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Blake Edwards's delightful Victor/Victoria may be one of the last of the great, old-style movie musical comedies--it is so good, it was turned into a hit Broadway stage musical years later. And both versions starred Edwards's wife Julie Andrews (the former Mary Poppins) in the title role--as Victor and Victoria. She's a down-and-out singer who hooks up with a flamboyantly gay theatrical veteran (Robert Preston), and together they become the toast of 1934 Paris by dreaming up a provocative nightclub act in which Victoria assumes the identity of a man in drag. So, in other words, Andrews plays a woman playing a man playing a woman ... and that's only the beginning of the sexual identity confusions that provide the fuel for this splendidly classy slapstick musical farce. (Yes, it's all those things.) James Garner, as a Chicago club owner, finds himself strangely besotted with this stylish, androgynous creature--even though he thinks Victor/Victoria is a man. Legendary Hollywood composer Henry Mancini (a longtime collaborator with Edwards) won his last Oscar for the score; Andrews, Preston, and Lesley Ann Warren, as Garner's cheeky girlfriend, were also nominated. Musical highlights include Victor/Victoria's sizzling "Le Jazz Hot" (in which Andrews shows off her incredible vocal range); another showstopper for Victor/Victoria, "The Shady Dame from Seville"; Preston's witty ode to "Gay Paree"; Warren's hilarious burlesque number, "King's Can-Can"; and a charmingly casual yet elegant side-by-side number, "You and Me," done in a small club by Preston and Andrews in tuxedos. --Jim Emerson ... Read more

Reviews (75)

Sheer delight
For my money this is Blake Edwards' most enjoyable movie. I've viewed it perhaps a dozen times, and its combination of a peerless cast, fine songs, supremely witty script and sure-footed direction make this a real gem that I will never tire of watching.

Robert Preston (in a role originally intended for Peter Sellers) practically steals the show as Toddy, a gay nightclub perfomer in 1930s Paris. Preston's vitality and charisma make the character of Toddy so warm, humorous and believable that he feels like an old friend by the end of the movie. What a shame Preston made so few films! (We do, however, have his memorable aoppearance in SOB - another Edwards triumph - to be grateful for.)

Julie Andrews is perfectly cast, with her distinctive voice and seemingly ageless face and figure all contributing to a convincing portrayal of a supposed female impersonator. The rapport between her and Preston is a joy to behold, and one can only applaud their classy professionalism.

The rest of the cast is top-notch, and the film reunites Julie Andrews with James Garner 18 years after their first movie together, the 1964 Americanization of Emily. Garner shows a fine comic touch - as always - and Lesley Ann Warren is inimitable as his supremely irritating ex-girlfriend.

The film positively overflows with 1930s Parisian atmosphere and sophistication. In short, Victor/Victoria is a real treat that offers a little something for everybody.

Essential viewing.

Le Jazz Hot!
Although he has just recieved an honorary Oscar, Blake Edwards is often looked upon as a purvayer of low comedy. Although he is the genius behind such sparkling classics as The (original) Pink Panther and Breakfast at Tiffanys, many people frown upon him for his later films such as S.O.B., Blind Date and Switch (let's not mention the post-Sellars Panthers). Victor / Victoria falls, chronologically, between the two sets of films and, in my view, is Edwards at his peak.
Edwards directs his wife Julie Andrews (never better and that includes being a nanny and a nun), in a tale of a [woman pretending to be a man pretending to be a woman]. The central plot serves as an excellent backbone on which to hang a wonderfully farcical script, some hilarious set-pieces and the fantastic song-and-dance numbers (Bricuse and Mancini's score makes you wish they'd worked together more often).
Andrews, as I say, is flawless coming somewhere between the innocence of Poppins and the lewdness of S.O.B. and giving a fantastic performance. From under her very nose though, the film is stolen by the ever-watchable Robert Preston as Toddy. Preston brings great depth and love to a part that could quite easily have been, as he is refered to in the film, 'a pathetic old queen'. James Garner commendably plays the straight-man (in more ways than one!) with a twinkle in his eye and Lesley Ann Warren hilariously chews every bit of scenery she lays her hands on.
The script, which bears Edwards' name as a co-writer, is as witty and moving as anything written in Hollywood's 'Golden Era' and the musical elements have as much vibrancy as MGM's in their hey-day. Musical highlights include Le Jazz Hot and The Shady Dame from Seville (not to mention the riotous reprise as performed by Preston for the films finale). One-liners don't come much better than "A lot of men can't get it ... up to now, you've been fine", "You look like a raccoon" (you need to see it) and the entire scene in the restaurant that leads to the line "It is a moron who takes advice from a horse's arse" (Edwards regular Graham Stark at his dead-pan best).
The extras on the DVD are limited to trailers and a commentary. The commentary by Edwards and Andrews is informative, if a little disappointing considering the wildness of the film and mainly consists of Edwards enjoying watching the film and Andrews making sure that all of the on and off-screen talent is name-checked.
A real unsung gem that deserves to be seen as often as possible. Tell your friends!

JULIE ANDREWS! A LEGEND!
I remember sitting through it in 1983 in the theatre with Mama and Grandmother. We all LOVED it. With Poppins, Maria and Gertrude; Julie`s Victor/Victoria is HER BEST effort on celluloid. Leslie Ann-Warren, James Garner, Robert Preston, Blake Edwards, Henry Mancini & Leslie Bricusse ALL excell in this comedy. It may be a trifle long and the Hercule Poirot-imitation unnecessary; but it really is the last of the GREAT MGM MUSICALS(although it was shot i England, released by MGM). The set-designs are a treasure 2 behold.

One Big Riot
There is one word that best describes this film, and it's RIOT. The film is one big and grand RIOT. The cockroach-instigated riot scene in the restaurant is memorable. Mr Edwards shot this from the outside so that we get to see a third-person view of what is going on inside through the windows. Also, look at that RIOTY performance by Leslie Ann Warren: the scene where she walks down the train aisle spurting out vehement %$&*$# should be made a classic!! Again, this was shot using a third-person view so that we see inside the train windows but never actually hear her. The film delights in its RIOTS, we get the feeling that it makes fun of its characters in this way, albeit a tender way.
But beneath all the film's RIOTS, is a warm heart (highlighted by Henry Mancini's score.) This warm-hearted attitude transcends even through all those nightclub brawls; and I believe that without this formula, the film might not have been able to handle the issue of homosexuality so well. Excellent performances by Julie Andrews, James Garner, Robert Preston (in a delicious drag queen finale,) Leslie Ann Warren (show stealer) and the whole cast. The musical numbers are also winners. Certainly not for the Lazy Afternoon viewing, but for the Friday/Saturday night film. To those who are offended by gay contents, be warned, the film insists. This is one GAY & RIOTY film.

Blake Edwards - Musical Gender Bending At It's Best!
This is most definitely musical gender-bending at it's best!

Not many musical/comedies are produced nowadays, let alone good ones like Rocky Horror Picture Show & Little Shop Of Horrors to name a few that come to my mind.

This 80's musical/comedy is set in 1934 GAY and I DO MEAN GAY Paree! This film is quite unparalled in the fact that Victor/Victoria was a movie BEFORE it made it to The Great White Way. Julie Andrews played Victor/Victoria in both movie and on stage.

Great songs in - Julie's "Le Jazz Hot" & Lesley Warren's bimboesque "Kings Can-Can". The sexual chemistry is A+++ between Andrews & a sexually confused James Garner who plays "King Marchand" a Chicago club owner, who is so TOTALLY out of his element in Paris, let alone being sexually frustrated and confused over his crush on the beautiful, stylish and gay, Victor.

Great cast, great songs and a greater storyline with lots of slapstick comedy make Victor/Victoria a classic of it's time!

Happy Watching! ... Read more

Reviews (762)

Lethal Hatchet Part 4
So sue me, I stole that by-line from Newsweek. But it's the most apt description I've heard. It really is a Mel Gibson revenge flick, with him running around with a couple dozen hatchets and rifles rather than a semi-automatic Glock. Don't get me wrong, I loved this movie, but it wasn't historically accurate, and for anyone who wants a truly good Colonial period drama(I'm one of those), they'll have to keep looking. The Last of the Mohicans didn't do it(yes, I know that that was the French and Indian War), and this one doesn't do it either. It's pure action, pure revenge, pure adrenaline. Same as almost any Mel Gibson picture. The scene where he eliminates a 20 man British contingent is definitely a cool sequence; The follow up to this movie should have Bruce Willis and be called "Die Patriot". Ok, bad joke, but basically, this is an adventure film that is fun to watch, as it is in the vein of all my favorite adventure films, like Die Hards 1-3 and Lethal Weapons 1-4. Cool movie, not exactly Oscar material. Heck, not even Golden Globe material.

The Patriot a perfect Fourth of July rouser
What is it about American wars that brings the best out of otherwise trivial filmmakers? Ten years ago, the glorious Glory came from "thirtysomething" creator Edward Zwick. Now, Godzilla's Roland Emmerich, about the last director from whom we could expect full-bodied characters, brings us The Patriot--in every sense of the word, the most beautiful movie of its year.

Part of the credit should probably go to screenwriter Robert Rodat who, as Saving Private Ryan proved, surely knows which patriotic buttons to push. Whoever should be credited, there's not a false move in this rousing three-hour tribute to American spirit. When they say "They don't make 'em like that anymore," point to this one as an example of how it can still be done.

And who knew Mel Gibson still had any actorism left in him? As Benjamin Martin, a reluctant war veteran who is finally moved to fight in the Revolutionary War when a redcoat kills one of his sons, Gibson sheds his familiar love-me mannerisms like an old winter coat. He never relies on cutesy tics, and not once does he strike a false note. His character elicits laughter, tears, and bloodshed, and for the first time in years, Gibson emotes an honest-to-gosh person on the screen.

The movie's basic point--stated outright by Martin early on in the story--is that the Revolutionary War was won by wily militiamen who served as a direct counterpoint to the straight-on British manner of battle. But that's about the only thing in the movie which is stated so blatantly. The dialogue, rather than being laden with jingoism, is appropriately sparse, letting the movie's considerable action tell the story. And as such, this movie is a perfect argument against gratuitous movie violence (despite its R rating)--it shows the devastating effects of war (Martin loses a great deal of his family, one by one) and yet doesn't linger on its horrific effects.

Gibson's magnificent underplaying and Rodat's spare screenplay seem to have invigorated the rest of the cast as well. Everyone from Jason Isaacs (the British colonel with a bug up himself about Martin) to Tom Wilkinson (terrific as British warlord Gen. Cornwallis) to Trevor Morgan (the actory smart-aleck in The Sixth Sense) as one of Martin's sons, seem just as juiced up as Gibson is.

I haven't told a great deal about the plot, have I? (I haven't even touched upon Caleb Deschanel's beautiful cinematography, or John Williams' best movie score since E.T.) And this is as it should be. Please just trust that you should devote nearly three hours to one of the most perfectly realized movie visions you're likely to see for a long, long time.

The Patriot is rated R, mostly for very graphic violence, though in context, a PG-13 would be far more appropriate. Its only dramatic effect is to get kids talking about the story, an opportunity that I'd imagine most history teachers and parents would welcome.

STIRRING AND MOVING
Once again, people crave for authenticity...the way it really happened....and once again, I say, "It's a movie. It's entertaining and moving....I didn't take my history book along to make sure it was totally accurate. I like escapism, and movies that move me." This movie did that. It's beautifully filmed by the respected Caleb Deschanel; the music by John Williams is moving, and the cast on a whole is exceptional. Mel Gibson has been labeled an okay actor, but if you look deep inside his performances, the man does his best in filling whatever shoes his role dictates. As the family-oriented and somewhat stubborn father, he evokes the pain he feels from his actions in an earlier battle with the French; he seems devastated by his youngest daughter's silence to him; and he loves his family. Joely Richardson is effectively cast as Mel's sister in law, who helps take care of his family during this crisis. Heath Ledger is all gungho and spirited as Gabriel, and plays well with the rest of his cast. Tom Wilkinson is superb as Cornwallis, a man steeped in tradition and British fanfare. His scene with Gibson in which the patriot negotiates for the release of his 18 prisoners is exceptional. Jason Isaacs is pure evil in his role as the heartless Haverton (or whatever), and shows that war to him is merely licensed murder. The rest of the supporting cast: Chris Cooper, Rene Auberjonois, Adam Baldwin, Gregory Smith, Mira Boorkem, and Donal Logue, in particular, are great additions.
The movie is a manipulative film, of course...how else would it work, but it's to director Roland Emmerich's credit, that when the credits were over, I felt moved and touched. That's what films are meant to be in my opinion.

Complete and Utter Waste of Time
I am genuinely surprised at this movie's good rating!
1)The historical innaccuracy is horrible
2)It is a movie that glorifies the WRONG things about the American Revolution
3)The love story is nauseating
4)The characters are weak and underdeveloped. Mel Gibson is an ok (Just OK) actor. Most of the others are too, with some really really bad ones thrown in- just for kicks!
5)People say it was entertaining- really? I was writhing through the entire thing. Oh, and the war scenes really aren't that gruesome... maybe its because I saw Kill Bill a month ago?

I wish I didn't waste my time with this movie! Please, please watch something else! There are so many better (historical or otherwise) movies!

An American Patriot
The 2000 summer film, "The Patriot" which I believe was in theatres appropiately on the 4th of July, stars Mel Gibson in the heroic role of Benjamin Martin, a father fighting for his family and his colony from the British enemy forces of General Cornwallis (played by Tom Wilkinson). The movie was directed by Roland Emmerich, the director of Independence Day, which, though science fiction blockbuster epic that it was, still maintained the 4th of July American patriotism theme much like this movie. Being entirely different from his usual blockbusters (Godzilla, Day After Tomorrow most recently) Emmerich immerses us into the historical period of early America in the 1770's, when the budding, newfound country was at war with Great Britain. The American Revolution was the first real war in America. The country was earning its independence and fighting for it in the most literal sense.

Althoug the movie keeps its period piece/costume drama visuals, in the dialogue you can find traces of modernism. For example, in one scene, Mel Gibson sits with his wife and asks "Can I sit here ?" and she replies in comedy tone "Hey it's a free country.. or that is it will be". Much of Mel Gibson's own influence is in this movie. He did not direct this movie although he could have easily done so. The fighting scenes, the battles, the gunfights and the violence is very Mel Gibson in nature (he is after all responsible for such films as Braveheart). The portrayal of the British is of course biased since it's on the American side we're sympathezing with. Cornwallis is a man we love to hate-rude, arrogant and cruel. The other British in the film are also portrayed as very nasty. The message of patriotism, love of family and home is all quite strong here. But it does make a good film if you're into this period, if you want to see Mel Gibson doing a historic piece and as the hero which he always does so well in. Mel Gibson, though much older now, is still a great actor and provides much romantic/sex appeal. On DVD, the movie is loaded with extra features including commentary and "Making Of" segment. ... Read more

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Author Armistead Maupin (Tales of the City) wrote Lily Tomlin's narration for this superb documentary, based on a book by the late Vito Russo, about Hollywood's treatment of homosexual characters in the 20th century. Never pointing a finger at anyone in the film community, The Celluloid Closet presents clips from more than 100 mainstream features (including The Children's Hour, Advise and Consent, The Boys in the Band, and The Hunger) that speak loudly in their respective images of gays and lesbians. The film makes a persuasive case for patterns of sexual mythology in Hollywood, such as presenting homosexuals repeatedly as tragic, helpless figures redeemed only through death or as back-street monsters cavorting in the shadows. Things change, of course, and clips from more recent films by gay and lesbian filmmakers suggest a more vital, diverse, autobiographical approach. There are lots of great interviews with screenwriters (Gore Vidal), filmmakers (John Schlesinger), actors (Tom Hanks, Whoopi Goldberg), and others to enunciate the major themes. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (22)

The Power of Cinematic Image
Based on the book by Vito Russo, written by Armistead Maupin, and narrated by Lily Tomlin, THE CELLULOID CLOSET uses interviews and hundreds of film clips to examine the way in which Hollywood has presented gay and lesbian characters on film from the age of silent cinema to such recent films as PHILADELPHIA and DESERT HEARTS. Throughout the documentary, the focus is on both stereotypes and the various ways that more creative directors and writers worked around the censorship of various decades to create implicitly homosexual characters, with considerable attention given to the way in which stereotypes shaped public concepts of the gay community in general.

Overtly homosexual characters were not particularly unusual in silent and pre-code Hollywood films, and CLOSET offers an interesting sampling of both swishy stereotypes and unexpectedly sophistocated characters--both of which were doomed by the Hayes Code, a series of censorship rules adopted by Hollywood in the early 1930s. The effect of the Code was to soften some of the more grotesque stereotypes--but more interesting was the impetus the Code gave to film makers to create homosexual characters and plot lines that would go over the heads of industry censors but which could still be interpreted by astute audiences, with films such as THE MALTESE FALCON, REBECCA, BEN-HUR, and REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE cases in point. Once the Code collapsed, however, Hollywood again returned to stereotypes in an effort to cash in on controversy--with the result that throughout most of the sixties and seventies homosexual characters were usually presented as unhappy, maladjusted creatures at best, suicidal and psychopatic entities at worst.

The film clips are fascinating stuff and are often highlighted by interviews of individuals who made the films: Tony Curtis re SOME LIKE IT HOT and SPARTACUS, Shirley MacLaine re THE CHILDREN'S HOUR, Stephen Boyd re BEN-HUR, Farley Granger re ROPE, and Whoopie Goldberg re THE COLOR PURPLE, to name but a few. All are interesting and intriguing, but two deserve special mention: Harvey Fierstein, who talks about the hunger he had as a youth to see accurate reflections of himself on the screen, and Susan Sarandon, who makes an eloquent statement on the power of film as "the keeper of the dreams."

Although the material will have special appeal to gays and lesbians, it should be of interest to any serious film buff with its mix of trivia and significant fact. The DVD also includes notable packages of out-takes from interviews that are often as interesting as the material that made the final cut. If the documentary has a fault, however, it is that it offers no "summing up," preferring instead to show only how far the portrayal of homosexuals has come and indicating how far it has yet to go. Recommended to any one interested in film history and interpretation.

Excellent film on so Many Different Levels
Looking at the roles given to gay and lesbian characters in American cinema over the past several decades, "The Celluloid Closet" manages to simultaneously be hilariously funny, educational, and occasionally quite thought-provoking and even tragic. We see gay and lesbian stereotypes being reinforced over and over again, scenes cut from famous films because they hinted at homosexuality, etc.

Although the initial reaction is to sort of laugh at how backwards and ludicrous the intense homophobia of Hollywood once was, there are also reactions from people growing up during those years who talk about the effect of seeing gays and lesbians in films, or the impact of NEVER seeing gays and lesbians in films. Also, as the film progresses, it helps one to see that, although things have gotten SO MUCH BETTER in many ways, they're still so far from being where they ought to be.

This is a great documentary to watch with friends who might question what the big deal is with GLBT issues... why it's even an issue at all. It really helps one to see the importance of how popular media deals with (or chooses to ignore) minority groups and the very real impact of those decisions on people belonging to that minority group. And the fact that it's so darn entertaining makes it a fun, light movie to watch - a real pleasure!

A MUST SEE
The Dvd extras alone are worth the $25.00 Made in 1995 just shortly after Tom Hanks won an Academy Award for Philadelphia (playing a gay man ). The hero of this production however is Lily Tomlin! This movie documentary was finaly made after the wirters & producers got in touch with her. Lily loved this project and got HBO to fund this movie! The basic theme in this movie is to show us how gay people have been portrade in the movies! Gay themes were Taboo! They were always taboo until the late 1960's. (However All movies were made to a strict code up to that point). So all gay themes (during the era of the Code) were between the lines! (This is the humor) After the code was lifted gays were shown mostly as the villians! ( This is the drama) This documentary was one of the best movies of that year!
Is it dated? Not by much! It has been ALMOST 10 years since this was first released! Now we now have on TV "Will and Grace" (but after 7 years and no boyfriend give me a break). The big break in Hollywood was "The Birdcage". The next year was "My Best Friends Wedding" and "In and Out". (all money makers) Earlier that year "ellen" came out on TV but her show was cancelled a year later. In 2004 "The Stepford Wives" remake hade a gay couple. Although gays are more visable now than ever in the movies most of the time they are regulated to the "best friend" for comic relief! Not much of a change! Would I like a gay movie hero? Of course! I would also like to see hollywood remake movies that had they had gay stories to begin with! "The Lost Weekend" "Gentelman's Agreement" "The Childrens Hour" all had gay themes but were rewriiten for straight story lines or toned down! Yes "Fried Green Tomatoe's" is another but there was a kiss!

After YOU VIEW "The Celluloid Closet" watch "Rebecca" "Rebel Without a Cause" and "Some Like it Hot"! You will be laughing!

A 1995 Documentary That is Still Relevant
The Celluloid Closet has been out for nine years and I have only now seen it for the first time. You would think that gay themes and the presence of gay characters would be even greater now, in 2004, than when the documentary was made in 1995, and that it would seem dated. Unfortunately, it does not seem at all dated. The idea of a gay hero is still edgy and daring, and oddly enough, television, rather than the big screen, seems to be taking the lead in featuring gay characters and themes.

The Celluloid Closet is an eye-opening look at how gays have been portrayed in American film. Film clips are interspersed with interviews and commentary by writers, producers, and actors who are gay or have played gay characters. It is interesting to see that people mocking gay men swished and minced the same way 100 years ago as they do today.

A highlight is the deleted scene from Spartacus with Laurence Olivier as a slaveholder in his bath telling his uneasy slave played by Tony Curtis that he enjoys both snails and oysters. Strangely absent in the documentary are any mention of Clifton Webb or Cary Grant.

I will be looking at old (and new) films in a different way now that I have seen The Celluloid Closet.

Excellent Documentary , but a bit too ideological
Celluloid Closet is a well-done, thought-provoking documentary detailing the history of homosexuality in movies. The author(s)
compile a fascinating list of films, many well-known and beloved, and describe how filmmakers, constrained by prevailing mores and production codes, were forced to deal with the subject creatively through innuendo and subtext. It works equally well as a history of film censorship. Only one drawback: the best documentaries are objective, letting the material tell the story, so why interview exclusively archetypal Hollywood liberal, pro-gay-rights activists? It would have been interesting, for example, to hear Charlton Heston's response to Gore Vidal's take on what "Ben Hur" is really about. Instead, we're left hanging by Vidal quoting the director: "Don't tell Chuck (Heston) what it's really about, or he'll die". (or words to that effect) ... Read more

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Director Blake Edwards, fresh from the success of the first two Pink Panther movies, indulged his love of classic slapstick comedy with this long free-for-all, which throws in everything but Laurel and Hardy's kitchen sink. The film reunites Some Like It Hot stars Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon, ably aided by a spunky Natalie Wood. The subject is a New-York-to-Paris auto race in the early years of the 20th century, pitting the Great Leslie (Curtis), a goody-goody dressed all in white--even his teeth sparkle--against the malevolent Professor Fate (Lemmon), whose coal-black heart is reflected in his handlebar mustache. He looks like a bill collector from a silent- movie melodrama. Lemmon does double duty, also playing the pampered, drunken king of a small European country, whose laugh sounds like the wail of a cat in heat. The film may be too long for its own good, and you really have to love Jack Lemmon to put up with his over-the-top performance, but it's side-splitting in spots. It's one of those movies, if seen in childhood, that stays in your mind for years afterward. Some of the bigger routines, such as a pie fight of epic proportions, don't work as well as the simple chemistry between the perpetually exasperated Professor Fate and his much-abused assistant, Max (a terrific Peter Falk). Push the button, Max. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (97)

Nostalgic Comfort Viewing Perfect for a Family Night
THE GREAT RACE may not be a masterpiece--but it is a perfect choice for a cold and rainy night: stylish, frothy, and often flatly hilarious, it makes for "comfort viewing" at its best.

One of the movie's several charms is that it draws heavily from Victorian cliches that still linger in the public mind, gives them a gentle comic spin, and then drops them into the tale of an early 1900s auto race from New York to Paris by way of Siberia. Add to this a heap of favorite character actors, a big budget, flamboyant period costumes, and the biggest pie fight ever filmed, and you have a movie where there is always something to enjoy on the screen.

The great thing about THE GREAT RACE are the performances, which are very broad but endowed with a sly humor. The comedy accolades here go to Jack Lemmon and Peter Falk as the notorious Dr. Fate and his bumbling sidekick Max--wonderful bits of acting that will have you hooting with laughter in every scene--and Dorothy Provine scores memorably in a cameo as Lily Olay, the bombshell singer who presides over the most rootin'-tootin' saloon this side of the Pecos.

But every one, from Tony Curtis and the lovely Natalie Wood down to such cameo performers as Vivian Vance, get in plenty of comic chops as the film drifts from one outrageous episode to another: suffergettes crowding a newspaper, the biggest western brawl imaginable, polar bears, explosions, daredevil antics, and a subplot lifted from THE PRISONER OF ZENDA agreeably crowd in upon each other. True, the film does seem over-long and may drag a bit in spots, but it never drags for very long, and it's all in good fun--and the production values and memorable score easily tide over the bare spots.

The DVD bonuses aren't anything to write home about, and the film has not been restored per se--the color seems a bit faded here and there--but the print is remarkably clean and the widescreen format is an essential. This would be an excellent selection for a family movie night--or for any evening when you're alone and feeling a bit blue. Break out the popcorn, curl up on you sofa, and... as Dr. Fate would say... "Push the button, Max!"

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

Great Race DVD -It's about time!!!
I have been waiting for this movie to come out on DVD. I've even written to Blake Edwards asking, "What is the hold up?"
Get ready, citizens of Boracho! Finally it's coming out!
Every time I saw Jack Lemmon in interviews I was always curious and disappointed that 'The Great Race' was never mentioned among his favorite films. Of course he made many other wonderful classic movies and I enjoyed his performance in all of them...but 'The Great Race' has been my favorite comedy for a long time. I practically can recite it along with the characters. I enjoyed some of the other reviewer's (here) favorite lines from the movie. They are my favorites too.
If you haven't seen this movie or if you haven't seen it in a long time...do yourself a favor and grab it. The laughs never stop. The casting is perfect...Tony Curtis with Keenan Wynn as his sidekick...Jack Lemmon with Peter Falk as his...Natalie Wood...Ross Martin...Vivian Vance...Larry Storch ("Now will you give me some fightin' room?!")...and many others. It doesn't get any better or funnier than this.
Hurray for the DVD. Believe me, you'll enjoy it.

A Big Ole Moose Butt
A classically structured old time villian vs the good guy film, with the obligatory sidekicks and the beautiful love interest, who will eventually succumb to the charms of The hero. More about that later. OK, the stereotypes are there, but that's what the movie was about. Charging from the gate with the player piano, boos and hiss when the cast boards are shown, the movie brings the viewer up to speed very fast with humor and great slapstick. Following a PR auto race in the early days of the 20th century, the film follows the main characters through the landscape of the US and Europe. Sight gags abound and the scenery is often breathtaking. The plot is easy to floow and it's good fun. For the movie fan who doesn't want to disect a movies' every nuance, this is especially fun and worth seeing time and again. The characters will keep you laughing long after the soundtrack has ended,. I would comment more on the plot, but nearly 100 people already handled that - look, just take a chance on it. It's great fun.

A lot of fun, but not what it should have been.
Epics were in vogue in the Sixties, and even the early Seventies(although I can't really see a hippie watching any of them), and it was only natural that comedies would get the "big" bug. IT'S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD and THE HALLELUJAH TRAIL make up two of the big three. The other is THE GREAT RACE, Blake Edward's 159 minute slapstick excursion, restored on DVD in complete roadshow fashion, with overture, intermission, entr'acte, and exit music. And yet, for a film of this type, it is less about the race than about the rivalry between Professor Fate (Jack Lemmon) and the Great Leslie (Tony Curtis). There is precious little racing, and though the film is far from boring and has much going for it (the finale to Part One is brilliant) one can't help but wonder what it would have been like if the other entries in the race regrouped after being snuffed out and made their mad dashes for the forefront. That would make it THE GREAT RACE. Also, the lack of other challenge leaves a depressing side effect; the film seems mildly unfinished and undernourished, like 2 hours and 40 minutes of a 3 plus hour movie. And yet, the film has so much going for it that to ignore it is rather unfair. What there is (I should note that due to the previously noted flaws, the chapters on the disc make it a more pleasing experience) is very well made, and one can appreciate what they put into it.

If only they put more.

Jamie Teller

DVD version is fullscreen not widescreen
The movie is spectacular. This DVD version is a bomb. Shame on Warner Brothers for their greediness and lack of effort to bring widescreen versions to the masses including updated soundtracks and clean film reels! ... Read more

Reviews (175)

Clint Eastwood delivers a masterpiece
This film won the 1992 Academy Award for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor (Gene Hackman) and Best Editing. Garnering three of the "major" awards is impressive and they are what make the film a memorable and enjoyable experience. Eastwood the director is in top form. He has always displayed a steady hand in directing his stories and actors and he doesn't disappoint here. Nothing flashy but it is his understated direction that leads this film to it's climax. In less capable hands, a director may be apt to moralize or preach. Eastwood capably lets the story (overlooked as an original screenplay) tell itself. His turn as the lead character -- William Munny -- is also an underplayed, nuanced part. I think it is one of his best acting jobs. He carries a grim outlook and those set, steely eyes convey all of the emotions the character feels. In a movie with so much else that is good, his performance is not to be ignored. Gene Hackman is outstanding in his portrayal of Little Bill Daggett, the sheriff of Big Whiskey, WY. His performance is both blustery and low-keyed. It is a credit to Hackman to know how to pull if off effortlessly. The movie itself is the real star. It plays on so many levels and gives a lot of shades of gray that really blow off the Westerns of old. There is no good guy in the white hat. In fact, there is little good to be found in the movie. Most of the men and women are scoundrels or people of ill-repute. However the general theme of reality that Eastwood conveys is what you will have to look for. Things aren't what they seem and this "anti-Western" shrugs off the myths of the Old West.

The Darkest Film Ever To Win Best Picture
Unforgiven you realize, a few minutes in, is not your typical westen. Nor is it your typical Clint Eastwood movie. And it probably surely isn't your typical Best Picture Oscar winner. Telling the story of Willam Munny (Clint Eastwood), a retired bounty hunter who goes on one last job, to kill the men who slashed a prostitute's face. Now doesn't that sound like a fun movie! Whoppee! Errr... Not really. Actually it sound's downright depressing. And it is. Along the way Willam meets up with his longtime partner played by Morgon Freeman. Together they set out to kill those above mentioned men. About this time we switch over to the late Richard Harris's character. Who also is after the reward money offered up by the town prostitutes for the killing of those men I've mentioned twice already. He isn't after them long as he gets beaten and kicked by the towns people, mainly thier crooked sheriff, Little Bill (played suberbly by Gene Hackman).
He isn't the typical bad guy, either, in fact he's almost good in comparison with other bad guys in other movies. All of this leads up to a spectacular climax with a showdown between Willam Munny and Little Bill. Unforgiven also convienently managed to snag 4 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director (For Clint Eastwood's terrific directing), Best Supporting Actor (For Gene Hackman's marvelous Little Bill). All should see Unforgiven, whether all would enjoy it is another matter. But who can forget Little Bill's words "I'm just trying to build a house!"

The "Western" Everyman.
The most important aspect of this "Western" is its philospical and spiritual message about the universal condition of man. It is almost biblical in nature like the first chapters of the book of Romans in the New Testament. Man is aware of both good and evil but finally is caught up in evil and unless he is redeemed by the forgivness of God he will die in his sins. The title is very appropriate as the characters in the end are unforgiving and unforgiven. It is a powerful film in that there are certain aspects in the various characters the show they have a sense of what is good but they are unable of themselves to overcome the innate evil of the human heart. There are several classic lines in the film such as the moment the young gunslinger says to Eastwood's character "He has it coming" and the reply is "We all have it coming" The conclusion at the end is that both the man representing the law and the man representing the lawless are both damned. It is not a pretty picture of mankind but a true one and is the reason why the Son of God had to die on the cross that we might be forgiven. There is Evil in man, but goodness in God if we will turn to Him. If this film would have only included the forgiveness of God I would have given it twice five stars.

Wow
This western directed by Clint Eastwood is truly one of the greats. The story develops slowly, the viewer learning in small bits about the main character William Munny. The subtlety of the movie is its greatest strength. Gene Hackman is incredible as the town Sheriff and won a well deserved Academy Award. Eastwood also won a much deserved Academy Award for best director.

If you like westerns this one is for you. Its a classic.

Rather good
This film is very good. As you can tell from the rave revies it has on this website and the 4 oscars it won in 1992 for Best Picture, Director, Supporting Actor and something else i cant remember.

The plot is convential - the hitman comes out of retirement after personal tragedy, but the performances superb and the charcetrs fascinating you'll be hooked. It's a great film and shows the acting talents of Clint Eastwood amount to much more than simply facial expressions, although they are spot on again here.

Gene Hackman is probably the true star here and his oscar was well deserved. The performance he gives as Little Bill Daggett is so three dimensional and you wonder to start with just is he good or bad? Nothing is made too obvious and you only find out later you should root against him. Morgan Freeman and Richard Harris have smaller roles but do their best and it all works well.

It's well acted, directed and boasts great scenery. This is the intelligent western and portrays gritty real charcters and makes you think. It's very grim and shows real hardness without being brutal - and that's hard to achieve.

Watch - better yet buy - this, you certainly won't regret it. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Readers of John Berendt's bestselling novel were bound to be at least somewhat disappointed by this big-screen adaptation, but despite mixed reaction from critics and audiences, there's still plenty to admire about director Clint Eastwood's take on the material. Readers will surely miss the rich atmosphere and societal detail that Berendt brought to his "Savannah story," and the movie can only scratch the surface of Georgian history, tradition, and wealthy decadence underlying Berendt's fact-based murder mystery. Still, Eastwood maintains an assured focus on the wonderful eccentrics of Savannah, most notably a gay Savannah antiques dealer (superbly played by Kevin Spacey), who may or may not have killed his friend and alleged lover (Jude Law). John Cusack plays the Town & Country journalist who arrives in Savannah to find much more than he bargained for--including the city's legendary drag queen Lady Chablis (playing "herself")--and John Lee Hancock's smoothly adapted screenplay succeeds in bringing Berendt's characters vividly to life with plenty of flavorful dialogue. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (104)

Dark at "Midnight"
The echoes of Southern Gothic don't come much more gothic than "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil," Clint Eastwood's flawed adaptation of the bestselling true crime book. While the movie only dips briefly into the genteel decadence of the upper-crust South, and the general air of Savannah, it does have its fun moments and good acting.

John Kelso (John Cusack) has come to Georgia to cover the famous Christmas party of the wealthy James Williams (Kevin Spacey). As well as Williams, Kelso ends up befriending a bevy of eccentrics, including some happy-go-lucky partygoers and the Lady Chablis (played by... the Lady Chablis), a drag queen with a mischievous sense of humor.

But things go wrong after the party. Williams' employee/boyfriend Billy Carl Hanson (Jude Law) is found dead after a fight with Williams -- and Williams seems like the most likely suspect. As a not-so-pleasant trial begins, Kelso sets out to unravel the mystery of what really went on that night, and what the truth behind Hanson's death is.

The biggest flaw of "Midnight" is that it is way too short for the material it stems from -- several years and multiple trials are compressed into a matter of weeks, and many of the endearingly freaky people of Savannah are given short shrift. Only the Lady Chablis gets enough time -- the guy with the flies and poison, for example, is touched on but never dealt with.

But as far as execution goes, much of "Midnight" is quite charming -- warm, sleepy and a little overgrown, much like the vision of Savannah it shows. Even a midnight voodoo session doesn't break the mood. And Eastwood manages to give us a charming view of the eccentricities of "Gone With the Wind on mescaline." (Exhibit A: The guy walking an invisible, deceased dog)

Both Cusack and Spacey do an excellent job bringing their characters to life: Cusack always seems a little out of the current, a realistic outsider, while Spacey exudes grace, charm and a sort of apologetic pride. Jude Law, for the brief time we see him, does a good job as the redneck hellraiser. And who can forget the Lady Chablis? Chablis is pretty clearly having a wonderful time (playing herself, no less). The one cast flaw is Alison Eastwood, who doesn't seem to bother acting.

While "Midnight of Good and Evil" fails to live up to its promise, it is a charming and funny look at the deep South. Well-acted but patchily adapted, this is an amusing movie if you don't expect it to stick too closely to the book.

A timeless piece of eccentric south
I have lived in the south all my life. Watching this movie reminded me of how beautiful and special this place is. Clint Eastwood's interpretation of John Berendt's piece of literary art was splendid in its own right. It reminded me of how rich our heritage is. The music, the superb casting (no one can deny the talent of the great Kevin Spacey) and the seemingly endless parade of characters kept me enthralled from the beginning. It's not often a film can pull at my heartstrings, teach me something about tolerance and history, reveal such beauty and amuse me at the same time. The movie so moved me that I read the book. Although somewhat different, each form was intriguing. I have just returned from Savannah. I was constantly reminded of the story of Jim Williams as I walked the squares and felt the history therein. This filmed turned attention once again to a wonderful magical place, the South.

I liked this movie...
...back when it was called "The Great Gatsby!" This movie (and book) is a thinly-veiled rip-off of The Great Gatsby.

One of Eastwood's best and funniest movies
For years I put off watching this movie because of lukewarm reviews, but when I finally rented it I was delighted by its surrealistic regional irony. In fact, I was laughing out loud through much of the movie. Granted, social satire tends to rely on exaggeration and stereotype for effect, but its humor succeeds most when it portrays characters in a sympathetic rather than derisive light. This movie succeeds admirably in that regard.

One complaint is that, as with many Ron Howard or Steven Spielberg movies, a bit of sentimental shmaltz creeps in at times, for example with the voodoo priestess character. Thank heaven at least they didn't cast Whoopi Goldberg in the role.

If movies such as "Fargo", "Best in Show", and "Eyes Wide Shut" left you more puzzled than tickled, then this movie may seem as slow and inactive as some critics accuse. Other critics bemoan that it doesn't do the book justice: I have not read the book, but I do feel that the movie stands well on its own. So much so, in fact, that I immediately went to Amazon afterwards and purchased it. For me, anyway, this movie is a keeper.

Not what I expected
I read the book when it first appeared on the bestseller list, and waited for the movie, holding my breath. The book was simply wonderful and deserved it's place as number one, but sadly, the movie was lacking. But there were some good points. Part of the fun of watching this movie is sorting out the real characters from the actors. John Cusack's role as a writer for an upscale magazine was an understandable, even essential fabrication to tie the events together with some dramatic continuity. How many people noticed Cusack's sister Ann in a brief walk-on appearance? One character that stands out, and I mean really stands out is Lady Chablis. If you watch this movie for no other reason, watch it to witness this highly unusual and sometimes hilarious real life personality who as a local entertainer still resided in the Savannah, Georgia area at the time of the DVD release. Again, for such a wonderul book, the movie didn't do it justice. One can only hope that McCrae's book, "Bark of the Dogwood--A Tour of Southern Homes and Gardens" does not suffer the same fate. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

A QUANDARY FOR MS. SIEMASZKO
The lovely Nina Siemaszko is faced with the quandary of choosing between two adept lovers, the suave continental Phillipe or a wholesome all American type who is just a delivery boy to the office where she works. However, the latter does get her into an elevator where he shows her, to her delight, just how adept he is. Phillipe, though, is no fool and can make her wiggle with delight in bed too. Plenty of nipple kissing and simulated sex here. She resolves the quandry by dumping both. I would suggest that another solution would be to have her engage in what the adult film industry calls a DP.

Recommended
I've been into this Red Shoe-concept since its inception, mostly due to the presence of David Duchovny, so I've viewed a good many of these segments. The segment involving Richard Tyson is absolutely a breed apart from most anything I've seen in the soft-core category. Maybe all that means is that I've led a sheltered life. In any case, I've (watched ...) this video more than once, and I strongly encourage others to view it as well.

EXCELLENT SOFT CORE FILM
An excellent soft core film from the Showtime Red Shoe Diaries series, not all of which are on video. High production values and a pretty good plot. It's always a pleasure to see Nina Siemaszko, a very beautiful and sexy woman, in action. I recently saw her in "Sinatra" where she does a pretty good job portraying Mia Farrow, one of Sinatra's wives.

very cool and with taste
have been watching these for a while and we are not ever tired of them, they are done very nicely and very erotic for lovers only for sure ... Read more

Reviews (122)

Drown under the Bridges of Madison County
Here we find Clint Eastwood playing Robert Kincaid, a National Geographic photographer who is taking pictures of covered bridges in Iowa. He meets Franchesca, a housewife who is bored out of her mind while her family is away at the county fair. The two have a 4-day affair that is supposed have you pull out your hankerchiefs and sob your eyes out. I was trying to keep my eyes open!

I never was a fan of love stories, and this movie also tries to send a message that true love only happens once in a lifetime, and it doesn't involve marriage. I don't like the fact that this movie portrays an affair as being more sacred then marriage. I can understand that Franchesca was bored and needed a change, but don't you think she went a little too far?

The movie drags, REALLY drags! The opening sequence with her children going through her personal files is so slow that you keep forgetting why you are watching this movie. Most of the scenes are long and very tiring. The rest of the movie yields much of the same, and only the change between scenes keeps you from dosing off. I have been to Iowa, and I agree that the scenery is nice and peaceful, but maybe too peaceful.

Clint Eastwood does fill in a good role as Kincaid, and I can understand if he was trying to open up to a new audience, that being women. This movie does show us the Romeo side of Dirty Harry I guess. There is nothing wrong with trying something new, but I hope Eastwood never does anything like this again.

IT'S ALL ABOUT MERYL
One can only continue to marvel at the incredible range Meryl Streep has shown over her many years; she's going to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Film Institute later this month, and what a deserved honor that is.
This love story doesn't really offer anything new in the lines of romance, but it does offer us mature adults facing a heartbreaking decision...a choice. Meryl's hand on the door of her husband's truck while trying to decide whether to run off with Clint Eastwood is one of those moments that only an actress like Streep could pull off so convincingly.
Streep and Eastwood pair well, and they have some powerful scenes, some without dialogue. The addition of the modern day segment featuring Streep's grown children could have been left out, but Annie Corley did a nice job; Victor Slezak was so-so. Jim Haynie in his brief role as Meryl's husband is a sharp contrast to the outgoing, masculine Clint. As he has shown in such powerful movies as MYSTIC RIVER and UNFORGIVEN, Clint has become a director of incredible vision and sensibility. His direction and Meryl's performance elevate this standard fare to classic heights.

The best love story of all time
Anyone who calls this a snooze fest is scared to death of themselves. This is a true love story. Its about a romance that keep people alive whether they dream of it or in this case actually get to live it. I hope someday to meet Mr Eastwood and Ms. Streep and thank them for doing this movie.
Watch the movie, read the book and dont be ashamed to cry and to dream and cry some more. It's ok. It's a beautiful story of something so special that few us ever get to feel. I am a deep romatic and love to write love songs and play them on my guitar.
I have been married to my wife for 25 yrs. I admit I am too scared myself to go out and find someone who really cares about me and appreciates me and doesnt take me for granted. I have spent my marriage trying with all my heart to get my dear wife to believe that romance is beautiful. Too many bad things happened to her as a child. Some people are threatened by those who can openly share there dreams and secrets. They are ahsamed of being. I dream of true love and romance. Maybe someday. Maybe someday I'll find someone to slow dance with again under the stars to the music of each others hearts. Someone to hold hands with, and feel so damn happy you pray to God it will never end. Thats what this movie and story does for me. Cheers.

Movie: ***** DVD presentation: *
"The Bridges of Madison County" is a stellar 1995 adaptation of a truly terrible book. Director/star Clint Eastwood and screenwriter Richard LaGravanese are miracle workers in transforming Robert James Waller's treacly and laughable romantic potboiler into a classic romantic tearjerker about mature people falling in love over a four-day period and making some tough decisions that cost themselves happiness in order to make life better for those around them.

"Bridges" stars the glorious Meryl Streep as Francesca Johnson, an Italian war bride turned unhappy '60's Iowa farm wife, who falls deeply into romantic love with National Geographic photographer Robert Kincaid (Eastwood) while her husband and teenage children are away for four days at an out-of-state fair. She must then decide whether or not to abandon her family in order to spend the rest of her days with the love of her life. The story is really as simple as that, as the true joy of this film is not in surprising and witty plot machinations but in watching two mature and interesting people TALK and RELATE to each other in a realistic manner, something you just don't see in American films any more.
Add to the main plot a much-maligned framing device, set in the present-day with Annie Corley and Victor Slezak as Francesca's grown children. (They're going through their recently-deceased mother's papers and find her diary which contains their mother's story of the affair.) It adds an extra dimension as the pair are forced to confront the problems in their own marriages by reflecting on their mother's infidelity and sacrifice. While some viewers evidently find the present-day story to be an unnecessary conceit, I feel it works just fine and leads to a final shot which is hauntingly memorable.

Actually, everything in this film is hauntingly memorable, from the amazing Streep's Oscar-nominated performance and Eastwood's nuanced and vanity-free work as Kincaid (Witness the nasty, ageist, and unnecessary comments about Eastwood's nude scenes in some of the previous comments and you'll know what I mean about "vanity-free"), to Corley's wonderful work as the daughter and Jim Haynie's nearly silent, though equally memorable turn as Francesca's dull, taciturn but unfailingly decent lump of a husband. Only Slezak overplays his hand as Francesca's son, making him overbearing, unlikeable and unsympathetic.

The film is beautifully shot and stunningly edited by Eastwood regulars Jack N. Green and Joel Cox, making the Iowa landscape and the title bridges vital characters in the film. In fact, Eastwood and company create an indelible sense of time and place; after viewing this film you may actually feel you've been transported to 1960's Winterset, Iowa. Even Lennie Niehaus' obligatory jazz score works incredibly well, even though I would bet jazz wasn't exactly a radio stalwart in the midwest at that particular time. In fact, it's a testament to how good the film is that an interlude at a black jazz nightclub doesn't come across as implausible until later, when you may wonder where exactly in Iowa such a place would exist.

My only disappointment with "The Bridges of Madison County" was that it faired so poorly during awards season. Eastwood, LaGravanese, Green and the film all deserved Oscar nominations, but when the nominations came, only Streep received one. This in spite of the fact that 1995 was a weak year for Hollywood films, with two authentic classics ("Apollo 13" and "Babe") duking in out with three incredibly overrated pictures (Mel Gibson's eventual Oscar winner "Braveheart," "Sense and Sensibility" and the already forgotten Italian treacle "Il Postino"). LaGravanese in particular was shamelessly snubbed for Adapted Screenplay, since his adaption was a substantial improvement over the source material while eventual winner Emma Thompson's "Sense..." script added little to Jane Austen's masterpiece. My guess is Waller's original novel was so horrible that the Academy didn't want to be associated with it in spite of the masterful work that went into this adaptation. Oh, well--

So, considering this glowing review, you may wonder why it only ranks a *** rating? Simple. I'm rating the DVD, and it is a true disappointment: the only Eastwood directorial effort not available in a widescreen transfer, which is puzzling considering Warner Home Video has released all other titles in its Eastwood catalog exclusively in widescreen. My guess is they're waiting for next year's tenth anniversary to release a special edition with making-of features, interviews and widescreen presentation. One can only hope. Until then, this print will have to do. So enjoy, and grab a hanky. You'll need it.

Mature romance with a beautiful performance by Meryl Streep
"The Bridges of Madison County" is an extraordinarily mature film dealing with the complexity and dilemma of the crossroads we sometimes come to in our lives: do we pursue what we truly desire in our hearts or do we do what society would consider to be the right thing - that is, to continue to meet our responsibilities, whether parental or familial. Such is the dilemma facing Francesca Johnson, played magnificently by the gifted and brilliant Meryl Streep. Clint Eastwood, although at times rather stiff in his role as Francesca's romantic interest, Robert Kincaid, gives his character an unusual masculinity and sympathy. Critic Roger Ebert notes that a younger couple would simply have ran away together, abandoning everything behind. BUT...Francesca already has a decent, hard-working husband as well as two children. With Francesca being 45 and Robert being 52, these are two adults who are mature enough to realize not only the intensity of the romantic passion they share but that to continue such passion would come at a price too high to pay for Francesca. In that sense, this film is not so much about simply an affair, but rather it is a mature depiction of inner struggles with unexpected romance and the realization of the importance of putting responsibility before desire. A+. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

A surprise hit in America, this 1994 Australian comedy is anchored by Terence Stamp as a transsexual who, in the company of two drag queens, travels to a remote desert location to put on a lip- synch performance--to the amazement of the locals. Getting there on a pink bus named Priscilla, the trio stop and play for people all over the Outback, getting the same homophobic, bewildered responses. The weak link in the film is dialogue that seems to have been pulled from "Queer Movie Banter for Dummies," all bitchy and cliché-ridden but fortunately salvaged by strong acting. The most fun comes whenever the three are performing; fans of Abba will be particularly pleased. The DVD release has optional full-screen and widescreen presentations, cast and crew bios, optional French and Spanish subtitles. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (77)

"You'll laugh so hard, your lashes will curl...!"
Years before Hugo Weaving ever portrayed the powerfully evil character "Agent Smith" in the three "Matrix" films or the very serious "Elrond" in the three "Lord of the Rings" films; he portrayed a dress-wearing, drag performer named "Mitzi del Bra/Anthony 'Tick' Belrose" in the hilarious 1994 Australian film, "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert". Joining Hugo in dresses for the film were actors Terence Stamp as "Bernadette Bassenger/Ralph" and Guy Pearce as "Felicia Jollygoodfellow/Adam Whitely". Terrence Stamp is better known for his portrayals of General Zod in the 1980 film "Superman II" and Chancellor Valorum in the 1999 "Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace". Guy Pearce is better known for his portrayals of "Det. Lt. Edmund Jennings Exley" in the 1997 film "L.A. Confidential", "Leonard Shelby" in the 2000 film "Memento" and "Alexander Hartdegen" in the 2002 remake of "The Time Machine".

The film begins in Sydney, Australia, where Mitzi, Felicia and Bernadette agree to take a trip across the Australian outback to the very remote resort known as Alice Springs to perform there. To get to Alice Springs, the trio purchases a run-down bus that is large enough to carry all of their clothing and other necessities. Unfortunately, the bus isn't in great shape and not everyone in the Australian outback likes the trio. However, they meet some very interesting people including Bob (Bill Hunter), his cantankerous wife Cynthia (Julia Cortez), a boisterous bartender named Shirley (June Marie Bennett), a rough miner named Frank (Ken Radley) and a fun Aboriginal man (Alan Dargin). Memorable scenes in the film include the trio performing for Aboriginal people, the impromptu kite, Felicia singing on top of the bus, Cynthia's bar performance, Bernadette out-drinking Shirley, Mitzi ('Tick') meeting his son Benji (Mark Holmes), Tick's wife Marion (Sarah Chadwick) & Benji watching the trio perform in Alice Springs, the trio climbing a mountain in dresses in the Australian outback, and flashbacks to Bernadette's (Ralph's) childhood.

The costumes used in "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" earned the film an Oscar for Best Costume Design and nine award nominations from the Australian Film Institute (AFI), of which it won two for Best Costume Design and Best Production Design. Two of the AFI nominations were Best Actor nominations for Hugo Weaving and Terence Stamp. Two other AFI award nominations were for Best Director (Stephan Elliott, who also wrote the film) and Best Film. Overall, I rate "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" with 5 out of 5 stars. The film also has a superb soundtrack that includes Alicia Bridges' "I Love The Night Life", Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive", Patti Page's "If the Sun Don't Shine", Abba's "Mamma Mia", Vanessa Williams' "Save The Best for Last" and Giuseppe Verdi's operatic "E Strano! Ah Fors E Lui".

Even If You Don't Like Drag Shows, You'll Love This Movie
This outrageous movie gets an A in every category: acting, directing, costumes and music too. Three girls leave The Imperial Hotel, a real drag bar in Sydney with the worst drag show I have ever seen to do a gig in Alice Springs, deep in the Australian outback. We have two drag queens, Hugo Weaving, who has reproduced himself, Guy Pearce-- I didn't recognize him in L.A. Confidential after seeing him in this one-- and a transgendered "real" woman played by Terrence Stamp. Supposedly Stamp who wasn't allowed to see any of the movie footage before
the film was released thought he really made a beautiful woman. Poor baby. He looks for all the world like a tired, older butcher cousin of Judy Collins. Perhaps it's those beautiful blue eyes. He's a long way from FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD here.

This trio christen a tour bus "Priscilla" and begin their trip across Australia. Much of the movie is predictable, some of the lines shamelessly designed for easy laughs. But that's okay. The good girls eventually win as they should in every comedy.

If only Mel Gibson could have had a cameo role as one of the many roustabouts the girls encounter on their journey, roustabouts determined to harm these gentle creatures. Mr. Gibson could have played himself if we are to believe the negative comments about gay people attributed to him over the years.

my Favorite movie
Priscilla is one my favoraite movies of all time. I saw this movie in the theaters when it came out. I still roll with laughter every time I see this movie. Whenever I discover that a friend of mine hasn't seen it I invite them over to watch. They have all loved the film also. Hugo Weaving takes is friends and "fellow" drag queens Guy Pierce and Terence Stamp, on a bus trip trough central Australia to perform in a casino owned by his lesbian wife. During the long trip through the middle of no where, they encounter bigoted miners and tolerant aborigonies as well as a mechanic with a mail order asian bride who used to be a stripper. To many Abba songs while wearing very purposefully tacky costumes. A MUST SEE!!

Entertaining, rewatchable ... a feast of colours too
1994 was a big year for Aussie films. PRISCILLA and MURIEL'S WEDDING came out at the same time, and both earned a cult following because of their over-the-top themes. Also, an ABBA revival was happening at that time, and these films featured ABBA music.

PRISCILLA has many funny moments, but what makes it so special is the fantastic scenery and colours - truly showcasing Australia's beautiful outback. Overall, the film is a pleasure to watch again and again. It tells the tale of three drag queens who set out across the Australian outback in an old bus affectionally titled "Priscilla". Along the way, they become involved in many outrageous situations.

DVD SUMMARY - Originally released as an awful blotchy pan/scan DVD in Australia, the film recently received the treatment it deserved for its 10 year anniversary! Yes, it was recently in it's correct aspect ratio (2:35) and given an anamorphic transfer. While this new transfer is still not 100% pristine (white flecks here and there), it is still a huge improvement on the original DVD release. It's fantastic to see this film in all its widescreen glory after all these years. The colours and scenery will blow you away. The soundtrack has also been remixed in DTS and 5.1 surround sound. This 10 Year Anniversary also contains lots of special features, which is amazing for a film of its age.

The bad news is that the new DVD (in pink packaging) is only available in Australia. I recommend overseas buyers getting hold of this version over the current American DVD. The American DVD is only letterbox transfer (ie. not anamorphic) and doesn't include the special features.

-Adventures of Priscilla, Muriel's Wedding and Kangaroo Jack
These three hilarous (and uplifting) films should be viewed one after the other for the ultimate australian comedy experience. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Blake Edwards's Inspector Clouseau films really took their complete shape with this second movie in the series, which features star Peter Sellers really tweaking that French accent and key supporting players Herbert Lom, Burt Kwouk, and André Maranne (all getting on board for the first time). The story finds Sellers refusing to believe in the guilt of a beautiful woman (Elke Sommer) accused of murder, and there are a number of hilarious sequences, including one in which Clouseau goes "undercover" at a nudist colony. Arguably the best of the films, A Shot in the Dark definitely finds Edwards honing a seamless blend of slapstick, brilliant timing, verbal wit, a great cast, and Sellers's brilliance into a unique experience. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (39)

Great follow-up from the first!
"A Shot In The Dark" finds Peter Sellers' Inspector Clouseau on the case of a murder at the Chateau. Maria Gambrelli (Elke Sommer), a resider, is accused. Clouseau has fallen in love with her and is willing to free her of any charge by watching her every move and masquerading, which finds him going to the police station 4 times in a repeated paddy wagon sequence which is absolutely the cream of it all. Streaking through a nudist colony is another great sequence that is a quite a shocker on film. When the climax is about to occur, Clouseau questions a group of bickering people who've comitted dirty sinful deeds, plus Dreyfus (Herbert Lom) is out to eliminate Clouseau. He did, of course, fail to do so. The outcome is surprising. You'll have to see for yourself. It's not better than "The Pink Panther Strikes Again" as it is called by many the best. It comes close, though. This is the only Pink Panther movie that does not have the Pink Panther in the title and the theme song in the movie, but is definetly worth seeing. There's no question about it. You'll laugh so hard you'll fall. Don't fall to hard, otherwise you'll receive a "bemp" on the head!

"I Seem To Have Stabbed Myself With A Letter Opener."
This is one of the very rare films where the sequel is better than the original. This movie is absolutely a letter perfect comedy: suave yet silly; understated yet over the top; pompous yet reserved. You get the idea. A perfect film. I wouldn't change one thing about this movie, even if I could. Peter Sellers defines the bumbling Clouseau as an individual better here than in the original, and I think the supporting cast is stronger as well. Elke Sommer is perfect as the beautiful, naive murder suspect who Clouseau goes to any ends to defend, while George Sanders is wonderful as the great scoundrel millionaire, Benjamin Ballon. Introduced for the first time in the series are Bert Kwouk as Kato (later spelled 'Cato'), Graham Stark as Clouseau's (extremely) patient assistant, Hercule, and my favorite of all the Panther supporting characters, the great Herbert Lom as Inspector Dreyfus. Watching Lom go through the phases of psychosis in this film is one of the greatest experiences and delights a person can have as a movie viewer. (I particularly like his performance in the closing scene, and when reading the newspaper with trembling hands and twitching eye.)

The plot concerns Clouseau's infatuation with a wrongly accused murder suspect, and the chaos that develops from that unlikely situation. The film is filled with a degree of nuance seldom seen in a comedy, and is probably the best crafted of all the Panther films (although I have to admit that the way over the top "Pink Panther Strikes Again" is my personal favorite.) The physical comedy that Sellers could make totally natural (watch the "spinning globe" scene for an excellent example) is still unrivalled, and the nuanced interplay with other cast members is better than in any other comedy that I can think of (to see what I mean watch the "curved pool cue" scene and the interaction of both Monsieur Ballon and the butler.)

I highly recommend this film. The DVD print is good, though there are few extras (the original trailer is very amusing and a tad on the weird side.) It is slapstick, but it is very refined slapstick done by the master, Peter Sellers. If only they still made movies like this today. I give it five stars only because Amazon won't allow more!

Pretty funny, though I'm still not a big Clouseau fan
I gotta be honest: before watching this movie, I had seen clips of this and one or two other Inspector Clouseau movies on TV, and I've never really found him all that funny. I'd usually wince more often than I'd laugh at his idiotic physical behavior. Now that I've watched A SHOT IN THE DARK, though, I see a perspective of his classic comedy character that I didn't see in those short clips. I still can't say I'm a big fan of Clouseau, but, at the very least, A SHOT IN THE DARK made me laugh pretty heartily at times---more than I expected.

I dunno...I've just never truly responded to these films' brand of slapstick. Those constant falls and accidents of Clouseau's always seem to irritate me more than amuse me. I know Clouseau is stupid, but did he really need to be THIS stupid? That last sequence at the Ballon household, for instance, seems to go on forever because this cop carelessly keeps stepping on people's toes and falling down from couches and doors, etc etc. It's not funny; it's simply repetitive, and it annoyingly slows down the film at certain points.

Fortunately, Inspector Clouseau's idiocy isn't totally physical. There are, for instance, a few funny jokes involving Clouseau and his assistant Hercule. Clouseau recites all the facts of a case ("Facts, Hercule, facts!...Without them the science of criminal investigation is nothing more than a guessing game"), asks Hercule what he makes of the facts, and when Hercule responds with the most obvious conclusion to be drawn from them, Clouseau cries out "You idiot! Only an amateur detective would say something like that!" Amusing indeed. That's the kind of satirical humor I responded to most in A SHOT IN THE DARK, and there's enough of it that saves this movie from simply being asinine.

That, and some genuinely funny sequences: Clouseau's scenes with Cato, his inadvertently going undercover in a nudist colony, and the sequences involving the unlucky assassin. There is a brilliantly filmed sequence in the prologue, leading up to the movie's first murder; and the animated credits (without a pink panther in sight) is always fun to look at. Herbert Lom is also pretty funny as the increasingly crazy Inspector Dreyfus, who is slowly going mad b/c of the mess Clouseau is making of the Ballon case. As for Peter Sellers, he's admittedly very good in the role of the bumbling inspector, but his full comic brilliance can be glimpsed elsewhere (Kubrick's DR. STRANGELOVE, for example).

All the good elements help make A SHOT IN THE DARK a fairly entertaining, pretty funny time. To me, though, it is not the comedy classic everyone says it is. If you want to see truly funny exploits of an utterly incompetent cop, see Leslie Nielsen in the NAKED GUN movies. You'll laugh a lot longer and harder at Lt. Frank Drebin's brand of comic stupidity than you will at the occasionally irritating Inspector Clouseau here.

THE BEST OF THE PINK PANTHERS!!
THIS MOVIE IS THE VERY BEST OF THE WHOLE SERIES. IT HAS MANY GREAT LINES AND SLAPSTICK COMEDY.THIS IS HOW I WOULD RATE THE REST.
1. THE PINK PANTHER- GOOD MOVIE PROBABLY 31/2 STARS BUT SELLERS ISNT IN IT AS MUCH AND IT SEEMS TO ME THAT IT IS A LITTLE TOO SERIOUS IN PLACES.
2. A SHOT IN THE DARK- THE BEST. HILARIOUS.
3. RETURN OF THE PINK PANTHER- 2ND BEST. VERY FUNNY.
4. PINK PANTHER STRIKES AGAIN- THIS ONE IS PRETTY FUNNY BUT A LITTLE CORNY WITH A SUPERLASER KIND OF DEAL.
5.REVENGE OF THE PINK PANTHER-THE FINAL TRUE MOVIE WITH SELLERS. AND IT IS A GOOD ONE.
6. TRAIL OF THE PINK PANTHER- BAD MOVIE BUT.... I SORT OF ENJOYED IT BECAUSE IT SUMS THINGS UP A BIT IT PROBABLLY DOESNT GET QUITE AS BAD AS A RAP THAT IT DESERVES.
7.CURSE OF THE PINK PANTHER -THIS MOVIE IS NOT A BUNCH OF OUTTAKES LIKE THE PREVIOUS ONE. IT HAS AN AMERICAN DETECTIVE SEARCHING FOR THE INSPECTOR. NOT TERRIBLE BUT WAY BETTER THAN THE TRAIL AND THE SON OF THE PINK PANTHER.
8.THE SON OF THE PINK PANTHER- THIS MOVIE SHOULD NOT EVEN BE RELATED TO THE ORIGINALS. THE WORST. BELIEVE IT OR NOT THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY LIKE THIS ONE. IM NOT ONE OF THEM. SO TO SUM IT ALL UP, THIS IS THE ORDER FROM BEST TO WORST-SHOT IN THE DARK,RETURN OF THE PINK PANTHER, PINK PANTHER, REVENGE OF THE PINK PANTHER,PINK PANTHER STRIKES AGAIN, CURSE OF THE PINK PANTHER, TRAIL OF THE PINK PANTHER, AND FINALLY SON OF THE PINK PANTHER.

Brilliant
A chapter in the myriad of Pink Panther films, this film is one of the best crafted and most hillarious in the series. Unlike the other films in the series, this film does not focus as much on the Pink Panther as on The Svejk-like inspector Clouseau himself. Valuable to a fan of the series it takes the time to provide a deeper insight into the character of the infamous and clumsy inspector. Investigating a murder in the house of the multimillionaire leads Clouseau to brilliantly farcical adventure, unexpected romance as he tries to defend his lovely object of affection from false accusations and yet a more unexpected conclusion to his case.
Clouseau's developed persona and the mishaps attached to it may be the highlight's of the film, but they do not compensate for the 2-dimensionality of the rest of the characters. There is little to the films secondary protagonist, Maria Gambrelli, as her only feature is a magnificent talent to attract bad luck and being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Yes, having a well-developed character, Clouseau in this case, is very good, but it seems that there should be more Clouseau's in the film.
So, this dramatic production seems to have spread out a bit too thinly as it tries to focus on Clouseau, the case, and the sparked romance. If the director could perhaps chose a more defined focus, this film could have been improved greatly. Having said that, this film does a far better job in the field of comedy than most modern films that audaciously bear the title of "comedy". Highly recommended ... Read more

Amazon.com

A rousing tribute to the original Star Trek's most popular episode, "Trials and Tribble-ations" is a triumph of clever plotting, technical achievement, and pure, unadulterated fun. Like "The Trouble with Tribbles" from 29 years earlier, this fifth-season episode is an instant classic, beginning when a surgically altered Klingon (Charlie Brill, reprising his role from "Tribbles") uses a Bajoran Orb of Time to travel back over 100 years to prevent his past-tense capture by Capt. James T. Kirk. Undercover time travelers Sisko, Dax, Odo, Worf, O'Brien, and Bashir track the Klingon's scheme on the Enterprise-A and the Tribble-infested space station K-7, turning this two-series hybrid into a nostalgic valentine, with DS9 characters digitally inserted into original "Tribbles" footage. With re-created sets, ships, and costumes, "T & T" mines hilarious gold from its Trek-savvy premise, including the mysteries of Klingon physiognomy, Starfleet snoops whose names are anagrams of "Mulder and Scully," and enough in-jokes to delight vigilant Trekkers everywhere. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (29)

The Best of DS9 ...
Episode 103 Trials and Tribble-ations is the best DS9 episode ever made....and more! The episode transcends DS9 blending arguably one of the best Star Trek "Original Series" episodes -- Trouble with Tribbles -- with charachters from DS9 and Next Generation.

The cinematography is superb as clips from the original episode are seamlessly integrated into this episode. And by "seamlessly integrated" I mean 2 things: technically speaking, and from a plot perspective.

This episode is at once nostalgic, original, filled with drama and humor (mostly Dax's comments, but comments by Sisko and others as well.) The fight scene is particularly well-done and stands as probably the best scene of the episode.

Oh, it's so good to see Kirk and Spock again, but it is all fresh and new and exciting in the context of this extremely well-done DS9 episode. This is a must-buy for not only DS9 fans, but also Next Generation and Original Series fans. Outstanding, and as entertaining as even the full-length movies.

One Of The Finest Hours Of Star Trek, Ever
Oh my, what a hoot! I commend the producers of "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" for this witty, wonderful homage to the original series that also shines in its own right as one of the finest "Star Trek" episodes ever made. This is an exquisite blend of new footage around scenes from the "Star Trek" episode "The Trouble With T