!

Dark and somewhat slow-paced, but excellent epic film
I saw this film for the first time on video, and was somewat surprised by its somewhat deliberate pacing and lack of straightforward action. For someone who is not a huge Coppola fan, nor a reader of "Heart of Darkness", I found the movie somewhat difficult to follow.

That is not to say that this isn't an excellent film. Captain Willard (Martin Sheen) is an apparently unattached Airborne soldier who is "waiting - waiting for a mission" and is enlisted to find and "terminate the command" of the renegade Special Forces Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando). Along the way, we meet a motley crew of a Navy riverboat, including a very young Lawrence Fishburne as a 17-year-old machine-gunner. The plot takes an almost whimsical turn when we meet Lt. Col Kilgore (Robert Duvall) who is an Air Cavalry commander, and plays the immortal "Flight of the Valkyries" while systematically laying waste to a North Vietnamese village. While the fighting is still going on, he orders a couple of his soldiers to either "surf or fight", being that he is a huge fan of surfing. It is from Duvall's character that we get the immortal line, "I love the smell of napalm in the morning. It smells like --- it smells like victory!"

After this scene, Sheen and his crew of Navymen proceed further upriver, until they reach the last American outpost on the river. The outpost is under apparent heavy attack, and there are no officers to be found. This scene, which makes no sense in the context of a typical war movie, makes perfect sense in this film. The leaderless American soldiers seem to move about in a haze, apparently oblivious to anything outside their immediate surroundings, particularly the grenadier, who is either at far beyond the point of psychological exhaustion, or heavily drugged. Copolla never makes either clear, but rather leaves that to the imagination of the viewer.

When Sheen and his crew get further upriver, the plot takes stranger and stranger turns - the crew is attacked by an unseen enemy, in which Clean (Fishburne) is killed, and shortly thereafter, the boat's chief is killed in an attack by natives hurling, of all things, spears at the Americans!

However, the strangest part of the movie is the last half-hour or so. Sheen reaches his objective, but Col. Kurtz is heavily guarded by native warriors toting modern weaponry. There are bodies everywhere - hanging from trees, floating in the river, laying sprawled about on the ground. It is truly horrific, and speaks to the level of insanity to which Col. Kurtz has descended, but it also begs the question - "How could all those people stand being around all those rotting corpses?" In the climax, Sheen sneaks past Kurtz' guards, and hacks the colonel to death. As he lay dying, Kurtz whispers, "The horror - the horror..."

All in all, an extremely powerful and moving film, although rather slow-paced.

A True Masterpiece!
I watched this movie in 1978 when it first came out and was totally in awe! Francis Ford Coppola spent almost 3 years making this film and it was well worth it. The all star cast in this film rocks! Everytime I watch this film, I wind up mimicing the characters. The lines are memorable! (I love the smell of Napalm in the morning.) It is the greatest movie ever made!

A great adaptation
To write that this movie is a comment on war or the politics of the period is a gross misconception in my view. this movie like the book Heart of Darkness, which I suggest everyone who sees this movie reads, is a powerfull commentary on human nature. The line 'the horror, the horror' does not refer to the horrors of war or acts of violence commited but is a general judgement and condemnation of the darkness that resides in human nature.

Anyway this is a brilliant adaptation and well worth the few bucks it costs.

The horror, the horror.
The horror of war and what it does to teh mind of men is exposed beautifully here in this grande epic. Great performances, plot and cinematography. It doesnt get much better than this. ... Read more

Reviews (24)

Politically Incorrect....But Engrossing
This story, of a gruff, dysfunctional, but brilliant detective out to bring down the Triads is a fast paced & very entertaining action film, meant to capitialize on the Chinatown shoot-outs at The Golden Dragon restaurants, that had captured the attention of the news media back in the late 1970's.

That said, the characters, especially Mickey Rourke's lead, are somewhat pedestrian & conventional. (Do ALL brilliant book & movie detectives have to have screwed up personal lives?!)

Besides that, I wondered about why a POLISH-American cop would be so personally obsessed about taking out the CHINESE mafia?

I'm NOT into political correctness. (Though I'm Chinese by descent, I wasn't so gung-ho about all of the protesting from the Asian activists about this movie back in the '80's. After all, there are more important things to worry about than an action flick!)

But I am into BELIEVABLE films. One reviewer who liked this movie said that director Cimino "kept it real." If it was "real", the lead (both in the book & in the movie) would have been someone with a very personal stake in bringing down the Triads. That would have justified his obsession AT THE BEGINNING OF THE STORY. (It's one thing to have him see it as just a job at the beginning, then have him obsessed AFTER they attack his friends & family. But this guy is so gung-ho RIGHT AT THE START!)

Politically correct or not....he should have been a Chinese, and not a Polish cop. (That goes for the book, as well as the movie!)

That said, the leading lady, a Chinese-American reporter, is the opposite....she's just too politically correct (in her mouthings about rights & such, not in her depiction) to be believable. (She might be a good actress, but I found her character annoying. It wasn't her fault. I blame the writers!)

Worst of all was John Lone's character. He's also a good actor, but in the story, he's absolutely no match, mentally or (especially) physically for Rourke's character. A villain should be the equal of the hero, in order to create audience tension (even though you know the good guy is supposed to win in the end.) But Rourke just man-handles Lone in a bathroom with no trouble at all (at least, not until some girl bodyguards start shooting at Rourke.) I thought Triad leaders were supposed to be trained in martial-arts! (That's not a stereotype, that's really a part of their traditions & rituals.)

Of course, Rourke should win. (After all, he's the "hero".) But he shouldn't have had it SO EASY.

Rent it....but don't buy it!

A Great Film
This film got a bad reputation when left-leaning Chinese-American groups tried to brand it as racist, causing many film critics to play it safe and pan it rather than brave the ire of those groups. In truth, the only notable flaw in the film is the acting talents of Arianne; despite this, I found her tolerable as her interaction with Rourke was truly electric. As to the demagogues, I must say that they arrived a little late to the party: Cimino's Deer Hunter portrayed Asians in a much more demeaning light than anything here. Besides that, have any of those protesters seen the kinds of movies put out en masse from Hong Kong? They are much more glitzy violent than anything portrayed here (for example check out John Wu's "The Killer" or Hard-Boiled").

Mickey Rourke is awesome as usual, he defined cool in the 1980s just as Errol Flynn did for the 1930s. And just like Errol Flynn, he later descended into mediocrity, making poor personal decisions and then taking poor roles and minor roles which made a mockery of his previously fine work. But neither Flynn nor Rourke were as bad as OJ Simpson or Enron executives. You don't have to love what they became to enjoy what they previously achieved.

In many ways Cimino fulfilled a potential avenue which Roman Polanski never explored in his 1974 neo-noir masterpiece, Chinatown. That film spent all of one scene in its namesake locale. Year of the Dragon takes us right into the heart of New York City's Chinatown, for better and for worse. Its a fairly conventional narrative, but you can almost smell the pastries cooking and wet garbage seething on those Manhattan streets. One of my three favorite Rourke films, along with Angel Heart and Francesco.

Big loud movie that goes nowhere
Mickey Rourke is NYPD Detective Stanley White, an angry white cop and marine Vietnam vet whose life seems to revolve around making a nightmare of everybody else's. Sent to Chinatown with the idea to stay out of trouble, White immediately butts heads with community figures he's convinced run the local mob. Not just a strictly law-and-order, White is on a mission against the larger evil of organized crime. Convinced that local Chinese mobsters are just tentacles of larger criminal syndicates called Triads (White educates his superiors that it was the Chinese, not the Italians who conceived "organized crime"), White pursues respected members of the City's Chinese community. Unfortunately, the situation is larger than White realizes - as Joey Tai (John Lone), an up-and-coming figure among the community, prepares to wrest control of the Triads from its aging leaders. Poised to flood America with narcotics from the golden triangle of southeast Asia, Tai soon realizes that White is more than an annoyance, and must be eliminated. Meanwhile, White proves less able to crack the Triads than his own career - alienating superiors who are convinced that he's harassing Tai. As Tai and White fight a war that soon becomes personal, the Triad readies itself to enter a new age in organized crime.

This is yet the only Cimino flick I've ever seen, though it seems to confirm what I've heard about his inability to focus. You wander through the twisting alleys of the script and wonder just what it's all about. It's about drugs, and Chinese and white cops who prove willfully blind to the encroaching triads. But that doesn't begin to explain Stan White or his seemingly bottomless reservoir of piety. Why does he care so much? "How can anybody care too much?" he asks back. What does he really want? Arresting people for crimes isn't enough - he's out for the moral rot that bred the Triads, and sets out to war against Chinatown. We're supposed to assume that White's stint in the Marines has turned him into the perfect righteous cop, but that would make him a nightmare no matter where he was assigned (in his first few scenes he demonstrates his knowledge of the Triads suggesting a peculiar obsession for them). Equally unfortunate is that while "Dragon" has the makings of a character-driven flick, there are so few compelling characters populating it. A beautiful Chinese TV reporter w/whom White falls in love with, the aging leaders of the Triad, a young Chinese cop who sticks his neck out for White, Tai himself, White's lazy bosses, other cops - they're all one-note props next to Rourke's character. I vaguely recall this flick getting lambasted for its simplistic portrayal of Chinese Americans, but it's actually a simplistic portrayal of everything New York. John Lone again proves an actor of rare depth, but the script doesn't give him anything to fill it with. What's left is crass, angry and louder than Chinese New Year.

Should be called YEAR OF THE DODO
Oh no. A Mickey Rourke movie. Lock up your daughters and bar the windows, this isn't going to be pretty.
YEAR OF THE DRAGON is a major career stretch for the Mickster- this time around his character doesn't use "MF" to punctuate his sentences. In a highly original, high concept plot that would have done the late Don Simpson proud; Mickaroo plays Stanley White, an ex-Nam vet who is now a cop fighting corruption in Chinatown, and his task is to track down and arrest and/or wipe out street gangs, but he soon finds himself up against drug dealers, but that's no problem for Mick seeing as he is your everyday suburban Rambo. Rourke's attempts at intelligent social commentary are enough to drive any viewer to burn the VHS tape. YEAR OF THE DODO is directed by Michael "The Deer Hunter" Cimino who should have known better than to subject viewers to this "unpleasant movie." There's some gore, but mostly bore. And it's overlong to boot. Check out Ridley Scott's BLACK RAIN instead, it's not hugely memorable but its far better than this.

Great Movie! When will it come out on DVD?
This movie is the best cop show I have ever seen. Aside from its controversy and violence this show was well made. John Lone was at his best as always and Mickey Rourke was the same with attitude. I hope that the director would bring this great show out on DVD in stead of letting it collect dust!!! When it does come out buy it you won't be sorry!!! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Cheech & Chong's first cannabis comedy is also their best, a souvenir from the more carefree days before "Just Say No," when people did not feel so defensive about inhaling. In 1978, the prevailing spirit was more like "Just Say Blow." Even New Yorker film critic Pauline Kael liked it (the movie, that is), adding that it was "an exploitation slapstick comedy, rather than a family picture, such as Blazing Saddles or High Anxiety--which means that it's dirtier, wilder, and sillier." The story has to do with bumbling potheads Cheech & Chong searching for primo bud, while being tailed by a team of inept law-enforcement officers, led by Sgt. Stedenko (Stacy Keach). Sample dialogue: When a cop pulls them over to ask if they are any illegal substances in his vehicle, Cheech replies: "Not any more, man." Up in Smoke is an irresistibly silly and charming movie that--despite, or perhaps because of, the national furor over drug use--plays today like a relic from a bygone era, a sweeter, more open, more innocent period in our history. --Jim Emerson ... Read more

Reviews (76)

A tokin' cult classic
For those of you who grew up in the 70's, Cheech & Chong where the Laurel & Hardy or Abbott & Costello of those times. Seeing this film in DVD is a joy, since I must have seen it on tape more than a 100 times, till it was unwatchable. Now, for the first time we can see the film in it's original panoramic (widescreen) format, and for those who saw it before on tape, you'll see all you've missed before. The copy is pristine clear, and it includes a load of deleted scenes, some actually funnier than what we saw on the original run of the film. Included on those missing scenes, is the infamous one featuring Harry Dean Stanton, who doesn't remember ever appearing in a Cheech & Chong film. Plus there is an audio commentary by Cheech himself and Lou Adler, the director, who prior to this, had never directed a film before. You'll be astonished to learn how much this film influenced other people, guys like Quentin Tarantino, for example, not to mention the numerous rock groups who grew up watching this guys and re-recorded their music. All in all, a real pleasure to discover this seminal gem from the 70's, given it's full use or advantage on DVD. If you saw this guys' films way back then, do yourself a favor, and get hold of this DVD. For those too young to remember them, but who heard of them from an older brother or "stoner" uncle, get hold of it and discover what kept us laughing during those daze, er, uh, days. Filmakers of today, take notice that films can be made without a million cuts per second and only with long continous shots.

Plot-Free Pot-Fest -- Big Whoop about Very Little!
Definitely DATED, this film has 70s "High Times" written all over it. These guys have not much more than "pot" on their brain. All jokes lead to the same subject...dope, man!

Cheech and Chong, already celebrated novelty song artists with several best-selling albums to their credit just had to take their "message" to the next level. "Up In Smoke" gave them plenty of exposure and secured a solid fandom. 25 years later, though, the laughs drop drastically on the dime-bag-scale.

When I was still in high school (and I didn't give in to the smoking of anything, then or now), I may have enjoyed this sort of nonsense more. As a middle aged intellectual, I can offer only a few tired smirks. Give me Laurel & Hardy instead!**

best stoner movie ever!
hello cheech and chong fans i may only be a teenager but i have been a fan for like 4 years now and this is the funniest movie i have ever seen might be the best comedy ever!.and if ypur going to order a cheech and chong movie get this one but if i were you and you had some money to spend buy all of them and all of there cd's.and im so glad chong is finaly out of prison and to all of you die hard c and c fans the new cheech and chong movie is going to start production in september chong and cheech were both on jay leno on july 9th so there back together for awhile. anyways dont get to high later.

THIS IS A PARODY, DON'T YOU PEOPLE GET IT?
This film does not advocate drug use, this film, and Cheech and Chong's act are parodies of people who do drugs. If anything it takes every stereo type of all kinds of drug users and makes fun of them. If you watch this movie again and think about what I have said you will actually think this film is even funnier than you did before. I have known most of these types of people and think this movie is halarious, one of the funniest films ever made and I do not do drugs.

ALL Pot and NO Plot makes this ONE DULL MOVIE!
Campy trip back to the smoky 70s. Definitely DATED, this film has "High Times" written all over it. These guys have not much more than "pot" on their brain. All jokes lead to the same subject...dope, man!

Cheech and Chong had already enjoyed celebrity as novelty song artists with several best-selling albums to their credit. This effort of "Smokin' Dope - The Movie" takes their "message" to the next level. "Up In Smoke" gave them plenty of exposure and secured a solid fandom. 25 years later, though, the laughs drop drastically on the dime-bag-scale.

When I was still in high school (and I didn't give in to the smoking of anything, then or now), I may have enjoyed this sort of nonsense more. As a middle aged intellectual, I can offer only a few tired smirks. Give me Laurel & Hardy instead!** ... Read more

Reviews (515)

A must see film!!!
If anyone says that this film is boring, dull, or anything else like that, I ORDER you to shut them up. Scream plays with you like 'I know what you did last summer' or 'Halloween' never could. This movie IS the original teen slasher, a mix of humour and suspense, that will leave you terrified all night. Although it is not as good as its sequel, Scream 2, I feel that Scream is much funnier, and more clever.

The movie is about a group of teenagers, and one by one people in their high school are being brutally murdered. Neve Campbell plays the starring role as Sidney Prescott, a teenage girl who is being stalked by the killer that murdered her mother. The movie also includes Countney Cox, as annoying and persistent News reporter Gale Weathers, and David Arquette as the dim-witted cop, Dewey. The film also features a cameo performance from Drew Barrymore, who's appearance made the film a smash hit, even if she was only in it for 10 minutes!

All in all, this film is a masterpiece from horror director, Wes Craven. You HAVE to see this film. I INSIST!

Make Sure to Watch This Movie With The Lights On!
Scream is one of my favorite, not to mention scarest, movies I've ever seen. It's about a group of five teenage kids, who are all obsessed with scary movies, find themselves in a situation where they are being prayed on by an unknown killer. EVERYBODY'S A SUSPECT, states Randy (Jamie Kennedy) geeky, fifth wheeler of the group. This movie's cast was picked very well. The starring role for Scream is:

starring:

Deputy Dwight "Dewey" Riley: David Arquett Sydney Prescott: Neve Campbell Gale Weathers: Courtney Cox Stuart Maker: Matthew Lillard Tatum Riley: Rose McGowan Billy Loomis: Skeet Ulrich

Co-starring:

Casey Becker: Drew Berrymore Kenny the Camera Man: W. Earl Brown Randy Meeks: Jamie Kennedy Cotton Weary: Liev Schreiber Sheriff Burke: Josheph Whipp

Which one of these 11 people will survive, which of these will die, which one of these 11 suspects are the killer, because tonight, SOMEONE HAS TAKEN THEIR LOVE OF SCARY MOVIES ONE STEP TOO FAR.

Tips to survive: -Don't have sex -No Drugs/Alcohol -Never Say, "I'll be right back" Cause you won't be back -Never answer the phone -Never answer the door -DON'T TRUST ANYONE...EVER!

"Thank you Randy" Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich)

Good luck!

Do u like scary movies?
When I first saw the movie I was totally in love with it. But that was in like what? 1997. Anyways, I still think its a really good movie, but not scary at all. The first time I saw it i did think it was, but after that I was like " and why did I think this was scary?" But the plot in the movie is really good and original. I also like how they make fun of other horror movies. This is one of the best teen/slasher flicks though. The Sequals are pretty good. I read someone else's review and I totally agree with them on how the third one probably wasnt the way Kevin wanted it to be. I would have like to see what he came up with as the last installment. But whatever, the guy who wrote it still came up with a good idea.

Scream, ahhh.
If seeing a guy running around in a cheap coustome that he got from party city killing teens and every one's craking jokes all the wile entertains you, there's nothing wrong with that. If seeing all that scares you, well, you better get some help. Scream is a movie that tries hard to scare you but fails. I don't know if it was that cheap costume, the jokes, or the fact that it's amazingly not scary, Scream is a falire. If you want to be scared, go see Halloween. Speaking of Halloween, I was hoping that Michael Myers would come and beat up the killer in this film by the end.

Scary
Scream is an extremely scary movie, but when it isn't scary, it's funny, and that's what makes it so good. The story is Drew Barrrymore's character is murdered one night, so everyone at her school is being questioned by the police. Later that night, Sydney Prescott the main character is attacked by the killer, until her boyfriend Billy comes to rescue her. Sydney then notices that Billy has a cell phone[the killer called her first], which leads Sydney to believe that Billy is the killer. After this accident, Billy is sent to jail, but Sydney gets called again. After that happens, Sydney believes Billy isn't the murderer, and after what happened to Sydney, school is canceled, which leads up to a party that the killer is attending, so in turn, many deaths follow, making this a very scary movie. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Thank You! To the Late Robert Urich
Hello, I'm Janie Strifler. My only and deepest regret is that I wasn't able to say "hello" or "thank you" to this great actor. So, if you were ever a fan of Robert Urich from his character on "Soap, to Dan Tanna, Spenser, you'll want to add this video to your collection and to keep him in your memory. If by chance you happen to be a fan of Las Vegas and the Desert Inn Hotel this video is what you've been looking for. As a fan of this late actor and a fan of the entertainment industry Robert Urich will be forever missed but not forgot by this fan. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Melodrama with a Bite
Melodramatic, yes, but this movie has some meat to it that I wasn't expecting. Clark Gable and William Powell play childhood friends who grow up to be a hood and a respected judge, respectively. Both have a thing for Myrna Loy, but the expected rivalry for which this plot would seem to be tailor made never comes. Instead, there's a refreshingly serious story about the boundaries of loyalty and friendship. When Gable is accused of murder and sentenced to the death penalty, it is Powell's duty to decide whether or not to let his personal feelings for Gable interfere with his practice of legal justice.

Loy pops up throughout, but, unfortunately, she's window dressing. (Side note: My wife and I decided to have a Myrna Loy theme to our New Year's movie night, and rented this and "The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer." We couldn't have picked two Myrna Loy movies that do a worse job of showing off Myrna Loy). No, this movie belongs to the men, and the whole affair is better than I expected it to be.

Grade: B+

Gangster Clark Gable helps out pal D.A. William Powell
Once upon a time there were three kids from the East Side who were all orphaned after a boating disaster. When they grow up Jim Wade (William Powell) becomes as assistant District Attorney, Joe Patrick (Leo Carrillo) enters the priesthood, and Blackie Gallagher (Clark Gable) ends up as a gangster, running a gambling house. After Blackie becomes involved in a series of gangland killings, his mistress, Eleanor (Myrna Loy), begs him to get out of the rackets. But Blackie is content with his lot in life. After a chance meeting, Eleanor falls for Jim and leaves Blackie, who, surprisingly enough, does not mind because he honestly believes Jim is the better man. But when a fired assistant tries to ruin Jim's chances to be nominated for governor, Eleanor asks Blackie to help. Of course he agrees, and since this is explicitly a melodrama, the decision has disastrous consequences.

We have all lost count of the number of times we have seen a film where two friends are on opposite sides of the law, but "Manhattan Melodrama" is redeemed by the performances of the principle players. Gable was always comfortable in the role of a gangster with a good heart, while Powell presents a dynamic if self-righteous D.A. and has the additional advantage of finding himself playing romantically opposite Myrna Loy (sound familiar?). Also, Mickey Rooney plays Blackie as a kid. Director W. S. Van Dyke establishes a nice sense of pace in this 1934 film so that it is as enjoyable as it is predictable. This film won Arthur Caesar an Academy Award for Original Story, although he did not have a hand in the actual screeplay, which was written by three individuals including Joseph L. Mankiewicz, whom I am inclined to credit for the better lines in the film.

Classic example of the genre
"Manhattan Melodrama" is almost more interesting for the "story behind the story." John Dillinger, a Myrna Loy fan, was killed immediately after seeing this movie in Chicago. The Powell/Loy magic is very much in evidence here, and Clark Gable is at his peak. Lots of fun!

His last film
Besides being a great film starring William Powell and Clark Gable, it was the last film that John Dillinger saw. After viewing the film at the Biograph Theater in Chicago, Dillinger walked outside with "The Woman In Red" and into the sights of Melvin Purvis.

Dillinger was killed just south of the theater in the alley.

GANGSTERS IN NEW YORK CITY
Footnoted in American history as the film in which John Dillinger had watched just before he was gunned down outside the Biograph Theatre in Chicago, MANHATTAN MELODRAMA is a fast moving and most enjoyable diversion. Clark Gable plays Blackie Gallagger, a rebellious roustabout with the unpolished airs of a sophisticated gent; he's drawn to Eleanor (Myrna Loy), a beautiful girl whom he sets up as his mistress. Blackie's gansterish ways alienate him from Eleanor however, and she falls for Gable's upright friend, Jim Wade (William Powell). MANHATTAN MELODRAMA proved popular with both the public and critics alike when it was released in 1934 and producer David O. Selznick was rightfully proud of this "class film". ... Read more

Reviews (282)

You Betcha!
Whenever I rave about a movie I've recently seen, there's the inevitable question "What's it about?" With regard to this film, I recall responding that it's about a pregnant police chief who eventually solves a series of brutal murders somewhere in the Upper Midwest. (Brainerd, Minnesota? Fargo, North Dakota?) It is always a pleasure to observe Frances McDormand's performance in a role for which she received an Academy Award for best actress in 1996. The film was directed by Joel Coen who co-wrote the screenplay with brother Ethan. This fil