Reviews (552)

Terrible movie, more Stephen King Schlock
This endless movie was a reminder of why I hate Stephen King stories, 3 hours of my life wasted on this drivel.

The Green Mile represents death row in a Louisiana prison of the 1930's, when a huge black man, sentenced to death, reveals remarkable powers of precognition and hands-on healing. However, this story is mired in implausible situations and a lack of believeability.

We have the gratuitious scenes of Tom Hanks peeing for comic or shock value, the frequent graphic executions of death row inmates, the mumbling cajun accent of Michael Jeter, the remarkable coincidence of Sam Rockwell also landing on death row even though no one seems to make the connection that he also worked for the family whose daughter John Coffy is accused of murdering.

Mr Jingles is a mouse used as a plot device to tug at your heart strings, although it becomes tiresome after a short while.

The character of Purcey is useless and adds nothing to the story.

John Coffey spends this entire movie sweating and blubbering his way through his sentence. Even his miraculous healing of a woman with a terminal brain tumor isn't enough for Tom Hanks to somehow intervene and get this miracle worker off death row, but instead, he reluctantly executes him in the climax of the movie.

Should we also believe that John Coffey, via touch alone, bestowed practical immortality upon Tom Hanks and Mr Jingles? Give me a break. By the end of the movie we learn that Mr Jingles is now about 65 years old, which has to be about 25 times a normal mouse life span; Tom Hanks will also live 25 lifetimes? Does no one at the nursing home question his age of 108? Give me another break. Obviously Stephen King is filling some gaping plot holes with quickie and implausible explanations.

All the actors do a very fine job, but.....

This movie is terrible, don't waste your time. Rent Shawshank Redemption instead!

Powerful Movie!
This movie is outstanding, and anyone who gives it less than 5 stars does not do it justice. Tom Hanks, never a disappointment, stars as Paul Edgecomb, a guard who is the main person involved with "The Green Mile," or death row. He brings compassion, integrity, and honesty to the role of a man who is in charge of the inmates sentenced to die. David Morse, an actor who I also happen to love, stars as his friend. The chemistry between these two actors is incredible, and I hope they will star in future movies together as well. Their relationship gives a depth to the entire movie. Barry Pepper, from Saving Private Ryan, is also wonderful, and he will continue to have a great acting career for many years. Duncan shines as John Coffey ("like the drink, only spelled differently"), and really gives the movie a full circle of competent and award-worthy performances. His passion and child-like innocence gives Coffey the true meaning of the word spirit. This is a wonderful movie that can be both sad and touching at the same time. This is the type of movie that once you see it, you will think differently about life and about human beings in general. This movie touches the heart, and does it in a way that few movies have ever done. I hope that everyone who watches this movie will feel as I do, and this is definitely something that everyone should make a point to see!

Touching story, beautiful acting.
The other fantastic prison movie. (The first one being The Shawshank Redemption). This one is a little more magical and very touching. Do not miss it!

Not Good.
'The Green Mile' was long, tedious, absurd, and boring. Only for die-hard Stephen King or Tom Hanks fans.

The redemption subrreptitiously...
From all standpoits, this picture means a complex and deep sociological approach about the human behavior.
A prison represents the background ; the vehicle for developing a fine story filled with many narrative devices and secondary readings.
Lets start with the character of Percy. Obviously Percy represents the nazi spirit ; a characteristic smell in that age.But notice than much more than a political movement the nazism works out here as a living style. Watch the way he acts ; her cut hair and his manners ; he seems to be a hard beat man and behind of this invisible wall ; you feel a man with serious emotional and affective lacks. The proofs are very clear ; he is a man without a bit of humanity a beast would be a term appropiate if not that issue may offend the animal species.The punishment for him it's excellent ; he will live in his memory over and over the horror: the Shakespeare's memory . The sin hurts much more in the memory than in the flesh.
We have in the prison characters who trascend his personal values through the green mile . The silent agreement : "All what it happens in the green mile , it keeps in the green mile" will be a statement that won't be too long after the redemption caused for Coffey. The mouse gag is a very ingenious clue. A prisioner will experiment a twist of fate with this pet.
The main character John Coffey is framed to die in the electric chair ; acussed by a murder . Slowly the curtains will reveal the awful truth and you as viewer will be reflected in the moral jury who observes the execution.
Notice by moments the film reminds us to a great picture of the same age (1935) , casually titled "Fury" of Fritz Lang . In many ways it doesn't sound speculation to state the rendezvous for that shocking film. The extrordinary picture Top Hat in which we watch to Fred Astaire dancing with Ginger Rogers is a touch of genius device that let introduce us and links the last will of Coffey ; Heaven ; I'm in heaven. And you can not avoid thinking in Cinema Pardiso ending.
The script was a hit. Frank Dubont made a very well done work with the camera , art direction , photography, cast and enlightment.
When the film concludes you remain in your chair thinking the multiple lines around the story . The sense of revenge , vested as justice ; the ugliness who lives in the soul of that people will watch the last minutes of Coffey beats in your face, your solu and your heart.
The smart ending is filled with sweetness ; it's very clever and it works out as relief for the viewer , who may forget the real intention of the film . You may assume the most comfortable position and consider the film as a beautiful redemption story : good choice for you , but the bitter message goes far beyond ; the racism ; the intolerance and the pain for the narrator who should live thinking about his silent shame , and to make nothing for avoid it.
To know and not to do is still not knowing said once the japanese writer Mishima.
This film and the wisperer's horse were the finest achievements in 1998 ; good signals that reveal the awakening of new proposals and ideas for the american cinema.
A winner movie! ... Read more

Reviews (11)

This House Drips NO Bodily Fluids Of Any Kind...
Don't let the title fool you. There's no blood in this film. THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD is a four part horror anthology about an old manor and the untimely deaths of it's occupants. First, Denholm Elliot (Indiana Jones) is a horror writer who moves into the creepy place looking for inspiration for his next book. He draws a picture of a mad strangler character he's imagined. He soon begins seeing him in real life! Next, we have Peter Cushing as a bachelor who visits a wax museum, only to find an old girlfriend's image in a figure of Solome. He becomes obsessed with it. Meanwhile, the owner of the museum has dark secrets of his own. I found this one pretty dull. Number three stars Christopher Lee as a man who moves into the house with his 8yo daughter. He hires a woman as nanny for the girl who soon believes Lee is a heartless monster for keeping his daughter isolated and not allowing her to play with dolls. Is he evil? Or is there something seriously wrong with his daughter? Semi-creepy. Finally, Jon Pertwee (Dr. Who) is a jaded horror movie actor working on his latest vampire epic. Disgusted by the cheesey sets and costumes being used, he goes to an occult shop and buys a "new" vampire cape for 13 shillings (cheap). The cape appears to turn him into a real nosferatu! Ingrid Pitt co-stars as Pertwee's seemingly innocent girlfriend, who isn't at all what she seems. This last one's mostly for laughs and reminds me of an episode of Rod Serling's Night Gallery. All four stories are tied together by a Scotland Yard detective who tries to solve the mysteries. Enjoyable, if not all that scary. It's always cool to see Cushing and Lee in anything. Recommended for diehard horror fans...

HOUSE OF FUN......
A creepy old house in the country proves to be deadly for anyone who rents it in this enjoyable quartet of horror tales. From the British Amicus output of anthologies in the 60's-70's, "House That Dripped Blood" boasts a superb cast and an interesting set-up of a Scotland Yard investigator looking for a horror film star who disappeared after being the last to rent the house. A cop and the strange Real Estate rep who rents the house tells the investigator the stories of the people who met their doom while living there. The tales include a horror writer whose latest murderous creation seemingly comes to life, Peter Cushing discovers that a weird Museum of Horrors has a Salome exhibit that seems to be still collecting heads, Christopher Lee's angelic young daughter turns out to be a voodoo practicing witch, and in the final tongue-in-cheek (or is that TOOTH in cheek) tale, the horror film star buys a vampire's cloak that still has chilling powers. Jon Pertwee is wonderful as the actor and the bosomy Ingrid Pitt is his seductive co-star---a REAL vampire. Great supporting cast includes Nyree Dawn Porter (from BBC's "The Forsyte Saga"). Very entertaining film that uses atmosphere and good acting instead of gore to get the job done. The DVD from Lion's Gate is a fine print in widescreen and features an interview with one of the producers, Max Rosenberg. This is another example of horror films that need to be on DVD. A great treat for Halloween and a collector's item for fans. Cut down the lights and enjoy.

A Gruesome Delight
This is a collection of four short narratives with a link story about the mystery of the creepy old house where all are set. In the first, a writer of horror stories fears he is going mad when the lunatic murderer he is writing about suddenly appears in his life and starts to stalk him. In the second, a respectable retired unmarried stockbroker is thrown off balance when he comes across a waxwork of a young woman that reminds him of his lost love. In the third, a young woman is hired as a governess and is puzzled to discover that her employer has forbidden his sweet little girl to play with dolls... In the fourth, a hammy old horror movie actor goes off shopping for a vampire's cloak and gets more than he bargained for. His subsequent disappearance has brought a Scotland Yard detective sniffing around whose investigations are a basis for the slender linking story.

Five stars first of all because of the title. If it isn't the best title of any movie ever, what on earth is? And you know you're into a treat when you watch the rest of the credits: Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Denholm Elliott, Joss Ackland, Ingrid Pitt... But my most vivid memory is still one of NOT seeing it. When it was released I was a wee boy of seven or eight, a good ten years younger than the certificate said I had to be to go and see it at the cinema. But I saw it advertised and was, I remember, desperately frustrated: a film with such a title could not possibly fail, my small boy's bloodthirsty imagination insisted, to be the most brilliant ever made. Older and perhaps wiser (and able to watch it as often as I like without troubling the law), I'll now concede it my well not be the most brilliant, or even anywhere near the scariest, film ever made. But I think my seven-year old self would not have been disappointed by these lovely gruesome little tales (and would not, I confidently conjecture have suffered significant psychological harm from seeing them). And even now, at my present relatively disenchanted age, I can watch it with unmitigated and not particularly guilty pleasure.

This House doesn't have a solid foundation
Sadly, The House That Dripped Blood doesn't have a very solid foundation. The termites of time have chewed away at the film's frame and the result is a film that sags when it should chill. Before you give me a "not helpful vote" hear me out.
I'm very fond of the low-budget but crisply directed series of films that Amicus productions released during the 70's. Unfortunately, The House That Dripped Blood isn't one of their better titles. Stick with the imaginative Asylum and Tales From The Crypt. Both these anthology films are much bolder and better made than this entry.

House comes off looking like an English knock-off of Night Gallery. While there's a very good cast buried in this film, the writing by original Psycho scripe Robert Bloch doesn't sever them very well. Denholm Elliot (Raiders of the Lost Ark), Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Jon Pertwee (Dr. Who)and Ingrid Pitt do their best given the material but there isn't much here to begin with. Bloch's script has no teeth and the direction is on a par with very average 1970's television programs.

It's a pity. The framing story for this anthology promised much more than it could deliver. A famous horror film actor (Jon Pertwee)has disappeared and one of Scotland Yard's finest is sent down to refer on the case. It turns out that the house where the actor was staying has a curse on it. Horror things happen to everyone that has rented it from A. J. Stoker (in an all too obvious tip of the hat to Bram Stoker and Dracula).

The first tale starts promisingly enough. A writer (Denholm Elliot)suffering from writer's block is hoping to jump-start his new novel about a strangler with a change of scenery. His wife doesn't care for the place but it suits the writer's personality to a tee. Fiction intrudes on reality when the writer begins seeing the murderer from his novel everywhere. His wife doesn't see anything. When the writer nearly strangles his wife, she insists that he seek help. Needless to say, things end badly.

The second tale involves a retired stockbroker (Peter Cushing giving a solid performance as always). He rents the house for the isolation and escape from the real world. He discovers a wax museum which would have seemed at home in the film House of Wax. He recognizes one of the figures; it resembles a former lover that he and his best friend fought over years ago. When Cushing's friend shows up to visit, he takes him into town. They visit the wax museum. The friend is mesmerized by the likeness of his former lover and can't leave the town.

The third tale involves a little girl isolated from all other children and her very frightened father who hires a teacher to tutor her. The third tale like the first two have a lot of potential. The telling of the tale is so poor, though, that it's hard to develop any sympathy for any of the characters or care what happens to them.

The fourth and final story provides the resolution for the framing story about the missing actor. It seems that the actor was appearing in a horror film about a vampire. When the actor purchases a cloak that belonged to a real vampire the tongue-in-cheek tale takes a turn for the worst for the actor and his co-star.

The transfer and print look exceptional. The colors are rich and the print suffers from minor analog imperfections. The mono sound is occasionally distorted but, on the whole, it sounds pretty good. The extras are minimal but given the nice transfer and widescreen presentation, fans may forgive this oversight. There is a nice interview with one of the producers.

What prevents the film from being effective are the telegraphed endings, hamfisted direction and lackluster writing. All of this is a surprise given the other films that came from Amicus Productions during the 60's and 70's. The film looks like an average television movie and has as much ambition. Horror film veterans like Roy Ward Baker (Asylum and Scars of Dracula) might have given this film a bit more energy and visual inspiration. Unfortunately, House is a relic of an earlier, more innocent time when bell bottoms were king and the few worthwhile horror films were low budget but sharp looking efforts from England.

No doubt I'll get some no helpful votes on this review (particularly if you remember this film fondly as I did)but, sadly, it hasn't aged well at all. The House That Dripped Blood has a couple of creepy and suspenseful moments but most of these are courtesy of the performances of Elliot, Cushing and Lee.

The House That Dripped Boredom.
I just finished watching this last night and all I can say is HoHum. Some wonderfull actors are wasted in this quadrilogy that only takes the time to present the scant hint of a delightfull macarbe plot only to quickly rap it up with endings that didnt have any twists or "wow, didnt expect that? kind of ending.

Im surprised that the most excellent performers Lee, Cushing ,and Elliot gave their time to this coulda been made for tv movie.

If anybody remembers the "Tales From the Crypt, Asylum, Vault of Horror" movies that came out of this period of early 1970 you will have some creepy scary viginettes to compare this movie to and it will come out lacking.

This house ought to be condemned. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Hero At Large
Hero at large;
Excellent, fun movie; John Ritter and Ann Archer at their best!!!

Unrecognized Greatness!
If you have only seen John Ritter in "Three's Company" or "8 Simple Rules", you should see this film. One of his first film breakaway roles from Jack Tripper, his true talent is very visible in this picture. It is a sad task to write this review, being that Mr. Ritter is no longer with us. But his legacy of comedy, and drama, will be a memorial of the talent he had. If you want a feel good movie filled with a sense of hope, and an ultimate happy ending, this is the film for you, if you just love John Ritter this is the film for you. 5 stars my seem too much to some people, but for the comedy, charisma, and color it contains, this movie deserves it! Watch it!

Excellent memories from this film
This is a true "feel good" film. I remember watching it many times as a child. The message was moral and the story of "real guy turning hero" never dies out. The fact it is John Ritter in his prime just adds to the draw. In addition, Anne Archer puts in a strong and lovable performance as the love interest.

Don't miss this film. For kids though, the violence and mild language could be tough. I suggest 9 or older (if I remember the language issues correctly). Best to pre-screen before showing it to the children.

Hero at Heart!
Movie is saved because of the likability of John Ritter who was riding on his success on tv's THREE'S COMPANY back in the late 70's early 80's. He plays a struggling actor who puts on the costume of comic book superhero "Captain Avenger" for promotional appearances. On his way home from an engagement, he foils a robbery and the rest is predictable. However, it is not necessarily too bad of a story because there is a lot of heart and plausibility in the plot. Along with the mistaken identity plot (so prevalent in Ritter's THREE'S COMPANY scripts) there is a good love story and chemistry between Ritter's character and his neighbor, the beautiful Ann Archer. Overall, great New York City locations, decent script, and good characters sprinkle this romantic comedy gem.

LOVED IT!
This is a really good movie. John Ritter is charming, Anne Archer is sexy and the story is really heartwarming. I don't know how this movie did in theatres, but it deserves to be discovered all over again. I see it as an oft-overlooked film with a big heart. ... Read more

Reviews (46)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Amazon.com

While horror conventions may change from generation to generation, there are ideas that will scare us no matter what time period we inhabit. Dead of Night is a classic horror anthology that effectively plays on those timeless fears. Mervyn Johns stars as a man who has been summoned to a house with a group of strangers he has never met but has seen in his dreams. As they convene, he predicts certain events will happen as they do in his dreams, and when they do, the other guests relate their own experiences with the supernatural, including tales of a possessed mirror, a sinister ventriloquist's dummy, and an eerie premonition of death.Throughout the group meeting, the protagonist fears something horrible will happen to him, and we are left to wonder what it might be. The film's final, revelatory sequence offers an unexpectedly horrific surprise.It may have been made in 1945, but Dead of Night is still spooky. --Bryan Reesman ... Read more

Reviews (23)

Witness the birth of the horror anthology.
Granted much of Dead Of Night isn't going to hit home with a lot of people. It's old and, as such, doesn't strike a cord with our modern sensibilities (just watch the segment about the two golf players and you'll know what i mean). But in a way, that's good. It's like sitting around with your friends in the... ahem... dead of night and telling each other ghost stories. They may not have a lasting effect on you but when you're there, in the moment, they work under your skin. The movie is more fun than frightening. It also has the most amazing ending I have seen in a long time, more then a typical pay-off. It's like witnessing your own horrific nightmares all coming true at once. The last segment of the film is also it's strongest and deserves to be a classic all by itself, featuring Michael Redgrave as a ventriloquist fighting a losing battle with his evil dummy. This brief 15 minutes of film easily qualifies Dead Of Night as a classic of British horror.

ENGLISH SPOOKS
A popular and critical sensation in its time, DEAD OF NIGHT was the first horror film to be released in Britain since the beginning of WWII. It's a splendid anthology of occult stories told by five people in a country house visited by a young architect, who had anticipated the scene in a nightmare. Each recounts a bizarre personal tale, and after hearing the last, the architect strangles the sole remaining guest, a disbelieving psychiatrist. Awakened the next morning, the architect discovers he had dreamed it all.............Or has he? As a lifetime fan of ghost stories and the like, I recommend this movie highly; it's definitely of the best in the genre to this day. Essentially, it's a group of 5 (really four) horror stories loosely and cleverly linked together. The Christmas ghost story is good material a little weakly done; however the haunted mirror sequence (with Googie Withers) is first-rate; actually one of the most gripping ghost stories you'll see in any film. An antique mirror reflects the tortured life of the previous owner (who commited suicide) ......... The knockout finale, however is the brilliant and justly famous climatic ventriloquist sequence with Redgrave. The film evokes rather than depicts horror, and waves its symmetrical spell with the magic of a good script and good direction. Contributing in no small measure to the uncanny mood is the ominous, Wagnerian score by Georges Auric. who had written the music for Jean Cocteau's films. The whimsical golfing episode is ridiculously out of place and it could be completely omitted from all prints and one would never know the difference. There is an obscure 1945 British film entitled "A Place of One's Own" with James Mason and Margaret Lockwood which sounds interesting -a story of spirit possession; I hope it finds it's way to video soon!

Great Film, Horrible Quality
Each episode of this masterpiece conveys a sense of dread and impending horror. This is achieved by gradually turning reality askew until it's a nightmare. No need for chainsaws and chop-chop. Unfortunately, the print I received must have been pirated by a drunken one-armed lodger with Parkinson's Disease, sitting in a vibrating chair in a dumpy London flat while struggling to keep his Toys R Us video camera trained on the flickering blue screen of a 10-inch Dumont TV situated behind the dirty window of an apartment on the other side of the Thames during a foggy night.

The nightmare is real life
This is a classic. The film is very entertaining in its succession of paranormal stories that a psychiatrist questions systematically to propose explanations that are farfetched and have to be farfetched because he does not want to accept the idea that there may be some paranormal activities and events in the world. The whole range of such events is explored and leads to a very disquieting ending. What if what we consider the real world were nothing but an illusion, a nightmare, something happening in our own minds, something that only existed in our minds ? What if this dreamlike and nightmarish world became blocked on one particularly event ? What if psychosis were the real natural normal state of tle mind instead of what we generally call normality ? What if schizophrenia were nothing but enhanced consciousness and not some deranged illusion of the brain ? ETC. You will look at the world with different eyes after this film. You may even be tempted to go to sleep and finally enter the reality of a nightmare or just a plain dream. Do so and bring the reliefs of this nightmare or that dream into what you have so far considered and called the normal world. You will discover then that most people around you will consider you as a real nightmare and that you will consider them as either real dummies or real monsters from the dead of night. Anyway life will become a lot more interesting and fascinating.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU

The Best Horror Film
You've seen the plots if you ever watched The Twilight Zone or half a dozen other series which generously stole the idea from Dead Of Night. But even if you are familiar with the tales, no film manages to invoke such fright as Dead Of Night.

A series of stories told by a group who are in an isolated English cottage on the moors, the suspense starts with the first tale and doesn't let up until the surprise, knock-out ending that beats them all.

Slightly Hitchcock in feel, the movie plays beautifully, even today, despite the lack of technological gimmickery.

Look for Sally Anne Howes in one of her first roles and a very young John Mills in the last tale.

Although the film does slow down with a comedic tale in the middle, it makes up for it with the John Mills episode.

Even if you are not a horror film fan, this movie will stun and fascinate you and is not to be missed. ... Read more

Description

In this anthology series, the legendary 1950's comic book rises from the dead as one of the most innovative, terrifying and frightfully funny horror shows on television.Each bone chilling adventure features a star-studded cast and is hosted by its slightly decaying master of ceremonies, the Crypt Keeper. From behind the camera, Tales From The Crypt boasts some of Hollywood's top talent and biggest names from television and films; from producers, to directors to composers.So, turn down the lights, lock your doors and join the Crypt Keeper with his fiendishly famous friends for unforgettable adventures, macabre, murder and mayhem. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

3 classic Tales from the Crypt episodes
I've owned this video for a long time now but it is always fun to watch. Only Sin Deep is such a great story and Lea Thompson does such a great job in it. Lover Come Hack to Me is the second story in the video and it is a pretty creepy tale, but the third episode Collection Completed is more comical. Maybe they should have titled this video Tales from the Crypt Wives from hell, considering all three episides have somthing to do with woman viciously killing their men. If you liked the Tales from the Crypt t.v. show, then you will really enjoy all three of these classic episodes.

One of the earlier "Crypt's" , it is also one of the best!
Considered to be "Volume 2" of our series, I will be reviewing "...Only Sin Deep" , "Lover Come Hack To Me" , and "Collection Complete" , all contained in the approximate 90-minute video. "..Only Sin Deep" , starring Lea Thompson, is the tale of a street girl who just needs a little cash. She gets it, all right, from a pawn store owner, in an unusual way. She rises to the top of her game, but no sooner does she notice something is changing...something truely horrifying.

"Lover Come Hack To Me" , starring Stephen Shellen , is the story of tortured love. When a gold digger marries a wealthy young lady, things really heat up the wedding night...just not the way you might think. Amanda Plummer co-stars in this houmerous shocker, professing the old adage: "What Goes around...comes around". "Collection Completed" is the story of a fresh off reiree, Jonas (M. Emmet Walsh) who looks forward to spending quality time with his loving wife Anita (Audra Lindley) , if only she did'nt have so many pesky animals! How Jonas hates them! So he starts a new hobby. Taxidermy. Perhaps Anita will follow up likewise...just not in the way you expect. These gory tales would make any horror buff proud. And just to make things clear, I am NOT writing any of my reviews from the back of the box! These are mine! Later!

ALL 3!!!!!! GREAT!!!!!!!
I LOVED ALL THREE OF THESE STORIES. THE FIRST, ONLY SIN DEEP HAS GREAT ACTING FROM LEA THOMPSON, AND IS SCRIPTED VERY WELL. THE SECOND STORY DOESNT HAVE ANY GREAT TWISTS, AND IS VERY PREDICTABLE, BUT IS STILL VERY ENTERTAINING. THE THIRD STORY IS EXTRODINARY IT HAS A GREAT TWIST AT THE END, AND A VERY COMEDIC STRUCTURE. THIS TAPE IS WELL WORTH A WATCH. END ... Read more

Amazon.com

This remake of 1963's The Incredible Journey gets a boost from the voice talent that brings its central characters to life. Don Ameche, Michael J. Fox, and Sally Field are, respectively, the voices of an old dog, a young dog, and a cat, all of whom coexist in a single household. Uneasy housemates at the best of times, they are forced to learn to rely on each other when the family relocates across country and they are left behind. So they set out on foot to find their family and discover their own strengths--both as individuals and as a team--while trekking to catch up with their humans. Well-trained animals and some feisty give-and-take between Fox and Field give this movie its charm, making it decidedly lovable family fare. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (41)

great family entertainment
i love this movie as much as my children. we saw it two times in the theater and countless times at home.michael j fox is the perfect choice for the voice of chance the pup. i also love don ameche as shadow the older dog and sally field as sassy the cat.the movie is a great combination of humor and adventure, plus the scenery is just beautiful. even though i've watched the movie over and over,i always find myself crying at the ending.

Faithful pets overcome obstacles to reunite with family
This wonderful remake of the 1963 Disney feature rivals its predecessor in warmth and beauty. -- A family needs to relocate for a brief period, but cannot take along their 3 pets; a cat and two dogs. Left in good hands on a farm, the animals feel abandoned by their masters, determined to find them. The 3 pets 'escape' only to endure many challenges. Upon hearing what happened, the family begins a desperate search for their beloved pets. -- Of course, all ends well. This film does more than give a mushy account of a pet/master reunion; there are serious 'situations' dealt with honestly and with feeling. A stepfather at last is accepted by the children of his new wife. The ultimate triumph of this movie is the plea to NEVER LOSE HOPE!

One of the last great PG-rated movies
I haven't seen Homeward Bound in almost a decade (I eventually lost the VHS tape our family bought a few months after it hit theaters), but I have so many fond memories of it as a teen. I absolutely adored this movie back then, and I still do now. Homeward Bound is wonderful for all audiences, and it isn't something parents would hate sitting through. I've been going through all the movies I loved when I was young, and nearly all of them are entertaining for everyone, and didn't try to dumb anything down for their target audience. It's a shame that there's been a somewhat recent shift in what's "suitable" even for a PG movie. PG movies are much more tame than they were from before 1996. In this day and age, it seems that all G and PG-rated movies are made for the 10 and under crowd, but back before 1996 so-called "children's" movies were enjoyable for everyone from the kids they was meant to entertain all the way up to the adults who plunked their kids down in front of them. Homeward Bound was one of the last great PG movies that everyone could love. It's exciting, adorable, and funny. These are some of my favorite "edgier" G and PG movies that don't insult children by being too tame: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie (1990), Beetlejuice (1988), Return to Oz (1985), Labyrinth (1986), and The Last Unicorn (1982).

Heartwarming Nature Adventure with 3-Hankie Finale!
This is the wonderful remake of the 1963 Disney feature "The Incredible Journey" and rivals its predecessor in warmth and beauty. Both are based on a true story.

A family needs to relocate for a brief period, but cannot take along their 3 pets; a cat and two dogs. Left in good hands on a farm, the animals feel abandoned by their masters, determined to find them. The 3 pets 'escape' only to endure many challenges. Upon hearing what happened, the family begins a desperate search for their beloved pets.

Of course, all ends well. This film does more than give a mushy account of a pet/master reunion; there are serious 'situations' dealt with honestly and with feeling. A stepfather at last is accepted by the children of his new wife. The ultimate triumph of this movie is the plea to NEVER LOSE HOPE!*****

Better than the second. 16th april 2004.
Seen both, the first is a little bit better than the second. They are both very similar so if you hated the first, you probably wouldn't like the second. It is about 3 pets sassy, chance and shadow who's owners have just left to go on holiday. The 3 pets are left with a woman for a few days until the father as finished what he doing over there. The pets don't feel safe, so they decide to run off in the forests and lakes to find there family. It is a dangerous world out there with the lions and bears and mountain lions. But they spend a whole journey to find them. Chance dosen't like the pound, none of them do but he is mad on not going in again. They end up going there eventually, they are found safe and sound by police officers that have reported about them. But still they refuse to go to the pound, especcially chance he pulls and pulls to not get into danger again when actually they are trying to help them. There family are worried, they head off home to the pound where they have herd thats where they are. But the only thing is, they manage to get away from the pound and when there owners come to pick them up, they arn't there. They head home. But there family manages to get home first and still they haven't found them. They bark and meaow[sassy the cat] and they know it is them they are home at last. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

"Valerie was destined for tragedy"
If you're a fan of Bette Davis and Susan Hayward like I am you'll like this over the top melodrama of love, hate, infidelity and ultimately, murder.

Enjoyable (if not always believable) performances by all. A decent Saturday afternoon flick.

Unsung Camp
Take a celebrity murder trial, filter it through the grimy typewriter of Harold Robbins, then use the resulting best seller as a vehicle for Susan Hayward and Bette Davis, and you have camp treasure. Though the story is based on the Lana Turner-Johnny Stompanato murder case, Hayward and Davis make "Where Love Has Gone" their own. Hayward plays an acclaimed sculptress from a wealthy family, who also is, like many Harold Robbins' female characters, a promiscuous harpy. The blame for her wild behavior falls squarely on the gray head of her controlling mother, Davis. Thrown in are Michael Mannix, as the war hero Hayward marries, and a young Joey Heatherton, as their helmet-haired daughter who stabs Hayward's lover. Mannix is quickly buried in the rubble of scenery left behind by Hayward and Davis. Hayward, in particular, really tears into her role. Anyone who sees this movie should know that she was born to play the Helen Lawson role in "Valley of the Dolls" a few years later--though she only got the part when Judy Garland was canned. Even in her tender moments Hayward sounds like she's trying to pick up sailors in a bar. Davis, by comparison, is almost restrained. She also seems slightly drunk, like she belted back a few before she had to go on set to manipulate the other players. She practically announces her lines, then does a quick mental retreat. Poor Joey Heatherton really has nothing to do other than whine "Daddy" repeatedly and churlishly ask for cigarettes. Then again, no performance Heatherton would give on film could ever equal the drama of her personal life.

As if Hayward and Davis weren't enough, check out the set and costume design. The Hayward and Mannix's mod '60s home is truly spectacular--it's like the Brady Bunch won the lottery. And look at the use of color. In one scene Hayward's scarf and slacks and social worker Jane Greer's suit are in complimentary shades of green that match the walls of the room. The only other example of such extreme color coordination I can think of is in the Barbra Streisand movie "On a Clear Day You Can See Forever." Also marvel at how everyone in the movie, including Heatherton--who's supposed to be 15--is made to look like they're no younger than 40. But what makes this movie a true "must-see" are the scenes of Susan Hayward welding. It's one of those moments that virtually define the term "camp." Yet, while campy, this misogynistic chick flick (only Harold Robbins...) doesn't quite garner the "camp classic" stamp--it's just a little too reserved for that. Still, "Where Love Has Gone" makes for fun viewing.

FROM TABLOID TRASH TO CELLULOID...
This film is based on the best selling novel. "Where Love has Gone" by Harold Robbins, which is nothing more than a fictionaized rendering of the notorious Lana Turner-Johnny Stompanato murder case, in which Lana's daughter, Cheryl,stabbed her mother's lover to death. This notorious murder case was the subject of tabloid headlines for some time.

Here, Susan Hayward plays the role of a wealthy, award winning sculptoress, who is a wild thing, wayward and sexually promiscuous, as her sexuality is the only thing that her domineering mother cannot control. One day, she meets a war hero, engagingly played by Michael Mannix, and falls in love with him, when he stands up to her controlling and manipulative, hoity toity, high society mother, a role that Bette Davis fiendishly defines.

They marry and have high hopes, but Bette is always in the wings, controlling, manipulating, and in the end, getting her way, despites the war hero's best intentions. This causes him to become a drunk and for his wife to play around. They manage to have a child, a daughter, but even this is not enough to make them stay together. The mother arranges a divorce for her daughter with the proviso that he have nothing to do with their child.

Time passes, and the scultoress goes on to become highly acclaimed, much of that acclaim bought by her mother, unbeknownst to her. She also continues to have her bevy of lovers. One night, the long lost father, now a highly successful architect, is summoned, as his now teenage daughter, played with baby doll nuances by the very nubile Joey Heatherton, has been accused of murdering her mother's lover. All together after many years, the generations are in conflict as to how the matter can best be resolved. Common sense and decency prevail in the end. Look for the so called surprise ending, which a discerning viewer can figure out.

Bette Davis, and Susan Hayward are terrific in their respective roles, as is Michael Mannix. Joey Heatherton does a respectable job with the role of the fifteen year old daughter. While some critics argue that she was miscast, as she does not look fifteen, I believe that the fact that she appears older is central to the drama. Watch the film, and you be the judge.

All in all, this is a moderately entertaining melodrama, Betty Davis and Susan Hayward fans will especially enjoy it.

Clash of the Titans
Man, can you imagine the heat on the set of this soapy film, when the two legends of Bette Davis and Susan Hayward, both infamously hard to work with, had scenes together? Bette Davis was scheduled to return to the set after her final scenes, to smash her painting, but refused, so Susan got to do it, and I guess she enjoied it!

It's a grower. Super glamorous 60s movie.
PS/Total out of it: You JUST HAVE to see Susan Hayward wearing a mask for metal workers and handling a welder!!

"Somewhere along the Way..The World has Lost its Good Taste"
This thinly disguised version of the Lana Turner-Johnny Stompanato murder case works mainly due to its great cast. Susan Hayward plays the Lana Turner character with her trademark intensity and she is a riot when confronting Bette Davis' Mother-From-Hell character. I have read endlessaccounts of how they hated each other during filming and that tranfers to the screen very effectively. As for Mike Connors (later "Mannix"), he is too perfect for words and he plays a drunk very badly. Joey Heatherton is'nt as bad as some people have said but she certainly does not look 15 years old. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Heavy-metal golf with Adam Sandler, a 1996 dry run of the wild-man-athlete formula that paid off so handsomely in The Waterboy. There are some irresistibly funny sequences, although you may hate yourself for laughing at the mean-spirited slapstick. This isn't a classic golf comedy, like the Bill Murray vehicleCaddyshack, but as a hot-tempered would- be hockey player who finds an unexpected métier as a power golfer, Sandler has a short-fuse shtick that's effectively deployed. He's like a punk rocker gleefully out of his element, puncturing the country-club atmosphere by using the fairway as a private mosh pit. The action gets repetitive beyond the midpoint, and a subplot involving Gilmore's lovable grandma and her problems with the IRS is dismayingly sappy. Sandler's iconoclasm is mostly window dressing; there's no conceptual or satirical daring in his kind of "outrageousness." The strong supporting cast includes Christopher McDonald as Gilmore's smug rival on the links, Julie Bowen as a perky publicist, and, in a memorable bout of fisticuffs with our hero, game-show host Bob Barker. Director Dennis Dugan(Problem Child) himself plays Doug Thompson, the golf-tour supervisor. --David Chute ... Read more

Reviews (206)

I don't think your lungs can handle this kind of laughter...
You're looking for a comedy on DVD. Let's see...

You don't want any comedy that's too sophisticated, like "Deconstructing Harry".

You don't want any comedy that's too insane, like "There's Something About Mary".

You JUST want to laugh.

I'm proud to say "Happy Gilmore" will make you scream with laughter, my friend. This is Adam Sandler's platinum hit, the best comedy of his career. It has the coveted Amazon.com five-star customer rating, a rare find indeed for the comedy lover, and reviewers call it "the best golf comedy since 'Caddyshack'". The movie stars Adam Sandler (Bulletproof, The Wedding Singer, Billy Madison) as Happy Gilmore, a short-fused hockey player who just realized he AGAIN didn't make the cut for his hockey team for the 10th time in a row. After taking out his raging anger on the coach, he life begins to spiral downwards when his girlfriend leaves him, and he realizes his grandmother's prized house built by his grandfather's bare hands if about to be seized by the IRS in 90 days due to her failure to pay taxes in over a decade. But when he discovers his monster hockey slapshot equals one hell of a talent in golf, he is talked into playing golf by a local retired golfer, Chubbs Peterson, for the money to reclaim his grandma's house. But not only is Happy not ready for golf, but the president of the Pro Tour, Doug Thompson, doesn't think golf is ready for Happy! Even his future golf enemy, Shooter McGavin, thinks he's making a mockery of golf with his very bad temper and his rambunctious behavior. But Happy is a hit with fans, so he's weaved himself through the loophole...for now. For a shining moment he's riding on Cloud 9-iron, but Shooter McGavin, and the accidental death of his beloved mentor Chubbs, are threatening to take away not only his grandmother's house, but his dream as well, and it's not just about his grandma's house anymore...it's about triumph.

So, if you love simple comedy, get Happy Gilmore on DVD. You'll fall down laughing....guaranteed!

Happy Gilmore
The movie Happy Gilmore is the funniest laugh-out loud golf comedy since Caddy Shack. From the very first scene to the last, Adam Sandler and his cast will keep you in stiches and gasping for a breath. Unlike other of his comedies, Adama Sandler is not the only one delivering the laughs. A cast, who isn't that famous yet, but hilarious and meant for each role that they play accompany Sandler. The movie follows the entertaining career change of Happy Gilmore (Adam Sandler) who goes from being a brutal hockey player to a golf sensation. After finding out that his grandma has lost her house as the result of not paying her taxes, Happy vows to get the house back. After being cut from the local hockey team, Happy is discovered by an old golf pro, Chubs Peterson. He tells Happy that he has the potential to make a large sum of money playing golf. A light bulb goes off in Gilmore's head and he decides to put his hockey career on hold for a while to pursue this idea of becoming a golfer and thereby raising the money to get his grandma's house back. After winning a local tournament Gilmore makes the pro tour and is ready to start making money. His journey through the tour takes many comedic ups and downs as he battles with the villian of the movie, Shooter McGavin (Christopher McDonald). Shooter will do anything to prevent Happy Gilmore from succeeding. This movie is a classic and undoubtedly one of the best comedies of all time. There is not a dull moment in the movie and anybody who dosen't laugh at Gilmore's antics on the course must surely have no sense of humour. There is no stop to the endless number of sidesplitting actors in this movie. Even when Adam Sandler is not in the scene, Christopher McDonald amuses you with his arrogant yet comical style and the cameo by Bob Barker is icing on the cake. I give the movie five out of five stars and recommend it for anyone who likes to laugh.

A modern-day 'Caddyshack'
This movie will have you grabbing your sides and gasping for air. Adam Sandler plays Happy Gilmore, a lowclass guy trying to win money for his grandma through his newly discovered talent of hitting the ball faaaaaaaaaaar in golf. His putting is horrible though. And like any comedy, there must be a rival. A proffesional golfer who feels Happy is an insult to the Golfing industry tries to keep Happy from winning so that he himself can win.

This movie is like a modern version of Caddyshack, and great for the whole family.

This is a good movie
I was totally unfamiliar with Adam Sandlers work prior to buying this movie and The Wedding Singer. I'd just bought my first DVD player and I wanted movies. I liked the two movies. Then I rented Big Daddy. I thought wow, Adam Sandler makes great movies. Then I rented several other Adam Sandler movies. Which I didn't like at all. I think Happy Gilmore probably steals the distinction of the being best Golf movie from Caddy Shack. Maybe not, but Happy Gilmore is a classic and one of those movies I can watch over and over.

Needs to also Have a Widscreen DVD! Not Just Pan and Scan!!!
Happy Gilmore is a very funny movie and one of my favorite Adam Sandler movies!

One question I have is how come you can watch a trailer for Happy Gilmore on the Billy Madison DVD and the trailer is shown in widescreen but they opted to use the cropped pan and scan format for Happy Gilmore on it's own DVD?

That is my only complaint about this DVD and if a widescreen DVD ever becomes available I will buy it and either sell trade or give away or my pan and scan DVD! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Tales from the Crypt doesn't disappoint in this video
What does a bone-chilling story, a tomb, and a rotting corpse have in common? Tales from the Crypt! What else? This video contains DEAD WAIT with one of the best comedians/actors in history, Whoopi Goldberg. She plays a medicine woman on an island that is being taken over by a group of rebels. At the same time, a young man named Red is planning to take a valuable black pearl. What happens when their paths cross?

Yet another great 'Crypt video, sure to send you shivers!
This film contains the episodes (which I will be reviewing) "Dead Wait", "People Who Live In Brass Hearses" and "Seance". I can't speak for other reviewers on this collection, but I found all installments in this video to be well-written and entertaining. "Dead Wait", which features hit TV and film star Whoppi Goldberg (who does a comedic stint with the Crypt Keeper at the end) is a tale of the strange cult of Voodoo and it's supposed magic. But how high do sacrifices go to steal a priceless treasure? Co-Starring James Remar and John Rhys-Davies, there should be lots of "heads rolling" after you see this tale! "People Who Live In Brass Hearses", starring Bill Paxton, in the tale of a common street robber and his mishappen brother (acclaimed film star Brad Dourif) as they try to take down a helpless Ice Cream vender. At the climax, the boys realize that two heads, legs, arms, etc. are better than one... "Seance" , starring Cathy Moriarty, takes a in-sight on the wicked world of tricks involvid psychics, gypsies and such. "But we all know the "Seance" we are seeing is fake, right?" , might be what our dear Alison Peters (Cathy) might say. Co-starring Ben Cross, Alison will learn how wrong she is. These three horrifying tales will do any ghoul's horror collection well. As The Cryptkeeper himself my say, "Til' next time, kiddees!"

VERY, VERY, VERY GOOD
IN THE FIRST EPISODE, WHOOPIE GOLDBERG IS THE ONLY THING THAT IS ANY GOOD. THE SECOND ONE IS EXCELLENT. BRAD DOURIF GIVES AN EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE IN THIS VERY COMEDIC EPISODE, WITH BILL PAXTON AS WELL. THE THIRD IS VERY GOOD AS WELL, IT HAS NO TWISTED SHOCK ENDING, AND DOESNT EVEN HAVE A VERY GOOD STORY, BUT IS STILL ENTERTAINING, ESPECIALLY WITH CATHY MORIARTY, SHE IS EXCELLENT. END ... Read more

Amazon.com

Warm, tender, and poetically vague, Claire Denis's French feature Nenette and Boni taps into a rarely dramatized emotion: affection between brother and sister. The gangly, sweetly distant Grégoire Colin (Before the Rain) is Boni, a lonely young man in Marseilles, where he makes pizzas for a living and has highly sexual, dough-related dreams about the beautiful owner (Valeria Bruni Tedeschi) of the corner bakery. When his fragile younger sister, Nenette (Alice Houri), arrives, Boni is shaken out of his fantasies by the need to care for another human being; Nenette, too, has a bun in the oven--a baby she's expecting any minute.

With her gift for describing the emotional undercurrents and unpredictable crossings of urban life (demonstrated by her feature I Can't Sleep), Denis creates a vivid, three-dimensional portrait of a small village within a big city, and the film's mood of quiet concern is nicely accentuated by a memorable score from the band Tindersticks. --Dave Kehr ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Touching and deep
This film was excellent. The director allows the viewer to become comfortable with the characters, and then adds abstract information to complicate the plot. The viewer feels uncertain and confused at some points in the film, but that is the brilliance of this piece of work. This film keeps the viewer stimulated by using visual effects. Also there is a strong sense of motion. Sometimes it is difficult to understand what is suppose to be a dream, and what is actually reality. The film is basically centered around a brother and sister relationship with a few added complications. This relationship is very odd, but realistic and touching. The ending is very vague, but that is reality. The viewer is left with a deep feeling of some kind, it is very difficult to explain. This film is a pure representation of society, economy, and morality. The director puts the viewer face to face with the hardships of everyday. life.

quel fantastic french film!
This is one of my most favorite french films. The cinematography is excellent, for one thing. The way Denis consistently has a nack of letting us feel as though we know and understand her characters is amazing. Mixed with so many emotions - its sensitivity and dramatic ending (all too common in a generic sense in many french films) leaves one with a feeling of expectancy for something, but you're not sure what. I don't know. You've just got to watch the film. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Whew. Linda Fiorentino is like a home-grown apocalyptic nightmare as the sizzling, sexy dame who thinks "sharing" is a dirty word. Fiorentino, a master of the double-cross, hooks up with naive Peter Berg, a nice guy desperate for a little adventure. There are endless twists to this cleverly vicious story, but the real draw is Fiorentino, whose performance is brilliant. She is the Everywoman you never want to meet: cool as ice, passionate, tough, self-satisfied, smart, and amoral. Bill Pullman is a surprise as a Machiavellian doctor who is almost her match. Definitely not a date flick, as this represents one vicious battle in the sexual wars. --Rochelle O'Gorman ... Read more

Reviews (38)

Linda Fiorentino is the ultimate b***h goddess!
Linda Fiorentino gives the performance of her career in "The Last Seduction" playing Bridget Gregory, who is the most ruthless, callous, mean, greedy and fascinating woman possibly ever seen on screen. In the beginning of the film, Bridget gets her doctor husband (Bill Pullman) to make a pharmaceautical drug deal for almost a million dollars, after which she takes off with the cash leaving her husband pennilness. Then she temporarily locates to a small town, where she begins to manipulate a pathetic smalltown buffoon (Peter Berg, who she also treats as a human vibrator) into killing her husband. Linda Fiorentino is just such a blast playing Bridget that instead of hating her, you root for her. As rotten to the core as she is, you cheer as she constantly manipulates and destroys the hapless men around her, and emerges victorious. This movie is great to watch whenever you're in a bad mood ... it always cheers me up.

I am not a fan of the man-killer genre.
The whole business of the smart woman who knows how to use sex to make men stupid just doesn't really wash for me. BODY HEAT, BASIC INSTINCT, ROMEO IS BLEEDING, and this one. Each plays in its own way on the idea that estrogen makes women smart while testosterone makes men stupid enough to override their survival instinct.

I dunno...maybe this is true for a lot of guys, but it ain't true for me. I don't find myself huffing and puffing at the sultry sexuality that these women bring to the screen.

That said, this was one of the better examples of that genre that I've seen--an incredible performance from Linda Fiorentino (whom I've had an eye on since VISION QUEST--why isn't this woman a star?), a cutting script, appropriately moody direction, editing and cinematography...this should have been a perfect movie. Maybe it's a perfect specimen of this sort of movie and my own dislike for the genre is what keeps me from seeing that.

All I know is that when the story came to its shock ending...nothing. No resolution for me...no sense of justice...no horror at the turn of events. It just didn't play true for me because, while I've seen (and experienced) many of the stupid things that men have done for sex, I really don't believe that an erection could make a man--even a slow-witted one--THAT stupid.

Dark thriller, best of it's kind
this is one of the darkest erotic movies i've ever seen, a clever one too, sex scenes are a bit too fake, the plot is stong and achieved it's key and star cast Linda, Bill Pullman and Peter Berg are amazing. 8/10.

Not Impressed
Linda Fiorentino's portrayal of a cold, calculating sexual predator was lackluster, and unconvincing at best....as was the plot. Peter Berg carried off his role and was the only reason I continued to watch. Though mentioned on an episode of Sex & the City, for a hot sex scene, I found it dull. This movie was a disappointment.

FemmeFatale to end them all....
This movie could be harmful to your health if you are fascinated by bad women, there have been other femme-fatales,Davis, , Stanwyck,Turner, Stone, Theresa Russell, Barrymore, but Fiorentino defeats them all as ruthlessly as Kroy defeats her opponents in 'last seduction': it wasnt termed a filme-noir legend for nothing, Fiorentino is ably supported by Berg, Pullman and others, but no taking credit from her, they couldnt have done it without her....but for the HBO telemovie release,Fiorentino would have gotten Oscar or Golden globe and be a household-name top-rung star.....tantalisingly, some of Bridgets attitudes in certain areas are shared by Fiorentino, apparently.... ... Read more

Description

Inspired by the true story of WNBA players Heidi and Heather Burge -- also known as the world's tallest twins -- DOUBLE TEAMED is slam dunk fun for everyone! High school freshman Heidi (Annie McElwain, SAVED BY THE BELL: THE NEW CLASS) and her sister Heather (Poppi Monroe, THE LAST DON) may be twins, but they have little in common, except for basketball. Heather dreams of stardom in the WNBA while Heidi dreams of stardom as an actress. With their dad Larry (Nick Searcy, CAST AWAY) and mom Mary (Mackenzie Phillips, SO WEIRD) at odds over their future, it seems no one is playing as a team. Worst of all their jealous teammate Nicky has just revealed a secret that could get them kicked off the team. Clearly, these twins need to get a game plan -- and fast -- because the championship, a scholarship, and their relationship are at stake ... and time is quickly running out! ... Read more

Reviews (11)

this is a good one
"Double Teamed" is a great movie--and it's a true story, too. =) Based on the real-life stories of Heather and Heidi Burge, this film follows the lives of twin girls with a mother who just wants them to be happy and a father who is willing to do anything to make sure they prepare for their futures, even if it means transferring them to a different school so they can play sports. The girls adjust quickly to their new school. Heidi finds a niche in the drama/acting department, and Heather finds herself a spot on the basketball team (the twins are very tall, so the coach is practically begging them to play, haha). The girls' father literally forces Heidi to quit the school play in which she got one of the lead roles and join the basketball team with Heather. This does not go down well with Heidi, especially since she is not as athletic as her sister and therefore feels overshadowed by Heather. But the girls work at it, and they grow to love playing on the team. There is one setback, though: a rich snob on the team named Nikki who resents Heather and Heidi because they are threatening her position as the "star" of the team. But things do get better throughout the movie....it's just a really good movie and I would definitely recommend it.

The best movie ever
I heart this movie so much....it is a tale that will inspire all to reach for their goals and stop at nothing less...along the way we see them overcome obstacles and yet they stay focused and together...this is a must see for all children with hopes and dreams....I am 19yrs old and i still LOVE it!!!...bring back the side ponytail...

Oustanding Film For Teens And BBall Players
What an oustanding film. I just did not care for the pressures from the father towards his daughter, Heidi, but it was one of a kind! I definetly suggest you buy it after renting it first to see if you like it!!

True Story, True Fun
Not only a great girl-power movie, but fun for twins. As a twin, I appreciated the competitiveness and other twin issues that the movie brought out.

Fellow alumni of PVHS
I attended Palos Verdes High in '83, so I didn't know Heidi or Heather, but it's great to see their awesome success! Also, both I and coach Wendell Yoshida are alumni of Cal State Dominguez Hills, and I think he's a great coach. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Good Adaptation of the Hamner Novel With One Exception
Before THE WALTONS, Earl Hamner Jr. wrote a novel called
SPENCER'S MOUNTAIN, a fictionalized version of his childhood
in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. The film version of
his novel is in general excellent--Henry Fonda is a standout
as tough-but-loving Clay Spencer--but I always thought
James MacArthur was too old to be playing Clay-Boy, and he's
certainly NOT the charm