Description

Nominated for 5 Academy Awards(R) including Best Picture, Best Actress (Juliette Binoche -- THE ENGLISH PATIENT), and Best Supporting Actress (Judi Dench -- SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE), CHOCOLAT is the beautiful and captivating comedy from the acclaimed director of THE CIDER HOUSE RULES! Nobody could have imagined the impact that the striking Vianne (Binoche) would make when she arrived in a tranquil, old-fashioned French town. In her very unusual chocolate shop, Vianne begins to create mouth-watering confections that almost magically inspire the straitlaced villagers to abandon themselves to temptation and happiness! But it is not until another stranger, the handsome Roux (Johnny Depp -- SLEEPY HOLLOW), arrives in town that Vianne is finally able to recognize her own desires! ... Read more

Reviews (311)

Dark and creamy
"Chocolat", chocolate in french, is one of the few quality fables filmed in history. Its sweet tooth theme is perfect with the characters' emotions. The old town french town was wonderfully crafted. The fashion designers crafted the costumes perfectly to look 1959. Lasse Hallstrom directed this movie brilliantly. The writers give the movie the extra unique touches that most other today's movies need. They make all the events fit together as one.

Juliette Dimoche was the perfect actress to play Vianne, a chocolate cook whom most of the town calls her "Satan" for no reason. Judi Dench wonderfully portrays a cranky old woman whose fate becomes unexpected. Both deserved their Oscar nominations. Johnny Depp proves that he's improved greatly in the past few years in his role as a river drifter who falls in love with Vianne. Lena Olin plays a battered wife emotionally.

***Important word of caution: One will become very hungry while watching this movie. A small bowl of chocolate will cure the craving and will give the experience an extra touch.

Yummy!!...
This movie is so well made, it is sometimes difficult to remember it was filmed in 2001 and not 1959. It's a mouth-watering experience. Being that I own this movie now, and have seen it 3 or 4 times, I always order chocolate-drizzled brownies from a local restaurant while we watch it. Beware, you don't want to see this one without something sweet.

Vianne(Binoche) and her daughter Anouke, travel with the North winds. On this new journey(in 1959), they land in a small town outside France that seems to be stuck in a time warp.

"Tranquility" , says the town mayer, is the "motto" of his small province. Vianne and her Chocolaterie, bright red shoes, sexy clothes, and illegitimate daughter are exactly what the mayor does not welcome into his quiet little town. Epecially, during Lent.

Vianne still manages to stir up love and lust with her ancient chocolate formulas under the watchful eye of the Mayor. "One bite and you are hooked". Her time in the little moral town is interupted with wonderful characters and new friends. I loved Johnny Depp as the gypsy who lands his riverboat alongside the little town, only to cause distubances amongst the chuch-going frenzy of people. He and Juliet Binoche light up the screen and make a sexy match.

The movie, although a dramatic one, has some outrageous funny moments as well. Dame Judi Dench, one of my favorite actresses, plays the landlord of Vianne's Chocolaterie. Every word out of her mouth is sarcastic and somewhat "dirty"(very reminiscent of her small coveted role in Branagh's "Henry V"). I enjoyed her truthfulness and laughed along with her lines.

It doesn't need to be Valentine's Day for someone to enjoy this delicious movie. Why not buy it and package it with a box of chocolates for your sweetheart.

Chocolat
I didn't get all the hype around Chocolat that everyone made it seem.The acting and dialogue aren't the problem.The film is just extremely strange which made me kind of like it, but it was to odd and boring at times.It tells a sweet tale and ends well but I just didn't get into it.Binoche does a great job along with much of the cast.The characters are loved and you hurt when they are hurt but it doesn't pay back for the dullness.I just can't sit two hours through a film like that.I get bored and start to doze off especially later at night.Don't get me wrong it has a sort of heart warming tale and great looking chocolate but that doesn't help a movie get a good rating.Johnny Depp and Judi Dench especially do a fabulous job and Dench really was in my opinion a stronger and more believable character.Another thing that is interesting about the film is the setting and it's moral.I didn't like the cloudly dark feeling around the film either.The overall major problems though are the dullness and unusual plot; also it is a bit predictable.I really only reccomend this one if you are very easily impressed by all movies or you may want to check it out if your bored.

It is the late 1950s, but it might as well be the late 1850s in a small French town where everyone behaves as they should (supposedly), and attends church regularly. When a strong North wind blows through town, it brings the vivacious and mysterious Vianne (Juliette Binoche) and her young daughter Anouk (Victoire Thivisol). Vianne is soon the talk of the town: an unwed mother who declines to go to church and opens up a chocolate shop in the midst of Lent. Her good-natured, honorable personality and psychic ability (she can predict what kind of sweets best suit each person, and magically cures each of them of their particular maladies) make her as irresistible as her delectable treats. However, Vianne and her daughter are resented by the conservative mayor, the Comte de Reynaud (Alfred Molina), and by the pious Caroline (Carrie-Anne Moss), who has disowned her own spirited mother (Judi Dench, who plays Vianne's landlady), refusing the elderly woman access to her beloved grandson.This touching fairy tale, based on the novel by Joanne Harris, was filmed on location in rural France. An intelligent, exquisitely filmed fable that deals with the idea of 20th Century paganism rising up against a closed-minded church and a persevering aristocracy, CHOCOLAT is enjoyable, romantic, and entertaining, with affecting performances by both its stars and its supporting actors (Lena Olin and Johnny Depp.)

Where's the "E"?
I'm a collector of movies with the word 'Chocolate' in the title (Willy Wonka and the chocolate factory, Like Water For Choclate, Chinese Choclate, Stawberry and Chocolate, etc.) I don't really watch the movies, A.) because I don't want to break the anti-theft seal and reduce the collector's value. B.) because I don't really have the patience for movies. C.) Even if I DID have the patience for movies, I wouldn't have the patience for movies like "Chocolate And Strawberries" and "Like Water for chocolate" because I find them--I don't know--artsy fartsy, I guess you'd call it. The only reason I watched "Chocolat" is because I was intrigued that the director would leave the "e" off Chocolate which everyone knows ends in "e". I found myself dozing through a lot of it because-- like I said-- most movies with chocolate in the title are rather boring and arty. Also my father was always telling us when we were kids that he'd "sell us to the Gypsies" if we didn't behave so it was hard for me to get behind the Jonnny Depp character. I don't know, I just always loved movies with the word chocolate in the title. I don't even really like the word chocolate written on anything else, nor do I like the sound of it spoken aloud. I don't eat chocolate because it gives me hives. I just like the word chocolate in movie titles be they on marquees, video, or dvd boxes; and so I expect to see the full word there without any dropping of the last letter.

One of my favorites
This moving is moving and touching. I loved how chocolate bought the town together. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Tyrin Turner may not have broken out into stardom as was initially expected, but his work in Menace II Society is one of the more powerful cinematic debuts.The film, from the brother writer-director team of Allen and Albert Hughes, chronicles life in the Los Angeles 'hood. Similar territory was covered in the equally commanding Boyz N the Hood, but what makes this cautionary tale stand out is not only the Hughes brothers' forceful story, (written with their friend, Tyger Williams) and direction, but the naturalness of then-newcomer leads Turner as Caine, Larenz Tate as O-Dog, and Jada Pinkett as Ronnie. They are so credible--occasionally frighteningly so--that the repressive universe of violent ghetto life is captured effectively.Life as portrayed here--and no doubt accurately so--is both figuratively and literally narrow. As a very young boy, Caine witnesses his dad murdered over something inconsequential, and his mom OD. His is a world where respect comes from intimidation, power from violence. Despite his understanding of right and wrong (values passed on by a good friend, his kind grandparents, a caring teacher), his life and its entrapments are too much to overcome. --N.F. Mendoza ... Read more

Reviews (98)

This Movie Iz Crazy
Im am a 14 year old and I want to talk about the Movie Menace II Society.Menace II Society is the tightest Movie I ever saw since "Boyz N The Hood" & "South Central".It all started out as a young boy name Caine (Tyrin Turner) telling a story about surviving the streets for good.My favorite Scence is When Caine & O-Dog(Larenz Tate) was in the liquor store when these two got evloved in a murder by O-Dog kill the korean grocer and also killed the korean lady while O-Dog threatens to get the video tape from her.In The Movie, They mention O-Dog as "The American's Worst Nightmare" and They also mention that O-Dog is Young, Black, And Don't Give A [care]. They also have a cool soundtrack with MC Eith(Streith Up Menace) and all other cool artists.I Recommend this movie to everyone.If U love hood movies and u have not seeen it yet, nows it the time to spend your money and buy this classic.On the internet, they also mention the "Director's Cut"(which is Unrated and the orignal verison is an R-Rated Movie).So if you Moviegooer and u have not seen that movie yet, now's the time to get that movie.One more thing,The Directors Allen & Albert Hugues(From Hell,Dead Presidents) did an good job on this movie.

True 2 Life
Okay, since im from London, i cant accuratly depict if this is, or is not the real situations encountered by members of the LA public. But upon watching this for the first time, it really hit me that the horrific things portraid in this movie could happen to anyone of us.

Caine, the main focus of the movie, was brought up in a drug filled home, his father was a drug dealer, and his mother a heroin addict. Caine first saw someone be shot when he was just a child, as shown in the films early scenes. Following this his father is murdered in a fixed drug deal, and his mother overdoses, and dies.

Caines best friend O-Dogg is a 16year old, who, as is said in the movie is 'Americas worst nightmare', hes young, Black, and he just dont giv'a F***.

I wont spoil the movie by saying anymore, but take it from me this is one of the the best movies you will see in a long time, especially if you like the whole gang thing, it also has historical content of the 'Watt's rights'. I say buy it as soon as you can.

Powerful movie
This movie is a veery powerful movie. It will give you some laughs and then youll be crying. It is very moving and it wshows you what the ghetto is really about. Growing up and surviving in the hood is very hard and this movvie shows just how hard it is.

Top 10
Menace II Society is one of my Top 10 movies of all time. I could watch it 5 times a day every day. Tyrin Turner should have become a big star after this movie. This movie had great actors, a good storyline, and production. Just wanted to say he was in Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation video as the kid walking around that place, whatever it was, for some strange reason.

After Boyz in da hood
came this, a raw powered movie, that brings to the real of the early 90's South Central LA. This movie is pretty violent and gory, but yet it has a pretty strong message in it. Do you care wether you live or die?

Tyrin Turner(Kaydee) did a excellent dabut about a man who gets cought up in a situation he wants to get out of. Larenz Tate(O-Dog) is more of a straight up gangsta, but did a real good job at acting. Movies with strong messages like this make up for a excellent drama.

If you loved boyz in the hood and don't have this, that's a real shame, even if you didn't watch bouz in da hood, you should get this, and boyz in da hood as well, because those 2 movies are wll-worth the money.

peace ... Read more

Reviews (18)

1952 VHS of Moulin Rouge
The entire movie of Moulin Rouge was excellent.
I enjoy performances of arts that depict either near authentic or authentic period clothing, which this film provided both.
The Acting by Jose Ferrer was superb especially considering he is a tall male and played a "crippled" short fellow named Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec; which from my understanding this was done completely on his knees, how they portrayed him walking down the street where you see both the front and back of him must of only been accomplished with his feet tied to his upper legs (this is my guess - I could be wrong about that part). You can see his actual height while he is playing the character of the Count (Henri's father). By all standards, this film provides what seems to be "real life" people from 1890's of Paris. It shows many facets of life from the very poor to the extremely wealthy. However, this movie does not state it is based on a true story, but on the novel "Moulin Rouge" by Pierre La Mure. It is however, a work of art. I especially enjoyed the "can-can" dancing and music. If you are into the period clothing and dancing this is a good film to watch.
If you are interested in other movies that include "can-can" dancing and music, check out Can Can with Shirley MacLaine.
Hope this review has helped you.

One of the Great Arts Films
To me, some of the greatest movies are about artists, because the intensity inherent in the artist is also inherent in his art, minimalism notwithstanding. And, of course, cinema is an art. "Lust for Life," "The Red Shoes," "Moulin Rouge" - each is a statement by great visual directors depicting visual art.

"Moulin Rouge" is the story of the great artist-caricaturist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Its excellence is due to the handiwork of John Huston and José Ferrer - Huston for his unflinching view of the pathos of the Parisian demi-monde, and José Ferrer for his delicious and moving portrayal of the tormented, self-absorbed artist who loved everyone except himself, which means that he never knew real love.

This is Ferrer's greatest rôle, surpassing the Cyrano which won him his Best Actor Oscar. It is so typical of the Motion Picture Academy not to get it right.

Stunning DVD transfer!
How nice it feels to be 100% satisfied with a MGM release! (I'm still close to tears when I think of the horrible treatment they gave Garland's "I Could Go on Singing" recently!) This is certainly one of the best three strip Technicolor transfers available on DVD. The image quality is absolutely gorgeous from start to finish! I find it hard to believe that this haunting work of art looked any better when it was initially shown in first class cinemas way back in 1952. I've seen Mr. Huston's film maybe 50 times over the years, but never in my wildest dreams could I ever imagine that it was possible to restore it into something as beautiful as this DVD. A loud BRAVO to MGM!

Moulin Rouge - Jose Ferar: A classic Needing Restoration
Of the millions of films made over the last century, only a few stand out as films which not only are true to the story they portray but are made so exquisitely that to release this film without significant TRUE Restoration would be a crime. The color in this film is worth the experience of watching it even if there was no plot. Like the restoration of Hitchcock's Vertigo, Moulin Rouge would glow once again and be an example of how to use color as exquisite and intelligently as possible. Please, if this is to be made into a DVD (and it must be for the sake of preserving Hollywoods best for future generations)only a full and pristine restoration DVD would be acceptable and most sought after by thousands upon thousands of true film afficianados around the world. I rank this film in the top 20 ever made.

No Absinthe of Malice?
First of all, why is the VHS out of stock? Also, why is there no DVD? Shame on somebody!

Many of those who have seen the film directed by Baz Luhrmann and starring Nicole Kidman (2001) may not know about this film which appeared about 50 years earlier. Based on Pierre LaMure's biographical novel and directed by John Huston, this Moulin Rouge focuses entirely on the life of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Two years previously, Jose Ferrer received an Academy Award for leading actor in Cyrano de Bergerac. He was nominated again in 1952 for his portrayal of Toulouse Lautrec (he also plays the painter's father, Comte Alphonse de Toulouse-Lautrec, a small but significant role in this film), losing to Gary Cooper (High Noon).

How interesting that each of Ferrer's two greatest performances on-screen is of a French aristocrat with a significant physical deformity who encounters only failure and despair in his love life. In any event, Ferrer is brilliant in a cast of consistently high quality. As chanteuse Jane Avril, Zsa Zsa Gabor essentially plays herself: beautiful, vain, melodramatic, self-absorbed, good-hearted, and charming. Also noteworthy are Colette Marshand (as Marie Charlet), Suzanne Flon (Myrianne Haven), Katherine Kath (La Goulue), and Christopher Lee (Georges Seurat). Although nominated for several Academy Awards, this film received only two (for Color Art Direction and Color Costume Design), both richly deserved. Huston skillfully directs an excellent cast while blending seamlessly Oswald Morris' cinematography with George Auric's musical score.

Born in 1864, Toulouse-Lautrec spent his childhood years on family estates near Albi, with Paris becoming his home in 1872. The victim of a genetic bone condition that made him vulnerable to fractures, he walked with a cane by age thirteen and grew to be only four feet eleven inches tall. One example of Huston's genius is the fact that much of the film is shot from Toulouse-Lautrec's perspective. That is, we see the aristocrat-artist's world almost literally through his eyes as he sits and sketches in the music hall, then drags himself to his stunted feet and slowly, painfully resumes his late-night debauchery.

In frail health throughout his adult years, Toulouse-Lautrec exacerbated his situation with alcoholism which no doubt hastened his death in 1901. Lying in bed and near death, he learns from his astonished father that his paintings will be on exhibition at the Louvre. ("The Louvre, Henri, the Louvre! I did not know, Henri, I did not understand....") This final scene reminds me of the final scene in Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939), starring Robert Donat. Both Toulouse-Lautrec and Charles Chipping are near death, barely conscious. Both imagine being visited by those they once knew, bidding them a fond farewell. For Toulouse-Lautrec, the performers from the Moulin Rouge; for Chipping, many of the boys he taught over a period of several decades at Brookfield School.

This film is a feast for the eyes. At least for about two hours, it enables us to return to Paris near the end of the 19th century, to a world which remains vivid in the great art of Seaurat, Renoir, Degas, Monet, Manet, Bonnard....and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. ... Read more

Amazon.com

For an entire generation who hid behind the sofa during the scary bits, jokes about Doctor Who are almost inescapably funny. "The Curse of Fatal Death," an extended sketch for Comic Relief, stars more unlikely actors and comedians as the Doctor than anyone could have imagined plausible--Rowan Atkinson, to begin with, and both Hugh and Richard E. Grant. The last-named performance indeed gives one uncomfortable thoughts about roads not taken, as does Jonathan Pryce's remarkable tribute to Roger Delgado as the Master. The tape is filled out with an informative behind-the-scenes documentary and three Doctor Who-related sketches by Victoria Wood and Jim Broadbent, by Lenny Henry, and by French and Saunders. This last sketch, never before shown, with French and Saunders as extras playing reptilian aliens, is particularly hilarious. --Roz Kaveney ... Read more

Reviews (24)

Parody very short in length
The parody, 'Curse of Fatal Death', is only about 15 minutes long! The rest of the video is dedicated to how the parody was made which, in my opinion, was boring and tedious. There are three other parodys of Dr. Who at the end of the tape (about 5 mintues each) which are Ok. Although Rowan Atkinson and Hugh Grant are seen in the spoof, I was very disappointed that there wasn't much substance in the parody. The skit is well made, using some orginal Dr. Who visual and audio effects and music, but not enough substance. I probably would not have purchased 'Curse of Fatal Death' if I knew how short it would be.

I Laughed Till I Dried...
I just bought this tape yesterday afternoon, and I'm still chuckling over it. I had heard about this British Comic Relief special over a year ago, but never thought it would be released in the U.S. -- first of all because Doctor Who is considered something of a cult here (i.e., there's little or no money in it), and second because most American fans of the show take it so bloody seriously, they'd probably consider "Fatal Death" as an affront (as witness Star Trek fans' virulent reaction to Shatner's "Get a life" bit on Saturday Night Live). I'm overjoyed to see I was wrong on both counts. Not only have the BBC and Warner Bros. seen a profit potential in a U.S. release, but the reaction I've seen on this page is overwhlemingly positive. As to my reaction? Well...

Being a Blackadder fan as well as a Doctor Who Fan, I was delighted to see Rowan Atkinson in the title role here. He captures the Doctor's spirit perfectly -- sort of a cross between Paul McGann's look, John Pertwee's warmth and charm, and just a little bit of Pat Troughton's naughty-little-boy attitude. And what a brilliant coup, getting Jonathan Pryce to play the part of the Master! Not only is he a great actor (one of the most underrated British actors working today, and one I wish I could see more often), he is also great at playing villains (which you can see in both the Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies, and in Something Wicked This Way Comes, which has Pryce as the devilish Mr. Dark -- his confrontation with Jason Robards in this film is both chilling and electrifying). Here he gives the Master a perfect blend of Anthony Ainley's over-the-top bravado and Roger Delgado's brilliant, jovial menace -- yet Pryce puts just enough of his own not-inconsiderable talent in to make the role his own. Julia Swahala makes a creditable companion to the Doctor, though I can't quite understand why the Doctor would marry her -- she's got nice legs and everything, but they should have brought back Romana if they wanted to go that route. The other guest actors they brought in to play successive Doctor regenerations were all spot-on, from Richard E. Grant's "lick-the-mirror-handsome" incarnation to Hugh Grant's less-conceited-but-still-quite-handsome version. I also loved the use of Joanna Lumley at the end ("Oh, it's got three settings!"); it's a brilliant twist, and one can't help but wonder why they never tried it on the original series (as opposed to, say, Colin Baker).

As to the humor quotient -- well, I think my review title (which I quite frankly stole from Eric Idle) pretty much describes it. There are dozens of in-jokes here, craftily designed for longtime lovers of the show and its conventions/cliches ("Doctor, what's happening?" "I'll explain later."); there are a brilliant series of time-travel gags early on, worthy of Douglas Adams at his most intricate -- and a few (ahem) "bottom-burp" jokes worthy of The Young Ones at their dirtiest. There are also some fine moments regarding the Master being "augmented" by the Daleks -- "You don't even know what it does, do you?" -- and a brilliant twist ending that echoes, of all things, the end of "Some Like It Hot"! Overall, it's a riot.

If I have any complaints, it's that the darned thing is too short! At (barely) twenty minutes, it seems more like a tease than an actual program. If the humor content wasn't so rich, I might feel cheated...however, given the fact that the producers were working under a limited budget, using borrowed sets and busy actors, I guess I can understand the reason for "Fatal Death's" brevity. The BBC must have realized this too, for they've been generous enough to include a documentary about the making of the special (which is actually pretty good, though a bit superficial), as well as three Doctor Who spoofs from other sketch-comedy shows, the funniest of which is the last. (The first one is a French & Saunders sketch which was never aired, and it isn't hard to see why -- it's painfully unfunny. Still, it's better than Spike Milligan's terrible, racist Pakistani Dalek sketch from M6.) It all makes up for the shortness of "Fatal Death", though if the sketches had been less uneven I would be giving five stars here instead of just four. Even so, I'm just glad "The Curse of Fatal Death" was finally released, and as a longtime Doctor Who fan I'm proud to include this in my collection.

Definitely worth a DVD release.
Maybe a DVD release would be a great time to release this show unedited? Since the VHS copy is butchered it would make sense now that this is rereleased in a new unedited DVD. If someone needs me to sign a petition please email me. I'll gladly sign.

The Sofa of Reasonable Comfort
Rowan Atkinson stars in this parody of the long-running Doctor Who. Joanthan Pryce makes an execellent Master.
The Doctor meets with the Master and tells him he has fallen in love with his lovely companion and says he will travel in time no more. The laughs come fast in this parody! Also on the tape are behind-the-scences taping of the parody and 3 comedy sketches.

The Curse of Fatal Editing
The earlier reviews posted here have pretty well covered the merits of the plot, but a brief note is needed on the technicalities, as this story has been re-edited for video.

When it was shown on television, "The Curse of Fatal Death" was in four parts, each one ending in a cliffhanger. But BBC Video, always happy to throw in a spoiler where it can, has chosen for no good reason to pointlessly spoil this story by re-editing it into a 2-parter.

So do be aware that this video is not what was presented on television. ... Read more

Amazon.com

A monster runs amok in a Chicago museum on the very day the institution is holding a glitzy reception. Naturally, the museum bosses want to go ahead with their public relations even as the creature is decapitating victims. Penelope Ann Miller plays a scientist on the run from the critter (which is at times computer generated and reminiscent of the raptors in Jurassic Park), and Tom Sizemore is a cop looking for his cold-blooded (in every sense) killer. Peter Hyams (Timecop) directs, and as always he excels at managing the plastic action at the cost of real feeling and logic. (Much of the story is pretty laughable.) --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (81)

Scary but too scientific
A great premise, and a great location for a story, in a museum, but this film suffers from an abundance of technobabble in its plot. Basically, there is a monster at large in a museum, and the stars (Tom Sizemore & Penelope Ann Miller) have to catch and kill it. The trouble is, this thing is big, fast and with an insatiable appetite for human glands. Peter Hyams (End of Days, 2010:The Year we make Contact) creates a huge amount of tension by shooting most of this film in the dark, using only minimal lighting. When the creature attacks, and is eventually revealed, it is a truly frightening sight. But the thing that stopped me giving this film five stars was the lack of true characterisation, and the amount of scientific gobbledygook spouted to explain the existence of this creature. Otherwise, a true thriller for lovers of the creature feature. The DVD i got was not exactly packed with features; all i could find was the trailer. Sound is great (I am now a true Hyams fan) and the picture is sharp and clear. A great film spoilt by a DVD lacking in the features department.

Classic horror film with an awesome monster! WOW!!!
Penelope Ann Miller and Tom Sizemore topline this engaging suspenser based on the best-selling novel.

Filmed inside Chicago's Field Museum, the movie centers around a horrific brain-feeding beast and its curious link to a missing paleontologist who disappeared while researching a native tribe in Brazil. This monster, designed by special effects master Stan Winston, is unlike anything you're likely to see ever again. As in most other movies like this, you don't get to glimpse it right away. Its presence is more or less represented by an unsettling wheeze that will make you wonder what on earth could be making such a sound. I won't reveal anymore, other than to say it doesn't merely chase its victims down dark and murky underground tunnels--IT GALLOPS AFTER THEM!

Forget what's been said about how overly dark this film was or how much of a letdown it was from the book. If, like me, you are any kind of horror fan who enjoys in-your-face monster movies, you owe it to yourself to buy this and watch it right now!

Watch for an amusing cameo by Audra Lindley, better known as "Mrs. Roper" from "Three's Company."

It's a pretty good Monster movie that's not a critics Drama
I have seen the bad reviews and I think they are missing the point. This is a B monster movie and they are comparing it to Aliens? To me "The Thing" and "An American Werewolf in London" are some of the best monster movies of all time and I see this below them, but fun.
The big question is whether or not you like to watch a monster movie for just being a monster that causes fictionaly mayhem. I grew up watching "Creature Double Feature" with all of those old monster movies. Fact is most Monster Movies are the pits and there has not been too many that are very good at all since now a days they rely on so much CG. Also I find most people do not like the concept of a Monster to begin with; out side of the Vampire; which there has been more than a hundred titles with "Vampire" in it. Oh dear god now there is "Van Helsing" killing Vampires.
So buy it for the pleasure of seeing people attacked for fun and not because you need a masterpiece every time you start up your DVD player because you will quickly find most movies do not hold up to scrutiny. If you feel this way then it is time to start reading the Classics again like Poe since you have raised yourself above this monotony

buy the book
If you really want a good story, buy the book. There is so much more to the story than what the movie showed. The only thing the movie had in common with the book was that the story took place in a museum and there was a monster. Do yourself a favor; read don't screen.

Hypothalumuses.
The book was excellent (as is anything written by duo DOUG PRESTON and LINC CHILD), the film is a thrown-together mess. This is a textbook example of great book-bad movie. The central character on paper was left out on celluloid for who knows why, and the complex science in the plot is traded for Hollywood dribble. F. PAUL WILSON hasn't sold his work for screen since THE KEEP was butchered, the shame is that these terrific writers might wisely take the same route. Oh, well, PRESTON/CHILD's books are so cinematic anyway, who needs pictures? ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Please, release it on DVD!
I saw this movie on TV once, Way Back When. I didn't understand it then, and I still don't now, but one thing's for sure; this movie *must* be released on DVD! It's a cult classic, right up there with "Plan 9 From Outer Space" in its' (unintentional) badness. KISS fans, unite; petition the band to get this movie released on Special Edition DVD--featuring a "making of" documentary, of course!!! 'Nuff said.

"The Phantom"
There is only about 30 minutes worth of actual KISS members in the film, but there is some outstanding live in-concert film from the show at Magic Mountain in the spring of 1978. Some of the show is the actual live recording, not dubbed music. This is the made for TV movie that came out on Halloween of 1978.

I believe this video is out of print, so grab it if you can find it somewhere. A must for any diehard KISS fan.

"Its the cosmic forcefield that protects our talisman."
I think it helps if you're a KISS fan to enjoy this movie as much as I do, but I loaned it to a friend who was never into them at all and it became a cult favorite of his which he quotes to this day. This 1978 masterpiece was directed by Gordon Hessler who did tv shows like Hawaii 5-0, Kung Fu, and Wonder Woman and I think the influence is apparent. Also, the film is produced by Hanna-Barbera (as in Yogi Bear & the Flintstones) and that influence is extremely present!

The plot! involves KISS playing live at Magic Mountain where there is lots of cool things going on like a Peter Criss look a like contest! Anthony Zerbe (Omega Man, First Deadly Sin) plays the mentally unstable Abner Devereaux (the Phantom), creator of all the rides at the park and also the machanical apes. Anyway, he starts losing it when some biker dorks mess with his ride so he sends them to his haunted house to get sucked down these big pipes and....wo! My brain stings...hang on. Ok, so Abner ends up losing his job and he totally flips out and creates a little microchip thing that fits behind the ear and turns whoever is wearing it into a mindless robot. He's also jealous of KISS, not to mention hates their music so he creates a duplicate KISS to destroy the original KISS. Whew!

Watching KISS try to act is endless fun. Gene has a few lines like "Starchild!" and other times just opens his mouth and a prerecorded animal growl comes out! Paul says stuff like "Easy Catman, these guys are serious." and shoots a laser beam out his eye so he can listen to what people are saying far away. Ace says "Ack" and can teleport the whole band out of sticky situations (like when be attacked by samurais or cat people in disco suits, stuff like that.). I never found out what Peter's power was but I know his real voice isn't in the film, its a famous cartoon voice like Aquaman or something. He does have some great lines like "without them we'd be ordinary human beings." This is in response to a question about their talisman, which are these little glowing objects they keep in a little briefcase in their apartment. They get their powers from these things you see. Anyway lots of KISS tunes and scenes that are pricelessly cheesy and unintentionally (I think) hilarious. Like when the cops go to question KISS about a Gene look alike bashing up property in the park and all 4 of them are sitting on high lifeguard stools at their pool dressed in their normal black leather and also silver hooded robes sweating their butts off! This scene always gets me. "Rock and rollers don't bathe."

I found this at a dept. store for cheap on VHS and now I wish I would've bought more copies because it's very out of print. I hope it comes to DVD someday but KISS aren't very proud of it so they probably want it to be buried. However, since KISS will usually sell anything for a buck including a big coffin with their autographs on it, maybe their greed will make them put this timeless cheezeball from 1978 on special edition DVD with interviews about why they hate it! I love this movie! "Rip & Destroy!"

kiss meets the phantom of the park
loved this movie as a kid and wants to share the experence of it with her kids!

KISS Meets The Phantom Of The Camp?
Anyone who is a KISS fan will tell you this is not the greatest effort they've ever done. KISS themselves will tell you that, and they take pride in the fact that they don't own the rights to it. When asked, they say, "we don't own that one, fortunately!" But to needle it down to what appears to be racist and predjudiced remarks (Paul's double with a double chin and Ace's double a "kungfu black man") shows no real merit. What makes a double chin and BLACK SKIN on the doubles so bad? The cool thing about KISS is they can do these kind of things and get away with it. The possibilities are endless, and that is something we should all enjoy. I'm a lifelong die-hard myself, and there are points in the movie that I would love to crawl under the seats in the theaters right along with KISS. Fortunately, there are markers in life by which we grade our accomplishments and make adjustments where necessary. I think for no other reason, this was a great movie to really gaze at the costumes and effects (albeit cheezy) and be taken away. It's a FANTASY, not reality. What does it hurt? Nothing. People can say what they want negative about the movie, but it STILL SELLS like wildfire and the demand has YET to slow down for it. Long live the KINGS OF ROCK! ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Sophisticated Film
James Garner, a U. S. Naval officer, is set up to be the first casualty of D-Day in this sophisticated romantic comedy/antiwar film. Julie Andrews, in one of her best roles, is a British war window. The script by Paddy Chayefsky, from William Bradford Huie's novel, is brilliant.--Diana Dell, author, "A Saigon Party: And Other Vietnam War Short Stories."

What are dog-robbers made of?
During the build-up to D-Day in 1944, James Garner is Lieutenant Commander Charles E. Madison. He worked is way into a SAFE and cushy job as Admiral William Jessup's dog-robber (procurement specialist), Thus assuring himself of being far away form the invasion. Unforeseen, his commanding officer has a mental breakdown and assigns him to FILM the first sailor on Omaha beach. Nothing would happen if it were not for his gung-ho co-worker James Coburn as Lieutenant Commander "Bus" Cummings, who now wants to carry out the commanders intent. Parallel to this James Garner is convincing Julie Andrews as Emily Barham that it is the nobleizing of war that perpetuates war, and people that die in wars are not heroes. So will Charlie (self-proclaimed coward), Americanize Emily or will he turn British?

See James Coburn again with Dick Shawn in "What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? (1966) ASIN: 6302719054"

"Lots of Libertarian messages" by RexCurry.net
I loved the film "The Americanization of Emily" (and I loved the book, also available) and so did the great libertarian Harry Browne (such great company for me). And that great actor James Garner (of my favorite "Rockford Files" fame). The Americanization is a reminder that almost no one knows what "D-Day" means. Whenever I see a WWII flick, that is one of the things that pops into my head, and that most people don't know what "Nazi" means either (National Socialist German Workers' Party). The film is a reminder of the mass slaughter of war and of socialism: the National Socialist German Workers' Party killed 21 million; the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics killed 62 million; the Peoples' Republic of China killed 35 million (known unaffectionately as "the hate-spewing socialist trio of atrocities"). Some people say that the film accurately depicts military brass and the effect of bureaucracy and socialism on them too. This movie is a romance, and a serious examination of people over-matched by forces outside their control, who struggle to do everything in their control to find their way.

Smart and Funny Anti-War Movie
Yet another fine movie not availiable on dvd or vhs. Hopefully this unfairly forgotten gem will get the royal treatment on a special edition dvd sometime soon. War is necessary and the people who fight it are heroes but war is not a noble endeavor. It is insulting to mankind to say blowing up countries and killing people by the thousands is noble and manly in and of itself.

Brilliant, Well-Acted, Well-Directed Script
Either Garner or Andrews said some time ago that this was his/her favorite film among all those he/she had done at that time. One major film critic (Maltin?) included it in a 1000 best-films-ever list. I've seen the film many times because I used to use it in some high-school social studies classes I taught. I have it in VCR format.

I have only one complaint: *the film should be offered as a DVD* with commentary, if possible, by Julie and James. I don't think Arthur Hiller or Paddy Chayefsky are still alive, but it would have been wonderful to listen to their comments too. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Adventures in geezer land--make that lovable geezer land--describes this often manipulative comedy-drama that is rescued only by the personalities of its leads. Richard Harris is a feisty retired sea captain in a Florida retirement community who still wants to chase girls and squeeze the most out of life. He forces his friendship on an also-retired, shy, and routine-loving Cuban exile (Robert Duvall), who eventually reciprocates. But Randa Haines's film isn't quite sure what to do with these old characters. Though each takes a romantic plunge (with Piper Laurie and Shirley MacLaine), you ultimately know what the last stop will be. Still, Harris is a force of nature whose exuberance is contagious, if stagey; and Duvall, as the anal-retentive retired barber, has all the right prissy moves. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (14)

You'll want to own this one.
A movie that examines the stock of ones life through the eyes of two lonely men. Richard Harris commanded this film with his portrayal of Frank. He made it his own. Robert Duvall and shirley MacClaine were outstanding. I echo the sentiments of a previous reviewer. It is is a film that I had never heard of, but happily discovered unawares. This will cause a few tears to flow.

An unexpected delight
I had never heard of "Wrestling Ernest Hemingway" until a friend suggested that I view it. Wow, what performances the two main actors bring to the screen! I had previously seen Harris in Gladiator, but this film truly proves his talent as one of the finest actors around. Duvall also shines in what is a very realistic performance, showcasing subtle acting at it's best. I was quite surprised the film didn't garner any Oscars as it has all the right elements needed to win many, many awards. And to think that such a wonderful piece of moviemaking was written by a 21 year old. Now that's an accomplishment.

Don't let the fact that this film didn't perform well in theatres, rent it for what it is: A great little film with a stellar cast, which even includes Sandra Bullock in one of her first roles. You won't regret it.

Magical!
Quite simply, one of the five best movies I've ever seen.

Great Movie
I saw this movie a long time ago. I'm an actor so, I was aware of it when it went in the theaters. Even Sandra Bullock is good. Imagine that! I won't bore you with details about the preformances. Other than the movie being deep in it's simplicity the fact is, this movie is FUNNY! great fun for all the family. Kids will love it too. But, don't overlook the SOUNDTRACK. This movie has the best Trio Matamoros music ever. Even the music puts a smile on your face.

A beautiful film
Echoing the other reviews printed here, I must express shock that more people have yet to discover this painfully honest,quiet, gentle and loving film.

Featuring outstanding work by Richard Harris (this may be his finest performance!, the incomparable Robert Duvall, Shirley Maclaine, and a gorgeous and graceful Sandra Bullock, "Wrestling Ernest Hemingway" also benefits from a solid script and expert direction that allows human beings to truly live.

This witty and softly tragic film contains something for everyone. It is a film about finding soul mates, about love, about facing loneliness and bravely avoiding despair through grace. It is a film about hope. One of the many great crimes in Film history is the fact that so many have overlooked this beautiful and gently profound film.

For its most agreeable price, "Wrestling Ernest Hemingway" (watch the film to get the title's meaning), is a safe and inexpensive gamble. If you are a fan of movies that value character, setting and introspection, this is a film for you. Enjoy. ... Read more

Description

Chicago.Another town, another innocent scam for vagabond Bill Dancer (Jim Belushi of K-9 and Red Heat) and the curly-topped orphan he's cared for since infancy.But this time, bill hits the jackpot:his newest con whisks them both from the poorhouse to the penthouse with lots of laughs along the way.

Nine-year-old Alisan Porter (Parenthood, Stella) teams with Belushi, taking the title role in John Hughes' comedy that charmed moviegoers from coast to coast.Kelly Lynch (Road House, Drugstore Cowboy) joins the heartwarming fun as a yupwardly mobile attorney who falls for their scheme and takes them home.It's a situation that seems too good to be true.And it turns topsy-turvy when Lynch's jealous boyfriend intervenes.

Reviewer Pat Collins of WWOR-TV pronounced Curly Sue "the feel-good comedy of the season."But with Hughes' wisecracking wit and tender touch, it's really a prize entertainment for any season. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Sweet "Orphan Annie-ish" Formula Comedy/Tear Jerker
Writer/Director John Hughes covered all bases (as usual) with this bitter-sweet "Sunday Afternoon" family movie. "Curly Sue" is a sweet, precocious orphan, cared for from infancy by "Bill". The pair live off their witts as they travel the great US of A. Fate matches them with a "very pretty" yuppie lawyer, and the rest is predictable.

Kids will love this film, as they can relate to the heroine, played by 9 year old Alisan Poter (who went on to be the "you go girl!" of Pepsi commercials). The character is supposed to be about 6 or 7, as she is urged to think about going to school. Some of her vocabulary suggests that she is every day of 9 or older.

Similar to "Home Alone", there is plenty of slap-stick and little fists punching big fat chins. Again, this is "formula" film making, aimed at a young audience. Entertaining and heartwarming. Don't look for any surprises, but be prepared to shed a tear or two.****

Sweet!
I love Jim Belushi and this is one of my favorite movies of his, it's a cute and sweet comedy about a con artist and an adorable little girl with curly hair. Jim Belushi is great and so is adorable Alisan Porter as Curly Sue.

I wish this sweet movie was on DVD and in widescreen!

Great!
This is a really good film! James Belushi stars as a con-man stuck with a cute little girl with curly hair. In another one of their typical cons, they hit the jackpot. They get taken in by Kelly Lynch, who plays a tough, no nonsense attorney. She lets them stay the night after she hits Belushi with her car and eventually they make their way into her heart as well. Of course, this is a John Hughes film, and they always have an underlying dark theme to them (this film is no exception), but all in all it is a great movie. Little Curly Sue will steal your heart. Want a feel good movie with a happy ending? Voila!

This could have been a great Hughes film!
This is John Hughes's last film (to date) as a director and marks a change in focus from his previous work where he had focussed more on teenagers than small children. The expert view of teenage life given in Sixteen Candles and The Breakfast Club gives way to a rather Hollywood view of cutesy tots. Stage school moppet Alisan Porter is only a short step away from singing 'Tomorrow, Tomorrow' or 'Animal Crackers In My Soup' and both the performance and writing jar somewhat in an otherwise well-made film. Belushi is an amiable anti-hero as the tramp that gets helped out by the mega-rich lawyer, but Kelly Lynch's character is somewhat clichéd. Do lawyers really get paid as much in America as film and television would have you believe? If so, no wonder people dislike them so much. There is a pretty good musical score here finishing with a great little song from Ringo Starr as the credits roll. It's a sweet film, but would have been better with a different central character.

Good I suppose
This movie is more than predictable but otherwise it is very sweet. The cast is great and the storyline is sweet. The little girl Alisan Porter is also adorable... okay enough cutesy language. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Imagine a work by Shakespeare reduced to one of those pretty, glossy coffee-table picture books that have only a dollop of text alongside its sumptuous photographs, and you might have Michael Hoffman's adaptation of A Midsummer Night's Dream. This all-star version of Shakespeare's comedy is gorgeously shot in Tuscany, complete with a magical forest, breathtaking landscapes, beautiful villas, picturesque villages, stunning period costumes--oh wait, there's supposed to be a story here, too!Hoffman hijacks Shakespeare's basic premise but doesn't instill it with much more than surface shine and transplants it to turn-of-the-century Italy.Ergo, it's left up to the actors to find the heart and soul of this classic play, in which the fairies of the forest play mix and match with four young lovers, courtesy of a magical love potion. Hoffman couldn't ask for better (or better looking) actors to play Shakespeare's dreamlike love games--Michelle Pfeiffer, Rupert Everett, Calista Flockhart, Christian Bale, Stanley Tucci, Kevin Kline, Anna Friel, Dominic West, the list goes on and on--but he sure as heck doesn't know what to do with them, aside from putting them in various states of undress. Only Flockhart (as the lovestruck Helena), Tucci (a sprightly Puck), Pfeiffer (dazzling and funny as the queen of the fairies), and especially the sublime Kline (as weaver-turned-donkey Bottom) seem to connect with their characters in ways that make this adaptation occasionally soar; the rest are inexplicably left to flounder. Hoffman does seem to set himself right with the film's climax, when Bottom's amateur acting troupe hilariously enacts the tale of Pyramus and Thisbe (it helps that the troupe includes Roger Rees, Sam Rockwell, and Bill Irwin). Those searching for a more in-depth exploration of Shakespeare's farce might do better to look elsewhere, but if it's gorgeous actors and scenery you're in the mood for (along with an evocative opera soundtrack), and an all's-well-that-ends-well ending, this Midsummer Night will give you pleasant if weightless dreams. --Mark Englehart ... Read more

Reviews (110)

Cast better than inept direction
While I don't have a problem with new interpretations of Shakespeare, I didn't find this all that new, just confused. Updating Shakespeare is also fine, if it serves a purpose, or at least doesn't interfere with the story, but those bicycles were ridiculous, and simply not funny. There was no point of reference, no reason for them to be there, no punchline. Likewise with Helena and Hermia's little mudbath...generally, the direction was absolutely horrible. The film is quite entertaining though, thanks to some very hard work from some of the cast. And that does not mean Calista Flockhart and Michelle Pfieffer (C.F. is grating, and M.P. obviously not comfortable with the text). It means Kevin Kline, Stanley Tucci, and Rupert Everett among the stars, but especially to some of the secondary characters: Anna Friel as a grounded Hermia (mud bath excepted) Sophie Marceau as an actually likeable Hyppolyta, and the great Roger Rees, as the most memorable Peter Quince I've ever seen. The music is gorgeous, and the scenery is nice, although having actually taken the trouble to go to Tuscany, Hoffman decides to film the magical forest on a really horrible, cheesy, creaking sound stage. Watch it for the cast.

Ah the Tuscan Hills!
Wow, what a great movie! But of course if you're a traditionalist closed to new interpretations, lock yourself back in your room with your Turner Classic movies. And if you've never had an English class where you liked Shakespeare or if you've never read and enjoyed an Elizabethan comedy and/or tragedy, forget about this movie. The language will just confuse you too much.

But if you can get past your conservative views and are open to the language, then watch A Midsummer Night's Dream.

I think that after five hundred years, it's amazing that these plays are still around and can generate such mainstream attention. I also feel that after that long, a fresh adaptation is more than welcome, especially if you've been subjected to the less than glamorous BBC version.

I felt that the setting (the Italian Athens you've never heard of) and anachronistic props (bikes with lights) actually lend to the farcical quality of this movie. It is a comedy and it is supposed to be funny, so lighten up and enjoy the fantastic performances of Michelle Pfeiffer (my FAVORITE Fairy Queen), Rupert Everett (fairy king--pun intended?), Kevin Kline as Bottom (he makes an Ass of himself--heehaw), and the myriad of other wonderful actors and actresses that breathe life into an old play.

And before you take offense to a director's interpretations, you might inquire as to the reasons for them before you denounce his movie. And if you really want the Bard's opinion, Joseph Fiennes could probably give it to you.

All good things, JOE

Not perfect, but certainly worth watching
To make Shakespeare accessible, you have to make it entertaining. Not just entertaining to those who already know and love his work, but entertaining to those who have never picked up a Folger edition of anything in their lives.

I teach English to teenagers. Teenagers, who gasp in horror at the mention of Shakespeare. Teenagers, with their 30 second attention spans, faulty grasp of the modern English they supposedly speak, and affection for the physical comedy of the likes of "Jackass."

So, how do we make teenagers like Shakespeare? We edit. So, naturally, some of the best speeches are missing or drastically shortened (remember, 30 second attention spans); the physical, often silly humor is accented; and the women mud wrestle. So what?

This movie is entertaining. At times, it is enchanting. It is fast-paced, visually interesting, and funny. The emphasis is shifted away from the complexities of the language because it is the language, the very thing we love about Shakespeare, that makes these plays inaccessible to the majority of the American movie audience.

I use this film because it is easy to understand. The actors have faces my students recognize, and it gets them excited about Shakespeare.

What this film does is to put the content of the play within the grasp of its modern audience. Shakespeare himself would have done no less.

An occasional dream
One of Shakespeare's most beloved works finally gets a modern cinematic makeover, good news for all of those who'd rather not see Mickey Rooney's Puck again. Unfortunately the latest retelling leaves much to be desired. Though mostly enjoyable, this film could use a good shot of fairy dust.

The story concerns three sets of lovers - Hermia and Lysander, Helena and Demetrius, and fairy royalty Titania and Oberon. The first pair loves each other but cannot marry because Hermia is betrothed to Demetrius, the object of Helena's desperate affection. When Hermia and Lysander steal away, the second couple makes chase and all four end up lost in the woods where our third pair, the quarreling fairy king and queen, reside. Oberon, dissatisfied with all about him, enlists his servant, Puck, to make amends. Puck is to place a spell on Demetrius so that he will fall in love with Helena, but a case of mistaken identity causes Lysander to become smitten with her. Meanwhile, a traveling actors troupe, led by Nick Bottom, stumbles into the woods for a late-night rehearsal. They prepare a play for the Duke's wedding and soon become the object of the fairies' mischief.

With the shell of Shakespeare's original, this movie pulls of adequate amounts of wit and humor; clearly the script is better than most. Despite Puck's much abbreviated role, it remains a light comedy and surreal and magical in every sense. The costuming, makeup, and Italian backdrop add to the enchantment and are some of the most enjoyable aspects of an aesthetically pleasing film. I loved the energy of Monte Athena in turn-of-the-century Italy (punctuated by a soundtrack of renowned operatic talent), although it added little to the understanding of the story or the updated time period.

My main qualm for this otherwise fanciful retelling is the distracted acting, which ranges from inspiring to embarrassing. Shakespeare's language, archaic by our standards, depends on talented actors and directors to lift it and his beautiful stories from obscurity. Kevin Kline proves that you don't need an English accent to perform Shakespeare effectively. His Nick Bottom is the most rounded character in the film, wholly human and rich with emotions thick enough to dip your fingers through. Anna Friel's Hermia acutely defines the play's romance and innocence. Along with Kline, she seems the most comfortable in her role and possesses a grace and naturalness absent from the other female characters. Dominic West gives an amusing and (sometimes) smitten Lysander to Friel's Hermia. I also liked Roger Rees' affectionate Peter Quince. The remainder of the cast spirals downward. Calista Flockhart as Hermia and Michelle Pfieffer as Titania appear uncomfortable and rather unsure of their characters, as if they are too afraid of fouling up the Bard's work to dig deeply into it. Rupert Everett's Oberon is tired and melancholy to a point of boredom. I am still trying to figure out why David Strathrain, who lacks the nobleness of his character, was cast as the Duke. Poor Sophie Marceau should have stuck with Mel Gibson. Though I would not have picked Stanley Tucci for Puck, he provides a slightly amusing if ineffectual performance, as does Christian Bale as Demetrius.

Because of the spotty acting, the film never gels completely. An unfamiliarity with the play by certain actors interrupts otherwise fluid scenes. Those who act well in this film make it worth watching; the others leave us wanting more.

Kline and Flockhart shine!!!
3.5 stars. This is a moderately enjoyable Shakespearean comedy with only two stand-out performances. Calista Flockhart, of "Ally McBeal" fame, shows here that her range and understanding of the poetic language of Shakespear is both impressive and fluent. She steals every scene she is in. Speaking of scene-stealing, Kevin Kline, a veteran of the stage and Shakespearean theater, has the best performance here. He hams up the goofyness of his character and makes him ultimately hilarious and endearing. Many of the other actors are merely okay. Michelle Pfeiffer, often a great actress, seems to struggle here. She sounds like she understands iambic pentameter well, but fails to emote any feeling behind the words; except for her scenes with Kevin Kline, she is simply mediocre. Also, the character of Puck, played by Stanley Tucci, is traditionally portrayed as more mischievous and problem-causing than the lap-dog of Oberon as he is portrayed here. All in all, this is certainly above par, with great costumes and fine sets and scenery. It just doesn't come together as a whole. This film is fun in moments, but eventually feels incomplete. ... Read more

Description

Nab the star-studded comedy-adventure that dazzled moviegoers everywhere! It's the action-packed tale of three loyal swordsmen (Charlie Sheen, Kiefer Sutherland, Oliver Platt) who are joined by an eager recruit (Chris O'Donnell) to protect the King of France. Together, the foursome battle enormous odds in their attempt to defeat an evil royal advisor (Tim Curry) and a seductive envoy (Rebecca De Mornay) plotting to overthrow France's crown -- fighting against both time and scores of enemies! You'll cheer out loud when these exciting muskeeteers face danger, fun, and adventure at every turn -- proving they are the greatest swashbucklers who ever lived! ... Read more

Reviews (95)

My favorite musketeers movie
All right, let it be said. This movie has NOTHING to do with Dumas's novel. It isn't even close. There, now that that's out of the way, let me just say that this is a great film. It's done in typical Disney style, with an incredible cast that brings to life this classic tale with a lot of flare and some good, old-fashioned fun.

The entire cast is great: the three Musketeers (Kiefer Sutherland, Oliver Platt, and Charlie Sheen) are hilarious, and the impetuous young D'Artagnan (Chris O'Donnell) proves the perfect complement to this already comic trio. Add Tim Curry and Michael Wincott as the bad guys and you've got yourself a comic, action-packed adventure that is sure to please the whole family.

Loved it
I found this movie very entertaining... Oliver Platt (Porthos) provided some great laughs. Charlie Sheen (Aramis) was one of the nice looking ones. Kiefer Sutherland (Athos) could have acted a bit more bitter... but he did an over good job. Chris O'Donnel (D'Artgnan) no. I don't think he took to this part well at all. I agree with several other reviewers. He turned it into mush. Tim Curry (Car. Richeliu) LOVED HIM! He played that part two ways to the director... funny or scary/serious. The director wanted to go for the funny way, mainly because everyone else in the cast would be as well. I would have loved to have seen him play it serious. Rebecca DeMornay( ?) was quite good as a seductress. The man w/the patch (can't remember name) did fairly well. Wasn't the best performance, but wasn't mush either. I give this film only four stars, mainly because of Chris O'Donnel's performance. No,it didn't stay true to the book, but I liked it anyways.

F.U.N
is this film corny? silly? fun? YES! its a FUN romp! The acting is great the story is great its a very well done version of the classic story. the sword fighting isnt bad either. If you have seen this you must get it quick, most disney films don't last long. If you like swashbuckling movies that are fun and pay homeage to the films of days long gone this is for you!

BRAVO!!!
Definitely a great epic movie and one of my personal favorites, The Three Musketeers, brings to the screen the tale of who else, but Athos, Porthos, Aramis and D'Artagnan. Kiefer Sutherland, Chris O'Donnell, Charlie Sheen, Oliver Platt, Tim Curry, and the gorgeous Rebecca De Mornay whose performances are simply amazing, make this movie one of the best of its kind. (Tim Curry's character, in particular, as Cardinal Richelieu, steals the show!)
The actors' great talent and chemistry clearly shows, thus providing an entertaining film that can be watched over and over again. The castles, the battles and the costumes are all wonderful! The Three Musketeers is a movie about love, honor, bravery, loyalty, and heroes from a time long gone. It is a great movie indeed!

Wish I could give it O stars
The cast seems ludicrously out of place in this movie--only Anwar is partially believable and her part is slight.

If you wish to see an interesting an authentic three musketeers, look for AISN B00006LPC5 , a 1972 version that is incredible. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

There are so many things right about this 1956 production of Moby Dick, it's a shame it is remembered for the one (debatable) thing wrong with it. As Captain Ahab, the bearded, one-legged, insanely obsessed whaler, Gregory Peck has often been called miscast. The mild, level-headed Peck had many talents, but the volcanic eruptions of Ahab seemed beyond him--even Peck himself felt he was a bad fit for the part after he finished playing it. (Pauline Kael opined that Peck looked like "a stock-company Lincoln.") Yet Peck's quiet brooding works an intriguing variation on the fiery character. John Huston, a director with a taste for location shooting, had his hands full with the difficult open-water filming in Ireland and the Canary Islands ("The catalogue of misadventures was unbelievable," he later wrote). Since Ahab is chasing the rare white whale, three false whales had to be constructed, two of which were lost at sea. For all the miscues, the film is amazingly controlled, and especially beautiful to look at: Huston and cinematographer Oswald Morris developed an unusual color process meant to suggest old whaling engravings. The director wrote the script with the science fiction writer Ray Bradbury, an inspired choice to adapt Herman Melville's epic novel. Richard Basehart plays the narrator, Ishmael, and Orson Welles provides a wonderful single-scene role as Father Mapple, declaiming the mysteries of the sailor's life in a thundering sermon. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (40)

A courageous effort by John Huston
It took a lot of guts to adapt "Moby Dick" to film and instead of maligning John Huston's effort, critics should have hailed his courage. This is a fine, intelligent film with a lean screenplay by Huston and Ray Bradbury. While I would have loved to have seen Laurence Olivier play Ahab, I think Gregory Peck turns in an adequate performance. Much of the action is shot at various outdoor locations and the special effects were impressive for the time. The great Orson Welles appears in the small but important role of Father Marple. The themes of friendship, revenge, and the role of conscience are all examined in "Moby Dick". Great literature often tanks when translated to the big screen. While "Moby Dick" is not among the greatest films of all time, it is a solid, admirable adaptation of Melville's masterpiece. I highly recommend it.

Epic film of American Masterpiece....a wicked great film
The collaboration of Director Houston, script writer Ray Bradbury and Gregory Peck heading a superb cast, make this production of Melville's masterpiece marvelous. It's said that John Houston "drove"...with flattery, fear and abject insult... now justly reputed master of American fantasy/allegory, Ray Bradbury like Ahab himself to create the script that makes MOBY DICK exciting adventure...without diluting its dark, Apocalyptic symbolism and portents. MOBY DICK is regarded by many as THE GREAT AMERICAN NOVEL. No one will disagree its demands and reward are comparable to...for example...Dostoyevsky or Conrad's work. AHAB is one of the great figures of world literature; perhaps,the most powerful ANTI-HERO yet written. Gregory Peck is...in my estimate...uniquely succesful in his cinamatic incarnation of this "godly, ungodly man." The symbolic depths that Moby Dick essays are manifest. Bradbury's pierces "cardboard masks" of the human conditon, ultimately tested, with sure insight and genius comparable to Melville. John Houston's control of his material is equally deft. Pacing is swift. From the moment Royal Dano delivers his "warning"...as Prophet Elijah...the Pequod's foreshadowed doom is pursued with recklessness that hypnotically enthralls the viewer as Ahab intended to beguile his crew. Against Peck's Ahab is Leo Genn's Mr. Starbuck. Genn plays this stalwart Quaker as tragic antagonist but ironic disciple whose fatal conversion to Ahab's defiance/obsession("I'd strke the sun if it insulted me!") seals the fate of his comrades. Richard Basehart plays guileless Ishamel without hint of the cynicism he brings to his most famour role as Ivan in THE BROTHERS KARAMAZOV. Comparison with the recent HALLMARK Patrick Stewart hinges on what you surmise MOBY DICK to be about, therefore, expect from a film. Patrick Stewart is magnificent as Ahab. But, in my mind's eye, GREGORY PECK IS AHAB. Moby Dick is about...like Apocalypse Now!...courage confronting radical evil tragically becoming that which it beholds. This is Ray Bradbury's craft above all else. His script focuses on the mankind's combat with Evil. Houston has filmed Melville's ultimate metaphor for such an impossibly malign force of Nature: THE GREAT WHITE WHALE. Ray Bradbury has written many parables about such battles (Fahrenheit 451; Tales "Quicker than the Eye"; Something Wicked This Way Comes) and Herman Melville seems soul-mate blood brother. John Houston's MOBY DICK, and Gregory Peck's Ahab epitomize the grandeur of what Melville called his "wicked book." In my estimate, this is the definitive rendering, the epic film of the American masterpiece. It is a wicked, great film......

Boring!!!!!!!!
This movie is very boring and is not very good. While watching this shameless movie, I fell asleep. It is about Ahab and his obsession with a white whale (Moby Dick). If you are looking for action this is not for you. It gets somewhat suspenseful in the last half-hour. However, I do not recommend it to anyone!!

Very exciting classic!
Moby Dick is a very exciting classical tale, retold in a movie starring Gregory Peck and Richard Basehart. The director also seems very experienced, and his talent really shows in the fight scenes between Moby Dick and the crew in boats. The story tells of a young sailor shipping aboard the Pequod, a whaling ship captained by Ahab. Captain Ahab is obsessed with killing the white whale that took off his leg in a previous encounter. He offers any crew member a spanish doubloon, if they spot the whale first. The entire story is suspenseful, ending in a mind blowing climax. The digital transfer used for this is surprisingly good for a 1958 movie. TCM (Turner Classic Movies) has also broadcast a very pristine version, which I taped off of, and it well rivals the quality of the Moby Dick DVD. The best purchase would be the DVD or the television Turner rendition of this riveting classic.

Movie=5 Stars / DVD= 4 Stars
John Huston's film of MOBY DICK is perhaps a rare exception. It's a great film in its own right, apart from the great novel upon which it is based. The case can easily be made that this film does not 'do justice' to the book, if only for the reason that it does not cover every aspect of Melville's original. But this film proves that a slavish literary imitation is not necessary for a great film.

The director fought with the studio over the color process used in MOBY DICK: it's intentional. He and the cinematographer were trying to capture a visual style that would be evocative of a certain style of painting and that would contribute to the mood of the story. Huston also fought with Ray Bradbury over the screenplay. The great science fiction author was literally reduced to tears by the gruff director, and he wrote a book about the experience. There was also some conflict over the casting of Gregory Peck as Ahab. Some say Orson Welles or Leo Genn (Starbuck) would have been a better choice. This may well be, but it should be admitted that Peck rises to the occasion when it's called for. The great scene with the Spanish doubloon and the great scene with Starbuck on the bridge, where Ahab explains his obsession. Few other actors are likely to have surpassed these moments.

MOBY DICK (1956) was not filmed in widescreen. This DVD presents the film in the original aspect ratio. It looks very good and and nothing appears to have been done to tamper with the look of the film in terms of color. This is how is should look.

Anyone interested in background on this film should read THE HUSTONS by Lawrence Grobel. The harrowing production is detailed, with plenty of attention given to the above-mentioned conflicts and also to the shooting of the INCREDIBLE final sequence.

Some extras would have been welcome, but this DVD is more than worth owning by any fan of Melville, Huston or American film. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Being a good friend can be difficult, but the rewards are great. Twounruly boys, Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, pledge their friendship to oneanother in anticipation of days filled with fun and laughter. Instead, the twowitness a graveyard murder and swear an oath of silence to protect their ownlives. Treasure hunting and Tom's budding friendship with his classmate Beckypale when the boys' silence threatens to allow an innocent man to hang for thecrime, and Tom must choose between keeping his pact with Huck and justice forhis friend Muff Potter. This 1995 Disney presentation of Mark Twain's classicThe Adventures of TomSawyer, featuring Jonathan Taylor Thomas as Tom and Brad Renfro as Huck,reaffirms the notion that "When a friend's in trouble, you can't just run away."(Ages 5 and older) --Tami Horiuchi ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Hey, it's fun! Even though it was intended as a JTT vehicle!
When I watch a Tom Sawyer movie, or a Huck Finn movie, I'm wanting to have fun, that's all. That's why I love 'em. Maybe from Huck I expect some touching moments, but throw Tom in and I expect 99% fun. That's why I love the movies so much more than the books! This movie is easy to play off as a film targeted at Jr. High girls, with the hopes that boys will come for the adventure angle. Well, it probably didn't work out because girls just don't seem interested in the characters of Tom and Huck, no matter who the actors are, and sadly, boys nowadays just don't care about the classic characters of Tom and Huck either. I guess there just aren't enough guns and aliens. I think only the really loyal JTT and Renfro fans went to see this, and a few guys like me, who just find Tom and Huck movies so much fun! Oh, and of course Rachael Leigh Cooke is in it! On that note, I'll say, this movie was very successful! I found it quite fun! JTT doesn't seem to have had the staying power as a heartthrob now that he's grown, but to say he was miscast was all wrong. He was great. I though maybe Renfro looked a bit too old for Huck, but I think that's because I LOVE the Elijah Wood version of Huck Finn, and he was pretty darn young in that. By the way, for the best version of Huck I've seen so far, get the Elijah Wood one, I've nearly worn mine out. If you're looking for a version true to the books, forget it. They're too controversial and frankly, have some really long boring parts, therefore I doubt a movie that's true to the bo