Reviews (2)

I need the DVD. I need all the DVDs. How much do you want?
Considering all the myriad BAD business decisions they've been making lately (they *really* passed on distributing Moore's new film? WHEW, they're gonna regret that!) I guess we shouldn't be surprised that Eisner's Disney is hiding this great series in a sealed vault, as if it were a 20-year-old black-market shell of Sarin gas.

It just ain't fair. Why does one of the most poorly-managed corporations of the 90s/00s get to own such GREAT stuff?!?

As I said on another review . . . I think they're missing out on tapping the SIMPSONS/SOUTH PARK fan base. Idiocy! Bithering, numb-skulled, Bush-minded IDIOCY!!

GREAT concept/execution, VERY funny stuff
I want all these episodes on DVD. Come on!!

This is "classic" Disney fare, you know, it's made for kids but it's got humor that only adults will "get". I have four or five tapes with three episodes each. Great stuff. I want ALL episodes on DVD. ... Read more

Amazon.com

As Grover prepares to bestow the Frog of the Year award upon everyone'sfavorite amphibian Muppet, viewers are treated to some of the highlights ofKermit's Sesame Street appearances. From his on-the-street reports ofnursery rhymes gone awry to his classic warbling ("It's Not Easy Being Green,""Caribbean Amphibian"), Kermit's sweet, befuddled nature shines in this seriesof clips. Meanwhile, mischievous pigs and a hungry wolf are causing troublebehind the scenes of the award show. Will Kermit get his prize or will his prizeget him? Viewers ages 2 and older will undoubtedly stay tuned through thedelightful 33 minutes to find out. --Kimberly Heinrichs ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Great Sesame Memories!
I think this is a great video. Classic songs and skits are set against the backdrop of an awards ceremony, hosted by Grover, where Kermit has been awarded "Frog Of The Year". The songs include "Bein` Green", a really sweet lament from Kermit, "Carribean Amphibian" and "I Love My Elbows", plus a few more!. The only thing that stops me awarding this video 5 stars is there are not many clips with Kermit as reporter. Apart from that, classic clips that take me back to a bygone age. It brought back great memories.

Too much pigs - not enough Kermit
Because I'm such a huge fan of Kermit on Sesame Street, I'd buy this video again if I had to. That being said, it's somewhat disappointing. I was hoping to share Muppet News Flashes with my little boy, but the brief montage is just confusing for someone who's never seen them.

I do like the bits where Grover and Kermit talk to the children - nobody does this as well as they do. The little girl saying the alphabet with Kermit is priceless ("A,B,C,D, Cookie Monster!)

The back story for this video isn't bad, either - Grover is selected to honor Kermit as Frog of the Year. Frank Oz is never dull, especially as Grover. The script is pretty threadbare, but, then, it's just an excuse to show the clips.

Many of the full clips are terrific - "I Love My Elbows" is a great spoof of Irving Berlin tunes (and helped my son find his elbows, no less;) "The African Alphabet Song," a stirring new version of the alphabet with Ladysmith Black Mambazzo, a clip with Kermit and Grover the weather salesman, "Tadpole," a terrific song about growing up, "Bein Green," and the finale, "This Frog," a campy Sinatra-style song about self-esteem

If you love Kermit, go ahead and buy this one - but be prepared, It's not everything it could be.

Great Kermit, But not enough!
Argh! I Love Kermit, and I loved this movie when I picked it up out of the Library, but then it ENDED! There's no where NEAR enough Kermit stuff here. And all of his great Sesame Street News shorts are cut down into quick flash-by's that last about 2-3 seconds each and a total of only about a minute or two! The whole video is only about a half-hour long. Great for kids, but not for the older among us. A lot of other sketches were cut short, too. Great songs, sketches, but dissapointingly short

this is so great!
This is so much fun! My 9-month-old daughter only shows limited interest in the video, but I love it! The songs are awesome -- Caribbean Amphibean absolutely rocks! I can't help smiling every time I hear it. 'I love my elbows' is just too cute. And the skit about selling weather is hysterical. Treat yourself to this!

Fun for kids of all ages
This was a wonderful look back at my favorite Sesame Street character - Kermit the Frog. It shows some of the funnier clips I remember and some I didn't. My 2-1/2 year old also enjoys watching it over & over again! I definitely recommend it for SS lovers. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Noteworthy Entry for the Mission: Impossible Collector
THE CONTROLLERS is the first entry in Mission: Impossible's fourth season and features a semi-plausible plot and a somewhat larger cast than the previous seasons. In the two-part episode, the IMF must prevent a scientist from unleashing a mind-controlling drug. THE CONTROLLERS is a good edition to the post-Bain/Landau Mission: Impossible T.V. series, but there is a chemistry that seems to be missing. From a technical standpoint, the series stands out as the first appearance of Dina Merrill as Meredyth and a post-Star Trek Leonard Nimoy as Paris. An enjoyable edition to the series. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Middle-eastern terrorism provides the dense, perpetually timely context of The Little Drummer Girl, loyally adapted from John Le Carré's complex bestseller. It's slow going at first, taking pains to establish the tragically complicated plight of Charlie (Diane Keaton), a left-wing, pro-Palestinian actress, recruited by Israeli intelligence in 1981 to play the role of a lifetime: Once her loyalties are turned, she will lure a dominant Palestinian terrorist (Sami Frey) into a deadly trap. She's an unwitting pawn, vulnerable to romance (particularly with her Israeli recruiter, played with subtle conviction by Greek-born Yorgo Voyagis), and Keaton brings sympathetic naiveté to her character's potentially lethal dilemma. Klaus Kinski is arguably miscast as the Israeli intelligence chief, but viewers are more likely to stumble over the film's constant flow of intricate detail. The Little Drummer Girl is not always easy to follow, but attentive viewers will be rewarded, and the plot itself is, sadly, as relevant as ever. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Diane Keaton plays a spy
Diane Keaton plays "The Little Drummer Girl", a young American actress recruited into a very complex plot to help catch an international Arab terrorist. The plan involves a lot of twists, backstabing, and double crosses, so you'll forgive me if I don't go into the details. Diane Keaton dose well as the vulnerable woman who is seduced into this rather complicated mission, where she is scared because she dosn't know everything that is going on or who she can trust. Keaton is strong and believable as a Palistine sympathizer. Yorgo Voyagis and Klaus Kinski as Keaton's contact and his suprerior (resectivly) also stand out with excellent performances. I really bought the love story between Keaton and Voyagis, which is rare; usually I hate the love stories in espionage thrillers, this one felt real. It is mostly subtle, only the violence at the end is brutal and bloody, but not too badly. I keep watching movies like this one or "Black Sunday" and I get chills at how close these movies are to (then) future events. Although that's where similerities end, "Little Drummer Girl" makes former West Germany it's target of terror. I liked this movie, it had the reality that James Bond dosen't, and heart that Tom Clancy is usually lacking. Good job all around.

The Little Drummer Girl
I really love this movie, although I have to admit I didn't catch the entire plot until I turned on closed captioning on my TV. A lot of the words are just too garbled to understand. My one big complaint about the movie itself is the casting of Diane Keaton. This isn't a criticism of her looks since I think she's very attractive, however for the role she was playing they needed someone who was very pretty in order to be convincing. She does do a magnificent job of acting the part.

This movie is one the most romantic I have ever seen. Although there are only a few romantic areas in it, they are enough to carry the whole thing and make your your knees go weak. I became an instant Yorgo Voyagis fan after seeing this.

The plot is excellent and carries you through to the end. I recommend this movie very much.

great spy movie!
forget the tacky 1980's clothes that Diane Keaton wears, forget the fact that Diane Keaton was a mite too old to be playing the Mata Hari, this is a fantastic spy movie!

A more boiled down verson of the novel by the same name (this is one of the rare example where I think the movie is better than the book) is complex and gritty; a fluid example of the race/religion quagmire that is the State of Israel. Klaus Kinski is absollutely fabulous and subtle in his role as the leader of the Israeli spy team that is trying to hunt down a mysterious bomber (remarkable performance by Sami Frey as the Palestinian bomber) and Diane Keaton, though a little too mature to be playing a somewhat nieve actresss who is recruited to pose as the bomber's brother's lover, plays through her confusion of grappling with her pro-Palestinian political affilations while at the same time working for the Israelis. The supporting cast of characters are equally complex if not extremely present in the movie which adds to the feel and scope of the spy operation that ensues.

The final hour is emotionally engaging and harrowing as is Keaton's eventual nervous breakdown after the bomber is caught. The extent of the spy operation is also grand in scope without being overbearing or, likewise, confusing.
A great movie for a cloudy day when you feel in the mood for a little intrigue!

YIKES
I was surprised at how dopey this movie was -- I mean, right from the beginning. But then, it wasn't made yesterday -- it was made 20 years ago. I guess nowadays we demand a far more detailed setting for a flick involving Middle East intrigue. It felt so much like a standard issue TV episode from the early 80s that I kept expecting to see a commercial break. I swear I've seen episodes of Gilligan's Island that outperform this film in terms of suspense and plot development.

The terrorism is familiar but the plot is implausible.
This 1984 film is based on the novel by John LeCarre and deals with a subject we've all become too familiar with lately: terrorism. Diane Keaton stars as a young woman who's into causes and even though she shows Palestinian sympathies, is still recruited by the Israeli Mosad to become an operative. What follows is an entirely implausible plot that required utmost concentration to follow.

Klaus Kinski played the part of the Israeli leader and even though he is a good actor, his Nordic looks made him hard to believe as an Israeli. Yorgo Voyagis, a handsome Greek actor, played the Israeli agent who gets romantically involved with Keaton. Problem is that their relationship never really sizzled and it was hard to believe she wound up putting herself in so much danger for a cause she felt so lukewarm about or for this man with whom she had few, if any, love scenes with.

I liked Keaton in her role, cast as an actress with a rather ditzy personality. The role called for her displaying her own insecurities as well as courage. She also played it in a way to make it clear that she was attracted more to the adventure and the Israeli agent than she was to the politics.

There's good cinematography and a fine sense of place. Scenes are shot in Germany, England, Greece and the Middle East. It all looks very real. There's a moderate amount of tension, especially near the end, but the story itself lacks believability and emotional intensity.

Times have changed since the film was produced, which was groundbreaking then because it showed the moral ambiguity and savage methods used by both the Israelis and Palestinians. The computers the characters used were the latest technology then too, but I had to smile the black and white monitors and dot matrix printers. Watching the film is a trip back into the past with overtones that are all too true in the present. And it's sad to note that the conflict it deals with has grown in intensity since. ... Read more

Description

"These human beings will die as they have lived-in a sea of their own blood!" The year is 2084, and two power-blocs are poised on the brink of war. Using a series of undersea complexes and deep-space satellites, each bloc carefully monitors the other?s movements, slowly edging towards the moment when one will launch an all-out nuclear attach on the other. Arriving on Sea Base Four, the Doctor, Tegan and Turlough are rapidly drawn into the web of intrigue which enmeshes this era?s paranoid political maneuverings. Not everyone on board the base is working for the same team, and the officer directly responsible for implementing the bases nuclear capability has died in mysterious circumstances. Amid this already tense atmosphere, the crew of Sea Base Four faces an even greater threat to mankind. The Silurians and Sea Devils, prehistoric reptile men who went into hibernation millions of years before, have reawoken and intend to launch another attempt to reclaim the Earth from humanity. The Doctor must tackle enemy sabotage and face the Myrka, a giant marine monster. But can he prevent the Silurians from implementing their "final solution"-launching the missiles to start a war that threatens to wipe out the human race? ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Must Be Seen To Be Believed
'Warriors Of The Deep' is absolutely every bit as bad as it has been made out to be. The acting is absurd, the costumes terrible, the direction flat and the poor production values brightly lit for all to see. As a piece of unintentional comedy, 'Warriors' works rather well even though the cast takes itself so seriously.
On paper, this is actually an interesting story. Set on a seabase during a futuristic cold war being attacked by two popular monsters from the Pertwee era and complete with devious double agents and a hideous, unstoppable cybernetic creature, this story has plenty going for it. Unfortunately, the Silurians and Sea Devils are pale imitations of their 70s predecessors, the double agents are served by wooden actors with bad accents and the hideous unstoppable cyborg turns out to be a bug eyed, slow-moving pantomime thing with two guys inside it fumbling to get it to lumber menacingly. On top of that the sets are so white & brightly lit and the direction so indifferent, nothing - not the loose Silurian costumes nor the hilarious Myrka creature or the foam mattress walls that get torn down at a cliffhanger - nothing is obscured or left to the imagination.
The regular cast isn't given much to do of any consequence but should be applauded for keeping so many straight faces. Tegan runs around a bit, Turlough mopes and the Doctor plays the pacifist for too long even as the Sea Devils and Silurians show no mercy. The human characters are universally dull and serviced by utterly forgettable and/or over-the-top performances.
In the end, 'Warriors of the Deep' is worthwhile only as a dose of comedy. The appearance of the Myrka, the poorly constructed sets, props and costumes and the bad acting are all worth quite a few chuckles. The best scene is when evil agent Dr. Solow tries to engage in a kung-fu fight with the Myrka. What had some potential as a script ends up being massacred by bad production values and clueless direction. The Doctor was right about one thing: there -certainly- should have been another way. As a DW story: 1 star. As a piece of comedy (and taken with a stiff drink): 2 stars.

Not for the cynical.
This story has a lot to attract viewers. Despite its dramatic-sounding name, it heralds the return of the Silurians and Sea Devils, and is set in a not-too-distant future of political tension between two super-powers. The problems lie in its execution. The Silurians now talk like Cybermen, have flashing light-bulbs in their foreheads and are actors in baggy ill-fitting costumes complete with flares (!?) The Sea Devils are now parrot-faced beanpoles with stiff necks. And why do they call themselves Silurians and Sea Devils, when these were inaccurate names coined by humans? These faults might be forgiven if it weren't for the story itself. The Doctor spends this tale telling everyone how they should respect the reptiles. But the Silurians and Sea Devils have been reduced to bog-standard 'evil monsters', who are characterless clones, think of nothing but killing and destroying others. The humans are a dull lot, and the base never gives the impression of being underwater. With its bright lights, there's nowhere anything nasty could be lurking. Thing go from bad to worse, with the appearance of the Myrka. This is Dobbin the pantomime horse disguised as I-don't-know-quite-what, seems to be wearing washing-up gloves with claws (they even hired the two men who operated Dobbin in 'Rentaghost'). Scenes of the 'tough lady' kung-fu fighting the Myrka, and of actors trying desperately to make it look like obviously-fake rubber doors are actually very heavy, are in the realms of the spoof. In fact, if the Myrka had starting doing a funny dance, accompanied by jolly music, I wouldn't be in the least bit surprised. The only good set is the interior of the Silurian ship, which is quite dark and looks genuinely sinister. If only all the sets had been like this. Despite the above, I'm giving this story three stars, as I actually quite enjoyed it. Fans of serious science-fiction, however, would be better off with the seventies 'Dr Who and the Silurians' and 'The Sea Devils', which are much better. In fact, 'Silurians' is an all-time classic. Shame nobody involved with the making of 'Warriors' watched it properly.

There should've been a better way
In Warriors Of The Deep, which follows the 20th anniversary story, The Five Doctors, the Doctor, Tegan, and Turlough land on a Earth Sea Base in the year 2084, which comes under attack of two Earth Reptile races he encountered before in his third incarnation--the misnamed Silurians and the Sea Devils. This time, the Earth Reptiles have abandoned the way of mediation and are out to reclaim the Earth, which was theirs when man was just an ape. To them, men are "ape-descended primitives, an evolutionary error they obviously mean to correct."

The Earth Reptile attack is not the only crisis. As in Tegan's era, the 1980's, there are "still two power blocs, fingers poised to annihilate each other." And there are two members of the Sea Base, Nilson, the second-in-command, and the psychosurgeon Dr. Solow, who have an agenda of their own involving Maddox, the base's synch-operator, the person who links up to the computer to fire the base's missiles. Maddox's mental state is such that he'll suffer a mental collapse if untreated. To that end, they brainwash him to do their dirty work.

Playing Dr. Solow is Hammer star Ingrid Pitt, who is stout and bearlike here. I was shocked--this was the sensual Elizabeth Bathory in Countess Dracula and Carmilla/Mercalla in The Vampire Lovers? She also came out as Galleia in the Who story The Time Monster in 1972.

The action starts when the Earth Reptiles and the Myrka, a giant quadrupedal sea dragon that has been modified into a cyborg, invade the base and with their superior technology, start killing the base's personnel. It is up to the Doctor to simultaneously save the Base and to negotiate with the Earth Reptiles.

The tension of nuclear war explored in Fail-Safe and Wargames is touched on here. There are three stages, green alert, yellow, alert, and red alert, with two possibilities, a computer-simulation to keep the personnel on their toes, or worse, a real attack. Maddox, the sensitive synch-operator, tells Lieutenant Karina in a stricken voice that yes, it is the commander who gives the orders, "but I still have to press that button." He simply finds the prospect of pushing the button impossible for his conscience.

The design and continuity people should've watched The Silurians story, as the third eye on the Silurians' forehead was a weapon. Here, it's a light that blinks on and off when they speak. And they speak in a more mechanized voice here. Also, they are tan rather than green. Icthar, the leader of the Silurians, says "twice we offered the hand of friendship." He can't count the Sea Devils encounter, so there must have been an untelevised second encounter with the Silurians. And the Myrka is clearly a variation of a pantomime horse, requiring two people, one playing the front, the other the back.

The Doctor keeps referring to the Silurians as a noble race, but here, they have had enough. "There can be no alternative to peaceful coexistence," says Icthar, who horrifically adds in a reference to the Third Reich, "There is a final solution." Humans too have their good and bad sides. When one of the crew sees the Silurians as invaders rather than the noble race the Doctor knows them as, the Doctor bitterly says "I sometimes wonder why I like the people of this miserable planet so much", yet later, when Tegan and the others decide to risk a rescue of the Doctor, Turlough says in exasperation, "What is it about human beings that make them think a futile gesture is a noble one?"

Influences include The Manchurian Candidate (Maddox's brainwashing), and nuclear war films like Fail-Safe. The appearance of the robot weapons system in space at the beginning echoes Reagan's SDI plan of an anti-missile system. And the invasion of the base's airlock doors is reminiscent of the stormtroopers attacking Princess Leia's Blockade Runner at the beginning of Star Wars.

This has one of the highest bodycounts of all Dr. Who stories, with only one character other than the Doctor and his companions surviving. While continuity lapses and design flaws abound, Warriors Of The Deep is a worthy story with Cold War influences and race relations. The final line, spoken in an angst-ridden voice by the Doctor, is tragic but universal: "There should have been a better way."

Obviously I disagree with the reviewer below
Yes, props and costumes may have been poor, but that is what made DOCTOR WHO what it is...the longest running sci fi show EVER. Peter Davison greatly portrays the Doctor, which would be hard to do, since he played the part after Tom Baker, the longest ever to play the Doctor. Peter Davison GREATLY deserves admiration for his acting capabilty and his ability to prove he could play the Doctor just as good as Tom Baker. I do love his earlier episodes, but this one was not to bad. Turlough is naturally a mopey character so of course he should be that way; Tegan is BRILLIANT as always and deeply shows her concern for the Doctor when it appears he has drowned in one scene. I loved it, and I don't care for these new shows with CGI graphics .. you want to stick to REAL and GREAT acting, REAL efforts put into the show, and great storylines, Doctor
Who is just right for you!

There should have been another way.
The five star rating is more personal than objective. Objectively, I would have to give the story only two stars as it first runs too long for a story with little depth to it and the costume design was terrible. But I still have a soft spot in my heart for this story. The performances are good, Peter Davison is at his best as the Doctor trying to convince everyone he's their friend, and despite the impracticality of the well-lit underwater base, I liked the look. In the end, we see the Doctor can't always save the day as he stands around the massacre that has occured with Sillurian, Sea Devil and Human and proclaims, "There should have been another way." ... Read more

Reviews (40)

A World Turned Upside Down and Inside Out: Could You Survive
This is one of the best films in the genre--historial film from autobiography. Marco Hofschneider brings to brilliant life the story of Salamon Perel, a German Jew. From the days of Kristallnacht--the Night of Broken Glass, when Jewish businesses were trashed and vandalized throughout Germany, to his final reunification with his brother--to poignant to say more about this here...this is a cinematic masterpiece.

I've seen few films that capture the turmoil of adolescent identity and identification so well. True, the Nazi era is the backdrop, but the themes couldn't be more universal. In that respect, it is also more relevant today, in 2004, than during the 1980s, when it was filmed--especially in America, where the American identity has been deconstructed so as to be hardly palpable. Also, it is equally relevant in Europe, where national distinctions could meld into a Confederacy if not a Union of some power.

Politics aside, this is an intensely personal film, one where the unquestioned identity of youth (German) falls victim to oncoming War and cruel happenstance. Perel must continually revise his vision OF himself and FOR himself, and at one point wishes for nothing more than to be an Nazi, for a beautiful young German girl becomes enfatuated with him. How did he end up in this position, wearing the uniform of the Hitler Youth at an Elite boarding school in Berlin? Or lose his virginity to a high-ranking female Party member while he is escorted by train from the Eastern Front to Berlin, as a Folk Hero (Volksdeutscher Held). Perhaps you think it unimaginable. I do not.

I've seen places in German where the remnants of Jewish culture and tradition are clear as day--such as a former High School for Jews in Berlin--with Hebrew and German inscribed clearly in the stones.

No, though Germany seems to some a heartless pillar of unemotionality, efficiency, heartlessness, the German characters in Europa, Europa are as human as those found anywhere. They fall victim to their personal aspirations, desire to please, deceitfulness, betrayal...simply put, human.

Although current fashion is to think of the period as one of the "banality of evil" (attributed to Hannah Arendt, Holocaust scholar), this film exposes the period as one more of human triumph and tragedy, and that, while we grow into adulthood, our personal identity is as much at the mercy of the passage of time and events as a unique, solitary construction.

See this film! It will draw you into the themes of Life, Love, and Redemption, and be over leaving you desperate for more.

Your friend, your enemy, you....
I caught this movie originally on cable a few minutes into the film and was instantly intrigued and completely confused. A Jewish kid in the German Army? And the Hitler Youth? And in love with a German girl who says nice things like 'If there were a Jew here right now, I'd cut his throat!' right before she asks him to father her child. What the hell was going on here?

What was going on was 'Europa, Europa', an outstanding and often funny (true) story of a teen of German-Jewish extraction named Jupp who in 1939 was in the Communist Youth League in one of the Soviet-occupied Baltic territories, and ended up being captured by the Germans when they invaded the USSR in 1941. Naturally he concealed his Jewish identity and, believing him to be Volksdeutsch (a non-German of German blood, and therefore automatically a German citizen under Hitler's laws) the Wehrmacht drafted him as a soldier-translator. This begins Jupp's double life....a few months ago he was a Communist and a Jew, and now he's a German and a Nazi....just imagine this kid's confusion. The soldiers of his unit adopt him as a sort of mascot, and even when one of the soldiers discovers his secret, he does not betray him. The mutual affection between Jupp and the soldiers becomes real over time, and leads to Jupp's first crisis of identity: how can he be friends and comrades with men who believe Jews are evil, sub-human scum? Things get even more complicated when the violently anti-Semetic commander of the unit offers to adopt Jupp and send him back to Germany to join a Hitler Youth hostel. Out of the frying pan, into the fire.

Jupp finds the Hitler Youth both a dream and a nightmare. On the one hand, much of the Nazi propaganda turns out to be true -- the boys are tough, fun-loving, comradely, and loyal. They enjoy their singing, marching, and sports, and they are truly inspired by the destruction of snobbery and class privelege which was a central objective of National Socialism (Nazism). On the other hand, they sing charming songs like "sharpen your knives on the paving stone, the Jewish blood will run" and spend time in class learning to 'spot' Jews and other sub-humans through racial characteristics (Jupp is selected as a good example of Baltic Aryan blood). These kids remind you of darling young tiger cubs that will grow up into man-eaters: they are both charming and frightening.

Much of the movie is a black-comic attempt by Jupp to fit in as a loyal German youth while hiding his Jewish identity from his friends, which is tough on account of being circumcised in a society where circumcision was performed only among Jews (there are some lengths Jupp goes to to disguise this fact that will make any man watching EXTREMELY uncomfortable....I kept thinking "God, that poor kid!"). As you can imagine, when he falls for a lovely Arayan maiden, disguising this fact becomes even harder.

As the war roars towards its conclusion, Jupp is torn by the loyalty and sense of belonging he feels in the HJ/Nazi Germany and his true identity. After the defeat at Stalingrad, the mourning boys gather and sing poignantly together as brothers, and Jupp mourns with them. The fact that he is clearly not faking shows the turmoil and conflict in his young heart. Is he Jupp, the Jew, or Jupp, the Nazi?

"Europa, Europa" is different from 'Holocaust' type movies in that it injects a lot of humor into otherwise horrible situations without cheapening what happened. This is an undeniably tragic and moving film; it is also pretty damn funny. But it will also make you mad, and the really infuriating thing for the viewer is the colossal waste of it all -- the movie shows how the egalitarian ideals of National Socialism inspired, moved, and united young people, but was perverted by race hatred, anti-Semetism, and bloodlust, and ulyimately had to be destroyed at a terrible cost to everybody involved. What a stupid, criminal waste of millions of able young men, who were taught to hate people really no different than themselves. What a pity the Germans chose to forget the many Jews who served ably and courageously for their country in World War I, and bought into Hitler's insane hatred of them, a hatred which was not only stupid but hypocritical. After all, the man who in 1917 or so recommended a young Corporal Hitler for his Iron Cross First Class was a lieutnant named Hugo Gutmann....but somehow I'm willing to bet that fact never came up in any Hitler Youth class. Too bad for Jupp, and too bad for Europa.

Mesmerizing story based on true events¿
Europa Europa is set in the year before and during the World War II in Europe. The story is based on the true events of the young boy, Salomon "Solly" Perel (Marco Hofschneider), son of a shopkeeper in Poland who experienced brutality through the eye of the enemy as he had to disguise himself in order to survive as his heritage was Jewish. Initially Solly escapes the German's wearing a Nazi leather coat with the Swastika on the arm, which becomes his first disguise or act in order to survive. This continues throughout the film where Solly must hide his true identity, which deals with his circumcision, culture, and background. The constant acting by Solly leads him to begin to feel unsure about his true identity as he tries to assimilate into Nazi-German culture and reject himself. At one point Solly's feelings towards his Jewish background are close to hatred as he also struggles with the natural dilemmas of a teenager such as identity and love. Europa Europa is a dark coming of age film depicting the terrible destiny of Solly as he grows up as a pro-Nazi in order to survive and have self-discovery while hiding himself from himself. When the audience stretches their legs during the end credits there will be much room for pondering and contemplation as Europa Europa leaves the viewers with an excellent cinematic experience.

Warning - Not Much Of This Movie Is True
Mr. Perel's story - that is to say, his autobiography - is interesting and compelling. Regretably, this movie has taken literary license to an unfortunate extreme. "Leni," his girlfriend of sorts at the Hitler Youth School, was never pregnant in real life. At the end of the war, he was actually captured by the Americans in his sleep rather than the dramatic capture by the Russians depicted in the movie. He never captured a Russian position as depicted in the movie or otherwise. And, the homosexual German soldier depicted in the movie didn't merely make a casual pass at Perel - he actually tried to rape Perel on a number of occassions, once by trying to knock him out with chloroform (And yet in the end he did keep Perel's secret and they did become friends, as depicted in the movie). Not only was the movie full of drama that never happened, it also cut out significant events which did occur in real life - for example, Perel confronted his classmates and teachers at the end of the war. A very good movie, yes, but it irks me a great deal that so many "facts" were concocted out of thin air, at the expense of many true compelling events. I therefore do not recommend this movie, and instead recommmend Perel's book, and also the book "Hiding in Plain Sight" by Betty Lauer, which was published in March 2004.

I love this movie !!!
This movie is excellent! I can't believe more of my friends don't know this movie. It is truly an underrated movie by mainstream people, especially since it's a true story about a holocaust survivor. Even the music score is awesome. The music was written by Zbigniew Preisner, who has the most intense and sad music ever written for a holocaust movie. It's a crime that this movie is underrated by the mainstream. At least it won many film awards by independent film makers back in the early 1990s. There is justice afterall!!! ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

John Wayne hams it up as a one-eyed, broken-down marshal in this 1969 adaptation of Charles Portis's bestselling novel. Kim Darby plays the formal-speaking adolescent who goes to Wayne for help tracking down her father's killer, and singer Glen Campbell straps on his guns to join the quest. Directed by old lion Henry Hathaway (Rawhide), this is largely a showcase for Wayne (who finally won an Oscar), but it is also a decent Western with a particularly stirring final act. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (45)

True Grit-True Hit!
John Wayne scores big points in this memorable western. He won his only Oscar for his larger-than-life portrayal of the drunken, overweight, and completely fearless one-eyed Marshal, Rooster Cogburn. It's not hard to tell that Glen Campbell is an amateur when it comes to acting, but he in no way ruins the film. Kim Darby is terrific as Mattie Ross, the little spitfire girl who gives even the Duke almost more than he can handle.

Robert Duvall and Strother Martin almost steal the show themselves as villians you'll love to hate. Although Duvall's character does expose a sensitive side near the end of the film, he is still an outlaw, and his thirst for revenge against Cogburn ultimately gets the best of him.

Campbell's character suggests the brash, arrogant, inexperienced macho man who is really more talk than walk, while Darby's character is defiant even in the face of pure evil. In this respect, the two characters are a bad complement, but that's precisely why they are so entertaining. The many confrontations and disagreements that Campbell and Darby's characters have throughout the film even provide a bit of comic relief to the Duke's hard-lined, albeit amazing, performance.

All in all, if you want a movie with larger-than-life heroes, villains that are dirtier than a sandbox after a rainstorm, and just a bunch of great actors in a great movie, look no further. One of my all-time favorites, and I'd recommend it to anyone.

Entertaining late era John Wayne western
True Grit is an entertaining western starring John Wayne as Rooster Cogburn, a US Marshal, who is enlisted by a murdered man's daughter played by Kim Darby, to track down and get his killer.

Wayne is excellent as the ornery Cogburn. There is real chemistry between he and Kim Darby, and that chemistry really propels the movie along towards the great climax at the finish. Kim Darby does a fine job as Mattie Rose. She's a no frills by the numbers young women and her run-ins with the men in "True Grit" make for some very fun viewing.

Glen Campbell is adequate as the Texas Ranger who is involved in tracking the same killer, but he's a bit wooden and a different actor might have brought more to the role. There is also a wonderful supporting cast. Look for Strother Martin, hilarious as a suffering horse dealer who must deal with Mattie and also Robert Duvall and Dennis Hopper.

"True Grit" delivers some decent fun and entertainment. If you enjoy westerns and John Wayne you won't be disappointed.

western masterpiece
This is only the second wayne movie I have ever watched. So I basically went into it with my eyes wide shut. This is a remarkably likable movie in which I think co star kim darby steals the show! This movie had alot of funny one-liners that were very witty. I figured this movie would be just like all the rest of the westerns I have seen, but this one stands out. John Wayne won an oscar for this movie. Very impressive!

"Baby Sister"...and..."The Big Fella".....
This review refers to the Paramount(Widescreen Collection) DVD edition of "True Grit"...

A great big nod to Paramount for giving us The Duke's Academy Award winning role as "Rooster Cogburn" on this superb DVD. This fabulous Wayne western from 1969 looks immaculate. Presented in widescreen, the picture is clear and sharp, and all the beautiful scenery in Technicolor is glorious.The sound in DD2.0(MONO) was surpisngly good as well.(Could be great in surround though).If you love this film, John Wayne or a great western, grab this one up!

The story for those that may have missed it, is very adventurous as well as highly amsuing. Rooster Cogburn is a take no prisoners U.S. Marshall. That's not all he is though...he's an old, overweight,brash drunkard. But he's got 'grit'. And that is exactly what young Maddie Ross is looking for when she hires him to go after the man who killed her father.Maddie(Kim Darby), now affectionatly called "Baby Sister" by our guy, is also a take no prisoner's kind of gal..but not exactly in the same way as Cogburn is. Maddie is a proper young lady, who's family "has property", and brandishes her lawyer as her weapon of choice. And what's more..she's going along on the hunt for this bad guy who has joined up with a group of some really bad hombres. Also in on the ride is an inexperienced but gung-ho Texas Ranger(Glen Campbell)who Maddie is immediatly at odds with.The sparks fly as this trio hits the trail.

John Wayne IS Rooster Cogburn.Rooster Cogburn IS John Wayne. The Duke delivers the lines as only he could.There's a great scene, where a drunken Cogburn falls off his horse, flat on his face, but yet doesn't spill a drop of the open whiskey bottle he holds.Later on you'll thrill to seeing him riding in, guns blazing in each hand as he goes after the bad guys.It's pure Wayne! The bad guys by the way are legends in themselves, Robert Duvall and Dennis Hopper among them. Strother Martin also adds to the fun going toe to toe with Maddie on a horse deal. Elmer Bernstein provides the glorious music, and Campbell sings the title song. Directed by the great Henry Hathaway, it's a film filled with immense talent.

It's fun and adventurous and is rated G, but there are some scenes that may be a bit too violent for younger viewers.
The DVD also includes English Subtitles for hearing impaired viewers. There are no special features, but for me, seeing this film restored so beautifully, having The Duke looking so great on my screen was bonus enough.

Saddle up with "The Big Fella"...and enjoy...Laurie

This is one of Wayne's best!

This is typical John Wayne, in his later years, and one of his best. I think his best was The Shootist, perhaps closely followed by The Quiet Man.

The supporting cast, played by Kim Darby (Mattie Ross), and the villainous Robert Duvall, and Dennis Hopper as a young Texas Ranger was a good foil for Wayne, played their parts admirably.

This was great entertainment, with John Wayne playing John Wayne (as he always did, with only the name changed to protect the guilty.)

If there is anyone left who has not viewed this film, it is trime you did--perhaps even for the second or third time.

Joseph (Joe) Pierreauthor of Handguns and Freedom...their care and maintenance
and other books ... Read more

Amazon.com

Yes, that is Bill Paxton as Ilan Mitchell-Smith's militaristic big brother. And that's Robert Downey Jr. as one of the in-crowd jerks who makes nerds Mitchell-Smith and Hall's lives miserable. Fortunately, this is a John Hughes comedy and our smart nerds create the perfect woman, Lisa (Kelly LeBrock), using a computer and voodoo. Lisa is a willing sex toy, has magical powers, and just wants to help the boys get even and meet nice babes. She even cleans up. The fantasy ebullience of Hughes is given full rein here and that's good and bad (mostly good). It's all aimed at a certain kind of hormone-addled, 16-year-old sensibility; but who doesn't have a little bit of that in them? --Keith Simanton ... Read more

Reviews (62)

A very funny movie about an unrealistic concept
Could anyone really create a girl on their computer in 1985? Probably not, but that doesn't stop Gary (brat packer Anthony Michael Hall) and Wyatt (Ilan Mitchell Smith) from giving it a shot. Mystical forces soon take over and the two high school losers are left with a beautiful bombshell who is willing to fulfill their every desire. Every boy's dream, right?
Well, not exactly. They are so inexperienced and scared that they don't know what to do with the wild party girl. The movie walks us through their journey from quirky geeks to studs when they finally stand up for themselves.
The two guys have great comic chemistry with Kelly LeBrock, computer babe Lisa and create many laughable encounters with each other and other characters. Bill Paxton, a more serious actor today, is convincing as the rotten Chet. This is the role I will always remember him for, no matter what other movies he goes off to make about ghosts or twisters.
Director/writer John Hughes delivers another timeless gem about teenagers, continuing with the traditions of "The Breakfast Club" and "Sixteen Candles." Here he gets a little sillier, but still remains clever and true-to-life.
DO watch this movie uncut on VHS or DVD if you really want to enjoy it. Cable TV does it absolutely no justice.

How about a greasy pork sandwich served in a dirty ashtray?
Of all the John Hughes-helmed 80's-teens-living-in-a-quaint-Chicago-suburb dramatic comedies, "Weird Science" is my favorite. While it's yet another take on on the 'losers who show everybody up in the end' genre of comedy that was so big at the time ('Revenge of the Nerds', anyone?), I find it far more hilarious than "Ferris Bueller's Day Off", and much more fun to watch than "The Breakfast Club". And you can hardly beat 'WS' when it comes to showcasing the fab fashions of the era. Ya know, big over-moussed and/or -crimped hair styles, narrow ties, pastels, spandex, and an overall lack of good taste that only the 70s can beat...

The two teen losers Gary (Anthony Michael Hall) & Wyatt (Ilan Mitchell-Smith) have some great lines-- most of which I can't print in this review, but take my word: many of 'em are pretty freakin' funny. Bill Paxton's portrayal of nasty big-brother Chet was definitely a springboard for his career of playing whiny scumbag-type characters (remember Hudson from "Aliens"? Or the weasely car salesman from "True Lies"?). Robert Downey Jr. even makes a strong appearance, looking very much the epitome of 80's suburban new-wave fashion as one of our heroes' many tormentors, many years before his substance abuse problems made the headlines in the Hollywood gossip pages.

And then there's Kelly LeBrock as Lisa, a new take on 'Frankenstein'-- oh man, the wrong things I'm thinkin' as she struts about in the various outfits she throws herself into... and out of. Oh yes, heh. Er, excuse me; I gotta go hose myself down...

Okay, hormonal balance re-established, thank God. Speakin' of Lisa: my favorite part is where she takes the geeky buddies out to a bar with a predominantly black clientele. As Gary (Anthony Michael Hall) drinks himself into a near-stupor he becomes "pimp-daddy", doing the shuckin'-and-jivin' routine that Eminem couldn't even hope to touch. Amos 'n' Andy move over! Another great scene is Lisa letting Gary's parents know just what'll be goin' on at the house party she's taking their son to. Their overwrought reaction and Gary's complete embarrassment to her brutal honesty here is priceless!

Please note that there are two versions of 'Weird Science' on DVD. The latter release, part of Universal's "High School Reunion" series, includes the original soundtrack used in the theatrical version, as well as a much clearer and brighter picture, and superior audio quality and separation than the former release. Oh, and it also includes the original theatrical trailer as a bonus feature, and English subtitles. Unfortunately, the subtitles only catch about two thirds of what the subjects are actually saying 'cuz much of the dialogue is fairly swift. Otherwise, this is the best video release of the film to come out yet, and is a highly recommended addition to any 80s-teen-comedy fan's video shelf.

'Late

Chips, dips, chains, whips...
This is one of the great 80s flicks, courtesy of the great 80s flicks guy, John Hughes. There are a hundred moments in this movie that flash me back to being an awkward 13 year old dork (as opposed to the awkward 32 year old dork I am now). And so many great lines! "Do you realize it's snowing in my room, godd**it?" Or when Gary opens the bathroom door and the cute girl asks, "What are you guys doing in there?" "Gary was just takin' a s**t!" *flash to a hand slapping Wyatt's face*

And, ya gotta love the bar scene, where a drunk Gary "tells his tale."

Anyway, it's a funny, funny movie, and highly recommended to anyone who loves the John Hughes 80s. An essential!

More 80's dribble that we can't get enough of
This is another movie from the best decade in recorded history. Sure it's far out, unbelievable, and silly, but that's why we love it. I remember when this movie first came out Kelly LeBrock (The creation) was supposed to be 'the next big thing'. But hey, who wouldn't their woman going into a lingerie store and asking "Do you have this in black leather or barbed wire?"

Anthony Michael Hall is 'Dr. Frankenstein' and along with his dweeb partner, create the perfect woman with a Barbi Doll and a computer that could barely play Pong without crashing. My God do you remember those 5.25 inch floppy diskettes??

Well what else do we have, grandparents get frozen in a closet, the bully big brother turns into a green mucus pile with eyes, a clean Robert Downey Jr., a British Mad Max motorcycle gang in the living room, and oh yes, a nuclear missle growing out of the basement and through the roof.

Some things are dated, but boys wearing bras on their heads will never go out of style.

Weird Science
This movie is the best "retro" comedy movie in cinema history!!! It keeps you laughing through the whole movie! Not just giggling, but the kind of pee-your-pants laughing.I think the best scene is when the blonde kid gets drunk at the club...the way he slurrs is HILARIOUS!!! ... Read more

Reviews (15)

A fun, in-depth documentary of a huge cultural force
Sure you could buy the soundtrack, but in the movie there's more, besides the amazing visual element. A lot of the fun of the movie is in the rehearsal and interview parts. A great moment comes in a rehearsal where the band is playing the standard "I'm through with Love," which doesn't appear on the soundtrack. Keith Richards offers the most soulful guitar perhaps of his career on the track, after which Berry looks at him and says "you sure play some pretty chords for a rock and roller." Keith appears genuinely humbled by the praise from Berry, whom he reveres. Berry continues with the ultimate compliment: "You shoulda been a jazz musician Jack." Richards, still sheepish but more composed, replies with a sharp smile: "There's no money in it Chuck, there's no money in it." In addition to the beautiful chords, this scene vividly demonstrates the artists' mutual respect and common vernacular, and signifies in a small way the true passing of a musical tradition across years, races, and continents.

best rock n roll movie ever!
Chuck Berry invented much of rock n roll and was arguably its greatest showman. Only Elvis or Jimi Hendrix at their wildest could match Berry on stage. Taylor Hackman directs the movie and Keith Richards directs the concert, sort of. There are many laughs and many strong musical performances. Persons interviewed are pretty much the Who's Who of the music.

Great for all who like rock (and roll) music
This is a lovely account of Chuck Berry as told by himself and many other famous musicians (Keith Richards, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Eric Clapton, Bruce Springsteen etc. etc.) as they prepare for a concert with a Keith Richards-organized band. What I think is unusual about it and what makes it one of the best "rock films" is that it clearly also presents Chuck as the often-difficult character he clearly is instead of being a hagiography. In fact, knowing this and seeing his humanity, makes the music all the more powerful. Keith Richards (as so often) is priceless, his musical contribution is superb. Chuck "correcting" Keith on his intro to "O Carol" is wonderful. Can you hear the difference between his and Chuck's rendition? The final concert is superb with all the guest stars appearing and keeping a lowish profile. The stars are Berry and, even though he tries very hard not to overshadow the man, Richards who shows us (once again) that there is no one who plays Chuck Berry better than Keith.

I recommend it to any one who likes rock music. Berry is a giant and here he is with other giants.

Of course now it needs to be on DVD....

the crown royal of rock and roll movies
this, to me stands as one of the greatest rock films ever. to see chuck berry- the true king of rock and roll- playing as good as he ever did, cantankerous as he ever was, proud and unapologetic,a real american legend. i loved all the other reviews. this movie really touched me. hail hail rock and roll.

Still have to wonder?
Chuck Berry gave it to Keith Richards relentlessly both during the rehearsels for this concert and all throughout the show in St Louis that night! And all because Keith had dared him to put on a real show for once with a real band, and not just use some local talent as has been his usuall practice, throughout his entire career.
The lapses in guitar solos during the St Louis concert proves it as there there because of Berry's messing with the arrangements, (not playing as rehearsed)! To Mr.Richards credit the thing turned in to a night of rock n roll magic regardless, and a bit of rock history any lover of the craft would surely love to own.
Mr.Berry found himself in more legal hot water some time after this film was made and one still has to wonder if in fact K.Richards might know more about that then he'll ever let on? Camera's found in the ladies washrooms at Berry Land? As embarrassing a crime as anyone's likely to be charged with one tends to think? And I'd love to know how they got there but...??? ... Read more

Reviews (25)

Stark yet poetic rendering of Williams' last masterpiece
This is arguably the last of Williams' great plays. On Broadway Bette Davis essayed the role given to a gusty, gutsy Ava Gardner in the film- a role Bette Midler would be ripe for today. The day scenes are shot quite starkly, grainily, realistically. The night scenes are shot in a luminous/poetic style. John Huston's direction contrasts these characters' realities with their dreams - the essence of Williams' writing. Burton is excellent as is Gardner, but the finest work is that of Deborah Kerr in her last great performance as Hannah Jelkes, a woman who has put her own life aside to aid her dying grandfather, "the world's oldest living poet," in completing his last opus. Her scenes with Burton and Gardner are exquisite.

Totally Excellent !!
Great play ... Great acting ... Great direction ... although nobody won Oscars. Who cares? John Huston wisely filmed this in stark black and white reflecting its somber tone. Burton gives the performance of lifetime as Shannon at the end of his rope, and Kerr is fantastic, as always, imbuing a tender role with even more humanity. T. Williams' play, one of the best from America's best playwright, has everything. Conflict, strong characterization, wisdom, and of course humor. Some of the coarseness of the play has been excised (Shannon's), thus making him a more sympathetic character, but this does not hurt the movie. Huston sticks pretty much to the actual play, except for the ending, which was not in the play. However, this does not really hurt the film. Anyway, buy this film and enjoy it again and again. Your life will be richer for it.

WAY Behind Schedule
THIS MOVIE IS SO BEAUTIFULLY FILMED IN BLACK AND WHITE, IT LITERALLY CRIES OUT FOR A CRISP, CLEAN, SHARP DVD TRANSFER. LESSER MOVIES ARE ALREADY OUT ON DVD, WHILE THIS ONE SEEMS CONDEMNED TO LANGUISH IN THE ETERNAL MURKINESS OF VHS....A VIEWING EXPERIENCE TANTAMOUNT TO DRINKING DON PERIGNON OUT OF A DIRTY TIN CAN. TSK TSK.
PUT IT OUT ON DVD; IT DESERVES TO BE SHOWCASED IN GORGEOUS QUALITY. WE ARE ALL WAITING!

Where is this LONG OVERDUE DVD???
This is truly one of the most amazing films you will ever see!!!It touches on "The Truth" and something much bigger/more acknowledging than perhaps we as human beings can understand in this lifetime-and does so with a magnificence and grace much more effective than almost anything I have ever seen. Although released in 1964, the messages of tolerance to other people, restoring faith, rising above our own potential self-destructivness, and MOVING ON WITH LIFE couldn't be more poignant for todays audience (perhaps even more striking and PRESCIENT!!). I agree with one previous reviewer- that it is comparable to the emotional depth/intellectual magnitude of a Bergman but perhaps much more easily digestable for a "pop-cultured" American audience-and that is truly unusual if nonexsistnat for an American Hollywood-type film. And Yet all the magic ingredients of A Hollywood Moneymaker are here...BIG STARS: Richard Burton, Ava Gardner, and Deborah Kerr (all of whom in my opinon deserved Oscars for their performances here), DIRECTED BY ONE OF HOLLYWOODS BEST/MOST SOUGHT AFTER DIRECTORS: John Huston BRILLIANT AND SMARTLY WRITTEN BY ONE OF THE BEST AUTHORs/ and POPULAR PLAYWRITES EVER!: Tennessee Williams. Their looks like there will be a 2005 re-release of this film but they NEVER LIVE UP TO THE ORIGINAL and I also agree that with one reviewer who states this is a film that was meant to be seen (and is much stronger) in its original black-and-white. I WILL NOT, (and I repeaat NOT)BUY the 2005 rerelase but I would however, dish out BIG MONEY for the original 1964 release of this film on DVD. This is truly one of the most powerful and worthwhile films you will ever see with performances by all players that are equally as strong!!! SO I REPEAT, WHERE IS THE DVD OF THIS BRILLIANT 1964 GEM??? MGM-PLEASE GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER!!!

A wonderful story. Great acting

Format: Black & White
Studio: Warner Studios
Video Release Date: November 18, 1992

Cast:

Richard Burton ... Rev. Dr. T. Lawrence Shannon
Ava Gardner ... Maxine Faulk
Deborah Kerr ... Hannah Jelkes
Sue Lyon ... Charlotte Goodall
Skip Ward ... Hank Prosner
Grayson Hall ... Judith Fellowes
Cyril Delevanti ... Nonno
Mary Boylan ... Miss Peebles
Fidelmar Durán ... Pepe
Emilio Fernández ... Barkeeper
C.G. Kim ... Chang
Roberto Leyva ... Pedro
Eloise Hardt ... Teacher
Gladys Hill ... Miss Dexter
Barbara Joyce ... Teacher
Billie Matticks ... Miss Throxton
Betty Proctor ... Teacher
Liz Rubey ... Teacher
Bernice Starr ... Teacher
Dorthy Vance ... Teacher
Thelda Victor ... Teacher

If you have failed to see this film, you have missed a good one. Burton plays a defrocked Episcopal priest, Rev. Shannon, who was locked out of his church because of "sins of the flesh."

Taking a job with a tour-bus conductor, billed as "reverend," he runs afoul of a young girl, Charlotte Goodall) (Sue Lyon) who has designs in his skivvies. Her protector, Miss Fellowes (Grayson Hall) has her own designs on young Miss Goodall, and is intent on getting Shannon fired from his "bottom of the barrel" job. Enter beautiful Ava, a widow friend who owns a lush tropical resort hotel.

You will love this film--especially the poetry (Cyril Delevanti).

Joseph (Joe) Pierre

... Read more

Description

How can a best friend become a guy's best girl?That's the problem facing Leah (Jennifer Love Hewitt of I Know What You Did Last Summer and TV's Party of Five), a sweet-natured teen with a major crush on her good pal Brad (Will Friedle of TV's Boy Meets World). Brad has a problem of his own.He's just discovered Brooke (Marley Shelton), his very beautiful high-school study mate, is also very willing.Once catch, though: no condom.So off Brad goes into the suburban night to find the one thing keeping him from romantic bliss.It should be easy.But on this anything-can-happen night of kook and catastrophes, it's war.Director George Huang follows his satiric Swimming with Sharks with Trojan War, a wild comic adventure about finding true love where you least expect it.Make a date with this hip, funny, fast-paced caper. ... Read more

Reviews (48)

This movie was the best movie I've ever seen.
I love this movie. Jennifer Love Hewitt and Will Friedle were great in it. The whole theme of the movie and how Will was trying to get himself laid was really funny. I loved the turnout of the movie and who he had chosen to be the one for him.

Good
I liked this movie a lot and I was wondering if there was a soundtrack for it oh well the movie is good for the simple fact that Jennifer Love Hewitt is in it and oh yeah it was entertaining too.

Great Teen Flick
This movie was enjoyable. i love Will Friedle I think he is so funny. Acting by Jennifer Love Heiwett was great. This is a real layed back movie. I recommend it, go buy it or rent it.

I know! Why don't we rename this movie 'Piece O' Crap'!!
This movie is awful. Possibly one of the worst I've endured in quite a while.
Terrible plot, cliché acting and quite possibly the lamest script ever. It's like the directors decided to purposefully go about rendering the viewer an official retard by killing off all remaining brain cells.
One step up from Americas Unfunniest Home Videos, the part where this 'story' was (un)successfully made into a released movie fit for human consumption is beyond me. This movie puts the art of directing, script writing, acting and comedy to uttermost shame. The script reads like it was written by a three year old. On crack.

To conclude this little tirade, don't watch/buy/steal this movie. It might kill you.

Predictable piece of smut
This movie is awful. Possibly one of the worst I've endured in quite a while.
Terrible plot, cliché acting and quite possibly the lamest script ever. It's like the directors decided to purposefully go about rendering the viewer an official retard by killing off all remaining brain cells.
One step up from Americas Unfunniest Home Videos, the part where this 'story' was (un)successfully made into a released movie fit for human consumption is beyond me. This movie puts the art of directing, script writing, acting and comedy to uttermost shame. The script reads like it was written by a three year old. On crack.

To conclude this little tirade, don't watch/buy/steal this movie. It might kill you. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Indy finally gets it, but forgets it.
I thought, from reading the description, that this would be boring. But it wasn't, not by a long shot. It's probably the best "Young Indy".

The action is limited to the first five or so minutes, where Lieutenant De Fonz (aka Indy) disobeys his superior and tells the troops to advance instead of retreat. This results in victory, and a promotion to Captain, but also the Major holding a grudge. Naturally, Indy and the Major are then teamed up on a mission to retrieve some weapons.

The opening battle sequence was even more graphic then "Trenches of Hell", and when Indy grabs the machine gun and mows done countless men, we see just how far he's come (or fallen) in less than a year. I love this one for all the character developement Indy undergoes, especially in relation to the previous videos. It's good to keep in mind that it's now December of 1916, and just last February all Indy cared about was the prom, and driving a cool car to said event. More has happened to Indy in ten months than happens in real peoples' entire lives.

That's where he is at the start of "Oganga". By the end he's changed even more, due to all the slow death he's had to witness. "Onganga" is great just for the fact that Indy is more human in this than he's ever been. He gets feverish, delusionary, and downright depressed. He seems like a real 17-year-old who's in way over his head. This isn't your typical Indy.

While it's good to see Indy's interaction with Schweitzer, and how it changes his outlook on life, I can't help but note that Harrison Ford's Indy seems to have forgotten the whole thing. He's back to killing with nonchalance, and even glee. Perhaps the Young Indy writers should have tried to be more consistent with the already established future. But at least they are consistent within the series, because in the next video ("Hawkmen") Indy changes his approach to the war by joining the secret service.

Kudos to Sean Patrick Flanery, he's a great Indy, especially in this one.

A Gem
I bought Oganga, The Giver and Taker of Life for my younger son, who is enthralled with anything having to do with Indiana Jones, but I frequently find myself watching this and the other Young Indiana Jones videos with him. The series is simply superb.

George Lucas used some of the best writers, directors and acting talent available to him and filmed the series on location around the world. As a result, despite being made for television, they are gems. Ordinarily, I hate it when movies are used to send a message, but the messages in the series generally flow naturally from the plots without being overly heavy-handed.

In this installment, Indy is an officer serving in the Belgian army in Africa during the Great War who is sent on an important and dangerous mission. In the process, he learns much about leadership, European colonialism, death, and ultimately what is important in life. The series skillfully interweaves real-life people into the plot, and in this installment Indy meets Albert Schweitzer.

Parents should be advised that, while uplifting, this is a war movie and that death, from both battle and disease, is integral to the plot.

Pretty good
I have a friend who describes this one as boring. Not True! It's in the same line as Phantom Train and Daredevils. It's one of those episodes that teaches Young Indy about respecting life and people, but they're still great episodes, even if they are less exciting.

Action, but above all, Indy learns to care about life!
In the other movies, Indy never seemed to care about human life. In this he learns lots about life, feelings and points of view. This movie should be seen by everyone who can see it! It teaches valuable lessons and is still a classic Indiana Jones film.

I have always wanted to be a director and these movies have already taught me alot about the types of movies people like. I have used these and other George Lucas and Steven Spielberg films to use as exaples. Right now my friends and I are working on a film. We hope to have it completed by Jr. High.

Open minded people buy this!
This film lacks the cheesy comedy of the traditional indy videos. It explores philosophy and human nature. Indy has doubts about his involvment in the Belgian armys imperialist war in Africa. After speaking to an African native soldier about the war Indy learns that the Belgians will not leave Africa for the Africans but merely take it over from the Germans they are liberating it from. While it is action packed it also shows the political science of WWI. Get this! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Strife-torn America wanted a meat-and-potatoes romance in the late '60s, and the country embraced Erich Segal's slim, generic-sounding novel in a big way. It did so again for the film adaptation in 1970, starring Ryan O'Neal as a law student who defies his rich and powerful father (Ray Milland) on every issue, including the former's love for a music student (Ali MacGraw). The two marry, start life together...and then the Grim Reaper turns up at the door. Directed by Arthur Hiller (The In-Laws), the film ends up lacking the kind of stylistic boost that might have made it a must-see for the ages. But its faithfulness to the book's uncomplicated and, yes, moving intentions is pretty solid. O'Neal is convincing as a nice guy who's as bullheaded in his own way as his steely father (a nice job by Milland), and MacGraw has a way of getting under one's skin. A viewer just has to try not laughing at the refrain, "Love means never having to say you're sorry." --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (54)

MY ALL TIME FAVORITE MOVIE!
I've seen this video countless times. More times, than any other movie. And every time I watch it, it moves me to tears. To experience a love so true and so deep is a miracle and to lose it... it's beyond me. But to even experience it and see a glimpse of it (from this movie) is a wonder enough. The love story between rich Harvard hockey-player Oliver Barrett IV (played by Ryan O'Neal) and smart-mouthed Radcliffe gal Jennifer Cavilleri (played by Ali McGraw) is one of those once-in-a-lifetime love stories... captured on film. These two star-crossed lovers who are from the opposite ends of the socio-economic ladder overcome all obstacles (disapproving parents, near poverty and Harvard Law School) to make their love work. The only thing going for them was their love and devotion to each other. And just when things were finally looking up... tragedy strikes.

The book written by Eric Segal is even more moving but to see the movie, is just as a great experience. It's not just a tearjerker! It's truly a masterpiece! I LOVE THIS MOVIE! It's my ALL TIME favorite movie.

Does anyone know if they plan to release this on DVD?

Something You Should Spend Some Time On It.
The major reason makes me interest in this book and DVD was my Dad. This movie
was shot before I was born. When I was a little girl, I saw Dad watching this movie every time when it was shown on TV. My Dad is kinds of the action movie type. I was surprised why he loved watching this movie. So, when I was in the video store one day, I decided to rent the DVD to see what made my Dad to watch a love drama. Just like my father. I am totally devoted to the movie. I bought both "Oliver's Story" and "Love Story" and finished reading in one afternoon. For me, I like the Love Story more than Oliver's Story. The 3/4 part of the Love Story was a pleasant story. Both of them loved each other very much and would like to sacrifice for each other. For Oliver's story, it's all sad and how Oliver couldn't forget Jenny. Love Story is very well written. I highly recommend you to read it.

That was really a nice one
After reading the book "Love Story" and sobbing about the ending of the of the book when Jenny dies, I wasn't quite normal for a few days, the story just stuck in my mind. I knew that there was a movie based on the book out there and about a month after reading the book I saw the movie. To be brutally honest the movie didn't have the punch and the emotion that the book had had on me. It just seemed kind of choppy, like somebody was going scissor happy in the editing room in 1970. I am not going to say anything about the acting because who am I to give acting directions. I just want to say that we should feel that way the actors portraying the characters feel, and obviously I did because I felt totally disconnected with the characters.{okay, after seeing th movie I found out that Erich Segal had actually written the screen play before actually writing the book} I don't feel that it would be an insult to say that there should be a remake of the movie "Love Story" because with the technology and the acting skills of today's actors, producers and directors and what not, it could be great. I watched "Love Story" because my dad said it was his favorite movie of all time and that it's the only movie he's ever went to the theatre to watch twice, so I thought that it really had to be a good movie. I did like "Love Story," even though I wouldn't call it one of my favorite movies of all time....I'm more the action, sci-fi, comedy, and horror movie type.
"Love Story" is good because it seems realistic, just like two normal people who are real different from each other might act in a real life relationship. Ryan O'Neal and Ali MacGraw brought their acting skills and used them in this love story of a movie. If you like love stories, I recommend purchasing "Love Story."

To be honest, it could have been better
After reading the book "Love Story" and sobbing about the ending of the of the book when Jenny dies, I wasn't quite normal for a few days, the story just stuck in my mind. I knew that there was a movie based on the book out there and about a month after reading the book I saw the movie. To be brutally honest the movie didn't have the punch and the emotion that the book had had on me. It just seemed kind of choppy, like somebody was going scissor happy in the editing room in 1970. I am not going to say anything about the acting because who am I to give acting directions. I just want to say that we should feel that way the actors portraying the characters feel, and obviously I did because I felt totally disconnected with the characters.{okay, after seeing th movie I found out that Erich Segal had actually written the screen play before actually writing the book} I don't feel that it would be an insult to say that there should be a remake of the movie "Love Story" because with the technology and the acting skills of today's actors, producers and directors and what not, it could be great.

A sad film. 4th may 2004.
Most sad films make me cry, this didn't really. Although it was sad when jenny died. It might not be everyone's type of film but for me i quite liked it. I wouldn't say it was excellent to keep watching over and over again, but it was still a good film. The music at the end was sad too, can't remember how it goes but every time i hear it it makes you feel sad. He had known her and he was going to marry her until she found out that she had got cancer and then she died, Heartbreaking story. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

One of Betty Grable's better musicals
This movie gets criticized for having a "weak" male lead. First of all, it's called "Pin-Up Girl" not "Pin-Up Man." I am not interested in the male lead. John Harvey does a good job acting as a foil to Betty Grable - and that's all that's required. The last Betty Grable musical I tried to watch (Moon Over Miami) was going great until the male lead showed up and KILLED it. Another thing it ge