Amazon.com

Rolling Thunder's ex-Vietnam War POW Major Charles Rane (William Devane) returns to a hero's welcome in San Antonio in the early '70s. He's bestowed with a red Cadillac convertible, $2,500 in silver dollars, and accolades from all sides. Soon, however, he discovers that all is not as it seems; his wife strayed with a close friend during his years of confinement. He also finds that he has his own personal POW groupie, Linda; her fascination with him is met with the same shoulder-shrugging blandness that he shows toward everything else in what's left of his life. One day Rane comes home to find a houseful of assorted Texas white trash demanding his small fortune in silver dollars. Their efforts to beat him into revealing the location of the money are for naught, so they jam his right hand down a garbage disposal instead. When his wife and kid come home, the two gladly give up the money but the robbers cold-bloodedly gun them down anyway. Flash-forward: Rane has himself fitted with a hook prosthesis (which he sharpens on a grinder), cuts down a couple of shotguns, and points the scarlet Caddy land yacht south towards Nuevo Laredo, bent on revenge. With Linda in tow, he tracks the bad guys as far as Acuña and Juárez, where he hooks up with war buddy Johnny (Tommy Lee Jones) for a final showdown. What would otherwise play as a routine revenge story is given a measure of dimension and depth by Devane's performance and Paul Schrader's script. The comparison to Schrader scripts such as the previous year's Taxi Driver are inevitable and obvious. Like Taxi Driver's Travis Bickle, Rane wears opaque state-trooper sunglasses that allow no window into his dead soul. However, Bickle's internal monologues are missing; all the audience can see of Rane's character is what's on the surface, only what Rane wants others to see. He's simply a vengeful automaton, riddled with a cold, poisonous, implacable rage. Strong stuff indeed. --Jerry Renshaw ... Read more

Reviews (5)

DEVANE'S SCREEN PRESENCE
This is a flawed but very interesting movie. What strikes me is that it starred Bill DeVane with Tommie Lee Jones in a supporting role. At the time, DeVane was headed, seemingly, for stardom. He had been brilliant as JFK in "The Missiles of October" and even better as a turncoat spy in "Marathon Man". Yet it was Jones, not DeVane, who went on to screen greatness.

DeVane is a Vietnam flyboy, shot down, captured by the Communists, held and tortured for seven years. He returns to his family, but is estranged from them. They are killed in a robbery. This is where the film veers somewhat, because it is in the realism of his character that DeVane leaves us wanting. The realism is that DeVane has learned, been programmed, to be dehumanized. It was the only way to survive his Vietnam ordeal. As he reacts to "the world," or rather does not react to it, to his family, his wife who plans to leave him, he has no emotion left. It has all been drained from him. He speaks about "when we were alive," which was the prisoner's code for before capture. He is like a zombie. It is good method acting, but the viewer thirsts for more.

The script tries to take us there by showing DeVane with a blonde "groupie" who tags along while he sojourns into Mexico and El Paso looking for his family's killers. Eventually he teams with Jones and they exact their revenge, which is as much their personal release of violent expression against their captor as it is the killing of the robbers who murdered DeVane's family.

STEVEN TRAVERS
AUTHOR OF "BARRY BONDS: BASEBALL'S SUPERMAN"
...

"GOT YOUR TIME BOY."
WILLIAM DEVANE HAS MADE A CAREER OUT OF STARRING IN T.V. MOVIES, MOST OF WHICH ARE OF THE HUM DRUM VARIETY. THIS BIG SCREEN FILM STANDS OUT ALONGSIDE MOVIES LIKE 'PAYBACK' AS SHOWING WHAT A FINE ACTOR DEVANE REALLY IS.
THIS WAS LONG BEFORE TOMMY LEE JONES WAS A HOUSEHOLD NAME ALSO AND YET IT DISPALYS THE TALENT THAT HAS MADE HIM A MULTI MILLIONARE.
THE TWO VIETNAM VETS RETURN HOME AFTER BEING HELD IN A P.O.W. CAMP AND ROUTINELY TORTURED. NEITHER MAN SHOWS UP WITH THE HUMANITY THEY PROBABLY LEFT WITH.
DEVANES WIFE WANTS A DIVORCE WHICH SUITS HIM FINE EXCEPT FOR THE FACT THAT HE GENUINELY WANTS A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS SON.
DEVANES FAMILY IS SET UPON BY PETTY CROOKS WHO INVADE THE HOME IN AN EFFORT TO STEAL SILVER DOLLARS AWARDED TO DEVANE UPON HIS RETURN. THEY KILL ALL, OR SO THEY THINK. DEVANES CHARACTER SURVIVES WITH A PROSTETIC HOOK FOR ONE HAND. HE THEN SETS OUT TO AVENGE HIS SONS MURDER. HE IS ACCOMPANIED BY AN AIRHEADED GROUPIE WHO THINKS HE IS COOL.
WE THEN RIDE ALONG FROM SOUTH TEXAS TO VARIOUS MEXICAN BORDER TOWNS IN SEARCH OF THE LOW RENT KILLERS HEADED BY ACTOR JAMES BEST WHO PORTRAYS A GOON FAR REMOVED FROM THE ROSCOE P. COLTRAIN CHARACTER HE MADE FAMOUS IN 'THE DUKES OF HAZZARD.'

DEVANE ALONG WITH ASSISTANCE FROM WAR WRECKED TOMMY LEE JONES CORNERS THE BAD GUYS IN A WHOREHOUSE JUST ACROSS THE BORDER FROM EL PASO.
THE FINALLY IS CLIMACTIC, AND JUSTIFIABLY SO. THE COOLEST SCENE IN THE PICTURE IS WHEN DEVANE CONFRONTS BEST WHO LAYS IN BED WITH A PROSTITUTE. DEVANE WAKES THE MAN, SAYING "GOT YOUR TIME BOY." YOU CAN GUESS WHAT HAPPENS NEXT GIVEN THE FACT THAT DEVANE IS BEARING DOWN ON THE MAN WITH A DOUBLE BARRLED SAWD OFF SHOTGUN.

THIS IS KIND OF A 'DEATH WISH' TEXAS STYLE FILM BUT IT WORKS. THE BAD GUYS ARE SO BRUTALLY DISGUSTING THAT YOU CANT WAIT FOR THEM TO "GET THEIR TIME."

ITS A GOOD EFFORT AND WORTH A LOOK.

Rolling Thunder: Diamond in the Sand
I first saw this video in 1985. The movie caught my attention and held it throughout. Sure, there are other movies that attempt to deal with the plight of the vet, robberies and vengeance, love of family and vendetta. But there is not a movie out there that combines all of these with the same rhythm and intensity as "Rolling Thunder." At a time when movies are relying more on computer generated graphics than on a plot with substance, Rolling Thunder should be being aired on TNT, TBS, Lifetime, TNN and any other cable channel that wants to break away from the monotonous hum-drum of the fare being shown in the name of "entertainment." Devane does more than one good hand and a hook than most of today's action heroes do with both hands and both feet. Rah also for my main man, Tommy Lee Jones, who takes a back seat to Devane, but stands by his buddy to the end as they seek out the baddies that done Devane's family wrong. A must see!

Doesn't get much more powerful. . .
I am a huge movie buff and if you are looking for a raw, powerful, gritty movie experience, definitely check out this movie, which remains one of my all-time top three. I personally like this film better than "Taxi Driver", but if you liked "Taxi Driver" then you will definitely like this film, because it was written by the same guy and the themes are similar. I was blown away not only by the performances (particularly Tommy Lee Jones in a startlingly forceful role), but by the amazing amount of action. There is definitely more violence and action than there is in "Driver" and that's why I like it. Some people criticize the violence, but with the powerful storyline, disturbing violence is almost necessary. Definitely see this film. Along with "Driver" this film will awaken you to the horrors of the Vietnam War.

If you are a fan of "Taxi Driver", you will love this one
Basic storyline is this. Major Charles Rane returns home, Texas, from seven years of torture in POW during Vietnam War. As a big welcome gift, he receives a Cadillac and a couple of thousands dollars from city. Charles soon finds out his wife fell in love with other man and his emotion starts to build up. Then people came after Charles' reward money kill his son and wife and Charles loses his hand. Charlie and his friend from the war, Johnny played by Tommy Lee Jones, get together for a revenge. I found out about this movie from the "King Pulp: The Wild World of Quentin Tarantino". The movie "Rolling Thunder" is written by Paul Schrader, writer from "Taxi Driver". Like "Taxi Driver", this movie is charged with gripping scripts and emotionally rich and powerful characters. Without showing any real battle scenes, the movie builds up very strong Vietnam war drama. Also, the sequence where Major Charles Rane (William Devane) drives to find killers of his son and wife with a girl reminds the stoyline of "Natural Born Killers". Performance by Tommy Lee Jones as a supporting actor is also interesting to look at. This movie is as powerful and brutal as "Taxi Driver". ... Read more

Reviews (21)

Nominated For Best Picture in 1937
THE GOOD EARTH is a screen adaptation of Pearl Buck's story about a poor Chinese farmer (Paul Muni) and how he is lifted out of poverty by the efforts of a sturdy wife (Luise Rainer) who was formerly a slave. After becoming prosperous Muni acquires a young second wife (Tilly Losch), an event which leads to considerable turmoil and scandal for him and his family.

Performances by Muni and Rainer were excellent. Both incidentally were born in Austria. Rainer had already won an Oscar in 1936 for THE GREAT ZIEGFELD in only her second Hollywood role. Much has been made about the lack of Chinese actors in the lead roles but the fact that there were still so many Asian actors in the cast was rather unusual for the times. Soo Yong, Keye Luke and Roland Lui filled important supporting roles.

Keye Luke plays Muni's elder son. He is best remembered for his numerous appearances in Charlie Chan movies. Luke is also respected for his fine acting in more than one hundred films and thirty television shows during a distinguished career which lasted over forty years.

The movie was produced at the height of the Sino-Japanese War. The special effects were outstanding for that period just before the outbreak of World War II.

THE GOOD EARTH received Oscars for Best Actress (Luise rainer) and Cinematography. It was also nominated for Best Picture, Director (Sidney Franklin) and Editing. The main competition for Oscars in 1937 came from THE LIFE OF EMILE ZOLA, CAPTAINS COURAGEOUS and THE AWFUL TRUTH.

You must see this movie
I am an American born Chinese, and I am very impressed by this exceptionally fine production of "The Good Earth". I am also not bothered by the casting of Caucasian actors, Paul Muni and Luise Rainer, in the lead roles. This was an expensive production for MGM. They understandably sought well-known stars who could draw audiences into movie theaters. Muni and Rainer were both Oscar winners with the name recognition and prestige that MGM needed to make this project viable.

I give enormous credit to Thalberg and MGM for hiring a mostly Chinese cast and for bringing a story about Chinese peasants to the screen in the first place. In the 1930's, the world was much more provincial than it is today. It took courage for MGM to undertake such a project as "The Good Earth".

As it turned out, the studio's foresight paid off because this movie achieved both critical and popular success when originally released.

The 1937 version of "The Good Earth" most assuredly stands the test of time. As other reviewers have so eloquently expressed here, every aspect of this production is superb with emphasis on the skillful direction and special effects. The special effects in this movie are even more realistic than alot of the effects you see in today's movies. Mercifully, they used REAL locusts in the 1937 version of "The Good Earth". If "The Good Earth" were filmed today, "animatronic" locusts or computer generated images of locusts would be used instead. Those generally are not as convincing as the real thing.

But what really sets this movie apart from other great films are the quality of the two lead performances by Paul Muni and Luise Rainer. Muni's character, Wang Lung, is a poor, unsophisticated farmer. Muni could have easily portrayed him as a caricatural "hick from the sticks" or as a bumbling ethnic stereotype. Instead, he gives the farmer depth and universality as a decent, hardworking man who has not had the advantages of education or travel, but who wants to make life better for his family. Wang Lung is basically a simple man, yet he is not simple-minded. Muni is able to convey the keen intelligence and drive beneath the farmer's lack of worldly experience.

Luise Rainer is a revelation as the farmer's wife, O-Lan. O-Lan's quiet strength, selflessness, and dignity are poignantly suggested by the gifted Miss Rainer whose slightest gestures, glances, or whispers can make the audience feel tidal waves of empathy and emotion.

I only wish that more people were familiar with this brilliant and ethereally beautiful actress. Miss Rainer's performance as O-Lan seems to transcend acting and enter the realm of spiritualism. It's truly one of the great performances by any actor in any medium.

For that alone, you must see this movie.

Fascinating Stereotypes
THE GOOD EARTH is fascinating today because of its blatant portrayals of Chinese stereotypes. Neither of the leads are Chinese but are Caucasians dressed in "yellow face" make-up which was supposed to make them look Chinese but in fact makes them look more like space aliens from another planet. The film deserves attention today because of the atrocious performance by Luise Rainer of Pearl Buck's heroine, the long-suffering peasant wife O-Lan. Originally, Anna May Wong was up for the role but deemed "not Chinese" enough for the part. Ha ha! Today, Rainer's performance which won an Oscar at the time has not withstood the test of time. Yet her cowering, passive, pathetic Chinese woman performance has influenced generations of Americans to view Chinese women as passive and docile. Books written by Chinese do not show any such thing! Check out Mo Yan's RED SORGHUM (there's a book and movie version starring Gong Li) to see the portrayal of a brave Chinese peasant woman. The movie is still worth seeing because it helps us to understand the stereotypes of yesteryear when the Chinese were seen as very exotic, but don't expect a realistic portrayal of Chinese rural life. For that, check out Zhang Yimou's films, such as Qiu Ju, Not One Less, and of course Red Sorghum.

"Good Earth" on CD
Would you purchase this movie on CD? Perhaps we can get them to make it available on CD if enough people rate this movie. Need I say more?

The Good Earth
I think this was the most terrible movie I've ever seen. You should run, run as fast as you can away from this movie.... Now! ... Read more

Reviews (89)

Life is a cabaret, old chum...
It's often been said about old musical movies that they went too far in the conceit of people "bursting out in song" during a scene. Well, in his film version of Kander & Ebb's masterful Cabaret, Bob Fosse completely got around that problem by presenting the songs on stage. It was handled brilliantly, the choreography was incredible, and the movie just plain works.

Cabaret the movie doesn't share many songs in common with the original stage version - it still has "Willkommen," "Two Ladies," "Tomorrow Belongs To Me," a German version of "Married," "If You Could See Her," and "Cabaret" - but that's it. A few new songs were added - "Mein Herr," "Maybe This Time," "Money, Money," - but for the most part it's a lot less sung than the staged version. A lot of musical numbers dealing with the world outside the Kit Kat Klub were used as underscoring, preserving John Kander's great tunes. But this doesn't detract from it being one of the best filmed musicals out there.

Fosse's direction is a big help; it has a great eye for early 1930s Berlin, and presents the decadence and foreshadows the Nazis brilliantly. Fosse created great, sensual choreography for the film, and it is completely entrancing to watch the musical numbers. And the rest is worth it, too.

Flipflops aside, the couples are presented well; Liza Minelli's portrayal of Sally Bowles is definitely the acting part of a lifetime. She was just completely *convincing* as Sally, from end to end. Michael York as Brian is very reserved, very British, and very studied. Helmut Griem is entirely convincing as Max, who creates tension between the couple after befriending them. The secondary couple is played to perfection by Fritz Wepper and Marisa Berenson, as opportunistic Fritz Wendel who falls in love with the rich young Jewess Natalia Landauer, respectively. And, of course, Joel Grey is spectacular as the haunting, Puckish Emcee.

In general, this movie presents itself as a stunning revelation to viewers of a story that will stick around for a very long time. It's a virtuoso interpretation of one of the greatest American musicals, and deserves to be seen.

wonderful new collector's edition
CABARET has never looked better, remastered for it's 25th anniversary, with additional features.

Liza Minnelli gives the performance of her career as the singer Sally Bowles, on a self-imposed exile in Berlin, entertaining at the seedy Kit Kat Klub.

Into her life comes Brian Roberts (Michael York), a mild-mannered English bisexual who falls in love with her. Both are seduced by the wealthy Maximillian (Helmut Griem) before Sally falls pregnant, aborts the child and Brian leaves Berlin just as the Nazi's gain power.

The musical, set against the stormy backdrop of Berlin in the 1930's, is a marvellous piece of film making. Directed and choreographed by maestro Bob Fosse, CABARET also boasts original Broadway performer Joel Grey as the Master of Ceremonies, and Fritz Wepper and Marisa Berenson.

Also includes reminiscences by Liza Minnelli, Joel Grey, Michael York, Cy Feuer, John Kander and others from the creative team, an old featurette on the making of the film, and the original theatrical trailer.

THE BEST
As for musical-drama concerned... THIS IS IT! The producers of Chicago should have seen this(indeed they did - every major moment in that film is "stolen" from Cabaret) and put REAL musical stars in the film.

When u have Joel and Liza u are not let down... I give flowergreetings to the entire cast and crew... The filmversion of Cabaret has a lot of "new songs"(Maybe This Time, Mein Herr, The Money Song) and the plot follows the 1955-movie "I AM A CAMERA" more than the stage musical. Since then; the Liza-songs have found themselves in numerous revivals of this stageplay since this 1972-masterpiece. The film is still frightening and raw......Trivia: The scene in which Liza meets Marisa they talk about diseases... On video, here in Europe at least, that was cut....

Don't pass on this
I almost passed over this DVD because a couple of Amazon reviewers forcefully complained about the presentation. I'm glad I bought it. The widescreen was just as I expected, and picture and sound quality were fine. Anyone who's seen the movie knows how good it is. If you haven't seen it, you're in for a treat; and this DVD serves it well. (A five-star review is for the absolutely superlative.)

PLEASE PLEASE Don't buy this!
CABARET is one of the greatest movie musicals ever. I adore it. It is flawless, IMHO.
Why, then am I giving it one star? Because, as others have said, Warners should be ashamed of themselves. This is not the first, but the SECOND release of this movie in a non-anamorphic transfer. I bought the original and was mighty p****ed because it was non-anamorphic. I thought they would have honored this magnificent film in the "anniversary" release. But no. It is, as stated by another reviewer, the same disc as before, in terms of picture quality.
On a small TV you won't notice. But if you care about these things, then believe me, this release sucks big time. As did the first one.
I'm angry, not at being ripped off (I sent this one back for a refund) but because a wonderful work of art has been abused by a greedy, careless film company. And I have been robbed of the chance to see the film in its glory.
Having said that, nothing could improve the truly dreadful sound quality - which was terrible from day one.
I don't suppose there ever will be another release of this movie. What a terrible shame. ... Read more

Description

Brigadier General Frank D. Merrill leads the 3,000 American volunteers of his 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional), aka "Merrill's Marauders", behind Japanese lines across Burma to Myitkyina, pushing beyond their limits and fighting pitched battles at every strong-point. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

"Merrill's Marauders"
I have the movie in VHS, part of (I like to feel) a good collection of war films, in both VHS & DVD, from - "All Quiet on the Western Front '1930'" to "Saving Private Ryan '1998', some '140' war films. I can certainly use the 2 former as a benchmark for comparison & rating. If "Saving Private Ryan", the finest war film I have ever seen, with the most graphically realistic & brutal battle scenes, ever shown on film, has, without a doubt become the benchmark by which all later war films would be judged, then "Merrill's Marauders" is a '60's classic, with, in my opinion, some of the finest acting ever portrayed in a war film! Jeff Chandler, as an earlier review stated, gives one of his finest performances, (He truly is a gifted actor!)This movie portrays, as was intended the American involvement in the Burma Theater of Operations against the Japanese, a 3000 strong unit, put together of mostly seasoned troops, volunteers, for 1 mission against the enemy. From Jeff Chandlers gritty performance, such as when he tells his men - quote -"Everybody back into the swamp" instead of waiting for desperately needed food & ammo supplies, to avoid enemy troops searching for them, to a very poignant scene by actor Claude Akins. All the soldiers are completely exhausted from continuous battles with the enemy, and literally starving, from lack of food supplies that had run out, He's approached by an old Burmese woman & young boy, in a village they have just occupied after a brutal battle, the pair attempt to feed him the
only food they have, a bowl of rice. Overwhelmed by it all, he not only breaks down in tears, but in a gesture reminiscent of the generation, and considering the horrific battle he's just been through, removes his cap in a show of gentlemanly respect
to the old woman. To me the most touching & realistic scene I have ever seen him portray. As far as accuracy, I give the movie
"High Marks", there is a scene in the reservoir night battle scene when the Japanese are attempting to infiltrate the American lines, a Japanese soldier who tries to bayonet Claude Akins is stopped by him and flipped over the stone wall and killed. If you look closely at the Japanese soldiers footwear, as he is flipped over the wall(you may have to do it in slo-mo)you'll notice he is wearing the standard split-toe style shoe worn by Japanese troops during the war. The film makers, working for this type of accuracy, though it may well have not been noticed by the general public, only speaks for the realism that they worked to achieve. I agree with another review, in that the Japanese were, in many instances easy kills in the battle action, but I consider this a small slight against what I deem an excellent movie filled with gritty realism, good battle action, and an excellent look at the common American soldier in action and the constant fear, hunger & deprivation he faced, exemplified by the courage & tenacity with which he persevered and eventually triumphed over the enemy!
Sure it's meant to rous the American public of the "60's" with the unbeatable fighting spirit of the Ameircan G.I., and that's exactly what it does, and does well! To all who read this, I am fairly new to the internet, and just learning my way around, but at age 48, I've seen most every war film shown, and I feel I am a fair judge. I give this film and the director & cast a solid "4 STARS ****!!!
...

Merrill's Marauders
This is a rugged and gritty WWII film set in the CBI Theater directed by Samuel Fuller. The action concerns Jeff Chandler, in his last screen portrayal, as Brig. Gen. Frank Merrill. Merrill leads a band of battle fatigued GIs (Ty Hardin, Peter Brown, Claude Akins, Will Hutchins and others) against the Japanese in the Burmese jungle. It is beautifully photographed in color and CinemaScope by William Clothier. Fuller co-wrote the script with Milton Sperling. This film has been highly underrated. It is a good depiction of the stress, determination and humanity experienced by the average GI in everyday face-to-face confrontation with the enemy. Jeff Chandler gives an accurate performance of the real Merrill. Jeff Chandler truly was a gifted actor and deserves more recognition for his talents as this film demonstrates. The VHS copy is in Full-Frame, but it retains the images in vivid color and is very enjoyable. It was released theatrically in 1962.

Reasonably good WWII action from Fuller
Not in the top rank of war pictures, Merrill's Marauders is still a great way for fans of the genre to spend a couple of hours. I would rank one particular scene, the fighting in the oil refinery among the concrete bases for the huge tanks, as one of the best and beautifully choreographed action sequences I have ever seen. I thought that Jeff Chandler's performance was excellent and that the rest of the cast was quite up to the task. Weak points in the film include the rather stock military band music used throughout and a sudden ending with some "modern" footage pasted on that makes one wonder if Fuller didn't just run out of money.

good war movie shows the horror and strain of war
This movie did not glamorize the war instead it showed the hardships the men went though to get the job done. Chandler was excellcent in this movie he showed compassion for his men all the while trying to get the job done. I enjoyed it and would watch it agin.

No Gritty Action; Japs are easy to kill;Incoherent story
This movie is a big disappointment particularly after relying on Martin's review. There is no gritty action as one finds in Hamburger Hill/The Longest Day/A Bridge Too Far. Jeff Chandler has no role worth mentioning. Wasted taelnts, money and effort. The movie's only strength is its Title. The real fight that happened was far more gruesome, and intense. The movie only caters to American patriotism my flambouyantly displaying the American flag and completely disregarding that the Burma campaign was a 70% British effort versus only a 30% American. While, it might be unrealistic to expect history in fiction, the movie fails on all grounds. The story is aimless--Chandler's GIs lack any particular objective/mission and seem to be taking a walking tour. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

A favorite film of some of the world's greatest filmmakers, including Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg, John Ford's The Searchers has earned its place in the legacy of great American films for a variety of reasons. Perhaps most notably, it's the definitive role for John Wayne as an icon of the classic Western--the hero (or antihero) who must stand alone according to the unwritten code of the West. The story takes place in Texas in 1868; Wayne plays Ethan Edwards, a Confederate veteran who visits his brother and sister-in-law at their ranch and is horrified when they are killed by marauding Comanches. Ethan's search for a surviving niece (played by young Natalie Wood) becomes an all-consuming obsession. With the help of a family friend (Jeffrey Hunter) who is himself part Cherokee, Ethan hits the trail on a five-year quest for revenge. At the peak of his masterful talent, director Ford crafts this classic tale as an embittered examination of racism and blind hatred, provoking Wayne to give one of the best performances of his career. As with many of Ford's classic Westerns, The Searchers must contend with revisionism in its stereotypical treatment of "savage" Native Americans, and the film's visual beauty (the final shot is one of the great images in all of Western culture) is compromised by some uneven performances and stilted dialogue. Still, this is undeniably one of the greatest Westerns ever made. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (120)

A classic western
The Searchers is considered by many to be one of the best westerns ever made, and I cannot disagree with them. The story follows the efforts of two men trying to track down a kidnapped girl from Comanches over the course of five years. The men tracking the tribe are a Confederate veteran and the girl's uncle and the other a family friend and also part Cherokee. The film is beautifully shot as all John Ford westerns are, which adds to the overall mood of the movie. There is a vastness to some scenes which show the futility of tracking down this girl after so many years. The Searchers is a classic that provided John Wayne with a role that was different from any other he had previously played.

John Wayne stars as Ethan Edwards, the Confederate veteran trying to track down his niece after his brother's family is slaughtered by a Comanche raiding party. He plays the role of the racist veteran to perfection. At times it is startling to see him in a role that differs so greatly from most other movies he had done. Jeffrey Hunter plays Martin Pawley, the Duke's partner in his search for the kidnapped girl. He plays a good sidekick to Wayne throughout since they have such differing personalities in the movie. Also starring are Natalie Wood, Ward Bond, Harry Carey JR, Patrick Wayne, Hank Worden, Ken Curtis and plenty of other Wayne stock actors. The DVD is good but could have been much better. You can view the movie in fullscreen or widescreen, with trailers included alongside four documentary shorts. A must have for western fans that is up there with Shane and The Wild Bunch as some of the greatest westerns of all time!

John Wayne at his Western Best now on WideScreen DVD!
"The Searchers" (1956) Anamorphic Widescreen DVD version is one of the best classic westerns ever made! Ranked in the American Film Institute's (AFI) top 100 movies of the last 100 years (1998). Having the best Western Director, John Ford partnering up with his favorite cowboy star, John Wayne can only be the beginning of a grand movie. Adding Widescreen Technicolor, the colorful Panoramic Monument Valley - Utah (Ford's favorite western area to film), a fantastic musical score and top supporting cast leads us on one of the best filmed westerns ever!

Summary - Ethan Edwards (John Wayne) is returning home to his only Brother & his family. After he and a posse of Texas Rangers (Lead by Ward Bond) were decoyed away by distant marauding Indians. The actual Indian raid was on remaining defenseless families left behind. Ethan's returned to find his Brothers family massacured all but his youngest niece, Debbie (played by Lana (younger)& Natalie Wood (older). His vengence takes him on a 5 year journey to recover her. Wayne is brilliant and proves he is a great actor.

"The Searchers" is a powerful 2 hour emotional rollercoaster ride. This movie will leave you with more respect of John Wayne's ability to act, Director John Ford's genius to tell a very complex story. Leaving us forever with a Great Western Classic! Enjoy.

Searchers!!
Ethan Edwards, (John Wayne), finds his way home after the civil war to his brothers homestead. Some cattle are rustled and he and a few men track them only to discover it's a Comanche trick to lure them away while they kill out the folks left behind which is Ethan's brother, wife, and kids. They arrive back too late, all are dead except Ethan's niece who was taken captive. Ethan sets out to find his niece accompanied by Martin Pauley, (Jeffrey Hunter), who Ethan found as a baby years earlier after another Indian raid. Ethan loved his brother's wife which is clear in the book by Lemay but very lightly alluded to in the film. This helps to explain his rage because everything he cared for in the world is gone. He will pursue the Comanche that have his niece until hell freezes over. Along the way he finds that he is still a human being. This film is widely considered the greatest western of all time and a favorite film of Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg if that means anything to you, I thought I would toss it in anyway.

STILL SEARCHING FOR AN ADEQUATE TRANSFER
John Ford was a master craftsman of the American cinema. Though he dabbled in melodrama and action during his directorial career, his everlasting contribution to the movies remains in those galvanic distillations of the old west put forth by an unparalleled series of legendary films. "The Searchers" ranks among his most finely wrought and meticulously hand crafted projects. Indeed it seems to be the film in which the culmination of Ford's own commitment to the power, beauty and frailty of the western frontier tragically come together in a revisionist perspective that exposes both its grandeur and its flaws. The film stars the iconic John Wayne as Ethan Edwards - a strangely majestic antihero who vows bloody revenge after his cousin and family are slaughtered by marauding Comanches. But Ethan's search for his surviving niece (Natalie Wood) becomes a sinister and all-consuming obsession when he learns that she - having been abducted while still a child - has now adopted the ways of her captors and, at least in Ethan's mind, has become one of them. The film tackles racism in the form of Ethan's distrust of one time family friend (Jeffrey Hunter) who is part Cherokee and the sweep and spectacle of Death Valley has never been quite so poignantly captured on film.
THE TRANSFER: While Warner Home Video has made "The Searchers" available in anamorphic widescreen in a print that is light years ahead of anything the film has looked like before for the home film enthusiast, compared to more current DVD releases, the visual splendor of the transfer falls short of expectations. Though colors are rich there's something of a muddiness and lack of balance to them in many of the indoor scenes. Also, several scenes appear to be suffering slightly from color shrinkage, creating a slightly out of focus image quality that is distracting. Age related artifacts are present but do not distract so much as the digital anomalies of pixelization and edge enhancement which greatly plague the background information in most of the long shots. A slight shimmering is inherent in all of the scenes. Black and contrast levels can be solid at times, while sometimes appearing slightly pasty. Ditto for the unnatural flesh tones which are either overly pink or a ruddy orange. The audio has been remastered and delivers a nice expansive presentation which is in keeping with the vintage of the original sound elements.
EXTRAS: Not this time around. Sadly, this film deserves a documentary.
BOTTOM LINE: "The Searchers" is a masterful western, on par with "Stagecoach" and "High Noon". Definitely one to add to your film library.

The Best Western Ever Made
This is the best Western ever made. There's simply too much to say about it here to do it justice. The imagery, John Wayne's character's growth, the comraderie between the "searchers", the supporting cast and the theme will make seeing this film worth the while of even those who "hate" Westerns. It's a classic, and purchasing it will be money well spent.

Enjoy. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Great martial arts action!!!!!
This movie has great martial arts action!!! The story is of a black ninja that is killed by the police, and before his body dies he passes his spirit into a young womens body. The women is posessed by the evil ninja and becomes him n more ways then one. She gets his awesome martial arts abilities including gymnastics, acrobats and all the skills of the acient art ninjutsu. She is made to by the black ninja to kill the cops that killed him and he uses her body to kill all of them. The young girl is taken to an exoricism by her boyfriend( one of the cops that shot the black ninja), and the evil spirit talks threw the girl and it is really freaky. Well they must get rid of the ninja so the only way to kill a ninja is for another ninja to do it. So then this other ninja(an old enemy of the black ninja) is the one who has to save the girl and kill the evil black ninja! I thought it was really an awesome movie, the martial arts will astound you. And after watching this you'll never be the same. So go see it you won't be sorry.

Ninja Action...Ninja Action...and Hot Chick Ninja Action!
This is a great action packed movie of the 80's that I've always enjoyed, the movie starts with a ninja on an assasination mission and ends up battling pretty much the whole police force, the ninja uses his wide variety of cool and deadly weapons and techniques to kill and make his escape but unfortunately he ends up getting killed and transfers his spirit into some chick working nearby, the spirit uses her to get revenge on the cops who killed the ninja and the only one to stop him is, guess who another ninja (Sho Kosugi) and they battle it out to the death (that's what they do best). Not too much of a deep story but hey who wants to get into details? This movie is about action, I like the way they emphasize the myths of the ninja such as magic, super strength, invincibility (it took about a million bullets to kill the guy for crying out loud!) and more... this film is just plain cool and worth watching, it has that "Whoa, no way he did that!" factor especially for a movie of that era. So go forth and kick some butt ninja style!

NINJATASTIC! DVD?
Cool ninja movie (WHERS THE DVD!!!) defiantly should be part of your ninja flick collection.

Doesn't live up to an "R" rating
This movie was o.k.It was given an "R" rating,yet there was no nudity.There was at least brief nudity in "Revenge of the Ninja".I think that the director was just out to save a buck here.There was plenty of violence,but you can see that anywhere.I don't think that this should be on DVD if there is nothing new to add.

DVD
Okay everyone. this movie in the 2000 could be so much better. But it's a classic and classic must be left alone. It's something you grow up and have fond memories about watching it. It's a must have except it should be released on DVD.
Amazon, do you hear that? Please inquirre to who ever job it is tell them to REALEASE ON DVD! ... Read more

Reviews (60)

Great Fifties Vikings Tale!
Ah, a personal wish fulfilled is the re-issuing of this film onto the DVD format. Although I have long had the older VHS version of this classic fifties romantic sword and sorcery trendsetter, I was recently amused to find it now listed in the DVD catalogue. Odin be praised! This was a formative film in my childhood, a monstrously popular box office hit that had all of us pre-adolescents entertaining ourselves for months clashing in back yards using make-shift stick swords and purloined garbage-can covers for shields as we fought out our own imagined action sequences. Indeed, everything about this film is attractive and appealing; the wonderfully photographed sequences along the fjords, the jaunty and majestic music, and the quite authentic long ships and settings.

The cast adds to the fun with a star-packed line-up. Kirk Douglas looks appropriately Nordic (neat trick for the son of Russian Jewish immigrants), and more than acts out the part of the Viking prince, Einar, the eldest son and heir to the barbarian legacy of his outrageously roguish father, Ragnar, played masterfully by a full-bearded Ernest Borgnine. Tony Curtis adds a little blue-eyed soul to the cast as the star-crossed illegitimate heir to the English throne, and the quite lovely Janet Leigh (who at the time was Mrs. Tony Curtis) is the prized after English princess both the male principals have the urge to merge with. The scenes inside the Viking lodges are hilarious; the sequences in which a drunken Douglas has to successfully cut off a lover's braids from twenty yards with a battle axe without decapitating the lady in question to prove she wasn't unfaithful is spell-binding to experience. Terrific vicarious excitement for all of us overgrown kids in the audience.

The bottom line is that although none of it makes a whole lot of sense, just remember; we're talking serious action-adventure here! It is deliciously exciting fun and gives full disclosure of all the rowdy Viking boys having a rousing good time raiding, raping and pillaging, robbing and sinking other ships and finally storming a castle. And we find ourselves going along for the ride. Why not? The cinematography is superb, as is the musical score. Although not terribly accurate historically, the film does give us an intriguing look at primitive lifestyles in terms of different cultures cohabiting not so peacefully in the north Atlantic long ago, circa the fourteenth century or so. It is a great way to spend a couple of hours being entertained by some real Hollywood masters of the genre. Enjoy!

Great action/adventure with Douglas and Curtis
The Vikings is a great historical epic that is just a lot of fun to watch. Viking chief, Ragnar, leads a raid on the British coast and rapes an English woman who births a child, Eric. However, upon his birth Eric is sent away and captured by Vikings where he is brought up as a slave. Flash to 30 years later, with Eric all grown up. After a brief battle with his unknowing half-brother, Einar, the hatred between the two begins to grow. Along the way, the Vikings kidnap the princess of Wales, Morgana, whom both of the men fall in love with. Eric and Einar must fight it out not only for the love of the beautiful Morgana, but must also worry about their attack on the English king, Aella, to avenge the death of Ragnar, the father of both warriors. This movie has a plot that drifts along, but the whole thing is fun to watch. The cast does great, the action scenes are spectacular, especially the Viking attack on the english castle), and the cinematography is beautiful. As well, the Vikings theme by Mario Nascimbene is perfect for the movie with its horns and trumpets. This is a great movie full of action and adventure that should not be missed.

Kirk Douglas gives an excellent performance as the ultimate Viking warrior, Einar. With his blond hair and scarred face complete with milky left eye, Douglas looks and acts like a Viking would have. Tony Curtis is also very good as Viking slave, Eric, who unbeknownst to him is Einar's half-brother. The beautiful Janet Leigh plays Morgana, the woman who is loved by two men who despise each other. Ernest Borgnine is great as Viking chief, Ragnar, the loud, boisterous father of Eric and Einar. While watching the movie, it looks like the cast had a lot of fun making the film. The Vikings also stars James Donald as Egbert, Alexander Know as Father Godwin, Frank Thring as Aella, Eileen Way as Kitala, and Edric Connor as Sandpiper. The DVD offers the widescreen presentation, making of featurette/photo gallery with director Richard Fleischer, and a theatrical trailer. Filmed mostly in the fjiords of Norway, the movie looks great, especially in the letterbox format. For a great action adventure with Kirk Douglas and Tony Curtis, don't miss The Vikings!

Blimey! It's the Vikings!
As many reviewers have observed, the best reaction to this movie is to sit back and enjoy it. Douglas and Borgnine are just great as comic-strip Vikings. Why Tony Curtis, perfect as "the cookie full of arsenic" in The Sweet Smell of Success, was ever thought suitable to play a slave-boy in sword epics like this and Spartacus, completely beats me. Janet Leigh, perfect in Psycho, is a little too 20th century for all this more general kind of blood and guts, but everything else is terrific, and most of it is almost authentic. A lot of the dialogue is superb: "I'm a lady, and I just won't row a boat to save my life". I can't remember the exact words. The scene where the wimpy Anglo-Saxon peasants vamoose the fields, crying "It's the Vikings, It's the Vikings" has remained memorable for 45 years. The DVD quality is excellent.

"Odin! Odin! Bring the wind and turn the tide!"
I remember as a small child watching this magnificent epic adventure on the big screen at Rockefeller Center in New York, in 1958. The music in this film is truly magnificent and effectively reinforces the audience's emotional reactions to dramatic scenes. Three musical high points are particularly potent. First, when a Viking utilizes a mammoth tusk as a horn to welcome returning warriors; next: when a Valkarie's voice heralds the coming of the North Wind to save an important character; and finally, when an unseen choir sings the triumphant welcome of another important character into heavenly Valhalla.

UNDERWHELMING ACTION - NICE LOOKING TRANSFER!
For some reason "The Vikings" is fondly remembered as one of the bloodiest films in cinema history - certainly from the 1950s. That's odd, because aside from Kirk Douglas getting his eye pecked out by a hawk (which is rather violently depicted) there are no other moments of extreme bloodshed in this film. Yes, there are epic battles, but these are all shot through the glamor and gauze of pre-Braveheart euphoria for guts and gruesome carnage. Douglas stars as Einar, an "I'm too sexy for my breast-plate" pin-up of a viking, whose way with the ladies is forever shattered when his face is deliberately disfigured by Eric's (Tony Curtis)pet bird. This attack stirs up a life-long hatred that is strengthened by both men's love of the princess (Janet Leigh). You would think with Norsman and kidnapped royalty the plot would be rather vibrant but actually its dull and uninspiring from this point onward.
TRANSFER: MGM gives us a handsome looking transfer. Colors are rich and vibrant. The travelogue footage of the Fiords is surrealisticly gorgeous. Black levels are solid. Contrast levels are bang on. Only occasionally does the original negative betray the vintage of the film. Age related artifacts are kept to a bare minimum. There is no edge enhancement, pixelization or shimmering of fine details in this presentation. The audio is MONO (I thought all Cinemascope films were stereophonic?!?)and somewhat of a disappointment. The audio is generally balanced though there are occasions where it seems muffled and lacking in treble tone.
EXTRAS: A featurette with the director, Richard Fleischer that is remarkably useful and engaging - if all too short.
BOTTOM LINE: It's not a great film but it is a fairly wonderful looking transfer. And hey, any film with Kirk Douglas is never all bad! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

my favorite episode
this is one of the best episodes. i love it because it mainly focuses on my favorite ranger adam- the black ranger. this was the first episode taped where adam, aisha, and rocky were actually rangers. it is one of the best a must own for any pr fan

The White Ranger Series : Goldar's Vice Versa
This video is really awesome! It is one of the shows that comes from the best series of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and includes the Thunder Ultrazord that is rarly seen on Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. ... Read more

Reviews (40)

ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS LOOKING DVD OF THIS JOHN FORD CLASSIC
"She Wore A Yellow Ribbon" is one of those glorious westerns, luminously photographed by director, John Ford. It stars, John Wayne, as a widower living at a military outpost with the cavalry and features some of the most gorgeously photographed exteriors ever captured on film. Monument Valley becomes a place of quiet, stoic beauty and the duke never gave a more impressive performance than he does here.
My hat off to the good people at Warner Home Video. This is a truly amazing looking DVD and one that should definitely be on every film buffs wish list to own. Colors are fully saturated, well balanced and incredibly life like. Contrast levels are on pitch as are black levels. There is a hint of edge enhancement and pixelization but really - it's just a hint. Chips, scratches and imperfections inherant in the original camera negative are kept to a bare, bare minimum. The audio is mono, as originally presented, but extremely well balanced, with low to non-existant background hiss in most scenes. No extras: a shame! One craves a documentary on either the making-of this movie or John Ford himself. We get neither. Still, it's hard to fault such a near pristine looking transfer.
BOTTOM LINE: Get this one before it goes out of print!

Yellow Ribbon
This is the second and ,as many have said, best in John Ford's famed cavalry trilogy. I go further in claiming for it high status in the genre of western films, it is one of the finest. Wayne wears makeup that ages him 20 years and his acting performance transforms him into that older man Captain Nathan Brittles, soon to be retired from the U. S. Cavalry. Captain Brittles talking to his late wife at her grave ,while he waters the plants he has placed there, with Monument valley in the background is one of the more moving scenes. This and "The Searchers" are Wayne's finest acting performances.
"She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" won an academy award for it's color cinematography and it was well deserved. This is one beautiful film. Ford shot many of his westerns in Monument valley, this is his definitive Monument valley western, you really see alot of the landscape and clouds and it's glorious. The special features on this dvd has a short home movie of Ford and Wayne flying down to Mexico and hanging out back in the forties.
Own this one because it's one of those rare films you can, and will want to, watch over and over.

THE SECOND LEG OF GREATNESS
SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON is the second leg of greatness in the John Ford Cavalry Trilogy. Cinematography-wise SWAYR is the jewel in the crown, it's much heralded Oscar winning celluloid images are breathtaking. All three films have their own moments of greatness, here it's John Wayne as Capt. Nathan Brittles, in make-up aging him 20 years no less "making his report" graveside to his wife and daughter; His receiving his silver watch from his troops ("Lest we forget,") and his negotiating Victor McLaglen's retirement ("A man of a thirst like that can't survive on less than a sergeant's pension!"). Of course there is the cavalry's march to their 3 theme songs: "Garry Owen", "She Wore A Yellow Ribbon" and "The Girl I Left Behind Me" (a constant in the trilogy). Sterling performances across the board. SWAYR is an all time classic.

John Wayne in his element
When this film was released I was six years old, living in grey, cold, bankrupt post war Britain, a world of food and clothing rationing. Cinema was pure escapism and I thank my parents for taking me there every week. Westerns were big in those days. They had titles such as "Broken Arrow" or "Winchester 73". As my love of cinema was slowly nurtured "She Wore A Yellow Ribbon" left an indelible impression on my psyche. I loved every bit of it. The odyessic story, with its lack of 'white man good' 'red indian bad' stereotyping. The sophistication of Ford's direction with its cool appreciation of America's big country. The actors - Wayne, of course, towering above all, and decades before he blotted his copybook with his embarrasing gung-ho roles, to Victor McLagen's 'Oirish' knockabout sargeant, via the under-stated work of Joanne Dru and John Agar. "Never apologise, son. It's a sign of weakness." A simply unbeatable movie.

"Lest we forget!"
Capt. Nathan Brittles (John Wayne) is near retirement and looks at it with an unsure and heavy heart. After years in the U.S. Cavalry it is all he knows and is not sure what will become of him when he leaves it. Brittles knows that the Army and life will go on, but what will his role in life be, since he lost his wife years before. This is the second and best film in the John Ford cavalry trilogy. As it Brittles is not very keen on handing over command to younger soldiers who are yet to prove themself in leading other men and in combat. For all it's worth he has little to no say about what will happen to those who take over and what will become of the indian tribe that he has worked with and delt with for so long. Victor McLaglen is a great supporter in the film as he also faces retirement and enjoys his whiskey and fights along with the other men. A story about trust and service along with changing times, it features one of Wayne's best performances. An Oscar winner for best color cinematography (Winton C. Hoch) that features Monument Valley, this is a film to see as it is a western and war film wraped into one. It is simple yet not boring and it get's to the point when needed. Grade: B+ ... Read more

Amazon.com

Clint Eastwood's 1978 comedy introduces Filo Beddoe, a truck driver and mechanic whose daily life is an absurd grind. He's constantly coming up short on money, love, and anything else to help him get through the day, while also saddled with a loony mother (deliciously played by Ruth Gordon), a best friend (Geoffrey Lewis) who's not too swift on the uptake, and an orangutan named Clyde who fights almost as well as Clint. While moonlighting as a bare-knuckle fighter, Clint finally meets the girl of his dreams (Sondra Locke), a snooty country singer who rebuffs him even as he pursues her, trailed by bikers and brawlers. It's Eastwood's magnetism and charm that make this more than a mere string of comic sketches, and things move along quickly enough to be entertaining, if a little thin. Clyde is a natural scene-stealer, but it's Ruth Gordon's crazy, cranky old coot who steals the movie. --Robert Lane ... Read more

Reviews (14)

THANK GOD IT FINALLY MADE ITS WAY TO DVD!!!
This is one the best (and most profitable) of all of Clint Eastwoods movies. It has everything, comedy (Ruth Gordon alone is worth the price) action, a great soundtrack, and yes Clyde the Orangutan, But never let this be seen as just a "Guy with an Ape" movie, that would really do it an injustice, it has SO much more to offer than that. An absolutely great movie. ...

One of Clint Eastwood's most successful films!!!!
Like "Smokey & the Bandit" before it, this movie had the same kind of charm, & despite being set in Los Angeles, it had a down home southern feel to it, offered to Clint to give to his pal Burt Reynolds, Clint liked it so much he asked Burt why he should do it, Reynolds told him to do one, & like "Bandit" did for Reynolds, this one did for Eastwood, who stars as Filo Beddoe, a truck driver who falls for a local singer in a nearby bar only to discover that she has a questionable past, this is pretty much the plot that has a series of running gags where Filo pals around with an ape known as Clyde who basically steals the movie as does Ruth Gordon as Filo's mother who constantly curses Clyde, Filo's run-in with a local motorcycle gang is funny to watch as the leader has a look on his face as to how he ended up with such misfits, as Filo searches for love he encounters all kinds of misfits, in addition to the gang, he runs afoul two idiot cops, & bar room brawlers, a fun movie that was a change of pace for Eastwood, & featured his then-girlfriend Sondra Locke who has a secret all her own, if you liked "Smokey & the Bandit", you will love this one!!!

Great Film. Ape Death Story Is Bogus
Fantastic film which represents a by-gone era in films. The films of the 1970's were simply better because while Hollywood was still interested in making a buck, they still wanted to make good films. Now it's all about the buck, who cares if it's good as long as it turns a profit. Pick this one up and keep it in your library as a monolith of better times gone by.

By the way, it is my understanding the original Clyde died of natural causes. The "donut beating" story has been circulated by the PETA Extremists for their hate filled fodder.

Good Film and it works in my Region 2 players!!!!
One line to sum the film up - "This film is a classic"

I have been waiting to get it for ages, and I finally bought a Multi Region player (We have 3 Region players as well). The film arrived, I watched it - and then decided to try it on the other players - and to my amazment it worked. I tried Any Which You Can in the Region 2 players as well and it worked.

I got another R1 DVD and that didnt, so I guess its a one off of this DVD.

Poor "Clyde"
Interesting that none of these reviews mentions the fact that Clyde (who was named Buddha by his trainers) was beaten so severely (for stealing doughnuts on the set) by his trainers that he died of brain hemorrhage. They replaced him, quietly, for the sequal. Primates are brutally dominated by their trainers in order to do the smallest actions (like smiling, which is a sign or fear in the wild). It isn't entertaining, it's cruel. Don't spend money on films that exploit animals. Grow up. ... Read more

Description

It's a big business battle for the top when a Senator's son and the chairman's daughter decide to take on the twisted, back-stabbing world of corporate decision making. Ruthless, merciless - and sometimes clothe-less - it's every man or woman for themselves in the fight to make it all the way up the corporate ladder to the HEAD OFFICE. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Must viewing for corporate America. Funnnnnny!
This movie will hit a funny nerve with any person who is working or has any dealings with corporate America. This satirical look at big business will be veiwed many times.

THE true look into the bowels of Corporate America !!!
A movie for the ages! An all-star cast that provides a dry, satirical look into what we all despise and yet tolerate in Corporate America. From lines like "the company giveth, the company taketh away..." to "...do you think I got to the head of this division because I'm a moron? NO! I got to the head of this division because...I...I...I'm NOT a moron". Truly a movie that did not get the ratings it deserved. It definitely rivals the likes of Blazing Saddles, Stripes, Trading Places, Caddy Shack, Spies Like Us, Fletch, etc. A must see if you've ever been employed by a company of 100 employees or more!

Timeless Corporate Humor
I watched and bought it 10 years, or so, ago. It's a keeper, but, I lost my copy. Now it is rare, but I found it again! Buy it if you can...I just did. The words below from another reviewer ring so TRUE!

"This movie has so many funny lines and situations. If more people were aware of it, it would surely become a cult classic. So check it out and pass the word."

I got Abba. You like Abba?
This movie is truly funny at times. I haven't seen it in a while, but I remember my impression of it being a little bit mixed. A very uneven film, but perhaps this trait befits the coke-addled eighties.
It may also be the case, as some reviewers have suggested, that the movie could withstand and even benefit from repeated viewings. Damn funny movie at times, though.

head office
A cult favorite and my personal guilty pleasure. Richard Masur and Don Novello (famous as Father Guido Sarducci on SNL) are but two of the cast of characters that make this movie hilarious. Eddie Albert is fabulous as the CEO of INC who keeps in touch with the people by personally reviewing whose phone service should be disconnected for overdue bills. Don King steals the movie with his speech to the board of the directors. This is one of my all time favorite comedies. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

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

Reviews (8)

Perhaps we shouldn't laugh at religion (maybe we should!)
My assistant found this movie for $5 at a yard sale, and I was delighted to be able to watch it again after so many years (although I must say I was disappointed that it was on the inferior VHS and not a DVD!).

The writing? Excellent. Marty Feldman has never been afraid to poke fun at society's flaws, and Chris Allen's pen is much sharper here than it was when he wrote episodes of the "Digimon" children's cartoon. The players? Funny. I thought Peter Boyle did a fine job in this film, just as he did playing the grand old savvy "Wizard" in "Taxi Driver." And I've often thought it would be amusing if Richard Pryor was, in fact, God (except for the coccaine).

I tried not to allow my own personal experiences with Feldman cloud my review, (and I cannot say for sure that I have), but I thoroughly recommend this film for anyone stung by the financial shenanigans of televangelists in the 1980s, fans of satirical jousts on society and those who still have VCRs.

I waited a LONG time for this movie to cme our on video
This movie will always be special to me. When a I young, I saw it at least 20 times back in the early 80s when we first got cable. It isn't "Citizen Kane", but is IS a great showpiece for the talents of Marty Feldman, Andy Kaufmann, and Richard Prior. And for me, I always love it when someone takes a shot at the evangelical money grubbers.

My only gripe with this video is that for SOME reason, Harry Nilsson's revised rendition of "Good for God" is replaced with some other song, for reasons beyond my comprehension. This bothers me, because I was looking forward to the song the whole time I was watching the film, and you can imagine my dissapointment (and my puzzlement) when it wasn't played. I thought my memory was slipping. However, I have confirmed that for some reason, the song was removed. :-(

HYSTERICAL...SIMPLY HYSTERICAL
Two brilliant performers...gone but hardly forgotten. Andy Kaufman and Marty Feldman brilliantly mock the hypocrisy of modern religion. If you watch Benny Hinn and other charlatans like him solely for the humor value, then you'll love this film. An unsung masterpiece!

Remember the angels....
The two men I admire most in this world, thankfully, star together in this film... Mr. Marty Feldman...and the wild and crazy Andy Kaufman... These two are quite a perfect pair, and although we no longer have them with us...we should never forget them, for their humor is perfect like angels! Although Kaufman absoultly takes the film to outragous heights of insanity and greatness, Feldman really rocks this picture! I just discovered this awsome figure of a comedian in "Young Frankenstein" in which his little head and enormous eyes fasinated me beyond anything else in the Mel Brooks spoof. As Ambrose in this film... Marty is the ultimate picture of tender innocence, and it was good to see that the woman he loved could see his sweetness and his radient light in a dark city! So sad to find that we lost such a brilliant man as Feldman... PS. Kaufman is the absolute craziest performer of our time, and if you like his work you'll find this film wonderful! Andy's girl forever,

Chrissy

More Than Just a Lampoon!
I was told this movie didn't exist anymore and am thrilled to find it does! Marty Feldman is superb as the innocent monk who encounters all sorts of worldly degeneracy and always comes out ahead. His integrity triumphs over the greed of the televangelists and ultimately his God proves to be redeeming to the truly lost souls like Louise Lasser and Peter Boyle. More than just a lampoon, this movie is uplifting in its ultimate message. Don't hesitate to buy this one! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Beatty on Beatty!!
This is one of the small group of films Mr Beatty made after
" Splendor in the Grass" and before " Bonnie and Clyde"

I think its important to appreciate that after " Splendor...when Mr Beatty was very much in demmand..he did not make programmer types of films. In my opinion he choose very carefully and came up with a thought provoking group of films that live on today as " what might have been"

" Lillith" and " All Fall Down" are two of these