Amazon.com

This soapy but highly watchable television "sequel" to Gone with the Wind, the most popular Hollywood movie ever made, has nothing to do with memories of a vanished antebellum South. But it does end up in Ireland, where the determined Scarlett O'Hara Butler (played with frosty passion by Joanne Whalley-Kilmer) turns hard times into an opportunity by buying the ancestral home of her family. Before that happens, however, Scarlett fights to win back the estranged Rhett Butler (manfully portrayed by Timothy Dalton), often seen in the company of other women, struggles for control over the homestead Tara, and gets caught in yet another compromising position with poor Ashley Wilkes (Stephen Collins). The troubles never stop (Scarlett's Ireland adventures land her in a heap of trouble from which only Rhett can save her), but this TV miniseries wisely keeps the focus on these captivating characters, their entangled histories, and the collective destiny that refuses to part them. The show also looks good: the location scenes in Ireland are particularly handsome, and there is something unaccountably satisfying about seeing Scarlett and Rhett walking through peaceful green hills. Enjoy. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (94)

The ending is horrible! What happened????
First off. . . the so called sequel to GONE WITH THE WIND will never measure up to the first. Kinda like to many Jason & Freddy movies! As a big time fan of GWTW I jumped on the band wagon. . . bought the book. . . waited for the movie. Let's just say the book is actually great! Different but great. The movie . . . well I will try to be nice. Joanne Whalley-Kilmer as Scarlett? What a joke! They should have got Delta Burke for that role! Timothy Dalton was an ok Rhett Butler better than the Scarlett. If they had stayed with the way the book was written instead of changing the ending it would have been much better. Where does Hollywood come up with some of their stuff? The ending in the book is so much better than what they showed! It was a crock of you know what!

When it took place in Savannah,GA and Ireland that was really nice. Gave you a so-called new take on that time frame instead of the poor south at that time.

Jean Smart played Sally Brewster's role wonderful. Gave the charater the spunk she needed!

Starts well, then falls apart
I enjoyed the first part of this film, Timothy Dalton is, of course, devestatingly gorgeous as Rhett Butler, the woman playing Scarlett is a bit insispid but who cares, so long as I could drool over Dalton I was happy. The part where they get shipwrecked on an island together, aaaaah! If only! I found it quite interesting to meet Scarlett's posh relations on her mother's side, and I was glad that Suellen had finally got herself a husband, she wanted one os much, poor soul. The killing off of Mammy is of course a big mistake, but the author clearly doesn't know how to portray black characters convincingly, which is I suppose why the film suddenly shifts to Ireland, where Scarlett goes to discover her roots. From here on it's downhill all the way. Pure melodrama, and Sean Bean is so blatantly wicked he might as well wear a hat with 'villain' written on it. If only Margaret Mitchell had written a sequel herself! Naturally I want Scarlett to get Rhett back, who doesn't, but the way it happens in this film is just too silly for words. I persevered to the end because, of course, Timothy is still there, and still devastating, but honestly! It just gets sillier and sillier.

Horable!! Don't waist your time!!
In gone with the wind, Scarlett was a little bit of a brat, but she at least had some morals!!! I this movie, Scarlett (who you remember loved Ashley until Melanie died) has become hated around Atlanta because of the fact that she chased after Ashley so long. To save her dignity, Scarlett runs to Rhett's mothers house, where she stays for a time (much to Rhett's dismay). When a turn of events gets Scarlett kicked out of Mrs. Butler's home, she eventually ends up in Ireland with a baby that Rhett has no idea exists.

In Gone With the Wind, Scarlett married many men for their money, but she was not going around sleeping with men out of wedlock, which turned out to be a very bad idea!
Also, the boathouse scene was such a corny idea!!!

This is defiantly NOT a good sequel to gone with the wind.
The woman who played Scarlett couldn't even begin to compare with Vivien Leigh. Maybe someday they will remake this movie and actually take the time to choose good actors and write a decent story line!!!

Horable!!!! Don't waist your time!!!
In gone with the wind, Scarlett was a little bit of a brat, but she at least had some morals!!! I this movie, Scarlett (who you remember loved Ashley until Melanie died) has become hated around Atlanta because of the fact that she chased after Ashley so long. To save her dignity, Scarlett runs to Rhett's mothers house, where she stays for a time (much to Rhett's dismay). When a turn of events gets Scarlett kicked out of Mrs. Butler's home, she eventually ends up in Ireland with a baby that Rhett has no idea exists.

In Gone With the Wind, Scarlett married many men for their money, but she was not going around sleeping with men out of wedlock, which turned out to be a very bad idea!
Also, the boathouse scene was such a corny idea!!!

This is defiantly NOT a good sequel to gone with the wind.
Joanne Whalley (who played Scarlett) couldn't even begin to compare with Vivien Leigh. Maybe someday they will remake this movie and actually take the time to choose good actors and write a decent story line!!!

Gone With the Wind This Ain't
I love GWTW, personnally I think that it is one of the BEST movies of all time-- this is not up to par. I have read GWTW by Mitchell and I read Scarlett by Alexandra Ripley and I must say that the original is by far better.

Now the Scarlett Miniseries was suppose to be the sequel to the GWTW movie not the book otherwise it would confuse those who've seen the original but didn't read the book, like Scarlett's other children by her first two husbands, I digress. However, the screenwriter or even the director of this movie thought it important to put Suellen having a family, after all in the first movie you expect her to be an old maid!

Joanne Whalley as Scarlett O'Hara Hamilton Kennedy Butler is a like unbelieveable and I do agree with the other reviewers that said Terri Garber(Ashton of North and South) might have been a better choice, albeit type-casting. Timothy Dalton as Rhett Butler is a good choice, I actually liked him as Rhett and seemed a better notice that in the sequel Rhett has a Southern accent. Which from my understanding Clark Gable refused to play the part with the accent.

My overall opinion of this movie is blah at best, if you really must see it I recommend finding it at your local video rental store. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

The history of film comedy would have been much altered if Peter Ustinov had stayed in the role of Jacques Clouseau, the bumbling French police inspector in The Pink Panther. But Ustinov dropped out, the role went to Peter Sellers, and a classic character was born: suspicious, blundering, with a pompous little mustache and a sometimes impenetrable accent, Clouseau was always one step behind everybody else in the room. The Pink Panther introduced Clouseau hot on the trail of a famous jewel thief (David Niven), who may be planning to make off with an expensive gem known as the Pink Panther. Set in a European ski resort, this bubbly comedy is a wonderful dose of '60s style, from the famous Henry Mancini theme music to the presence of two of Europe's top sex symbols of the era, Claudia Cardinale and Capucine. The film also introduced the popular cartoon Pink Panther, slinking around to Mancini's music in an animated credits sequence. The film's success brought a follow-up, A Shot in the Dark, also released in 1964; after 11 years, Sellers and top comedy director Blake Edwards (10) returned with three more sequels. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (38)

My Favorite Panther
Which Pink Panther/ Inspector Clouseau film is your favorite? I can't really decide between THE PINK PANTHER and A SHOT IN THE DARK. My heart is really with THE PINK PANTHER because I saw that in the theatre first. THE PINK PANTHER was really an event for me. It was such an 'in' film at the time. To me David Niven is really the main character of this film and he brings a lot of himself to the role, which elevates the distinction of the film quite a bit. Niven is the personification of class. The great cast also includes Robert Wagner, Capucine, Claudia Cardinale, Brenda de Banzie and Fran Jeffries (with choreography by Hermes Pan). Besides the cast I also did like the score composed by Henry Mancini. The Pink Panther Theme will live forever. Mancini was a true professional. Plus it has beautiful great outdoor scenery, photography and elegant sets, which makes it very likable and memorable in a way strangely akin to Hitchcock's TO CATCH A THIEF. The costume ball (costumes by Yves Saint-Laurent) was a real showstopper and is one of the most memorable scenes of all time. This is a highly visual told film. For me this is the best Pink Panther film.

Oh my, who was she?
agree with the last reviewer on the scene in the alpine lodge. The girl was indeed beautiful and the scene was perhaps the one I remember the most and the one I look forward to seeing over and over again(and the one I always replay at least once). However, the object of this review would have to be the movie itself.

This was perhaps the only movie that I enjoyed with Peter Sellers as Clouseau. His depiction as the bumbling inspector in Pink Panther was superb. It's unfortunate that he decided to change his style with subsequent Panther movies.

As usual, David Niven was equally magnificent as the "cat burgler" with Capucine and Robert Wagner equally enjoyable in their roles. For those who have not seen this movie, it centers around the eventual attempted theft of the Pink Panther - a jewel of immense value. It belongs to a Princess (portrayed by Claudia Cardinale) who obviously comes from some ficticious Muslim country whose enemies of her regime wishes the bauble be returned to the people. The acting is first-rate as is the cast of this fantastic comedy. It is one of those movies I enjoy over and over again and never tire of it's showing. Of course, I will always enjoy the scene in the alpine lodge, as well as the young lady who performed so magnificently and one who I have had a crush on for far too many years.

No! Not The Stradivarius!
This, the first of the exquisite Pink Panther series, is an amazing film. To know that originally Peter Ustinov was cast to play Jacques Clouseau as a straight, inept French detective is a sobering thought. After Ustinov dropped out, of course, Peter Sellers got the role and after consultation with Blake Edwards, decided to make him not only inept, but also bumbling and accident prone, a characterization that defines how we think of Clouseau today. This film is interesting in that since it is the first of the series it is interesting to see the origins of the character, and how different he is here than in later 'Panther' films. Here is clumsy and prone to pratfalls, but is less flamboyantly slapstick than in the later films.

The film also stars the wonderful David Niven, who plays the perfect suave English thief, and a very young Robert Wagner as his equally debonair nephew. Female stars are the beautiful Claudia Cardinale and Capucine, two of the top European actresses and models from the era.

The movie is a bit more sedate than the later films in the series, but still is one of the funniest movies of the sixties. 'A Shot In The Dark', also released in 1964, as the first sequel, began the transformation to the later formulas with additions such as the wonderful Herbert Lom. 'The Pink Panther' does introduce the animated 'Pink Panther' short for the first time, as well as the often imitated, never duplicated title theme. Other viewers will have their own favorite scenes, and the costume party is surely one of the highlights of the film, but for my money the best scenes in the film revolve around Clouseau trying to woo his wife by playing his Stradivarius violin, over many protestations. The look of pain on David Niven's face during his playing is worth the price of the film alone

If I were doing it today, I would buy this DVD as part of the multi DVD 'Pink Panther' set, where it also includes a few interesting bonuses such as a 'trivia track', which adds great tidbits about the film.

Peter Sellers was a comic genius, and the world still waits for another genius of his stature. I think we will be waiting a long, long time.

Not what i remember.
David Niven, (Sir Charles Lytton) and Peter Sellers (Inspector Jacques Clouseau) star in the Pink Panther, the first in a pretty successful but flawed series.

I was really looking forward to seeing this when I popped it in my dvd player, I have good memories of the bumbling Clousea but wasn't aware that his character didn't really take shape till the next film "A shot in the dark", subsequently I did not enjoy this one and found it rather boring and unfunny. I will give the sequel a chance however as, from what other reviewers have said on here, they are far funnier and contain the Clouseau that I remember.

As far as this one goes, it was boring. The scene with Niven and the princess in his room went on forever, I ended up hitting eject soon after and watched the excellent Wuthering Heights instead.

Thanks for reading, but give the next couple a chance as I will do.

Better as a self-contained movie
Than as the start of the Panther series. Too many questions arise:

1)Where is Chief Inspector Dreyfuss in all this?

2)How is Clouseau ever going to be a cop again if he was convicted of diamond theft?

3)Where is the former Mrs. Clouseau in Return of the Pink Panther?

4)Where is Cato in this film?

And many others. Too uneven. ... Read more

Reviews (203)

A Powerful Film By Master Of Disaster Emmerich
Roland Emmerich directed the 1996 blockbuster hitIndependece Day which many still consider his best work. Later, he directed Godzilla, which according to some was not well-crafted. But 2004's "Day After Tomorrow" is quite powerful and moving and Roland Emmerich brings back the magic and dynamics of his old masterpiece Independence Day. This time the threat is not alien, it's our own earth. Global warming has caused the polar ice caps to melt and erratic weather to errupt. Hail begins to attack Tokyo, Japan and it snows in the usually hot New Delhi, India. Star Dennis Quaid gets a hold of the fatal news that the world is going to end as it experiences a new Ice Age. His son Sam (Jake Gallynhaal) is away in New York City on an Academic Decathelon which he joined to be with the girl he loves. Sela Ward plays Sam's mother and Dennis Quaid's wife, a doctor who is caring for a cancer-struck little boy. The President of the U.S. and the Vice President (who looks a bit like Dick Chaney)completely ignore the warnings and it's not long before Los Angeles is destroyed by a tornado. The Hollywood sign gets blown away. New York City is flooded. The special effects are top-notch and the characters and plot stunningly engaging. Only a small group who has listened to Sam, who in turn was going by his father's directions, remain in the New York City Public Library even after it freezes entirely. Dennis Quaid searches for his son in the extreme weather. This is a movie about survival, as is expected about humans when confronted with great disaster. It is about courage and human compassion. To contrast the epic disaster with its serious drama is touches of humor such as the bum and his dog who survive the disaster and the fac that the tables are turned and it is desperate survivor Americans who are crossing the border illegally into Mexico, which was not effected by the disaster. All the performances are credible and though one can easily criticize for its typical disaster movie routine, it does'nt matter. The success of this film proves that we love to see this kind of genre. Humankind surviving all sort of disasters and the will to live. Five stars. An incredibl experience at the movies and hopefully it will make a wonderful DVD loaded with interesting features.

Disaster movie
We don't need to get too intellectual on this movie, nor make any pretense of why you should see it - there is one reason and one reason only to view The Day After Tomorrow, the special effects. We all know this. So I really don't want to spend a page writing about the dialog that is worse than a soap opera, the science that made Lord of the Rings look reality based, or the believability factor that made Cliffhanger look like CNN. C'mon, you kind of expect that from a movie like this don't you?

All of that nonsense aside, there are several scenes which are truly spectacular, some of the best special effects that I've seen. True, a great deal of those scenes were shown in the previews, but there are still many staggering effects that are saved for the film.

Yes it's melodramatic. Yes it's preachy (Al Gore and Al Franken actually used this movie to promote their environment agenda). But if you would enjoy seeing LA destroyed by what would be the largest tornado in recorded history, or New York getting swallowed by a wall of water, it's worth the price of the movie ticket. And here's another idea - go with some friends and keep notes of the best (i.e. worst) lines, and then afterwards you can argue about which was the worst line of dialogue. Mine was probably, "Jake...tell her how you feel," with "I think I will go close my eyes for a while," coming in at a close second.

One final note to the dude at Amazon who filters these reviews: Here's a little inside tip - *stop posting reviews written by people who haven't even seen the film - and even ADMIT this in their reviews!* And certainly don't make them the spotlight review. Maybe you could have a special "trailer review forum" for these idiots and stop wasting our time.

Best new movie
The Day after Tomorrow is a outstanding movie. The special effects are awesome. I was not sure about the movie at first but after I rented it from blockbuster and viewed it, I definitely will buy it on dvd fullscreen. There have been a few movies made involving natural diasters but this one is the best. If you have not seen it yet, definitely watch it. The director did a fantastic job, the cast members put a outstanding job. It's one of those movies you'll want to watch again and again.

Great Thrill Ride Movie
When you watch this movie it will feel like you are in the movie. Trust me I have seen it 4 times in the theaters. You will have to watch it again and again and each time you will find something new. Enjoy the movie.

"Independence Day" minus the aliens, plus eco-propaganda.
If you've seen the 1997 sci-fi hit "Independence Day", then for all practical purposes you've seen this movie too. The only real difference is that instead of a bunch of ticked-off aliens, the threat of human extinction comes from a ticked-off "Mother Nature". In the former, however, it was all about "us versus them" and the triumph of the human will to survive. In "Day After Tomorrow", the message is: "We have met the enemy, and they are the Republicans."

Yeah, the movie is about the epic struggle to survive in the face of an overwhelming natural catastrophe, but it's pretty obvious that the producers were less interested in telling a story and more concerned about sending an election-year political message. From the early scenes of the movie, the "hero" character (a very forgettable paleoclimatologist played by Dennis Quaid) serves as the "voice crying in the wilderness" against the environmentally unsound excesses of corporate America. He warns of the doomsday scenario which does in fact unfold throughout the movie, but the heavily stereotyped conservative politicians (who are, no doubt, in the pockets of the polluters) shrug off his warnings. Maybe it's just me, but I thought the "vice president" character looked uncannily like Dick Cheney. Coincidence? I don't think so, but feel free to decide for yourself.

The main story is about a dysfunctional family whose members find themselves separated by the unpredictable (yet somehow predicted) chain of natural events. Of course, the events aren't really natural -- they're caused by foolish and greedy men who fail to pay attention to the needs of Mother Earth. Somehow, against incredible odds, the family manages to reunite, save the human race, and resolve their own domestic issues all at the same time. And of course, the tale is duly concluded with the humiliation of America and its (implied Republican) leaders, as well as some cheap jabs at American immigration policy.

In short, this is enviro-hysteria at its cheesy best, but election year political propaganda at its worst. There isn't even a mild attempt to veil the message -- it's right there in your face. If you're a Bush-hater, you'll cheer. If you're a little more honest with yourself, you'll see this film for the cheap trash that it is. The ONLY reason I gave it a second star was because it was chock full of stunning visual effects from beginning to end. Beyond that, your enjoyment of this movie will stand in direct relation to your political affiliation. That's no way to make a movie. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

By now, Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan have amassed such a fund of goodwill with moviegoers that any new onscreen pairing brings nearly reflexive smiles.In You've Got Mail, the quintessential boy and girl next door repeat the tentative romantic crescendo that made Sleepless in Seattle, writer-director Nora Ephron's previous excursion with the duo, a massive hit. The prospective couple do actually meet face to face early on, but Mail otherwise repeats the earlier feature's gentle, extended tease of saving its romantic resolution until the final, gauzy shot.

The underlying narrative is an even more old-fashioned romantic pas de deux that is casually hooked to a newfangled device.The script, cowritten by the director and her sister Delia Ephron, updates and relocates the Ernst Lubitsch classic The Shop Around the Corner to contemporary Manhattan, where Joe Fox (Hanks) is a cheerfully rapacious merchant whose chain of book superstores is gobbling up smaller, more specialized shops such as the children's bookstore owned by Kathleen Kelly (Ryan).Their lives run in close parallel in the same idealized neighborhood, yet they first meet anonymously, online, where they gradually nurture a warm, even intimate correspondence. As they begin to wonder whether this e-mail flirtation might lead them to be soul mates, however, they meet and clash over their colliding business fortunes.

It's no small testament to the two stars that we wind up liking and caring about them despite the inevitable (and highly manipulative) arc of the plot. Although their chemistry transcended the consciously improbable romantic premise of Sleepless, enabling director Ephron to attain a kind of amorous soufflé, this time around there's a slow leak that considerably deflates the affair. Less credulous viewers will challenge Joe's logic in prolonging the concealment of his online identity from Kathleen, and may shake their heads at Ephron's reinvention ofManhattan as a spotless, sun-dappled wonderland where everybody lives in million-dollar apartments and color coordinates their wardrobes for cocktail parties. --Sam Sutherland ... Read more

Reviews (480)

Caviar Garnish
This is the second remake of "The Shop Around the Corner". The first was Technicolor musical called "In the Good Old Summertime" which starred Judy Garland. References to Miss Garland's most famous film "The Wizard of Oz" abound in "You've Got Mail" (Meg Ryan hanging ruby slippers on a Christmas tree and reading the book "The Scarecrow of Oz" while ill, the song "Over the Rainbow" being sampled throughout and sung in its entirety at the end, etc.) In addition to reminding me of the two previous versions, I was also reminded of "Pillow Talk". In "Pillow Talk", Doris Day and Rock Hudson, who hate each other, fall in love over a party line without either realizing who the other is. Here, it's Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks falling in love over the Internet. The plot is lightweight and predictable, but the performances more than make up for that. Dabney Coleman, Jean Stapleton, Greg Kinnear, and indie-queen Parker Posey are all brilliant, and although neither of the leading rolls are much of a stretch for Hanks or Ryan, they are at least likeable and have more than enough star power to make this picture work. The script is light and funny, and this film is sure to please if you don't ask it to be more than it is.

The best romantic flick I've ever experienced.
There are a couple of things this film has going for it. First is the chemistry between the on-screen characters. There's a reason Hanks and Ryan were casted for this flick- it's because audiences (including myself) like to see the sparks between these two people. They were a great team in Sleepless in Seattle, and it's pretty obvious the 'magic' is still there.

The soundtrack to this movie is absolutely incredible. Harry Nilsson is perfect (the puppy song, over the rainbow), and the rest of the songs fit so well with the mood of the movie at all times. Sinead O'Conner's addition (I think it's called the lord must live in NY city) adds to the mood I talk about later, and Carol King's Anyone At All is one of the best romantic songs I've ever heard/played.

The mood to the movie is always incredibly upbeat- which is strange- most movies have their lulls or depressing moments. This movie, however, never gets itself in that rut. It's always very very cheery and bright. Although some may hate that, I can do nothing but appreciate the change of style. Everytime I watch You've Got Mail, I just think, "I WANT TO GO TO NEW YORK!!!"

Overall, the movie just makes you feel good. It's one of my favorite movies, and is certainly my most favorite romantic film. Even techies won't get annoyed, because thank goodness the focus isn't aol or anything of that matter.

Bouquets of sharpened pencils, indeed
Here's the main and completely irrelevant reason to love this movie: New York City in the fall. Honestly, it should have no bearing whatsoever on the plot, but it does -- and it's impossible not to fall in love with the bright, sunshiny, orange-leaved sheer beauty of the city encapsulated in this movie. Without even resorting to shots of Central Park in all its glory (and really, who can resist that?), "You've Got Mail" takes you on a lovely scenic tour of the Upper West Side, Starbucks and all. Who can resist the street fairs, the parks, the stores, the dock? It's picture-perfect, and if it's a bit surreal, I won't admit it: New York really is rather lovely in the fall.

Aside from making me want to run away to the Big Apple and work in the children's section at Fox Books, "You've Got Mail" also features Meg Ryan at her most adorable ("Aren't daisies just the friendliest flower?"), Tom Hanks at his most charming, and a terrific supporting cast (Greg Kinnear and those typewriters!). The story, a modernized little "remake" of "The Shop Around The Corner", is more fairy tale than realism -- two people fall in love over email, in war in real life, and however can such a thing be solved -- but it's an enchanting story nonetheless. In a time when romance on the web seems all-too-seedy and in reality, sometimes frankly dangerous, this little tale of two people sharing their most intimate thoughts long before they share a single glance is like a breath of fresh air. Sure, the technology's a little faded, but the magic's still there.

I know, I know...
I know what you're thinking. Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Greg Kinnear. You think you're too good for this movie, don't you? It's the sappiest, dumpiest little half-a-flick ever reared by Nora Ephron. Romantic comedies suck. Do I paint a correct picture, or do I exagerate? Well I think you're just cinematically jaded.

Yeah, that's right! I said it!

A lifetime of Vietnam movies and tragic love stories has left you too cynical to enjoy a simple romance between two adults. Teenagers getting into car crashes, mothers being diagnosed with breast cancer, murderers who you like despite the fact that they're pure evil. These are the cinematic icons that appeal to you, yes? Well what about hard-edged bookstore manager and idealistic bookshop owner? What about oddly-principled boyfriend who owns two identical typewriters? What about...uh...Jean Stapleton? She was funny, right?

Look, the point is it doesn't suck and don't judge it just because it's a Hanks/Ryan romantic comedy on par with "Sleepless In Seattle" (Which was a good one too, by the way).

Although, I still prefer the original "Shop Around the Corner" with Jimmy "Not Bow-Legged" Stewart.

Clever!
This is an excellent updated version of "The Little Shop Around The Corner" with anonymous penpals using email instead of the letters used in the original with Jimmy Stewart and Margaret Sullivan. Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks,as always,make a great team. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Erich Segal seems to be obsessed with beautiful young women inflictedwith cancer. He first used this formula in his tearjerking book Love Story (later made into a 1970 film starring Ali MacGraw and Ryan O'Neal). It appears again in Only Love, based on Segal's novel of the same name.

Rob Morrow is Matthew Heller, a neurosurgeon who had his heart broken by a stunning Italian doctor, Silvia Rinaldi (Mathilda May). Marisa Tomei is Evie,his best friend from college, who salves his broken heart and endures the ups and downs of her own marriage. Matthew and Evie eventually find each other, only to have their relationship thrown into turmoil when Silvia reenters their lives, this time as Matthew's patient stricken by cancer.Mathilda May shines as Silvia, who defies her father to become a doctor and then finds herself forced to give up her one true love. Marisa Tomei is as cute and perky as ever, and her fans will enjoy this film. However, the plot wears thin and feels rather predictable. Yet, even though you know where this movie is heading, it still has its weepy moments. If you've seen Love Story too many times and are looking for some new fare, this might be an appropriate film for you. Otherwise, stick with Segal's earlier flick; it's far more satisfying. --Jenny Brown ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Wonderful and diferent love story
I saw this movie other day, here in Brazil,and I loved it. The story is wonderful and shows how love can be unexpected. We can't know who loved more... .The story between Sylvia and Mathew shows that for the true love there are no frontiers. I loved Marisa Tomei also but I would prefer he had finished with his only true love,Sylvia. You should do this great movie in a DVD version also, because of the beautiful images. I wait for a DVD version, including here in Brazil. Congratulations for the americans for this beautiful story!!

Powerful love story
Maybe it was because I watched this movie before I ever saw Love Story, but this movie is much more powerful than Love Story-or any other love story for that matter. This is my favorite movie of all time. The plot of forbidden love is not original, but the Rob Morrow and Marissa Tomei's performances more than make up for it. This movie makes you laugh, it makes you cry, and most importantly it makes you love. I would recommend this movie to anyone who is a true fan of love stories.

Great music
This was a good movie with a nice story. It would have been nice if it was a little cleaner content-wise. The music was great, they should have a soundtrack for it.

LOVED THIS MOVIE
This is a great movie. I watched it twice and told most of my friends and family about it. They are coming over to have a party to watch Only Love and Mother. If you are a Rob Morrow fan, you will appreciate the actors ability in both movies. You will be glad you have this movie in your collection to watch again and again.

For those who love tear-jeaking love stories this is for you
"Only Love" is the best made-for-tv movie I've ever seen. It is the kind of movie that moves you and touches your heart. If you like tear-jearking love stories this is for you. This movie is not only a love story, but a lesson in life. You'll love this movie! ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Lots of good old fashioned laughs and fun down on the farm
This film has always been a favourite of mine. Claudette Colbert, a superb commedianne always stated that the corn ball humour of this film was not really to her liking after appearing in such sophisticated fare as "Midnight", "The Palm Beach Story" and "Skylark". In reality Claudette has never been better than in this her last really successful film after a brilliant collection of both dramas and comedys during the 30's and 40's.
Some people might call the humour "corn ball" or "un sophisticated" but it is a lot of fun and the great cast carry it off wonderfully.
The film has many funny moments, Betty and Bob (Fred McMurray) meeting the unstoppable Ma and Pa Kettle (Marjorie Main, a superb and totally underated actress, in an Oscar nominated role...she should definately have won!) for the first time, Betty's hilarious "initiation" to Kettle table manners during her first visit to Ma and Pa's for lunch complete with children to numerous to count (even Ma doesn't know all their names!!). I also love the dance sequence when Claudette gets dumped with the oddest array of local yokels as dance partners. It still gets me laughing every time.
I strongly recommend this film to those of you who like old fashioned humour. I certainly have a soft spot for it, not only because of the excellent cast and the great acting by all but because my own mother was alot like Claudette Colbert in this film, she was a sophisticated city gal who moved to the country encountering many strange and funny instances along the way in her introduction to country life. Enjoy this film!! and to quote Ma, " sit back and don't stand on no ceremony!!"

Meet Ma and Pa Kettle in their first appearance.
Hop in the old truck with Bob (Fred MacMurray) and Betty (Claudette Colbert) and head for the hills of rural Washington State. Betty is unprepared for what awaits her--life on a chicken farm! Bob is gungho for the idea, but Betty has never gone near the kitchen to cook, much less to "put up all those canned goods" that Bob expects her to do! Down the road apiece live Ma and Pa Kettle and their hard-to-count-how-many children. Ma is an expert quilter and Pa is an expert borrower! You will experience life along with them going to the county fair, the weekly dances, planting a garden, everything right down to slopping the hogs. This movie is great fun to watch. I read the book, too. Try to get a copy, if you can. It is Betty's real life story. The movie is based on the book. I am sure you will be well entertained by them both.

A Funny Movie Based on a Hilarious Book
"The Egg & I", a movie based on the book of the same title, is entertaining, clean( you can let the kids watch this one), and funny. It's not quite as funny as the book, though.
Claudette Colbert is perfectly cast as Betty, the convenience-loving city girl who gets much more than she bargains for when she marries Bob, who is bent on pursuing his dream of owning a chicken ranch.
The ranch turns out to be isolated and primitive even by chicken ranch standards.
Poor Betty is forced to adjust quickly, and does so reluctantly and clumsily.
Those who read the book before seeing the movie may be a little puzzled by the appearance of "the other woman", who is absent from the book.
My suggestion: Read the book, then buy the movie, but don't expect the latter to be exactly like the former.
Both are VERY worthwhile buys, though.
If you have to choose between the movie and the book, I'd suggest going for the book.
The movie is very worthwhile, especially if you want a film that the whole family can enjoy.

Good clean fun... recommended!
A genuinely funny, old-school comedy, featuring Fred MacMurray as a city slicker gone country boy, a white collar executive who decides to chuck it all in and become a chicken farmer, somewhere deep in the boonies, and Claudette Colbert as his long-suffering, stand-by-her-man, newlywed wife. Both actors have superb comic timing, and their chemistry together-- he blithely missing her every disatisfaction, she gulping back her exasperation -- is quite good. This was also the first movie to feature the iconic "hick" couple, Ma & Pa Kettle, a Lil Abner-ish pair who went on to make several films together after this debut. I suspect this film, however, is the best of the lot. Recommended!

This is very funny!
Hi. I'm Aaron ... . Not only video game expert, but movie expert. Thank you, thank you. I couldn't laugh hard enough. Betty dances with all kinds of men, meets interresting people, falls in mud, gets ditched by her husband (or so she thinks), allows people to chatter her ears off, makes mistakes all the time, watches people act like pigs, lives around lunatics (and bears it), faints in the middle of crowds, bases her life around chickens, and bears all of it. Ma and Pa Kettle are part of this movie. You should watch it! ... Read more

Description

Winner of 3 Golden Globes! Based on the true story of one of the most powerful men in Russian history - and one of the most dangerous. In a time of revolution, he has the power to heal an empire or destroy it. ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Powerful and Intense!
Alan Rickman stars as Gregory Efimovich Rasputin, a self-styled monk who rose from obscurity to social prominence in Russia at the turn of the century. This movie follows pretty closely what history records of Rasputin's life and his dealings with the House of Romanov. Alan Rickman puts in the performance of a lifetime as Rasputin and it is easy to understand why he won the awards he did for this movie ... Greta Scacchi and Ian McKellen also star in this video and both turn in stellar performances.

Whether you're a history buff or Alan Rickman fan (or both), this is a must see! However, it is not for anyone under 18 because of the strong sexual content.

Rasputin
Enter the beautiful world of the last Russian Czar! This film shows the heartbreak of Alexandra, the guilt-ridden mother, Nicholas, her loving but weak husband, and Alexei, the doomed boy who would never be Czar. In an effort to save her hemopheliac son, Alexandra brings in Rasputin, an ignorant, alcoholic peasant who appears to, at times, heal the boy. The fate of Russia is affected by this man. Alan Rickman is unforgettable as the "monk", Greta Scacchi is luminous as the pitiable Czarina, and Ian McKellan makes Alexander a very human father and emperor. This movie is great for history buffs!

The Boy does Have Magic !
So what happens when one of the most wildly improbable figures of history is played by one of the most spelbinding of actors ?

Alan Rickman won both The Emmy and The Golden Globe awards for his portrayal of Rasputin. When Rickman accepted the award he thanked the director for allowing him to be 'self-indulgent'.

( Note to directors: If you can get Alan in your film, let him be as self indulgent as he wants!)

The script is intelligently written, it starts with a V.O. of the Czar's young son played over images of Hitler, Stalin and their wars. The Czarevich asks why we ushered in the most violent century in history? Why his good father and mother were hated and yet were replaced with monsters. . .

This is a good start. We are not going to get corny here.

On film, Rasputin, the so called "Mad Monk " ( he was neither ) has, like Cardinal Richelieu, become synonimous with hammy historical melodrama.

There have been dozens of attempts to dramatize his story and, graded on their merits, let alone on a curve by comparison to this great film, they have been er...less than brilliant. Even including a 1932 version with John, Ethel and Lionel Barrymore ( The only film all 3 appeared in together ) to much hoakier renderings.

And for those of us who DO know Russian history, yep. This time it's accurate.

Ian McKellan heads the superb supporting cast. Everything comes together and plays wonderfully.

Enchanting, touching, amusing, spectacular...
The story of the last Romanovs starts from Siberia 1991: their bones are found and the boy, Alexei, introduces: "This is my mother, this is my family..." Then a leap back to 1880's and to a boy, who seems to read minds. 20 years later he - Rasputin - is doing hard labour in Siberia, until Virgin Mary appears to him. Very swiftly the plot takes us to St. Petersburg, where Rasputin convinces others of his mission. The boy, Alexei, narrates, how he came to heal him and was their only friend, no matter what people said about him later. The monk, who looks like a madman, knows about Alexei's illness, although it has been a state secret, and by speaking about sailing he takes the pain away, into himself, as it seems. A hypnotist, a fraud, a madman, a magical healer?

Rasputin convinces the Tzarina and later the Tzar of his abilities, so he has a place in court, although he is a very embarrassing man, uneducated, unpredictable and too fond of wine and gypsy prostitutes. Behind the scenes Russian people suffer, the First world war (predicted by Rasputin) is started and the last minutes of the Romanov family are at hand. Everything is told very economically, nothing too much and yet everything you need to know, with authentic film material cut into the story.
The film is a feast for the eyes and mind, even though some historical facts aren't exact. Anyway, this isn't a documentary. As a story it works like a dream, the actors are unbelievably good - so it really feels unfair to start talking about Rickman and not others. So I'm just saying: they are all wonderful. But the movie is called "Rasputin".

I've recently looked up films of Alan Rickman, partly because some of them are hard to find, but mostly because his way of acting is simply addictive. I think I finally know, why. It's a kind of pornography - of human soul. (Which is an embarrassing discovery, porn really isn't my cup of tea...) His Rasputin isn't just a calculating monk, who sees an opportunity to get a comfortable life, wine and women and power over people, but a man, who lives from moment to moment, uneducated, without manners, sensual, in some ways stupid and in some ways clever. At times you see a strong, manipulative, hypnotic monk who makes you believe in God and Virgin Mary and seems to be able to look into your soul, at times there is child-like sincerity and vulnerability. He believes he has a mission, but it also gives him pain, he sees things but doesn't see, how his conduct affects the falling empire. "I didn't choose to be holy!" he says like a weak human being, who has been trusted with a burden, that is much too heavy. Strong, vulnerable, wise, fallable, loving, selfish... Is this the real Rasputin? Very possibly. Human beings are just as mixed and as capable of being both angelic and devilish as Rickman shows - in this and other movies.

Oh yes, I felt great pity for Rasputin, though I wouldn't want him living in my house. And I'm glad I don't know Rickman in person, he seems to know too well, what we people are like. Who wants her mind to be x-rayed? Even by Rickman (who is, I admit, in his own way, enchanting)?

Watch this movie, if you want to understand history, people or acting. Look at these actors and actresses, they don't act, they are the characters. Rickman is just the best example of how to become someone else than one really is, whether it is Rasputin, Mesmer or other things he's done. Watch this!

Oh it is so good . . .
There are no words to describe Alan Rickman in this movie. He is so magical and passionate and moving and seductive. I cannot even think of another film where an actor gives a performance like this, even the rhythm of his speech was magical.

The rest of the cast is great as well, Ian Mckellen and the woman who played the Tsarina, she was very beautiful and touching, right down to James Frain whom I never grow tired of seeing pop up in historical films. I confess I'm not an expert on that time in Russian history, but as far as I know the events in the movie are pretty much accurate. I liked how the film showed his appetite for sex and alcohol but reserved judgement, as I don't believe a person is sinister or evil simply because they're a bit lusty... I like how the film doesn't make him out to be some villain wanting control of the Court, but reminds us that it was the nobles who came to *him* and brought him into political affairs instead of just leaving him to heal the boy. In the end, he was a martyr, and the movie has no overbearing message to leave you, just to show you an episode in history and enlist Alan Rickman to demonstrate, in all his mystical glory, why this man might have created the stir that he did. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Clint Eastwood fired the original director, Philip Kaufman(The Right Stuff), and took over the reins of this project himself. He may have had a point: this brutal, thoughtful western, a near-tragedy about a Civil War veteran whose past comes looking for him, is probably Eastwood's most mature frontier drama prior to the Oscar winningUnforgiven. Hoping to build a quiet life in a cooperative community of settlers, Eastwood's Wales blames himself when his enemies attack the homestead, and he has to revert to his warrior instincts to help fend off the threat. The jittery intensity of Sondra Locke (who would be Mrs. Eastwood, at least for a while), and the screen-filling charisma of the late Chief Dan George harmonize beautifully with Eastwood, who had finally figured out how to add depth and texture to his stock-in-trade Man of Steel persona. This one may be too short on action to satisfy fans of Eastwood'sDirty Harry films, or of the Italian westerns he made with Sergio Leone, but it's an honorable effort.--David Chute ... Read more

Reviews (68)

One of the best westerns ever made.....
I have seen this western many times on tape and my copy of the movie had started to lose its luster. When I heard it was coming on DVD, I knew I would see the film as Clint Eastwood intended it.

As far as a film is concerned, it is a very good tale of revenge and devotion to friends. Eastwood is great as the title character and the film has some very good supporting performances. The exteriors where the film was shot are beautiful and are just as good on DVD as in reality.

The DVD is a great, inexpensive version of a great Western. The 16:9 widescreen version of the film highlights the colors and tones that were filmed by Eastwood. The color is good as well as the Dolby 5.1 Surround Soundtrack. There is also a French soundtrack (which is very humorous when Eastwood utters the best line of the film, "You going to pull them pistols or whistle Dixie"). The disc also contains trailers to many other Westerns as well as the trailer for Outlaw Josey Wales.

You should not miss this great DVD. The price is right and the movie is one of Eastwood's best. This is one of the better looking westerns that I have in my DVD collection. If you love great westerns and movies about the American Civil War, you will love this DVD!

Deserves 10 stars!
What can you say about Clint Eastwood's westerns except, great! His movies (acting and directing)changed the whole look and feel of this genre. This is definitely my favorite western, heck it's probably my favorite movie...period. Josey Wales is based on the novel by Forrest Carter, "Gone to Texas". After reading the book Clint knew he had to make the movie and he did an excellent job of capturing the spirit of the novel. The DVD transfer is very good. It was like watching it for the first time when I saw the DVD after the VHS version. This is what westerns are supposed to be so... "are you gonna get this video or whistle Dixie"? BUY IT!

Eastwood has the union army surrounded

Director: Clint Eastwood
Format: ColorRated:
Studio: Warner Studios
Video Release Date: September 2, 2003

Cast:

Clint Eastwood ... Josey Wales
Chief Dan George ... Lone Watie
Sondra Locke ... Laura Lee
Bill McKinney ... Terrill
John Vernon ... Fletcher
Paula Trueman ... Grandma Sarah
Sam Bottoms ... Jamie
Geraldine Keams ... Little Moonlight
Woodrow Parfrey ... Carpetbagger
Joyce Jameson ... Rose
Sheb Wooley ... Travis Cobb
Royal Dano ... Ten Spot
Matt Clark ... Kelly
John Verros ... Chato
Will Sampson ... Ten Bears
William O'Connell ... Sim Carstairs
John Quade ... Comanchero Leader
Frank Schofield ... Senator Lane
Buck Kartalian ... Shopkeeper
Len Lesser ... Abe
Doug McGrath ... Lige
John Russell ... Bloody Bill Anderson
Charles Tyner ... Zukie Limmer
Bruce M. Fischer ... Yoke
John Mitchum ... Al
John Davis Chandler ... First Bounty Hunter
Tom Roy Lowe ... Second Bounty Hunter
Clay Tanner ... First Texas Ranger
Robert F. Hoy ... Second Texas Ranger
Madeline T. Holmes ... Grannie Hawkins
Erik Holland ... Union Army Sergeant
Cissy Wellman ... Josey's Wife
Faye Hamblin ... Grandpa Samuel
Danny Green ... Lemuel
Kyle Eastwood ... Josey's Son
Richard Farnsworth ... Comanchero

Josie Wales' family was murdered and his home burned by union redlegs, so he joins Bill Fletcher's border raiders on the confederate side of the war and does his share of getting even. When Fletcher turns in his men for money (except Wales) and they are all killed, Wales becomes an outlaw on the run from union authorities. They hunt him clear into Mexico, where things come to a head. Josie Wales single handedly surrounds the entire union army and the Indian nations.

This is a good story, well acted by all concerned, and very well directed by Eastwood, as are all of his films.

Joseph (Joe) Pierre

author of Handguns and Freedom...their care and maintenance
and other books

Josey Wales - Fastest gunslinger in the West!
Clint Eastwood's movie, The Outlaw Josey Wales, is a classic in the Western genre. This movie is one of the best Western movies that I have ever seen.

The story of the movie goes like this. Josey Wales(Clint Eastwood) is a peaceful farmer in Missouri with a family in the middle of the Civil War. One day some Union Soldiers burn down his house (with his son in it) and kidnap his wife. Angry and Furious, Josey Wales joins some confederate guerillas and fights hard. When Confederacy surrenders, Josey Wales refuses and heads west. He travels to Texas and along the way picks up odd group: couple of Native Americans, an Old Grandmother, a beautiful woman and two servants. At the same time they are chased by Union soldiers.

I will not reveal the story further. However, what makes this movie a classic is the depth and dimension to the characters and superb action.

The character of Josey Wales is really complex. He turns from a peaceful farmer to a tobacco chewing, hell raising, gunslinger. However his humane side is seen through his hard attitude at times. He saves a native american girl from couple of scoundrels. He also saves travelers from another group of bandits. At the same time, he is a tobacco spitting hard man. Josey Wales spits on everything, from a scorpio to a union officer. The other characters are not as intensely developed, which is understandable since Josey Wales is the primary focus of the movie.

The action in the movie is just amazing. I will summarize three great scenes which will make you, the reader, want to just watch the movie. In first scene Josey Wales is carrying food and confronted by four soldiers... In another one Josey Wales(and his six-shooter) all by himself is up against 10-15 bandits...In the last one, Josey Wales and his Six-shooter, go toe-to-toe against tens of horse-riding soldiers...

I will leave the action for you to watch.

Also this movie is directed by Eastwood himself. He is as good as a director as he is as an actor.

FYI: This movie is based on the book "Gone to Texas".

Classic Clint!
If you could only watch two of Clint Eastwood's westerns, "The Outlaw Josey Wales" and "Unforgiven" would by my choices!

Chief Dan George and Clint have a chemistry that adds humor and depth to the main story line of revenge, retribution, and a journey for justice. Sandra Locke, with her doe-eyed innocence, adds a little gentle feminity to the picture.

The movie is exciting, suspenseful and rewarding. No one is better as a wronged-man-evening-the-score than Clint Eastwood and this is one of his most memorable roles. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

No film better utilizes Audrey Hepburn's flighty charm and svelte beauty than this romantic adaptation of Truman Capote's novella. Hepburn's urban sophisticate Holly Golightly, an enchanting neurotic living off the gifts of gentlemen, is a bewitching figure in designer dresses and costume jewelry. George Peppard is her upstairs neighbor, a struggling writer and "kept" man financed by a steely older woman (Patricia Neal). His growing friendship with the lonely Holly soon turns to love and threatens the delicate balance of both of their compromised lives. Taking liberties with Capote's bittersweet story, director Blake Edwards and screenwriter George Axelrod turn New York into a city of lovers and create a poignant portrait of Holly, a frustrated romantic with a secret past and a hidden vulnerability. Composer Henry Mancini earned Oscars for the hit song "Moon River" and his tastefully romantic score. The only sour note in the whole film is Mickey Rooney's demeaning performance as the apartment's Japanese manager, an offensively overdone stereotype even in 1961. The rest of the film has weathered the decades well. Edwards's elegant yet light touch, Axelrod's generous screenplay, and Hepburn's mix of knowing experience and naiveté combine to create one of the great screen romances and a refined slice of high society bohemian chic. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (156)

Fascinating ......they're after the same rainbow end
I love this film.From the first scene when the yellow cab stopped with Holly alighting,having her breakfast in front of Tiffany's to the very last scene when Holly & Paul reconciled and kissed in the rain...

Simply marvellous piece of work. With the flawless performance from Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard. The unique mood of the movie.And my fave song "Moon River". Who can forget the part when Holly sitting by her window plucking the guitar strings and singing...."Moooonnn River...." Great adaption from Truman Cropte's book with many magical touches and refinements. It's about a free-spirit girl Holly's struggle in Life,her fear of Love and commitment, she didn't even think she own her nameless 'cat'. Paul is a struggling writer who actually a 'kept-man' by a rich lady. Fate brought them together,first as neighbours to friends and eventually lovers. They were soul mates who needed each other and are made of each other....they are after the same rainbow end.

The idea was refreshing....esp.doing things that each have never done:- Strolling down New York street in the morning, stealing, visiting the Library and of course Tiffany's. Simply amazing, fantastic and romantic .

The best part about it was both Holly and Paul were practical people with dark secrets and not really perfect human beings and it make the story more realistic but not losing the romantic fairy tale feel.

This film is one of the best in movie history. It touches my heart my soul with scenes with the perfect combo of laughter,sadness,ironic,truth,secrets,romance,life,etc....... Timeless and Unforgettable......

Fascinating¿They are after the same rainbow end!
I love this movie. From the first scene when Holly(Audrey Hepburn) alighted from the yellow cab to have breakfast in front of Tiffany to the very last scene when Holly and Paul(George Peppard) reunited and kissing in the rain.

Mesmerizing film, shine in all departments. Excellent adaptation from Truman Capote's same name novel. Skillful directing by Blake Edwards and flawless performances from both the leads and not forgetting great supporting casts. This role was made for Audrey Hepburn, she was graceful, witty, charismatic and totally awesome. One of her best performance ever!

The story was about a free spirited and helpless Holly Golightly who lived with a nameless 'Cat', didn't want to own anything and afraid of love and commitments. Life pretty much socializing because holly's goal in life to marry one of the richest man under 50. Things take a twist with Paul Varjak moved into the apartment below hers. Paul was a struggling writer who actually a kept man by a rich lady. They became neighbour to friends then soul mate and eventually lovers.

This is not the usual romance story, "Breakfast at Tiffany's" is a timeless classic, showed sincerity, sensibility and class.

I also love the song of this movie "Moon River". Who can forget the part when Holly plucking the strings of the guitar and singing it "moonnn----riv---ver"......

This movie touch my heart with memorable characters, song, etc and I've watched it from time to time because each time I watch it, I renewed the feeling. Marvellous vintage classic.Simply divine!

One of the best chick flicks ever
I loved Breakfast at TIffany's. I had read about it from all of the gossip girl books and eventually became curious about the movie. I figured the movie would be good but I didn't expect to fall in love with it as much as I did. It is one of the best romantic comedy, chick flicks I have ever seen.

Good for ALL ages!
Because of the fact that I'm only 17 years old, I just got around to watching this movie. I'd always heard about it but I never knew what it was about. And, to be quite honest, I didn't even think about watching it because I thought it was in black and white! (Eh, I didn't know when it was made!)

My dad made me watch it this past weekend and I fell in love with it! Unlike most romantic comedies made today, both main characters are broke. It doesn't follow the mold of: poor/average girl falls for rich guy blah blah blah or the other way around. It was funny (Mickey Rooney's character was HILARIOUS!) and sad (when Holly finds out about Fred) and sappy (the last 20 minutes) all at the same time.

This movie is great for anyone, whether you saw it the first time around or you're a "late viewer" like me.

my fav movie!
i love this movie so much!
it is a love story but its not sappy it is so fun to watch

it is not an earlier version of pretty woman at all (as another review stated) audrey hepburn does not play a prostitute really she just has a lot of suitors. Anyway i completely recommend it so worth the $ ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Clint Eastwood (making his very assured directorial debut) is a poetry-spouting stud-muffin DJ stalked by a maniacally amorous fan after a misguided one-night stand in this enjoyably schlocky, undeniably effective film about good intentions gone murderously wacky. Although many of the very '70s trappings presented here may ultimately be too dated to be taken seriously (including a very self-indulgent jazz number and a hilariously gooey seduction number between Eastwood and Donna Mills), the core premise of infatuation taken out of bounds remains uncomfortably plausible--and was influential enough to be appropriated by one of the biggest hits of the '80s. (Here's a hint--it starred Michael Douglas, Glenn Close, and a very unfortunate bunny rabbit). A well-staged and occasionally very frightening thriller worth watching for Jessica Walter's peerlessly unhinged performance alone. Frequent Eastwood collaborator Don Siegel (director of Dirty Harry, Coogan's Bluff, and The Beguiled, to name but a few) has a nice cameo as Murphy, the mustachioed, chess-playing bartender. --Andrew Wright ... Read more

Reviews (37)

Into The Mist
Play Misty For Me is Clint Eastwood's directorial debut and it is an entertaining thriller about obsession that is a precursor for films like Fatal Attraction. Mr. Eastwood plays against type as a DJ Dave Garver, who works at a jazz station in Carmel, CA (The town where Mr. Eastwood would become the real life mayor ). Mr. Eastwood is usually the strong, silent type who seeks revenge or is an enforcer. In this film, he is a sensitive ladies man, who reads poetry on the air and plays jazz music. He is also the victim. He has what he thinks is a one-night affair with Evelyn Draper played by Jessica Walter. Evelyn claims that there's no strings attached, but that turns out to be the farthest thing from the truth. She stalks Garver, showing up unannounced at his home, at a bar he frequents and in one instance tries to kill herself in his bathroom. In the meantime, Garver is trying to get back together with his former girlfriend Tobie played by a young Donna Mills. Evelyn trashes Garver's house and almost kills his housekeeper, Birdie (Clarice Taylor) and is taken away by the police and put into an asylum. Garver thinks it's over, but Evelyn gets out of the asylum and there is one last chilling scene involving scissors and a knife. Mr. Eastwood uses the natural beauty of the Monterey Peninsula to great effect in the film, with wide shots of the rolling surf and picturesque sunsets. There is one odd montage in the middle of the film which is like a music video set to Roberta Flack's "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", in which Tobie & Garver roam through the landscape and end up in a secluded pond. The use of the two year old song in the film actually propelled it to number one on the charts and made a star out of the relatively unknown Ms. Flack. There is also a scene from the Monterey Jazz Festival with actual performances by Johnny Otis and Cannonball Adderley. The actors all give credible performances. Even though Mr. Eastwood is playing the sensitive type, he still exudes his famous cool. Ms. Mills is luminous and she is just fragile enough to be a victim. Ms. Walter is perfect as Evelyn. She plays the part of a psychotic, unhinged, scornful woman just enough over the top to be scarily believable, but not too over the top to become cartoonish. The film is a strong debut for Mr. Eastwood as a director and despite some dated material, the film holds up as an effective thriller.

A One Night Stand Gone Wrong
"Play Misty for Me" was Clint Eastwood's debut film as a director. He shrewdly had old friend and colleague, veteran director Don Siegel, who directed him in his box office winner "Dirty Harry," along as a potential backup if needed, giving him a role as bartender of the haunt the actor frequents as male lead in the film. Eastwood's idea to film "Misty" in his hometown, scenic Carmel in Northern California's Monterey Peninsula, was an excellent choice. It gave cinematographer Bruce Surtees an opportunity to take advantage of the visual beauty of the area, which he does with abundance, making the film a scenic pleasure to watch. Eastwood, a noted jazz lover, also shrewdly takes advantage of filming opportunities at the annual Monterey Jazz Festival. Playing a disc jockey in the film, we see time frames based on the number of days to the upcoming festival, which Eastwood plugs frequently. Lots of excellent firsthand shots of the festival are seen, while certain artists are observed showcasing their musical talents.

As for the plot, the story line is credible, sharply on point. Eastwood meets Jessica Walters one night at Siegel's bar after he has finished doing his show. He walks her home, learning she is the faithful fan who keeps requesting the Errol Garner classic, "Misty." When she makes herself available, he hesitates, revealing he is hung up on someone, namely Donna Mills, then away pursuing her art career in Sausalito. Walters responds that there is nothing wrong with them making love with no attachments, after which Eastwood agrees to what he wrongly believes is a one night stand.

Eastwood is ultimately smothered by the persistent and mentally disturbed Walters, who surprises him by showing up unannounced at his home shortly after their sexual escapade with a bag of groceries in her arms, declaring her intention of fixing him dinner. He tries repeatedly and vainly to shake her, his romance with Mills being jeopardized in the process. He even loses an opportunity to develop a musical program concept for an interested producer, Irene Hervey, after Walters, wrongly believing she has interrupted a date, launches a savage verbal assault on the other woman when she finds them lunching at a local restaurant. Eventually a frenzied Walters attacks and hospitalizes Eastwood's cleaning lady, Clarice Taylor, with a knife, after which both are hospitalized, in Walters' case being involuntarily confined for her mental problems.

Just when Eastwood believes he is rid of Walters for good he receives a call from her. She reveals she is at San Francisco Airport awaiting boarding of a flight that will take her to Honolulu, where a job awaits her following her release from the mental facility. Eastwood declares there are no hard feelings on his part, asks how she is feeling, and wishes her well.

As he goes back to playing records, agreeing to play Walter's last request, her favorite tune, "Misty," Eastwood begins reflecting on the lines from the poem Walters recited for him before ending their call. It was from Edgar Allen Poe's "Annabel Lee." Mills has told him that her new roommate is named Annabel. When he calls Mills the phone is answered by Walters, who has tied up Eastwood's girlfriend. She tells Eastwood she is waiting for him. Eastwood puts on an old tape and leaves the studio for Mills' Carmel Highlands residence and a fatal showdown with Walters, who intends to kill them both in her fitful rage.

This brutally realistic film paved the way for later movies displaying stark sexual realism such as Michael Douglas' two triumphs, "Fatal Attraction" and "Basic Instinct." My only qualm is that the violence could have been toned down in the case of the knife attack on Clarice Taylor without losing any drama or story impact. All in all, however, this is a gem combining a strong story that moves briskly with the dramatically beautiful scenery of one of the world's most captivating areas.

Good debut directorial!
Play Misty meant the forst movie of this talented folm maker. This one is a tense psychological thriller which opened the inspiration sixteen years later to Fatal atraction, Jessica Walter (Nominated as best dramatic actress in 1971 for the Golden Globe), gives a surprisingly role as never before , as the outrageous lover who literally remains obsessed with Dave Garver (Clint)a nigttime disc jockey who loves the jazz and receives all kind of calls by phone.
His affair is obviously unexpected , but it will lead to several bitter headaches and disturbing situation.
Well thriller , and stills keeps its expressive force.

What Clint Eastwood called,"The original 'Fatal Attraction'"
I first saw "Play Misty for Me" in the theatre way back in the early 1970's.Remember it well.It was a triple feature at the drive-in when tickets were around two bucks.That's something you don't see anymore,triple features,drive-ins and movie tickets for two bucks.Saw it recently on home video and the picture has held up rather well.Clint Eastwood plays Dave Garver, a late night DJ at a Jazz radio station in Carmel,California,(remember he was elected mayor there in 1986 in which he served a two year term in office). Jessica Walter gives a terrific performance as Evelyn Draper who is a big fan of Garver's radio program..Donna Mills is also very appealing as Garver's girlfriend Toby.It features fine cinematography by Bruce Surtees and a good score by the late Dee Barton.In an interview in 1988,Eastwood referred to "Play Misty for Me" as the original 'Fatal Attraction'".This was shortly after that picture came out and became a big hit.(Glenn Close was nominated for Best Actress for her role.She didn't win but she should have though.)"Misty" was made 16 years earlier and I thought it was just as good.The DVD edition has some interesting extra features too.

Some trivia for you,Steve McQueen considered the role of Dave but changed his mind.Eastwood made a long distance phone call to Roberta Flack to ask her permission to use her song "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" in the film.Shortly afterward the tune became one of the biggest selling hits of the 1970's.In the top fifty best selling songs of the entire decade according to "Casey Casem's American Top Forty Countdown".Unfortunately "Misty" was not a hit at the box-office.It was a hit with many critics though.The screenplay was written by the late Jo Heims.She was a secretary at Eastwood's production company Malpaso.It was co-written by the late Dean Riesner who co-wrote the screenplay for "Dirty Harry".Eastwood's friend and mentor and frequent Director Don Siegel has a cameo as Murphy the bartender.A few months later the two went on to make "Dirty Harry".And,"Play Misty For Me" was Clint Eastwood's directorial debut.And,a very impressive one indeed.A preview of things to come.

Buy "Misty for" Yourself
Not only was this a SCARY, disturbing thriller, it was beautifully crafted and very well cast. Even the musical score played a part in the film (hence part of the title - "Misty") and Roberta Flack's romantic ballad "First Time Ever I Saw Your Face". But with music aside, this movie did not have an ounce of predictability the way many thrillers have. Instead it presented originality, suspense, drama, and wonderful acting and directing all in one complete package. This movie even took at artistic view at the backdrop and scenery (set along the beautiful Monterey/Carmel, California coast). By incorparting all these elements made this film a true complete work of art. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Peter Sellers's third go-around as the prideful but bumbling Inspector Jacques Clouseau is funny enough, but this 1975 Blake Edwards revival of the Sellers-Clouseau connection is a little weak in comparison to predecessors The Pink Panther and A Shot in the Dark (both made in 1964). Costar Christopher Plummer actually gets some of the most interesting screen time as a retired cat burglar whom Clouseau accuses of getting back into the business. (If it sounds like there might be a To Catch a Thief vibe mixed in here, you're right.) Herbert Lom is hilarious as Clouseau's psychologically eroding boss, and Clouseau's ritualistic collisions with valet Cato (Burt Kwouk) are great examples of Edwards's delicious comic timing. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (43)

Great movie, not-so-great DVD
Peter Sellers was one of the most gifted comic actors of the 1960s and 1970s; Inspector Clouseau was his most beloved role. Blake Edwards, the film's director and creator, was a master of both subtle humor and slapstick. For these reasons, The Return of the Pink Panther is a true classic for many of us. It's a movie that never fails to leave me in a great mood. However, as other reviewers have noted, there are some serious issues with the DVD. I purchased it (and am glad I did) because I didn't have a VHS copy of the film. To be honest, I don't know what advantage this particular DVD can offer versus a VHS, since there are no real extras here, and no choice between widescreen and full screen (and no anamorphic widescreen!). I sincerely hope that this film is reissued in the future, complete with outtakes and remastered sound, and treated with the respect it deserves.

More Important for what it accomplished
The best thing about this film is that it returned Peter Sellers to the role of Inspector Jacques Clouseau under Blake Edwards' direction after Alan Arkin's single portrayal in 1968's INSPECTOR CLOUSEAU directed by Bud Yorkin. More importantly it did not only return Sellers but it also instituted the Pink Panther and Sellers as Inspector Clouseau in a legitimate film series instead of just a few sporadic sequels and it launched a huge cinematic rebirth and phenomenon. Unfortunately this film seems to lack the magic of 1964's THE PINK PANTHER and the sophistication of A SHOT IN THE DARK. Christopher Plummer replaced David Niven as Sir Charles Lytton in this film. Plummer is good but it seems a shame since Niven reprised his role later in 1982's TRAIL OF THE PINK PANTHER and 1983's CURSE OF THE PINK PANTHER, which were made after Sellers' death (in 1980) in an attempt to revive the series without him. Catherine Schell as Claudine Litton lacked the charisma of earlier leading ladies Capucine and Elke Sommer. On the plus side, Sellers is brilliant as Clouseau as are Herbert Lom as Chief Inspector Charles Dreyfus and Burt Kwouk as Kato back and featured prominently in the rest of all the subsequent Pink Panther films. Much needed and returning is a score composed by Henry Mancini a very integral component of this series. THE RETURN OF THE PINK PANTHER has some very good comic sketches and a very good opening jewel heist but the script just doesn't seem to be a very cohesive force. However, better things were yet to come. As for the DVD, the quality is just average. For me, the picture quality is just too soft. The MGM prints of the other Pink Panther films on DVD are much crisper.

DA DUM DA DUM, DA DUM, DA DUM DA DUM DA DUM...
Has there ever been a more catchy theme than Mancini's "Pink Panther?" I can't think of any off hand, and in this third entry in the Clouseau series, the music and the animated panther are back in fine form.
Mainly a vehicle for the superb Peter Sellers, this sequel is tired in plot, and struggles for some of its laughs, but one cannot deny the superlative hijinks of Sellers as the impossibly inept Inspector Clouseau. He has so many brilliant moments, it's hard to think of them all, but Sellers is in top form. Christopher Plummer and Catherine Schell do okay, but Herbert Lom and Burt Kwouk as Dreyfuss and Kato are outstanding in their supporting roles. Lom's slow decline into mental illness is hilarious in its cartoonish way, and Kato's fights with Sellers are priceless.
It's an entertaining if inconsequential movie, but I had lots of fun watching it!!

Fair to middlin' sequel
The movie had a few humorous moments, but I found some of it tedious. Cato and Dreyfus are still a riot. though. Cato and Clouseau have their karate fights, culminating in Cato dressing as a Japanese waitress. Clouseau finally drives Dreyfus into the nuthouse after Dreyfuss repeatedly shoots himself with a cigarette lighter.

I still prefer "A Shot in the Dark" and think it is the best of the series. I did not care for the original "Pink Panther" as I found it unfunny.

Although the picture was not razor-sharp, it is not as bad as the one-star whiners would have you believe. With minimal extras, if you don't have high expectations, then the low-priced DVD may be worth your time.

Inspector Clouseau strikes again...

Peter Sellers is great as Inspector Clouseau, with his mispronunciations and bumbling, especially when teamed up with Chief Inspector Charles Dreyfus (Herbert Lom), who hates him.

The wonderful David Niven, of course, is gone from the series, but is replaced by Christopher Plummer as Sir Charles Lytton (The Phantom).

Both Lom and Sellers are a great comedy team and provide a laugh a minute, as they try to catch a jewel thief in Lugash.

I suggest you see the whole pink panther series.

Joseph (Joe) Pierre

... Read more

Reviews (19)

SENSATIONAL--MINUS 20
I've been hearing for years about "Twin Peaks", whether by word of mouth or on the internet. It's popular to mention the numerous pop-culture moments this show created and the fact that so many shows try to imitate, and fail, this landmark show. So after reading recaps of the pilot and first couple episodes, I decided to buy the whole thing.

I took a risk and I'd do it again because this show is one of the greatest achievements of all TV time. The pilot is a perfect intro to the show, establishing the characters and plots, the main one and various subplots, that it's addictive. WHO KILLED LAURA PALMER!? The mix of light and dark, quirky humor, heavy drama, fantastic production values, and so much more! If you haven't seen any of the show, stay clear of the last 15-20 minutes. I heard about the special ending and found out that the original pilot ends at Sarah Palmer's scream after her dream. End it there, watch the rest of the series, then go back and watch the ending.

Other than that, sit back, relax, and ENJOY! And believe me, YOU WILL!

The Best 2 Hours of Film Anywhere!
Twin Peaks is the premier for the greatest TV series ever created. Brought in to investigate the murder of Twin Peaks Homecoming Queen Laura Palmer, Agent Dale Cooper "Kyle MacLachlan" becomes wrapped up in a town full of mystery, murder, damn good coffee and killer cherry pie.

Start here.
This is pretty much what any fan of the show or David Lynch needs to start with. It's the original movie/pilot, and is a great piece of work. The story, the characters, and the whole northwest environment really make for an interesting and sometimes creepy watch. Many cool actors showed up in "Twin Peaks", among them Kyle McLachlan, Lara Flynn-Boyle, Sheryl Lee, Jack Nance, and the sexy Sherilyn Fenn. If you enjoy this, seek out the VHS collectors series, episodes 1-7. Or the DVD first season, which is also episodes 1-7, minus this pilot.

sdrawkcab dneb smra ym
So I'm sitting on this chair, in this house, on mars when this movie comes on. TWIN PEAKS. The first thing I saw was this grotesque factory-mill type place. And then there was this close-up shot of some rusty machine, and it moved...it moved with the music. Sparks were shooting out everywhere, and it was all moving to this other-worldly melody. Then waterfalls, ponds, ducks...in less than one minute, Lynch had sucked me in, shattered me, put me back together (the way he saw fit), and then he dropped me off into TWIN PEAKS.
The whole thing was beatiful. Lynch and Frost had created this soft cloud of a world that was filled shards of glass and rusty nails. It was all like a dream -a dream that you don't want to wake up from. Bobby, Donna, Shelly, Big Ed. I was lost.
"I too have been touched by the devilish one. Ahh, but when I saw the face of God..." This sleek-Norman Rockwell-wrong way on a one way street-imitation silk-nightmare is a mountain top work of art that leads you dead on into the midst of the footstool of the heavens.
-be sure to watch it in the full blossom of the evening, and you just might experience the beatific vision...FIRE WALK WITH ME.

One of TV's best pilots!
If only it were on DVD! This tape contains the classic 2 hour pilot for David Lynch's extraordinary and quirky TV cult favorite, "Twin Peaks". This 2 hour intro is NOT part of the six tape "complete" series collection that has the actual 29 episodes. There is a neat, confusing, untelevised 15 minute ending that was used to "wrap up" the whole murder when this same tape was released in Europe as a made-for-TV movie. Still, it is simply Twin Peaks at its best. ... Read more

Amazon.com

A pioneer of America's first frontier came to life every week for years--now you can relive his adventures with Daniel Boone: Premiere Episode. In "Ken-Tuck-E," Fess Parker as our national hero must take territory from the natives in order to prepare for war with the British.Along the way, we meet his family, friends (including Ed Ames as Mingo), and enemies as "Dan'l" fights, talks, and sings his way through scrape after scrape. Though some of the characterizations might offend modern sensibilities, if viewed in context the show can be seen as respectful (except possibly to the British and raccoons). This classic episode shows why Daniel Boone stayed in living rooms for so long--charm and adventure go a long way in this country. --Rob Lightner ... Read more

Reviews (10)

THE DAYS OF YESTERYEAR
As several have said, Fess Parker was a better Daniel Boone than a Davy Crockett. Oh well, he was Davy only four or five times, and Daniel about SIX YEARS. Practice does make perfect. This is a good video for nostalgic reasons and fairly believable acting. If you are a historian who nitpicks about accuracy, then don't watch. It was amazing to see Plains TeePees intermingled with East Coast wigwams. Some of the tribal costume was out of place as well. Oh yes, some of the "Indians" needed a little more berry juice for complexion.
Other than that, this is an excellent video. It is very family oriented(Daniel does not take the Indian wife that is offered to him because Becky is waiting back home), his family always runs to meet him, and gets angry if he has to leave again. He tells stories to his children, and sings to the Missus.
Yes, there is some violence and killing and probably excessive, but Dan'l doesn't kill unless it is to protect someone, and tries avoid it if possible.
These things just are not done in films today, and if they are attempted they just don't have the same spirit.
This video(may there soon be more!!) also gives our children a chanced to see a program that excited us when we were young. everyone has seen all the Peanuts cartoons, and odds and ends of famous sci-fi, but this is a simpler life video.
It is also great to see familiar faces we haven't heard from in years like Ed Ames, and did anyone notice George "Goober Pyle" Lindsay up on the stockade wall during the battle?
AHHHH for the days of clean, if very inaccurrate historical stories. Yes we were very prejudiced in those days, but I think things like this were the beginning of racial acceptance.

Dan'l Boone living large on the frontier of Ken Tuck E
"Ken Tuck E" is the pilot episode for "Daniel Boone," which originally aired on September 24, 1964. Fess Parker, who had become famous in the 1950's playing Davy Crockett for Disney, became even more successful as American frontiersman and folk hero Daniel Boone. Technically a "Western," the series was set in the 18th century, right before the American Revolution, when the "west" was the North Carolina-Tennessee-Kentucky! In this pilot episode Dan'l gets his friends, both Indians and settlers, ready to fight the British. Ed Ames co-starred as Dan'l's Indian friend, Mingo, while Patricia Blair played Rebecca Boone, Veronica Cartwright was daughter Jemima, and Darby hinton son Israel. The show also featured Albert Salmi as Yadkin and Dal McKennon as Cincinnatus, the tavern-keeper of Boonesborough. This first episode is certainly representative of the series, which focused on Boone's encounters with friendly and hostile Indians, his pioneering exploits, and his relationship with his family. I know I am not alone in thinking that Parker made a better Daniel Boone than he did a Davy Crockett.

great family entertainment
I agree with the other reviewers, this is great family entertainment that you aren't ashamed of letting your kids and family see. I think all the baby boomers and even some of the kids of today would enjoy seeing this series on DVD or at least VHS.

Please pass this on to the ones who decide what is coming out next on video.

danel boon
simply one of the best tv shows of the 60s down to earth and very entertaining. i have been in search of i think a disney daniel boone when he was not married to rebbeca but was on his way to discover ken-tuck.i seen it on tv in the mid.60s but that was it. so far iam unable to fine.it stared fess parker and ed ames.

Great tape Wonderful Return to the Past
One of the best TV Shows of the 60's. I hope more Fess Parker Daniel Boone shows will be available.This was pure entertainment.I have wondered for years why this program was not out on tape. During those years we watched it every week. Those were heroes you could cheer for. I would like to own all the Daniel Boone TV shows.I hope Amazon.com will be able to offer more of these. Harry at Vidayo did a top notch job getting the tape to us. ... Read more

Reviews (117)

Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan give charming and sweet performances!
I still love this movie! "Sleepless in Seattle" is still one of the best romantic films that I have seen since...ever! The performances in the film were top-notch and the storyline was terrific! To me, this film talks about two things...fate and destiny. "Sleepless" focuses on Sam Baldwin (Tom Hanks), a recently widowed father who, because of the death of his wife Maggie (Carey Lowell), decides to move out to Seattle with his son Jonah (Ross Malinger) to start over again. One night, Jonah calls a talk radio show, who asks Sam to come to the phone and explain everything. So Sam sat down and talked about everything that he and his wife had done over the past few years, how he loved her, and such. Sam's story was such a big hit across America that women have been pouring letters of comfort at Sam's home. The story has also reached the heart of a newspaper writer named Annie Reed (Meg Ryan). Annie is single, lives in New York, and is engaged to a man named Walter (Bill Pullman), who is pretty much allergic to everything. After hearing Sam's story on the radio that night, Annie believes that she and Sam are destined to be together, due to typical Hollywood romance from such films as, for example, "An Affair to Remember". And romantic charm and trouble ensues from there on as, for example, Annie goes to Seattle to sort of "spy" on Sam to see what he is like, especially with his son, etc. "Sleepless in Seattle" marks the second teaming of Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan from their first hit, "Joe Versus the Volcano" in 1990, and before they starred a third time in 1998's "You've Got Mail", which is directed by "Sleepless" director Nora Ephron ("This is My Life"). And speaking of the director, she directed this film with a lot of heart, soul, and emotion. Nora Ephron's best work to date! "Sleepless in Seattle" has also the absolute best performances of all time from Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. I kind of liked the way that Meg Ryan's hair looked in the film. To me, you don't get to see Meg Ryan with hair like that a lot. I like this film because it is one of those films where two people eventually cross paths continuously, and in the end, they meet each other for the first time and live happily ever after! I really hope that there is a sequel to this film in the making, but if there isn't, then I will still enjoy "Sleepless in Seattle" for years to come!

A Laugh-Out-Loud Funny Charmer
First of all, Sleepless in Seattle IS a chick flick, yes, and there are certainly some stretches of the imagination required as far as plot goes, but the real emphasis is the characters, and that is the strength of the movie...the entire cast is excellent, from Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks to the supporting cast (Rosie O'Donnell, Bill Pullman, Ross Malinger and Robert Reiner). The story and chemistry is charming, but more than that, the movie is hysterical. Everytime I watch the movie again (I've seen it about 5 or 6 times now) I realize how funny it is...Nora Ephron may be the best current writer of real romantic comedies. There are SO many funny little things scattered throughout the movie...even if you don't like "chick flicks," you should watch it because it's one of the funniest movies ever.

Absolutely wonderful!
I first saw this movie when I was in college with my roomate, who knows all the best movies out there. I absolutely fell in love with it, and I went out and bought it immediately. It's ideal if you are single, it gives you hope for finding that perfect someone :), at least it did for me. If you like You've Got Mail, you'll also like Sleepless in Seattle, or if you haven't seen either, they go perfect together!!

great chick flick for chicks
Tom Hanks stars as recent widower from Seattle who talks to a radio show host about his troubles and Meg Ryan plays a recently engaged woman from New York who develops a relationship with Hank's character. The plot is a bit cheesy as well as the lines, but that is how chick flicks are made--cheesy plots and lines. Though most guys will not like "Sleepless in Seattle" unless they enjoy other "chick flicks," most women enjoy this contemporary classic of long distance romance. If you like the movie be sure to check out the DVD, which has many more added features such as a music video and commentary by the director and co-writer.

Sleepless in Seattle
WOW! I LOVE this movie! It's a favorite of all my families. I think this is a great love story and almost anyone would enjoy it. ... Read more

Reviews (304)

NOT Eastwood's best...
...that title remains with Unforgiven.

Mystic river is a good movie, not a great one. It has a great story and great characters - with a good screenplay by Brian Helgeland, based on Dennis Lehane's book. The directing is solid, while not really bringing anything special to the film, yet pacing it prefectly in building the tension around the murder.

What is outstanding about this film is the acting. Sean Penn gives yet another inspired performance as a working class father from Boston who just lost his oldest daughter to a horrific murder. Although the scenes that most people seem to remember (and that are shown in the trailer) show his *exaggerated* response to his daughter's death, the rest of the performance is more subdued and restrained.

Tim Robbins' performance is also of note, as Penn's disturbed boyhood friend who shows up covered in blood the same night of the murder, making his frightened wife (Marcia Gay Harden) start to doubt his story and to believe that he is in fact the murderer.

The rest of the cast give solid performances in somewhat limited characters, Kevin Bacon and Laurence Fishburne as the cops asigned to the case, and Laura Linney as Penn's second wife.

However, there are a few things about the film that rubbed me the wrong way; the whole sub-plot about Bacon's wife calling him on his cell phone and not speaking? What was that suppossed to bring to the movie? Or Linney's (apparently) sudden transformation into Lady MacBeth, telling Penn's character that he should do whatever needed to be done? Or the final parade scene?

In short, while not a great film (certainly not Eastwood's best), it's a good one worth catching, and not as bad as some other reviewers will have you believe (certainly not Mistake River!).

Sean Penn and Tim Robbins are outstanding!
In Mystic River, director Clint Eastwood has taken the themes of pain and loss, added superb actors, and a literate script to make a memorable movie.

Jimmy, Sean, and Dave were childhood buddies growing up in a working-class neighborhood in Boston. One day, Dave was lured away and sexually abused by two men. Years later, the boys are now adults; Jimmy (Penn) is an ex-con with a loving family, Sean (Bacon) is a cop with marital woes, and Dave (Robbins), forever damaged by his childhood trauma, is barely clinging to reality. When Jimmy's daughter is murdered, Sean investigates, Jimmy vows vigilante justice, and Dave is a prime suspect.

The lead actors are outstanding here. Penn is utterly convincing as the former thug and heartbroken father. Robbins displays his acting chops in the performance of a lifetime, showing a fragile man dealing with such pain that he can no longer function rationally. The two men certainly deserved their Oscars.

This is a movie that will pull at your heartstrings while keeping you guessing who the killer is. There are, thankfully, no graphic scenes of child abuse or the girl's death, yet you will be on the edge of your seat much of the time. This is an outstanding film.

Stale As Month-Old Potato Chips
I was quite surprised at how bad this movie was. Perhaps it was just me, but I was looking forward to a Unforgiven-type directoral masterpiece from Mr. Eastwood and the stars Robbins and Penn. Given the hype this movie recieved (and the oscar nods to its 2 main stars and director Eastwood) I was really ready to sink my viewing teeth into something substantial.

Unfortunately, this movie was as stale as a bag of month-old potato chips. I never really came to symphathize at all with Sean Penn's character, even though his daughter was murdered. I mean, seriously, how can you symphathize with a criminal (Penn's character) who barely was involved in his kid's life to begin with?

Perhaps if the movie had shown a more deeper relationship between Penn and the kid then I could have cared more about the outcome. As it was all my sympathy went to Tim Robbins character, sexually molested as a child and then basically forgotten by his so-called "buddies". In my opinion Tim Robbins is the only reason to watch this movie. He walks around with an aire of utter hopelessness (reminiscent of the character he played in Jacob's Ladder), and yet he tries so hard to get passed the mental anguish of his past and make it through each day as an adult that by the end you are cheering for him.

Which brings me to the other reason why this movie stinks - the ending.

Like in a good novel, the reader/viewer doesn't want to be cheated in the end. I don't want to give away the ending, but be warned - it stinks.

All in all there really wasn't any substance to most of the characters, and I found myself toward the end wondering why I should even finish watching it. I like to be absorbed by characters played with heart and substance. Watching these jokers (except for Robbins) was like watching carboard cutouts being moved around on a stage.

Mystic River..The Ending Bites
First off..someone please tell Clint Eastwood to back away from the camera slowly and never ever direct another film. As far as everyone who raves about this film..you have lost all cred. I supposed your enthralled by shiny objects too. The ending was ridiculous....my daughter is killed..lets go to a parade?????? The fact that this drivel was considered genius in two mediums is baffling...more proof that everything is watered down beyond hope...whoever says this is a classic- I have some old home movies..you wanna shell out money to see those too???

Pretentious Puddle?
.
In great dramas, people aren't perfect, but their mistakes make sense. In melodramas, their mistakes don't; they occur only because the screenwriter wants them to.

Mystic River is a horrid melodrama, Hollywood's worst in years.

Pick any three-minute segment, jump in the shoes of any major character, and you'll find at least two instances where common sense would completely unravel the plot. There would be:

phone calls to doctors
routine checks on how the investigation is going

alerts to detectives
ridiculous assumptions thrown out the window
obvious suspects brought in for questioning
DNA and blood evidence rapidly analyzed and suspects eliminated
direct confrontations and/or backchannel neighborhood chats to double-check facts
and, oh, maybe a teeny bit of thinking before irreversible acts are committed.

None of this happens, of course, because the screenwriter creates a world without accepting its rules. The major characters are supposed to have lived in the same rough neighborhood and known each other all or most of their lives. But the lifelong aggressors uniformly jump to conclusions, as though they've never served time or seen other hoodlums get burned by assumptions. And the lifelong victims never seem to have their radar up around shady characters.

So we're asked to believe in a tough, jaded world where all statements are taken at face value, where no one seems to have ever seen a crime movie or played a single hand of poker, and where seasoned homicide cops don't seem to have heard of fingerprints, basic procedure, or internal affairs investigations. It's totally implausible.

In a decent drama, Dave never gets in the Savage brothers' car. Not with his history, not knowing the Savage brothers, not given the circumstances. But he gets in, because that's the only way the screenwriter gets Dave to the next scene. Ugh.

As a counterpoint, check out any Farrelly brothers movie. Yeah, they're comedies, but they follow the rules of drama: the characters are put in situations they take seriously, and make decisions that, given who they are, make lots of sense. The funny comes from sensibly navigating absurd situations. Unlike the funny in Mystic River, which inadvertently jumps out from umpty-jillion RIDICULOUS plot twists.

Me Myself and Irene is a better cop drama than this overhyped clunker. Kingpin is a vastly better study of victims and villains. And no, I'm not kidding. Skip MR. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Billy Zane is sooooooooooo hot!!!!
Lake Consequence was the perfect opportunity for the actor, Billy Zane, to display his amazing acting talent. He is phenominal as Joan Severance's gardener...the way he trims her trees is so skillfull!! He is also in amazing physical shape. He must work-out, like, a lot-n-stuff. I would love to have a poster from this movie. I could stare at it for hours.

Billy Zane is the absolute sexiest man to ever live.
This movie is where I first saw Billy Zane. It is the most erotic movie I have ever seen. I loved the amazing attraction between Billy and Joan. It was an exciting ride from beginning to end. Billy Zane is absolutely devine!!!

Mmm, mmm Good!
This erotic drama is a keeper. It definitely appeals to the senses. Hot steaming chinese baths, firecrackers. Passion, passion, passion all around. You will love it. Never thought acupunture could look so exhilirating. Billy Zane -- whoo, baby! Wonderfully sexy film.

Joan Severance is delicious
I would say this is Joan Severance's best movie. Since appearing in small roles in See No Evil, Hear No Evil and Bird on a Wire, she has been relegated to B-movie erotica, but she has given it her best. She truly is an exquisite creature, with mesmerizing blue eyes and an incredible body.
She is perfect as the sexually repressed housewife who stumbles into a sexual liaison with her gardener, played by Billy Zane, and his sometime lover May Karasun. Like others have said, the photography at the lake in the movie is stunning and adds tremendously to its sensual appeal.
The movie takes a downturn into negativity with the revelations about the Severance character's painful past, at which point the sensuality is abruptly cut off. Talk about coitus interruptus! But it is still a captivating, memorable movie.

A womans mind
If ever there was a movie that explained a woman's mind this would be it. Women are portrayed so often as solid creatures that know exactly what they want. The men are always the ones who are confused and stray. What I think is important here is how this movie explains what goes on in a woman's mind. What a woman must sacrifice Women are sensual creatures by nature, and as Billy pointed out near the end "real life and romance do not generally go hand in hand". I think all to often women sacrifice their sensual side for that of family and security. This movie defiantly hits home to a lot of women and their own fantasies. ... Read more

Reviews (193)

The Ultimate Struggle for Survival Under Siege
The story begins with the Zulu army fresh from their stunning massacre of 1300 British soldiers at Isandhlwana. This force of over 5000 seasoned warriors then turns their attention to a small outpost called Rorke's drift. Only one hundred men, many sick and some malingerers man this camp in the middle of South African wilderness. Two lieutenants, one, engineer, and one the son of an English aristocrat are in command. These young officers are not battle tested but must quickly prepare for the fight of their lives. Fortunately, they are supported by efforts of the quintessential sergeant major that hardly breaks a sweat as he fights the fierce adversaries while maintaining proper British manners and discipline. By the use of military tactics and shear resolve, the two officers galvanize their small force against nearly insurmountable odds. This film is full of breathtaking sequences, exciting heroics and slackers becoming heroes. A scene where the Zulus attack the hospital is particularly brimming with action. Zulu also has its fair share of honor and humanity. Stanley Baker and Michael Caine turn in fine performances as the commanders of Rorke's Drift. Cy Endfield directs one of the most exciting movies ever made about the tenacity of the British soldier.

Outstanding re-telling of the 1879 battle at Rorke's Drift
In January, 1879, a column of British soldiers comprised primarily of the 24th Regiment of Foot, South Wales Borderers, was wiped out at the base of the mountain, Isandhlwana, in Natal, South Africa. A large contingent of 4,000 Zulu warriors then moved on to the undermanned expedition base at Rorke's Drift. This movie tells the incredible true story of the subsequent battle, and of the victory of the 90 some British soldiers, many of them sick, who held their post in the face of overwhelming odds. See Donald Morris' definitive book, _The Washing of the Spears_, against which this film account compares most favorably.

This neglected classic was filmed at a time when it was still just possible to associate the word "glory" with military victory-- without a sneer. The makers of the film avoid preaching and just let the battle tell the tale of the men of both sides. The British soldiers are not the "good guys" nor are the Zulus "bad guys," and the lone derogatory comment about the fighting ability of the Zulus is instantly rebuffed by a tough Boer cavalryman who says, "And just who do you think is coming to wipe out your little garrison, the Grenadier Guards?" This is a soldier's story about a soldier's fight.

Did the Welsh really sing "Men of Harlach" as they manned their mealie-bag barricades?

Did the Zulus really render a warrior's salute as they broke off the action on the second day of the battle?

It doesn't matter. The film is accurate in the historical basics that really count.

Beautifully filmed on location, with an outstanding, stirring score by John Barry, this film features solid but appropriately understated performances by Stanley Baker, Michael Caine, and Jack Hawkins.

I hesitate to mention the hideous, politically correct pre-quel, _Zulu Dawn_ which was released almost 25 years after _Zulu_, but any viewer who has the unhappy experience of seeing _Zulu Dawn_ should not be put off from seeing _Zulu_, which shines in comparison.

Whether one is interested in military history or a "movie for men who like movies," _Zulu_ is a worthy addition to a film library. From first to last, it is a compelling, superior film.

So where's Zulu Dawn?
Trying to find this movie and it's only available in Region 2. What gives?

Is it coming to the US soon?

Basically an Anti-War Movie
Zulu is basically more of an antiwar movie than an action adventure flick. War is not glamorized in Zulu and it is shown in all its horrific repulsiveness. Nor for that matter are there any heroes in Zulu for nobody acts heroically. The officers and soldiers know that its likely that they will die defending their isolated frontier outpost against the Zulu hordes and they are bitterly resentful of that fact.

This makes Zulu an original and different movie. However, the quality of the acting is generally low, although Michael Caine delivers a splendid performance. The script, direction and special effects are also deficient. Zulu was made on a low budget and it shows.

Zulu is an example of how a great idea does not necessarlily result in a great movie.

Girls can love this movie too!
I have always enjoyed this movie since I was a little girl. At 27 I love it even more. The gentleman behavior of the English, the breathtaking battle sequences and the fantastic score are spectacular. I have my favorite characters that just send shivers up my back and tears to my eyes at times for their heroism. If you don't take my word for how great this movie is you can refer to Lord of the Rings Two Towers extras. Peter Jackson was inspired by a few of the scenes from Zulu for the beginning of the battle at Helm's Deep. ... Read more

Reviews (175)

Could have been better...
Could have been much better though some of the scenes in this film are worth watching...if you've read the book. Throughout the scenes depicting Morgaine's training...well, lets say those are the most worthwhile ones. Juliana Margulies was perfectly cast in this role. Joan Allen and Anjelica Houston also give great performances. However, if I were to have had my hand in the making of this movie, I would have added at least an extra two hours to it so that it didn't seem to be moving so fast. I also would have (and pardon my saying so) recast Mordred, Arthur, Lancelot, and Uther. The women did fine...the men...well, lets say they need dialect training and some acting lessons.
Oh, and as a side note, the music (especially Loreena McKennitt's Mystic's Dream) is fantastic. Go get the soundtrack.

Think of it as an intro to the book
Most tellings of the King Arthur story focus on Arthur and Merlin, and perhaps mention Gueneviere as the unfaithful wench that broke up the great friendship of Arthur and Lancelot. Marion Zimmer Bradley took a twist on the story, telling it from the point of view of the 'dark witch' instead of the 'golden haired beauty'.

It's a tale full of the raw power of medieval England, where a belief in nature and natural spirits was vying with the approach of Christianity. It tells not only of women and men's different views of the world, but of love triangles, Christianity ousting the 'old ways', and a changing of culture.

The TNT miniseries version stars Anjelica Huston, Julianna Margulies, and Joan Allen in the girl-power production. Huston is the magestic matriarch of Viviane, the Lady of the Lake, who in most stories is just the giver-of-the-sword to Arthur. Here she's the protector of Avalon, the center of the old power, one that is being replaced slowly by the bells of Christianity. They in fact share the same physical space, but only those with the power to believe can cross into Avalon.

Margulies is Morgaine, Arthur's half-sister. They share a mother, but Arthur is born when Uther Pendragon lusts after Morgaine's mother Igraine and through deception beds her. Igraine and Viviane are sisters, but while Viviane defends the old ways, Igraine turns to the new (Christianity). The third sister, Morgause, is jealous of the other two and causes quite a bit of trouble.

This was always a favorite book of mine, so I was very curious how they would bring it on screen. The locations were gorgeous - it was shot in Czechoslovakia and has the primitive wildness that medieval England would have had. The costumes were also gorgeous, and the actors and actresses were top notch. I really enjoyed the relationship Morgaine has later in her life.

I do understand that certain of the themes are sensitive to a TV viewing audience. After all, Arthur and his half-sister Morgaine sleep together (not realizing they're related) when they're teenagers, and she bears a son from this union. Also, Arthur and Lancelot were attracted to each other in the book. These layers of sexuality added another dimension to the story, but they were a bit too risque for many viewers. The story was altered to change the way a lot of this was presented.

Also, the scene where Morgaine and Gueneviere first meet was supposed to contrast the beautiful-blonde-Christian vs the small-dark-pagan - at least that's how Morgaine saw it. Because the book is told from Morgaine's point of view, it's not always the reality, of course, but her impression of it. But in the miniseries they stripped away a lot of the dialogue so you loose some of that sense.

And then, near the end, it slips completely away, and where at the end of the book I'm thrilled to have gone on the journey, with the miniseries I wonder just exactly was the spot where they went wrong. I think the key is to watch it and think of it as a way to get people to read the book. It's really enjoyable as a good movie to watch, and if it gets more people to read the book, that's fine by me!

Enchanting
I haven't read the book. I watched this movie without any expectations whatsoever, or any knowledge of the plot. Honestly, I didn't even know it was about the legend of King Arthur.

The movie was far better than any of the other Arthur films I have watched. It surpasses Merlin in terms of believability, Camelot in terms of maturity, and almost equals Excalibur. Julienna Marguiles portrays a very convincing Morgaine. The whole story is told from her point of view, and indeed it was a gorgeous retelling. For once, we are given the refreshing view that Morganne was humane, and good. We are given new explanations for the incest between Arthur and Morganne, as well as the blackness of Mordred's character, which is now blamed on Morganne's aunt, Morgause.

What intrigued me about the movie was the portrayal of the Pagan and Christian society, and most interestingly, about how the Pagan goddess still lives on as the Virgin Mary (I still find that interesting, although I don't quite agree with it). Certain things, like having Excalibur return to the goddess and fading off into the silhoette of the Christian cross puzzles me a little to what the symbolic meaning behind it implies. This intermingling of both religions - the link established wasn't as clear as it should have been.

Beautiful performances from Anjelica Huston (The Lady of the Lake), and Joan Allen (Morgause). I didn't really think that Samantha Mathis was suitable to play Guinevere (she didn't really look the part, nor act the part)... and Michael Vartan surprisingly pulled off the part of Lancelot well (Franco Nero is by far one of the most atrocious Lancelots ever). Hans Matheson (Mordred), a relatively new actor, does a better job here than what he did in Les Miserables.

A good cast, and a good movie. I found it a little controversial, and at times slightly disturbing, but it keeps the mystery and intrigue surrounding Avalon as palpable as ever.

Tremendously disappointing
I was glad to hear that someone was making a miniseries of this, and Juliana Margulies seemed like an excellent choice for Morgaine. Unfortunately, the finished production did not live up to expectations. The book dealt not only with the legend through the eyes of women, but with the clash of cultures. The movie paid lip service to this theme, but didn't really grapple with adequately. I don't think I watched it all the way through.

Magical and Mystical Experience
Yes, I have read the book, and while there are some differences between the film and the book, the most important parts of the story are in the movie. The actors and the rest of the crew did a brilliant job of bringing the magic and suspense to the screen. The music was beautiful and perfect for the movie and the setting is visually stunning. If you're not too picky about details, you should enjoy the movie whether you've read the book or not. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Days of Wine and Roses is one film not to watch if you are melancholic by nature, as this tale of middle-class alcoholism rings very true. Jack Lemmon and Lee Remick are the besotted couple who find that life is not always fun when viewed through rosé-colored glasses. He's the San Francisco business executive who marries Remick and seduces her into a cocktail culture that soon overpowers them both. It is not a pretty picture when their life shatters around them, but this film is extremely compelling for their performances. It is matched only by Billy Wilder's Lost Weekend and the more explicit Leaving Las Vegas. This was nominated for five Academy Awards and won for the title song by Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer. Filmed by Blake Edwards in 1962, it is based on a Playhouse 90 television production from 1958, starring Cliff Robertson and Piper Laurie. --Rochelle O'Gorman ... Read more

Reviews (27)

HEARTBREAKING
"Days of Wine and Roses" ranks right up there with "Lost Weekend," "Leaving Las Vegas" and "I'll Cry Tomorrow" as the most powerful cinematic portrayals of the destructiveness of alcoholism. Jack Lemmon gives one of his most honest and powerful performances as a man who lures his young bride into a life of alcohol induced pleasure and, ultimately, pain and suffering. Lee Remick is equally marvelous as his helpless wife who's own addiction proves more overwhelming than her husbands. A very personal and intimate film that will prove most unsettling to anyone who's known, first hand, the horrors brought on by alcohol abuse. Fantastic but, be warned, very depressing.

Drink It Up
I grew up laughing out loud, as film director Blake Edwards teamed with the likes of Peter Sellers, in the Pink Panther movies, and Dudley Moore in 10. These comedies went straight for the funny bone. The slapstick stuff was just outrageous. While I have seen the likes of some of his latter films, including SOB and Victor/Victoria, they weren't as "classic" as those I mentioned before. Up until the 2004 Oscar Ceremony, I had no idea that Edwards even did any dramatic films. The fact that The Days Of Wine And Roses starred one of my all time favorite actors, the late great Jack Lemmon, just made me want to finally see the movie all the more.

The film is a disturbing adaptation of J.P. Miller's Playhouse 90 story. Joe Clay, (Lemmon) is a San Francisco public relations man who likes to hoist a few and have a good time. When he meets secretary Kirsten Arnesen (Lee Remick), who doesn't drink, he is taken be her, and after a short time they marry. After a few more months, Kirsten is able to put away as much liquor as her husband. As the years pass, Joe loses one job after another and his wife neglects their child until he begins to realize that both of them are alcoholics. soon the couple moves into her father's (Charles Bickford) nursery to dry out, but following a couple of weeks "on the wagon", they go on a total drinking binge. Joe nearly destroys a greenhouse in a fanatic search for a drink and ends up in hospital ward. Former alcoholic Jim Hungerford (Jack Klugman) tries to help them both...

Edwards offers an unflinching look at alcoholism. I remember seiing The Lost Weekend (also featuring an alcoholic) in film school, and being amazed, I felt the same way after I saw this movie. Lemmon and Remick are very good together. The film avoids any cliche about the subject and can make you feel for the couple, while at the same time being repulsed by some of their behavior at the same time--not an easy task. Anyone expecting a laugh riot from the director need not apply or want to. Edwards comedies are funny--most of them anyway--it's nice to know that his was willing to tackle a tough issue.

The DVD boasts a fine audio commentary by from Edwards. He is very easy going and informative about the production. You also get to see a vintage interview with Jack Lemmon, in which, he also discusses the film. The theatrical trailer tops off the bonus material.

To those viewers, who want to see Lemmon in one of his best dramatic roles, watch this. I still can't believe it took me this long to see this movie--I'm very glad I did

LAUGH AND RUN AWAY
When this movie first came out, I was much too young to appreciate the veracity and power. Blake Edwards helms an extremely powerful, if tragic, tale of alcoholism and how it affects the marriage of two middle class individuals.
Jack Lemmon proves what a tremendously versatile actor he was, and he gives a performance that is honest, brutal and unbelievably brilliant. His scenes in the greenhouse and in the drying out unit are some of the best acting caught on celluloid. Lee Remick, the late and underrated beauty, matches Lemmon's performance which is even more devastating as her plunge into alcohol is at Lemmon's urging, and she's the one who can't go without a drink. Remick is mesmerizing in the motel scene where she forces Lemmon to drink with her again.
Wonderful support comes from Charles Bickford as Remick's father and Jack Klugman as Lemmon's AA friend. Of course, the score by Henry Mancini is one of the best.
This is a must see for anyone who wants to see powerful acting and an unforgettable movie.

A Message For All Young People About The Dangers Of Alcohol
The Days of Wine & Roses has equal impact today, as it did more than 40 years ago. It tells the story of alcoholisim as seen through the eyes of a "normal", white, middle class couple. The sickness creeps up on the viewer gradually until it's almost unbearable to watch. This is yet another fine example of the marvelous tempo all Billy Wilder movies posessed. Sunset Blvd had it in Spades. But The Days of Wine and Roses is perhaps the only Wilder movie, so completely void of humor.

Lemmon and Remmick are compelling as is the fine supporting cast. This is a great movie to covey the message about the dangers of drinking to young people. As a side note, I attended high school and was quite freindly with one J. D. Miller's sons. Unfortunatly the lessons of the story were not learned by his offspring. Then again, that was almost 40 years ago. Maybe there's a happy ending in there somewhere.

Skip the DVD version
A classic, no doubt about it. But if you're buying the DVD version for anything but the widescreen effect, forget it. The "extras" consist of two versions of a self-congratulatory trailer (Jack Lemmon breaking character to expound on what a bold movie they'd made.) Meanwhile, the much-touted "interview" with Lemmon is a corny promotional device apparently aimed at local TV stations, with the actor, seen talking on the phone, rattling off answers to trite pre-scripted questions, giving the impression that he was actually having a phone interview with local TV personalities whose own images were later edited into the split-screen featurette.And the less said about director Blake Edwards' "commentary", the better.After explaining that he's not much good "at this kind of thing," Edwards proceeds to prove it in spades by confessing he hasn't seen the movie in 40 years, professing to be surprised when he realizes (10 minutes in!) that the film wasn't shot in color, then actually wonders aloud how audiences will be able to understand the plot if he keeps talking throughout the movie. Sad! ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

In Independence Day, a scientist played by Jeff Goldblum once actually had a fistfight with a man (Bill Pullman) who is now president of the United States. That same president, late in the film, personally flies a jet fighter to deliver a payload of missiles against an attack by extraterrestrials. Independence Day is the kind of movie so giddy with its own outrageousness that one doesn't even blink at such howlers in the plot. Directed by Roland Emmerich, Independence Day is a pastiche of conventions from flying-saucer movies from the 1940s and 1950s, replete with icky monsters and bizarre coincidences that create convenient shortcuts in the story. (Such as the way the girlfriend of one of the film's heroes--played by Will Smith--just happens to run across the president's injured wife, who are then both rescued by Smith's character who somehow runs across them in alien-ravaged Los Angeles County.) The movie is just sheer fun, aided by a cast that knows how to balance the retro requirements of the genre with a more contemporary feel. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (528)

Typical Big-Budget Fun Ride
Director Roland Emmerich (The Day After Tomorrow & The Patriot) became a popular name in big-budget summer movies with the successful 1996 blockbuster "Independence Day". Massive alien spaceships mysteriously enter the Earth's atmosphere and unleash a devastating assault on the world's major cities. Now, a small human resistance organizes a final stand against the powerful invaders. "Independence Day" is a 153 minutes of pure movie fun. Its simple plot and stereotypical characters are rather predictable but still quite enjoyable. Its amusing humor, intense battle sequences and outstanding special effects are this Sci-Fi film's true highlights. The all-star cast features Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, Judd Hirsch, Randy Quaid, Vivica A. Fox and Robert Loggia.

"Independence Day" Limited Edition is a worthy bargain DVD. Both theatrical and extended cuts are presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen format. The DVD contains an amazing picture quality with rich color detail and great resolution. The clear 5.1 Dolby Digital sound delivers some well balanced surrounds and awesome bass, but a DTS audio track should have been included in this new release. Among special features, it contains two audio commentaries by filmmakers and FX crew, and a sneak peak at Emmerich's FX epic "The Day After Tomorrow". Despite the lack of supplements, "Independence Day" receives a pleasant "B-".

There's always something...
This fulfills all of the expectations of a summer blockbuster;
things flying around, stuff blowing up, flag waving, etc etc

and yes it is escapist and all good fun

all good stuff (although a little over done, as others have
pointed out, with the flag waving bits -- but then given the
title, i think people must have known that before going in)

but it does fall foul of the usual fault of having one
supremely bad plot element. i'm referring to the odd idea that
the alien shields can be taken down by injecting a computer
virus (oh so easily). in this case, it is a cop out -- a cheap
way for the screenwriter to get from point A to point C without
bothering with B

a wise man once said never let the facts get in the way of a
good story. and a writer once said he never checks the technical
aspects of a screenplay (for the same reason)

the problem with this (and many films suffer a similar problem)
is that it pulls me right out of the film. the suspension of

disbelief of an action rah-rah film can take you to a certain
point, but it is easy to step over that line. the virus did it
for me in this one

any film that uses classic dialogue such as "this is real
life -- not a film" is almost guarenteed to suffer this sort
of problem

You didn't like this film? What are you anyway, a commie?
Normally I don't use reviews as a forum for sniping at other reviewers, but it would appear that Thomas B. Clark came as close as he could to calling me un-American because I didn't care for the jingoism that saturates this film. Well by golly, I guess it is now clear that this film must be a litmus test of the patriotism of all Americans. If you hate it, you must be some sort of com-symp pinko --- it's off to the Russkies with ya.

Incidentally --- I would have refrained from socio-political commentary if only you had also --- I would gently remind you that the Indian Air Force is reported to have done very well against the USAF in exercises conducted in February this year, so maybe the USA really isn't the only one who can get the job done. I'd be willing to bet that the Israeli Air Force, to name just one, might be able to hold its own as well. Of course, maybe I am just whining again.

The argument also seems to be that critics (in addition to being part of the 5th Column) cannot endure a film that engages in make-believe. You can't be serious. Just because a film requires the viewer to suspend belief doesn't necessarily mean it has to suck. I enjoyed "Hellboy," "Men in Black," and "Alien," for example. None of these is remotely believable, but they are well-crafted films with decent performances from their respective casts. Likewise, films packed with explosions & mayhem can also have compelling storylines & characters --- "Master & Commander," for example. I guess I am guilty of expecting the makers of a movie --- even one that is "just fun," should give us more for our money than some paint-by-numbers hack job.

And that is exactly what this movie is, Thomas B. Clark. Contrary to what you claim, I hardly did any nit-picking on all the plot holes in the story, although other reviewers have gone over this movie's silly inconsistencies with a fine-toothed comb. My main complaint was that with the disengaged acting, the cardboard-cutout characters, and the painfully predictable storyline, all the movie really could rely on is lots of special effects & nifty explosions, which really on works on the big screen. The commercial success of this turkey has only encouraged Hollywood to even greater FX excess, to the point that filmmakers seem to think that if they throw enough CGI and special effects at you, they are not responsible for also giving you a decently-crafted movie with a plot & characters and stuff like that.

Hey, it's your money. I spent $1.50 at the budget theatre watching this and I guess I broke even. I pity the people who blew 7 or 8 dollars for this, but again, spend it on what you want. I learned my lesson sooner rather than later. Being the anti-American creep that I am, I just purchased a nice bottle of the 2000 Canon-la-Gaffeliere, which is the equivalent of about 10 viewings of "ID4"-type films, and I think I got the better end of the deal.

AWESOME!!!!
I absolutely love this movie because it's so much action packed fun where vicious aliens from outer space unleash destruction upon the earth's human population and now they must fight back and destroy the aliens before they destroy humanity. This is just so much fun. The special effects are top notch and the acting is great! I really loved the way the spaceships looked like as opposed to looking like flying dinner plates. Go and buy this movie 2day!

Aliens Ate Our Brains!
What else would explain the hit this banal tripe was? ... Read more