Reviews (13)

I like this one
I like this one due to the fact that when i watched it i was well into the rollerblading scene. Its a good movie about a guy who tries to save his little brother becoming a drug addict, on a new drug called 'mist', the punch line is however, this drug makes the user completely impotent. This is a ploy from the Rollerboys themselves to make the America a better place, after its downfall. They call the drugs affects 'the day of the rope'. Corey Haim then comes into play as a hot shot rollerblader, who needs to convert to a rollerboy to save his little bro. By converting he is pushed into a life of sex hungry women, and beating up innocent civilians. This is a good film, but it only deserves three stars due to the fact that its quality and content and not upto todays standards, still i urge you to buy this one.

THE COOLEST COREY HAIM MOVIE!
I am watching this movie right now on tv and it's just so cool! It's set in the future when Corey Haim is a rollerskater and joins the Rollerboys gang to tip off the police on all the bad things they do. While doing this he delivers pizzas and takes care of his little brother. I know many people might think it's a corny movie but to me it's so bad that it's good! And for all you 80's kids, COREY HAIM LOOKS HOT! He's hot enough that you can fry an egg off the screen! SIZZLING! Definitely the better looking Corey!

'Xanadu' it ain't
"Mad Max" meets "I Was a Communist for the FBI" on Rollerblades in a time capsule of late Cold War-era apocalpytic fears. While the sets don't hold up well a decade later, the script seems surprisingly fresh and Corey Haim's performance is free of child-star smarm as he grapples with the dual loyalties of an informer. Also features a young Patricia Arquette.

Unwittingly relevant
Rick King's 1991 juvenile delinquent flick unwittingly became relevant following the Columbine massacre. I don't know if it was an influence on those disturbed minds, but the Rollerboys gang wears trenchcoats and threaten the "day of the rope", when revenge will be at hand. This eerie quality aside, King's pulp teenage thriller shoots above the mark and deserves a second look.
King has made a career of making thrillers that step beyond the studio-approved formulaic scripts. In Hard Choices ('84) the director brought together the unlikely combination of John Sayles, J.T. Walsh and Spalding Gray for a satisfying low-profile crime drama. The Killing Time ('87) and A Passion to Kill ('94) are further examples of his use of psychological motivation to drive the characters beyond the scripts' pale description. In Forced March ('90) King delved deeper into his preoccupation with identity with the Hungarian production wherein an actor's life and the part he plays- a poet/victim of the holocaust- begin to blur.
Released in 1991, Prayer of the Rollerboys documents a pause in american life between the lotus eating 80's and the come-down of the 90's-- the information blitz of the internet and the no-one-is-safe fear of domestic terrorism. However, beyond the analysis, Roller Boys is simply a lot of fun. Even Pauline Kael was said to have quietly admired it.

Please stop the pain, but buy this film
Well well well, how do you review a film which has obviously been written and directed by a chimp. And not one of those cool rollerskate chimps who smoke cigars, but a stinky Gregory chimp. This film is amazing you have to buy it. The premise of the story revolves around a caravan that mixes stuff. Enter Haim who skates around for a bit, followed by his friends whom all wear the same horrible jackets. The jackets designed to make them look menecing and cool, look as though a blind cat nailed to a skateboard made them. This film is the best. Where else can you see Haim ( quite litrally as he is a wash out ) go around on "ultra cool in 91" roller blades trying to stop a group of mullets and their caravan. No one in this film deserves to win the day, and as the film continues you wish someone would put a stick on the floor so they all fall and break their noses. You must buy this excellent film. Much better than titanic and gladiator ... Read more

Amazon.com

This massive, in-depth study of the dark Western icon comes off with mixed results. Trying to capture the whole life, (warts and all) of the lawman-criminal-brother-fortune hunter, director Lawrence Kasdan gains points for sheer scale, giving us a rich epic painted in dark colors with gritty settings. But the visual poetry and extensive foreshadowing ruin the dramatic drive. Some scenes have as much impact as stalker movies; you're just waiting for someone to get knocked off. As Earp, Kevin Costner is not afraid to look rumpled and play colorlessly (as in The Bodyguard), but it saps the energy of this 3-hour-plus film. The only relief is Dennis Quaid as a droll Doc Holiday, a much more engaging character. New faces Linden Ashby and Joanna Going (as an Earp brother and a lover, respectively) are solid finds, though the remainder of the female cast is barely given anything to do. Best is the first half, with Costner, as hip as he was in his Silverado days, going through a series of ups and downs until he accidentally finds his profession. Great set design (Ida Random) utilizes dozens of similar settings that always look distinctive. Recommended to fans of the star and the genre, but the story never justifies its length. --Doug Thomas ... Read more

Reviews (82)

Wyatt Earp was a Man
A lot of people forget that Wyatt Earp was a real man who had more courage and integrity then most people you will ever know. This movie is a pretty accurate portrayl of that man. Kevin Costner and Dennis Quaid (Doc Holliday) do a superb job, although the supporting cast has a lot to be desired. This movie differs from the movie "Tombstone", in that it portrays a lot of Wyatt's life from being a teenager during the Civil War to his and Josie's adventure to the Alaskan gold fields near the turn of the century. "Tombstone" deals primarily with the happenings in Wyatt's life in that one town, which ironically dealt with less than 2 years of his long adventurous life. I liked this film because it dealt with an approximate 35 year time span of Wyatt's life, and the movie is long enough to dipict this. There are a lot of historical accuracies in the movie which include proper representations of places and dialogue such as what is said on the way to and during the gunfight. The inaccuracies are easily overlooked such as Virgil being shot in the wrong arm and the reference to "Johnny behind the duece" as "Tommy." All in all though, a good film about the life of a great man, Wyatt Earp.

BUY THIS DVD!
At last Warner Bros. has seen fit to release Kasdan's masterpiece on DVD. Sadly and inexplicably this movie was overlooked at the time of it's release. This superbly written,beautifully played piece is the definitive account of the life of a western archetype achieving everything that previous Earp accounts have failed to with the possible exception of Hour Of The Gun. Avoiding the ludicrous romanticism of My Darling Clementine, or the appaulingly laughable Lancaster/Douglas fiasco, Gunfight At OK Corral, Kasdan's portrayal presents these characters as the contradictory individuals they undoubtedly were and the actors and actresses do a tremendous job of bringing them to life. Costner is utterly believable as a complex man who, influenced by his father's belief in the family unit, almost destroys the very family he is trying to protect. We see him go from an idealistic young man to becoming a resolute, serious individual as a result of circumstances often beyond his control which serve to form his hardened personality and tunnel vision. Dennis Quaid is superb as Doc Holliday and presents a real person rather than Val Kilmer's amusing charicature in the over rated t.v movie-quality Tombstone. JoBeth Williams, Catherine O'Hara and Isabella Rosselini are great in their portrayals of the role of women in the west. Each of the actresses in this movie portrays a distinctly different character never resorting to cookie-cutter characterisations but the one thing they all have in common is, true to the period, women were expected to be supportive but not to have minds of their own; No revisionist western this.
Technically the movie looks and sounds great. Kasdan creates a visual style without being heavy handed and we are presented with a west in various stages of development from shanty towns to the developing, lawless Dodge City and Tombstone where law and order are trying to take hold even when the "law" is being enforced in a very subjective manner, again there is a lot of gray in this movie.
Finally I have to praise James Newton Howard for his wonderful score which, if it were isolated on the DVD would make this a 6 star release.
Apparently deleted scenes are being included on a second disc. An expanded lazer disc was released some years ago which restored this footage to the film, adding even more depth to the characters and as a result an even better movie.
Please buy this movie and, in doing so, encourage Warner's to release the expanded version in the near future. You will not be disappointed.

Western Classic
No doubt this movie is a western classic. I saw it years ago and loved it. I don't have anything negative to say about the movie itself. I almost picked up this 2 disc set until I learned it's a cut down or edited version. Why is the complete 212 min version only available on VHS ? That's just stupid. This is a great movie worthy of a director's cut edition maybe 3 disc set? I'd spend the extra cash on a deeper edition, until then I'll save my money. Please, please release the FULL version on DVD!

I'm very disappointed-why not the Director's Cut on DVD??
I was actually planning to but Wyatt Earp on DVD, but as I already have the Director's Cut on VHS video, I'll wait until the release of it on DVD. I believed this would be the "definitive" video release of Wyatt Earp. I'm quite disappointed!! I would rather have had the complete film on DVD than all of the extras!! Five-stars for the film, one-star for the short-sightedness of this DVD's content!! This is just as puzzling as why the restored version of John Wayne's The Alamo is not on DVD yet, either.

Typical Costner - long drawn out epic!
While the story was great and gave some interesting, perhaps unknown insight to the character of Wyatt Earp (did you know he was married and lost his wife to Typhoid? I didn't!) the movie was a very long, slow, drawn out epic like most of Costner's films. While Dennis Quaid portrayed a believable Doc Holliday, his performance was paled by the superior, more entertaining version by Val Kilmer in "Tombstone". In either movie it was almost unbelievable that the character was played by Dennis Quaid and Val Kilmer respectively (although Val Kilmer was more recognizable), I think both versions of Doc Holliday outshined the portrayal of Wyatt Earp in either movie. While still a good Western for this century, I would not rate this one higher than 3 stars because it was too long and drawn out. 3+ hours is just too long to sit through for something that could have been accomplished successfully in maybe 1-1/2 to 2 hours.
The rating age only goes up to 12, I'm actually 40 years old - LOL ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Power Rangers is starting to peak again!
Power Rangers Time Force is more than the newest version of this nearly ten year standard. Once again, the show is trying to make its storyline more mature. This time, the main characters are four young adults, young police officers from 1000 years in the future, to be precise. These four, driven by a pact of honor and a need for justice, follow the 31st century's most vile criminal, a mutant named Ransck, back to the year 2001. It is Ransk's belief that if he cannot rule the future, why not the past?

The story's premise seems simple, but it does have one hell of a twist. To those who haven't seen the original broadcasts, I'll keep quiet about it. But, this little shocker can't help but make future episodes a little more intresting.

Visually the show is stunning. Its littered with special effects and the action during the battle scenes is nearly non-stop. A little addition of human drama, with a touch of moral undertone, make this current version of Power Rangers one of the best to date.

Time for Time Force!
This Power Rangers movie was one of the best movies that I have seen so far. It is an excellent with all the action and it's probably one of the best series I have seen since the Original series. It all begins in the year 3000. A mutant criminal named Ransik, escapes through a time warp to the year 2001. And so it is up to the Time Force police to catch them but they can't activate the morphers without a red ranger to lead them. The original red ranger died because Ransik struck him down without mercy. So now it is up to get a person who's D.N.A matches the original red ranger so they can activate the morphers and recapture Ransik and his group of mutant criminal and take them back to where they came from. But can they stop him when he's got some monsters and Cyclobots lurking around the corner? And how are they going to get back when the time ship's been destroyed? The answer's not revealed by you should brace yourself for an adventure that will blow you away!

Power Rangers Time Force
Hi my name is Akshay i am so crazy about a certien power rangers wich is time force.It all starts in year 3000 cool huh? when a villan named Ranisk injurs the red ranger Alex, and Jen(the pink ranger) Alex's girl friend gets mad and searchs for Ransik. But Ransik slips through the time warp. Jen steals the morphers and time ship with her team mates Lucas(blue ranger) Trip (green ranger) and Kaite(yellow ranger) and begin their power ranger journey!

Force From the Future
This tape will have 3 episodes:

1)Force From the Future PT. 1&2
In the year 3000, a fugitive named Ransik evades capture from the Time Force. He injures Red Ranger Alex and travels back in time to conquer the past. Time Force operative Jen, Alex's fiancee, steals five morphers and a time ship, and along with teammates Katie, Trip, and Lucas, travels to the past in search of Ransik. In the year 2001, they recruit a new Red Ranger named Wes, an ancestor of Alex, and they all become Power Rangers for the first time to defend the city of Silver Hills against Ransik.

3) SOMETHING TO FIGHT FOR

Ransik unleashes his first reanimated mutant onto the city. Jen allows Wes to join the team, and the Rangers receive Time Jets from the future to defeat the overgrown mutant.

Great, but then gets increasingly worse...and then better!
I was at Big W when I saw this: Power Rangers TimeForce, and I'm like "OH COOOOOLLLLL!", so I buy it. I watch it with my Ranger-mad bro, who could'nt sit down. It starts out with us meeting the Rangers, Ranzik, etc, with all these wierd action scenes, etc, and I mean 'the special FX maybe something, but we've seen so much of this kind of kiddies action before (in six seasons on PR)!'. But then Alex kicks the bucket. Now, THAT'S something we've never seen before!! The episodes continue as a rollercoaster, it's dumb, then good. It's somehow the best series yet. And the rangers themselves are rollercoasters aswell, example: Trip is the nicest & coolest Ranger ever, Jen's a cow, Wes is really sincere, Lucas is stuck up, and Katie's, well, in between. So, all in all, buy it, Ranger-fans, but just hire it the people not to sure on rollercoaster TV. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A good adventure tale
I watched this movie because I'm a huge Sullivan Entertainment fan. I was mildly disappointed because I didn't think that it quite met Sullivan's high standards, but nonetheless, it was entertaining. This movie can drag at times (it's quite long!), but I could watch some parts over and over again. I think that Zachary Bennett does a wonderful job in the lead role, and Gema Zamprogna is great as his snobby sidekick.

If you want to check out Sullivan at his best, watch any episode of "Road to Avonlea" or his great masterpiece "Anne of Green Gables" and the sequel. Now THAT's what I call spectacular entertainment!

By Way of the Stars--The perfect movie for the whole family
By Way of the Stars has everything--action, adventure, murder, romance, runaways, survival, indians, family rivalry. It is a great movie the whole family can enjoy and understand. Gema Zamprogna, Zachary Bennett, and Michael Mahonen are greats from the television show "ROAD TO AVONLEA", and it is great to see them in a long-running movie! The movie starts with action and the characters are introduced right off. The movie is easy to get into, and before the first half hour is over, you'll be in tears (watch it and you'll know why). If you loved "AVONLEA" or if you just love great movies, watch this one! It is wonderfully written, directed, and acted. Give it a chance! You'll be glad you did! :) ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Overall Faithful Production
Although there are some historical inaccuracies [Napoleon did not surrender his sword to Desiree, and some other small "enhancements"], and Jean Simmons is something of a drawback to the film, it's definitely worth watching. Marlon Brando's performance manages to capture the historical idea of Napoleon very well- the great intensity of his personality, the underlying brilliance and insatiable ambition. Napoleon is both repellent and fascinating at the same time. One can understand how, at his best, he hypnotized almost the whole of Europe. But he is perfidious also, dismissive of the death and destruction he caused on his way to accomplish his aims. Really, the character of Napoleon and Marlon Brando's rendition of it is the only reason to watch this film. Jean Simmons' Desiree is lovely and winsome, but kind of vapid. One wonders what Napoleon and Bernadotte saw in her. Michael Rennie's performance is very good in his role as Bernadotte, and he is not overshadowed at all by the strength of Brando's performance. His scenes with Napoleon are wonderful. Until something better comes along [unlikely...] this is the one to watch for a period piece about Napoleon.

Overall worth watching
Having read some of the other reviews of this movie I felt compelled to submit my own. I have long been fascinated by Napoleon and I have read and watched just about everything on his life that I can get my hands on. I found Brando's portrayal of Napoleon subtle and powerful. After having seen at least a half dozen different actors play Napoleon in various movies, Brando's has always stood head and shoulders above the rest to me. The story is not entirely accurate, but all the main elements of the story are pretty close (except Napoleon surrendering his sword to Desiree). The costumes and sets are outstanding in a way that seems to be captured only in old movies. This is not an in-depth analysis of Napoleon's life, rather, it focuses on Desiree, a one-time fiance of Napoleon. While that story is interesting, I find myself waiting for the next Brando scene. Brando does a magnificent job capturing the eneregy and confidence of the young Napoleon, and the fatigue and desperation of the defeated Napoleon. Brando's scene when he considers Bernadotte's request to renounce his French citizenship is brilliant. The movie is almost worth this scene alone.

The Things He Did For Love?
This was a great historical romance set amongst the ambitions of one man and the love he let get away. Get out your kleenex before you watch.

What a terrible film!
Hard to believe that anyone could take this overly romantic nonsense seriously. It has little to do with history, even less with cinema. Most of the budget seems to have gone on the stars - the scenery looks cardboard, the costumes are probably left over from previous films, there is no sense of the era, much of the acting is way beyond being merely wooden. Lots of stiff, unconvincing dialogue - little spectacle (flags moving across the screen represent a battle). Of course, the film is based on a best-selling novel of the 50's and, by rights, should have focused on Desiree as played (uncertainly) by Jean Simmons. But the casting of Marlon Brando as Napoleon throws everything off balance. I have read a fair amount about Napoleonic history but none of those accounts revealed that the Emperor mumbled like a method actor. Indeed, Brando seems particularly uncomfortable with both his role and his costumes. Similarly, the ever-stiff Michael Rennie is...well, stiff. On the other hand, Merle Oberon was an inspired choice to play Josephine - if only they had remembered to write a part for her to play. The whole thing looks cheap and not especially cheerful. Napoleon deserves better. So does anyone who tries to watch this film.

Very entertaining historical romance
I don't know a whole lot about Napoleon and his history, but I found this film thoroughly enjoyable. I was sitting around this afternoon and caught it on tv. Marlon Brando's performance as Napoleon really captivated me and I couldn't bring myself to change the channel so I ended up watching it all. It was very interesting. He was always in love with one-time fiancee Desiree but she is married and shows no intentions of betraying her husband. The scene in which Desiree's husband confronts Napoleon because he wants to renounce his citizenship and claim the Swedish throne is very striking. Excellent acting by everyone. There were a few things they never went back into, like we never see much else of her son. And they never say whether she cleaned up her Royal Princess act or told them to stuff it. Overall, I found this movie to be very entertaining. It's one of those rainy day historical romance classics. ... Read more

Reviews (35)

Better than it's usually given credit for, but....
The film version of what I consider Rodgers and Hammerstein's best stage production, "Carousel," has generally been dismissed by critics and those familiar with the stage show as a poor representation of the stage version. To some degree, that is true. Yes, the screenplay does "soften" it by giving away a major plot point at the beginning of the movie, so it would be easier to take. (I won't say more, in case you haven't seen it) And some of the score was deleted from the final print, which hurts it in the beginning. On stage, "If I Loved You" is dialogue with musical interludes leading up to the song itself. It is a beautiful scene, as the music is used to express emotions the characters can not speak, to thrilling effect. But on film, it's just dialogue leading up to the (shortened) song, which cuts away some of the power and impact. The spell cast on stage is not to be found here, though Gordon McRae and Shirley Jones sing well. The deleted "You're a Queer One, Julie Jordan" is also missed.

But after the dissapointing beginning, "along come" the spirited rendition of "June Is Bustin' Out All Over" by the cast. From then on, the film is much more engaging and better all around. McRae and Jones, while not really up to par dramatically, are capable of emoting enough and remain vocally stellar, which is what we paid for, anyway, (though it shouldn't have been that way). McRae's "Soliloquy" is a true tour de force, and his reprise of "If I Loved You" is truly poigniant. Jones' "What's the Use of Won'drin" is beautiful and touching. The rest of the cast is fine, too, and certain of the later scenes retain the power of the stage version and are just as touching. Unfortunatly, I haven't seen this in widescreen or on the big screen, so I can't vouch for the much-lauded visual scope of Boothbay Harbor, Maine, but I'm sure it's spectacular. (Nope, it's not all that exciting in pan-and-scan)

This is worth seeing, especially, I'm sure, in widescreen, but what you really should do is get the film's soundtrack, which restores the deleted songs and many of the deleted verses of other songs to better effect, and a decent cast recording of the stage version, and see a good stage production in your area. Only then will you truly experience the beauty and power of this magnificent musical.

CAROUSEL A SUPERBLY PRODUCED FILM MUSICAL!
CAROUSEL represents Rodgers and Hammerstein's finest hour musically, the closest thing to Grand Opera the duo ever wrote. The 1956 film version showcases the best performance, before or since, that this magnificent score has ever received. Beautifully photographed on location in CinemaScope and Technicolor, the poignant and tragic love story of barker Billy Bigelow and factory worker Julie Jordan unfolds with compassion and conviction. Gordon McRae gives the performance of a lifetime as Billy and his stunning rendition of the seven-minute "SOLILIQUY" is one of the greatest vocal performances of the 20th Century. Shirley Jones, ravishingly young and beautiful in only her second film appearance, is equally effective as Julie, a naive inexperienced young woman who finds in tragedy an inner strength she never knew existed within her.

CAROUSEL's greatest strength is, however, the great songs, which are woven seamlessly into the story. What else can you say about a score that includes such standards as "YOU'LL NEVER WALK ALONE' and 'IF I LOVED YOU"? In the capable hands of the legendary composer/arranger/conductor Alfred Newman, Richard Rodgers' soaring melodies are taken to heights of brilliance undreamed of in the Broadway original. This is especially evident in "Louise's Ballet." Ken Darby's excellent choral arrangements and wonderful vocals by MacRae, Jones, Claramae Turner, Barbara Ruick, Robert Rounseville and Cameron Mitchell all add up to the most perfect performance of this musical ever.

See this movie with someone you love and bring extra handkerchiefs. Also prepare to be dazzled with the glorious New England scenery rendered flawlessly on this superbly produced DVD and Rodgers and Hammerstein's greatest score in genuine 6 channel discrete stereo.

CAROUSEL is the kind of movie they just don't make any more. Most of today's filmmakers couldn't, even if they were courageous enough to try.

One of the very best movie musicals
I don't think I have ever seen Carousel on stage but my folks had a record of it when I was young, and I really liked it. Unfortunately, that leads to my only real complaint about the movie...

The music is splendid ("Carousel Waltz" in particular), the story compelling. There's even a bit of philosophy (the blossoms fell because it was their time). And Carousel isn't padded out with interminable dance scenes -- just one, six minutes of dancing on rooftops. The other big dance scene, Louise's Ballet, is the only dance I can think of that kept keep me not just away from the fast-forward, but glued to the screen! Susan Luckey, as Louise, is the star of the show (for her fifteen minutes).

One real problem with movie musicals is the opening up of the stage. We don't want to lose the stage, since this is, after all, a fantasy; but neither do we want just a filmed play. Some go too far into location (e.g., South Pacific) and others go nowhere at all (Oklahoma). Even Music Man is a bit too stagey. But Carousel has found just the right mix between the stage and location. The transitions from one to another are particularly well-done.

BUT... Somewhere between the play and the movie, we lost at least two songs, and whole verses of other songs! If I hadn't listened to that cast recording in my youth, I would never have known. But I did, and the missing music sorta spoils an otherwise superb movie.

An R and H failure.
NOT R and H material! They should have spent the whole movie at the carnival, but NOOOOOOOO!!! They spent the majority at the sea. Too lovey dovey. I expected something more brighter. I vow, I will never watch this movie again unless I have too. Oklahoma! was better and happier. In my book, R and H failed this time. Sorry.

The Best R&H Score
"Oklahoma!" was the first and broke with tradition; "South Pacific" has the most significant message; "Carousel" has the best score. The songs run from happy to inspirational. Music and lyrics are perfect.

The colors are rich, the scope wide, and the singing voices of even supporting players are magfnificent. The official review gavce picture a "3 of 5" while I think it is a "4". The only reason for the deduction is the letterbox format that creates black bars at top, bottom,and sides of my 16X9 high definition TV (no, DVD is not high definition, but it is digital). I like it much better when the, in this case the 2.55 aspect ratio, is enhanced for 16X9 so there are no side bars.

When you watch this re-mastered filmn it is difficult to believe it was made more than 35 years ago. Of the 66 musicals in my collection it is among the top four [no I can't further differentiate] and definitely the best R&H. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This 1970 film teams director Gene Kelly with two veteran Hollywood actors in a light romp about two over-the-hill cowboys who inherit a bordello. Henry Fonda and James Stewart dusted off their spurs to team up in this appealing if formulaic western comedy. The two Hollywood legends play aging cowpokes who seem to do nothing but get on each other's nerves as they travel aimlessly through the West. They finally hang their hats at a new home--Stewart's newly acquired bordello, presided over by Shirley Jones. Theirs is an uneasy alliance, as they set up shop and have to deal with the women and their needs. There are some light comic moments as director Gene Kelly keeps everything breezy, so that even the obligatory gunfight at the film's end isn't what one would expect. This is not a classic on the order of other Westerns featuring Stewart and Fonda, but a chance to see two old pros spoofing their own legendary careers and having some fun in the process. --Robert Lane ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Stewart's Timing and Fonda's Wit
Jimmy Stewart and Henry Fonda provide more than a few laughs in the Gene Kelly-directed film "The Cheyenne Social Club." John O'Hanlan (Stewart) and Harley Sullivan (Fonda) are longtime friends and dungy cowboys who set off across the West to O'Hanlan's newly inherited business: a bordello in Wyoming. There they encounter a brood full of women lead by Shirley Jones (of Partridge Family fame). Thus begins a comic romp through the lighter side of the Old West.

Stewart and Fonda spend a great deal of this movie injecting flawless comic timing and delightful wit into a script that might otherwise be nothing but a disreputable spoof of greater films. Every encounter with the bordello women leaves Stewart's character in slack-jawed befuddlement while Fonda wiles and charms his way into their hearts and bedrooms.

This film will never be picked as the greatest Western of all time and is not the finest showpiece from Stewart's and Fonda's careers. It is, however, a wonderfully crafted story that brings together two of the greatest actors the silver screen has ever known. Stewart is his old reliable, sensible self with just enough grit and keenness to make him the perfect straight man. Fonda's non-stop ramblings and rugged charm make him the consummate counterpart. All in all, this is a movie well worth owning and laughing over again and again.

Stewart Fonda and Jones are winners here
If you want to sit down and enjoy a movie and LAUGH this movie is for you. Stewart and Fonda are great foils for each other, (I think you could have had a series of picture with these two as these characters and it would have worked.) All the performances are played well, the plot is a great one and frankly the Fonda character (who just can't shut up at times.) just kills me. (In fact the two long speeches at the begining and end were added to the script to give Fonda more lines. It made the character.) Stewart frankly plays his honest honerable stock character, but it is a good stock character and with the right foil (Fonda) the character remains earnist but fun. Not a classic in the true sense of the word (It's no BROKEN ARROW or THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE) but it doesn't try to be. It is what it is and that's an entertaing movie.

A lesson learned.
This is the story of two cowpoke and their relationship with life. One comes into an inheritance and plans to become a man of property. He starts acting so. Will success spoil John O'Hanlan? And will their friendship last the strain? If James Garner and Jack Elam played the two characters, this movie would just go down in history as another cowboy spoof. However it is James Stewart and Henry Fonda that are sparing with a little Sue Ane Langdon to boot. It is quite funny and fun to watch.

The calming influence of Stewart and Fonda.
No matter how many movies teamed Jimmy Stewart and Henry Fonda, it was not enough. Gene Kelly directs the pair here in a simple story of long-time friendship in the Old West, familiar ground, sure, but a story that always brings a smile to my face.

When John O'Hanlan (Stewart) discovers that his long lost brother has died, he's surprised to find that he has inherited a business. Enthusiastically he crosses the country from Texas to Cheyenne to become 'a man of property', just what he's always wanted.

But the Cheyenne Social Club, his business, is a brothel. The premiere brothel in this boom town, sure, but that's not exactly what O'Hanlan had in mind. Thankfully his riding partner Harley Sullivan (Fonda) has tagged along, Harley may have his own point of view on most things, but he does smooth out many of the rough spots they encounter along the way.

Story is predictable, the climax is anti-climatic, but, who cares when you get to see these on-screen buddies in a buddy movie defined.

Enjoyable western.
Stewart and Fonda take over a cathouse and ham it up. A bunch of cowhand yucks, and lots of great corset shots. There's worse ways to spend a couple hours. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

No one even bothers to argue about it any more--by any standard and international consensus, this is the best movie musical of them all. Its arcane, unlikely milieu is Hollywood during the transition in the late 1920s from silent to sound motion pictures. Its reason for being was producer Arthur Freed's desire to use the catalog of songs he had written with Nacio Herb Brown in the '20s and '30s for various shows and movies. But, ironically, it's now the soundtrack that seems cobbled together from disparate sources, while the movie itself remains seamless. That's thanks to a literate screenplay by Adolph Green and Betty Comden and ebulliant acting and dancing by the young Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, and Debbie Reynolds. Jean Hagen is especially brilliant as the silent-screen star whose speaking voice is so screechy she has to be dubbed for talkies. Kelly codirected with Stanley Donen, and both can take credit for a masterpiece. Musical standouts are "You Were Meant for Me," "Good Morning" and "All I Do Is Dream of You." Visually, the indelible image will always be Kelly sloshing around in puddles while singin' in the rain. That said, this coupling of video with a definitive version of the soundtrack benefits from Rhino's meticulous reconstruction of the material and extensive annotations, which only enhance our grasp of this film and musical legend's gestation. ---Robert Windeler ... Read more

Reviews (223)

The Citizen Kane of musicals
So many films in my collection are "important", "serious", "disturbing", or "great", and as much as I treasure them (films like Citizen Kane, Vertigo, and Ran), there is only so much self-importance a person can take before the pores fairly scream out for something just plain fun; something slight, buoyant, silly, and full of energy. Singin' in the Rain is just that kind of movie. The funny part is, I generally HATE musicals!

In 1951, Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen took a collection of songs by Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown and - assisted by a pitch-perfect screenplay from the writing team of Adolph Green and Betty Comden - sculpted one of the great classic fusions of popular cinematic art and precision dance craft. It is the Citizen Kane of musicals: a virtual catalog of musical film technique, executed flawlessly.

But that alone would not be enough to separate Singin' in the Rain from the kind of musical I can't stand (which is to say, just about every other musical ever made). No, what makes this one special is that it knows what it is and celebrates it. It never for a moment asks you to forget you're watching a movie and then grinds to a screeching halt for the musical number. Instead, it deconstructs itself before your very eyes (and ears) as a razor-sharp, self-aware satire of the movie industry - as well as a joyous expression of the pure ecstasy of great song and dance. In that sense, it is one of the few so-called musicals that actually achieves a genuine symbiosis of drama, music, and kinetic performance art.

If all this sounds rather gushing and pretentious, so be it. This is great film-making. It is Rolex Oyster Perpetual film-making. This DVD edition sparkles with ultra-saturated colors, digitally remixed Dolby 5.1 sound, and some terrific extras (even if you're not particularly into musicals).

My favorite sequence is the eerily fluid dance work between Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse against a Dali-esque background near the end of the film. Charisse is spellbinding as she trails a gravity-defying veil that must be 30 feet long. It hangs in the air, suspended by wind machines as she uses her extraordinary dance skill (and fantastic legs) to affect a wordless seduction of Kelly's naive, love-struck hero. Great stuff.

Even if you don't think of yourself as the "musical type", give Singin' in the Rain a try. After all that heavy, bitter, existential cinema, it makes one helluva fine dessert.

THE GREAT AMERICAN MUSICAL
Once upon a time there was a place called HOLLYWOOD. It wasn't just a town or even an industry, it was a state of mind. They didn't call the studios Dream Factories for nothing. This film is the epitome of the musical art and craft. This is a real "Movie Movie," made entirely on the MGM lot. The real creme de la creme of MGM contributed to it's creation; produced by Arthur Freed, starring Gene Kelly (with a brilliant turn by the dazzling ,long-legged Cyd Charisse), contract players like Debbie Reynolds and Kathleen Freeman (still going strong, currently appearing on Broadway in "The Full Monty") with costumes by my favorite designer Walter Plunkett (Gone With The Wind, 7 Brides For 7 Brothers, etc). Check out the sumptuous designs for the "Beautiful Girls" number and the outrageous spider dress at the opening night party. The real lowdown is that Jean Hagen and Donald O'Connor practically steal the show from the leads in possibly the best performances of their careers. This film is pure joy. The script by Comden and Green is not only clever but actually goofs on a real period of transition of the American film from silent to talkie.It is also a brilliant job of recycling a trunkload of old songs. This happy film has the courage to do what American musicals and comedies do best: be silly and make you forget you troubles for an hour and a half. Next time you are in bed with the flu or trying to get over a miserable love affair, take a look at Singing In The Rain. It can't help but curl up the corners of your mouth and drive the clouds away.

Wonderful Musical with Terrific Dancing -- a Trifle Dated
"Singin' in the Rain" is the definitive Hollywood musical, and charms and delights our 21st century audiences despite the (very few) characteristics of the genre that don't hold up quite so well.

There are so many high points to this movie -- the amazing cast, the songs, the choreography, and, most surprisingly, the satirical send-up of Hollywood and the "star system."

The plot is well-known. Silent film star couple, Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly, who also co-directed with Stanley Donen) and Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen) are America's sweethearts. At a Hollywood premiere of their latest romance, breathless fans ignore sidekick Cosmo Brown (Donald O'Connor, in perhaps the best sidekick performance in film history) and scream in delight as Lockwood and Lamont pander to their adoration. Nobody, however, seems to notice that the gorgeous Lamont never speaks . . .

Her imposed silence Lamont has a voice that recalls a cat with its tail caught in a wringer, although Lamont is such a "dumb blonde" (bless Hagen -- nobody ever played this stereotype better!) that she is blissfully unaware of her screech. No matter, 'cause it's the silent film era, right? Wrong! Progress brings in "The Jazz Singer" and the era of "talkies." No longer will clever staging of press events suffice.

Soon, Don Lockwood is staring career meltdown in the face as the first Lockwood-Lamont "talkie" sends the audience into hysterics. Not only is Lamont's screech audibly offensive, they can't keep the sound synchronized to the film, and the sound editing even when in synch is as amateurish as a high-school film production.

What to do? Fortunately, Lockwood had fallen for young, beautiful Kathy Selden (a teenage Debbie Reynolds), a starlet in the making. Cosmo comes up with the idea of dubbing Selden's voice for Lamont's, and all is fixed . . . or not. Lamont, an imbecile but smart enough to know her value, insists on ruining Selden's career to preserve her own . . . and so on and so forth.

The plot, ingenious as it is, is really secondary. The main delight in this movie is the amazing dancin' and singin' that the performers offer up. While most of it is pretty silly, campy stuff (particularly the Kelly-O'Connor set pieces), they simply dazzle. Kelly is the most robust, athletic dancer of his generation, and O'Connor, well, the man doesn't have a bone in his body. While the movie's most famous scene comes from Kelly splashing in puddles during the title track, the most amazing dance number has to be O'Connor's comic flailings in "Make 'Em Laugh," where he runs up walls, flirts with a mannequin, and generally pulls out all stops.

Debbie Reynolds does a magnificent job keeping up with these two giants, and is generally a pleasure to watch, even though she's clearly outclassed as a hoofer.

While some great old films seem to get better with age (think "Casablanca," "Gone With the Wind," and "Citizen Kane"), "Singin' in the Rain" is an American classic that does not hold up quite so well in some minor respects. For example, when breaking into choreographed step, Kelly, O'Connor, and Reynolds sometimes appear too rigid, with smiles frozen on their faces, which is incongruous to those raised on more modern musicals like "Moulin Rouge," where the dancers take a more naturalistic, emotional approach to their dancing. The dancing in "Singin'" holds up, but the performers were constrained by the expectations of their audiences, which somehow demanded that the performers "look pleasant" while dancing.

Still, "Singin' in the Rain" remains one of the best tonics to a foul mood ever . . . I defy you to watch this movie and not feel a smile creeping over your face.

The Best Musical Comedy Ever Produced!
I fell in love with this film when I was seven years old; I watched it on a B&W television on "The Early Show" in NY (circa 1957 or 1958). I didn't know who any of the stars were - it didn't matter. It was magic to me. From the Hollywood opening (dignity, always dignity), the romp of the elocution lessons (Moses supposes his toes are roses!), and the trial and mostly error of trying to record the sound ("I can't make love to a BUSH!") when the gorgeous leading lady has a voice that rivals nails on a blackboard, all the way to the grown man dancing in the rain and the final rising curtain - pure magic. In glorious black and white - at the time, I didn't even know it HAD colour! I decided then and there, this was my absolute all-time favourite movie. (One of the highlights of my adult life was seeing this wonder on a full, big screen at a revival in the 1970s.) I have seen many films since then; I have reviewed them for friends & family, written reviews for a monthly entertainment publication. I have an extensive collection of my own (VHS & DVD). I know a lot more about films and production values now.

"Singin'in the Rain" remains my all-time favourite film. (No surprise, this.) It's not just another one of "those MGM musicals." It was released in 1952. Dated stuff? Not a bit. Unlike the marvelous "An American in Paris," which was done as a contemporary film to its time, "Singin' in the Rain" is a period film, and it's based in fact.

This film (which started out to be a western for Howard Keel) takes a fond and loving look at the birthpains of the sound film (the "talkies). Set in 1927, with authentic equipment from MGM's own history (Debbie Reynolds drives Andy Hardy's old jalopy, the microphones are real), it details the frantic efforts to get on the sound bandwagon - no one was completely sure of the new technology. What makes the plot classic is the basis in fact. Many silent stars had totally unacceptable voices or speech (too nasal, unintelligible foreign accents, too high, too low, etc.) for sound production. The songs used were true to the period.

Then we have the performers. Jean Hagen was nominated for an Academy Award for her role of Lina Lamont. The character (whose voice you don't hear for the first 10+ minutes of the film, although she's on-screen) is a one-of-a-kind. [Side note: the voice dubbing Lina's line is actually Hagen's normal voice, not that of Debbie Reynold's Kathy Selden.] Reynolds does an admirable job - it couldn't have been easy keeping up with her two male co-stars. It's still a joy to see Donald O'Connor's "Make 'em Laugh," and wonderful to see Gene Kelly teamed with a good male partner for "Fit as a Fiddle" and "Moses". Gene Kelly is, and always shall be, the best and this was done at his peak.

Of course, for anyone who has been living in the back of a cave under a rock (or too young to appreciate it), the title number is a delight. It looks like one continuous take, it is so smooth. This was not the first appearance of the song, but it's the one we all remember. The sheer exuberance of Kelly's performance carries us right along with him.

The extras with this set are valued items for anyone like me who is interested in the backstory of the era and this film in particular. And don't fuss for a widescreen version. This is the way it was. And now it always will be.

Thoroughly entertaining musical
I have to say first of all that I am *not* at all a fan of musicals (or comedies for that matter) - I am a drama fan. I have seen a few musicals here and there over the years and tried to like them - such as 1964's "My Fair Lady" and 1961's "West Side Story." I liked both of them *somewhat,* but not too much - because I have always strongly preferred films that are realistic --> in real life, people don't burst into song when they are in one particular circumstance or another. Yet, I couldn't help enjoying myself with a smile on my face as I watched this film that landed so high (#10) on AFI's list of the top 100 American films of all time. Donald O'Connor, in particular, as Cosmo, was so perfectly cast in his role. The film was at times hilarious and at times wonderfully romantic. I definitely would recommend everyone to try this film out. B+. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

One Of The Best Power Ranger Videos Of All Time!!!
I love the Power Rangers and collect all of their videos!!! Anyway, about the video, it is great. I especially like the part where Billy, Zack, Bulk, and Skull are in detention and Bulk and Skull put on the shades making them think that Billy and Zack are Putties and they run around screaming and the principal yells for them to sit down. I also like the part where Bulk and Skull pour iquana food all over the tank...and the iquana!!! Other than the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers Movie this is the best Power Rangers video of all!!!

Classic episode
INTRODUCTION:
The Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers was a classic sci-fi action series that debuted on FOX in 1993. This series tells the story of five teenagers who are given superhuman abilities to battle an evil empress who has her sights set on destroying the world. The series lasted for a number of seasons, and has spawned at least half a dozen spin-offs (all of which are inferior to this, the original series.) The series became wildly popular almost immeadiately, so five of the earliest episodes got VHS releases (keep in mind, this series was in its prime long before DVDs were invented.) This is tape three of five. Read on for my review.

EPISODE SYNOPSIS:
For a project that requires vision protection, Zack and Billy create two pairs of sunglasses that both look cool and protect the eyes. Unfortunately, Rita has her minions put a curse on the glasses so that whenever the two see one of their fellow human beings, they will see a Putty instead. This leads to large amounts of confusion. And to make things worse, Rita has already sent a monster to earth! Will they find a way to overcome the vision problem?

EPISODE OPINIONS:
Overall, this is a good episode. This is one of the more interesting episodes in the series due to the status condition that is inflicted upon Billy and Zack. These types of episodes were always my favorite ones, and this was no exception.

TAPE OPINIONS:
These videos are a rip-off because you only get one episode per video! When most series are released on video, they put two episodes on each video so that consumers get a better value - not true here!

OVERALL:
If you can find these videos for a good price, they're a worthwhile diversion from all of the junk that has been flooding the television airwaves recently. If you're going to watch the Power Rangers, make sure it's the classic series - and not those lame spin-offs FOX has been showing in recent years.

Silly Putty
I am not a huge fan of this series although I do like most sci-fi & super-hero type stuff. That being said, this is one of the better Power Ranger videos in my opinion. I liked the plot (Zed casts a spell on Billy & Zack that causes them to see their fellow Rangers as Putties, which are bad guys for you parents.) Of course, he throws in a monster for good measure. But I think Bulk & Skull, the comic relief duo, are the real stars of this series. So, if you like this series or your kids do, then I would recommend this video. If not, then it's little more than silly putty (Pun intended). At worst, it's a half hour of mindless fun.

Putty on Brain
I would like to buy the collections of Power Rangers started with the first one

Super! Amazing! Outstanding! Awesome! Totally Cool!
THIS MOVIE WAS GREAT! I RECCOMEND THIS TO ALL POWER RANGERS LOVERS! BETTER THAN NINJA QUEST! BILLY(DAVID YOST) AND ZACK (WALTER EMMANUEL JONES) WERE AWESOME! ALMOST SUPERCALAFRADGILILSITICEXPI- ALODCIOUS! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

The Secret of Santa Vittoria
Wine enthusiasts will enjoy this movie as will those familiar with small town politics whether in the USA or abroad. This movie features a top flight cast in a unique story. It falters only near the climax if the viewer cannot ignore the probability that real life Nazis would have been more ruthless in their pursuit of one million bottles of wine the villagers are attempting to hide. Still, it's worth the trip for the performances of Anthony Quinn, et al. A shame that this film is no longer available on VHS.

Secret of Sta Vittoria
This is a real tongue in cheek humor film. Set in WWII Italy, the villiage "bobo" is set up to be a foil with the occuping German forces who wish to accquire the town's supply of wine. Anthony Quinn plays the part of the "bobo" and is an excellent foil against the German officer and his men. Complete with twists and turns at every corner, everyone wins, no one looses and the viewer is left with warm fuzzy feelings and a smile on her/his face.

Telling of Italian ingenuity
I saw this film in the 70s and it still remains with me. It's World War II and an Italian village famous for its wine is celebrating the overthrow of Mussolini's government. Villagers arrest the local fascist officials and, in a silly mood, elect the town drunk Bombalini, played brilliantly by Anthony Quinn, to be mayor. Later the party is spoiled when German army move in to occupy the territory. The occupiers want to steal the village wine supply and send it to Germany for the enjoyment of the Nazi officer troops. Bombalini must now rise to the challenge of taking his job seriously in order to outsmart the Germans and protect the wine -- his town's livelihood. This is a charming and inspiring story and telling of Italian ingenuity. Other cast members are Giancarlo Giannini and Sergio Franchi.

The Secret of Santa Vittoria
The movie sticks very close to the book and Anthony Quinn portrays the town clown so well that it is surprising that he can fool the Germans into thinking "There is no wine." The Italian villagers (because of their very simplicity) make excellent opponents to the German officer who tries to find the wine. Altogether a pleasing movie for the whole family.

Deep emotions veiled with excellent humour.
The background and subplots are sensitive and intensely emotional, which slows down the story, but the excellent humour and overall quality of the movie more than compensates for these distractions.

While the story is entertaining and compelling in itself, it also deals with a number of compelling moral issues.

The scenes swiftly change between agony and outrageous hilarity.

The hero classically and dramatically demonstrates the adage that a book should not be judged by its' cover. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Dramatically compelling and emotionally intense, Harakiri is acertified classic of Japanese film, and a riveting study of samurai codes ofhonor. Unlike Kurosawa's rousing samurai epics, this is an uncompromisinglytragic tale, exposing the hypocrisy of 17th-century Japanese society with itsstory of a family destroyed by the cruelty of feudalism toward warriors inpeacetime. The film is truly Shakespearean in its emotional scope, embodied bythe unforgettable performance of Tatsuya Nakadai (star of Kurosawa's Ran)as an elder warrior seeking revenge for the unnecessary seppuku (ritualsuicide) of his beloved son-in-law. Director Masaki Kobayashi begins at story'send, then recounts the narrative (adapted from a novel by Yasuhiko Takiguchi) astold by Nakadai's character. The effect is almost unbearably suspenseful,leading to an explosive climax of supreme defiance and samurai swordplay,erupting from a battle of wills, called bluffs, and hotly defended honor. Forconnoisseurs of samurai action, Harakiri is not to be missed. --JeffShannon ... Read more

Reviews (19)

A powerful film giving deep insights into samurai heritage.
My first viewing of this film was in a Japanese history course at the University of Maryland Baltimore County. This isn't just another sword-fight movie; this is a deep moral reflection on the choices that all soldiers must make in fulfilling their duties. The beautiful imagery, acting, and ironic twists are high art. The influences this film must have had on Anime are unmistakable. But this is not a young person's movie; this movie is about death.

The Sword is the Soul
While Kurosawa was settling back into commercial comfort, making samurai comedies, Masaki Kobayashi was approaching the genre with more serious intentions. A "glorification" of feudal values was defintitely not Kobayashi's concern, having been a survivor of Imperial Japan's violent and, luckily, abortive bid to dominate Asia. Kurosawa was too sickly to serve in the Imperial Army, or so the legend goes. Kobayashi focuses directly on feudalism precisely because he realized that it had never been completely eradicated. The same values that had driven Japanese soldiers to commit atrocities throughout Asia were still principally intact in postwar Japanese society. Feudalism was tacitly alive and kicking, and Kobayashi knew just how to expose it. 'Seppuku' (the original title) is a frontal attack on Japanese institutionalized feudalism, as expressed in its inherent cronyism, its stupid adherence to the samurai ethic. Although the last fifteen minutes of this film are electrifying, wherein a lone, masterless samurai is set against a mob of lesser swordsmen (by now a familiar scenography in Japanese film), it is his selfless revenge on the clan that forced his impoverished son-in-law to commit seppuku with a bamboo short-sword that lays waste to the very root of Japanese feudalism.

This is my all time favorite Samurai movie, where is the DVD
Please, oh, please ... someone mentioned that this movie is
out somewhere on DVD, even though it is on widescreen edition.
That is too bad, but I would gladly settle for it. I really
liked this movie ... for many years after I saw this
masterwork, I assumed it had been directed and produced
by Akira Kurosawa ... but it is not, and it is the best
one I have seen ... though Kurosawa is great and I have
lots of his movies.

Please anyone, point me to where I can get a DVD version
of this movie ... it needs to go in my collection to educate
people about Japanese movies!

DVD where are you?!
I finally found a DVD version of this masterpiece, it was a 2003 release filled with all sorts of extra. One big problem, FULL SCREEN! Who in their right mind would put this movie on DVD and put it on FULL SCREEN! Somebody is tauting us fans big time!

It's a great movie, but one that demands to be viewed, if not on the big screen, then at least letterboxed DVD format!

Arguably the finest film ever made in Japan
I had never seen this film until I found a copy at a local Hollywood outlet in Albuquarque, New Mexcio, a few years ago. I took it home, saw it, and was absolutely bowled over by it. Kobayashi's view of Harakiri bespeaks the age when the film was made as it is quite a materialistic interpretation of Harakiri but nonetheless truthful for that. (Forget the cheap eulogy of samurai-death in the recent Last Samurai.)
This is a film-making elevated to the realm of art. The serenity of a Noh play and the theatrical panache of Kabuki are combined to create this absolutely engrossing masterpiece. This is arguably the finest Japanese film ever made. It is perverse that this work, perhaps outshodowed by numerous Kurosawa films, is almost never talked about in Japan.
This is one of those films that cry out for a release in a DVD format ( It is already available in Japan). ... Read more

Reviews (14)

QWERKYNESS SQUARED!!!
If you like brilliant writing coming from the qwerkyest characters ever put on screen, than this is the show for you! I stumbled upon this show years back while channel surfing and have sought it out ever since. Awhile back, A&E ran it every day, and there was a marathon that I taped, but of course it was VHS. Having had DVD for two years now, I just can't watch VHS or broadcast TV anymore. Apart from the obvious video quality and sound issues, the incredible ease of navigation and repetition abilities of DVD's make VHS tapes more obsolete to DVD's than dinosaurs are to humans; it is that drastic a quality difference! PLEASE, PLEASE, PRETTY PLEASE release this brilliant drama/sitcom...IT DEFIES DESCRIPTION really, but you can't watch it for five minutes and not be a fan forever. The Northern Exposure fan base is huge. So speaking for Joel, Maggie, Maurice, Chris, Ed, Holling, Shelly, Marilyn, Ruth Ann, Adam, and Jesse The Bear; please release Northern Exposure so I can die a HAPPY MAN!!!

The Best TV Series Ever!
Northern Exposure has to be the most wonderfully directed, acted, and produced television series' I have ever seen. Especially the pilot episode. The scenary and the music in every episode make you feel as if you are a part of it all. Every episode has a very emotional ending, and leaves you with this warm, satisfying feeling inside. After watching Northern Exposure, I wanted to move to Alaska for the longest time. From Chris in the Morning to Dr. Fleischman, every character is dynamic, and you can never once tell that they are acting. It is just a very wonderfully natural show. I tried to get some of my friends to watch it, but they don't get the worth and moral value from it that I do. I hope that TV stations keep playing the re-runs on A & E or other networks. Rob Morrow, aka Dr. Joel Fleischman, is one of the best, and now one of my personal favorite, actors. The way each episode goes into detail about the smallest things, just shows you how thought-out, well-written, and well-planned the makers are. Its a shame there aren't more series like Northern Exposure today. The makers also did an A+ job in casting the characters. I don't really have a favorite, since they are all just great, but I especially like Chris, Ed, and Fleischman. Chris has this intellectual way about him. He's sort of a rehabilitated philosopher so to speak. He and his radio show are one of the key moral points of the series. He usually sums up the moral value of each episode. I just can't say enough about this show!

Northern Exposure NOT on DVD?
I have seen some of the dumbest movies and TV series come out on DVD, and they were just made recently. Where's Northern Exposure? This series has been over with for a long time, what is it you are waiting on? I have never been glued to a TV set before in my life until NE came to TV.
I, as well as others are extremely disappointed in this, so PLEASE begin recording this on DVD so the entire world population can once again watch the best series that was ever created.
I thank you very much.

season one available on DVD in UK
If season two comes out on DVD in the UK I'm going to buy one of those "illegal" DVD players that let you watch DVD encoded for others regions-countries. The players start at $89.00 and are as high as $600.00. There is a huge amount of good DVD stuff out there that will never be released here so that $100.00 bucks would be well spent. The $89.00 one is small and easy to slip into a crowded area. So instead of getting all my money the studio will only get a royalty. too bad for them.

what's the hold up with the DVD's ?
i can get "Britney Spears" concerts on DVD, but not the all-time best TV series EVER?? ... Read more

Amazon.com

Weirdly marketed as a right-wing screed upon its initial release in 1973, Walking Tall is really a tragic, shockingly violent post-noir film based on various legends surrounding real-life Southern sheriff Buford Pusser. Joe Don Baker(The Natural) gives a powerful performance as Pusser, who took on determined forces of crime and corruption in his town at great personal expense. Directed with an intentionally crude force by Phil Karlson(Kansas City Confidential), one of the toughest filmmakers of the 1950s, the film's grimness does not let up, but in the end it is more likely to break hearts than turn stomachs.--Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (24)

Big Man, Big Stick!!!
This movie is certainly one of the bloodiest true stories ever filmed. Even though many of the scenes in the film are fictionalized for dramatic effect, there are many scenes in this film that did happen to Buford Pusser in real life and that is what makes so many scenes in the film shocking.

Joe Don Baker gives his best performance as Buford Pusser, a retired wrestler who after being brutally beaten in a local nightclub, exacts revenge on the very same people who did it. Pusser is arrested by the corrupt town sheriff and is taken to court for his actions. Thanks to a sympathetic jury, Pusser is rightly found not guilty and takes up his friend's plan to run for town sheriff against his wife's wishes.

While serving his term as sheriff, he is constantly followed, shot at, lied to, and eventually in one of the bloodiest scenes ever put on film, ambushed while driving with his wife, Pauline (played by Elizabeth Hartman). Pauline is brutally murdered and Buford Pusser is severely wounded when he is shot in the face several times with a machine gun.

Director Phil Karlson managed to make a terrific biographical action film with just one serious flaw. People who love spotting bloopers will find more than their fair share in this film. There are at least seven scenes in this movie where the boom mic comes into the frame or the shadow of the boom mic operator is seen along the wall.

If you can get by that, you will be left with a terrific movie.

Parents: Don't let children younger than 14 watch this film. There are numerous scenes of graphic, extreme violence (eg: Pusser's many beatings and gunfights) and coarse language.

Excitement From Start To Finish!
This was a movie that never had a dull moment. Joe Don Baker gives an outstanding performance as Sheriff Buford Pusser. Pusser
is a retired wrestler who returns home. He is savagely beaten by
local hoodlums. He creates his trademark,a big stick,and returns to the bar and gains revenge by beating the whole group senseless. He is arrested and put on trial where he is found not guilty.He decides to run for Sheriff and is elected.From here on it is nonstop action and violence.His wife is killed and he is badly shot up. He recovers and continues his crusade against the forces of evil. A very gripping film that you will not forget.This movie was a box office smash that literally swept the country. See this movie,it is great.

Good movie; less-than-good sound & pic quality
Whenever I feel the need to catch an action flick that's a change of pace from the usual "lone-wolf-big-city-cop-meting-out-justice-whilst-going-up-against-the-system" kinda movies I watch, the original "Walking Tall" is what I turn to. It's got a nice touch of drama to add to the shootin' and fisticuffs, and the southern rural setting is a refreshing departure from the usual urban fare the other actioners have. I also like that the hero is more of an average Joe kinda guy who isn't portrayed as some kinda unstoppable one-man army... even though he managed to barely survive not one, but two hails of bullets from the baddie minions. And it doesn't hurt that this mo-pic includes one of the most eff'd-up killings I've ever seen in the genre... which I don't wanna divulge to you directly, lest I ruin it for ya. Let's just say this death quite literally drove our pine-staff-wielding sheriff into finishing off the last couple of bad guys once and for all! Well, once and for all until the sequel that is...

All right, time for a little of the downside: although I found "Walking Tall" a more than worthy waste of two hours, Rhino®'s DVD release of the movie is disappointingly subpar. The picture quality isn't that much better than what you'd see on a VHS copy. Of course, this isn't surprising, since (judging from a couple fleeting scan-lines) it's obvious that the source material used for the DVD was not the master film itself, but from a videotape. Then there was the intermittent sound quality: there were some parts that I could hear quite well, and others where I needed to turn the volume up a notch so I could understand what the subject(s) was/(were) saying. This was especially problematic when a subject was speaking in a soft, low tone. Looks like the rumors I've heard about Rhino®'s cheapness have more than a little merit-- especially in this case...

'Late

Vicious, Brutal and Down Right Tough to Watch!
Despite the brutal nature of the film, Joe Don Baker gives an unforgetable performance as Sherrif Pusser. Elizabeth Hartman also gives an outstanding performance as well. It's very violent and tough to endure, but it is entertaining at times. The "R" rating was well deserved. With the new version out featuring "The Rock", the original may wind up being forgotten.

why isn't it in widescreen?
Walking Tall is definately one of my favorite movies of the 70s! The digital remastering of this awesome movie is top notch- but why isn't it in widescreen? And why no extras like a trailer or some bios?

Rhino could have given this classic much better treatment! Otherwise this movie is 5 stars ... Read more

Amazon.com

Before there was Quincy and The Practice, there was Rumpole. Rumpole of the Bailey is, quite simply, one of the best television series ever and has served as a model for all law dramas that followed it. Edgy and satirical, Rumpole is based on John Mortimer's books of the same name. A determined and committed criminal defense barrister at the Old Bailey, or criminal court (whose clients have included three generations of the Timson family, among others), the antihero Rumpole is portrayed by esteemed actor Leo McKern. As champion of the downtrodden, the self-righteous Rumpole finds himself again and again in trouble variously with his wife Hilda, his peers, the head of chambers, and judges, to name but a few. A connoisseur of Wordsworth, cigars, and cheap liquor, McKern's usually disheveled Rumpole belies the character's dry sense of humor and astute skill as a barrister. The upwardly mobile Hilda is played by Peggy Thorpe-Bates, known for her Miss Toliver in Alcatraz Island (1933), and Justice Sir Guthrie Fetherston is played by Peter Bowles, known for his Richard DeVere in TV's To the Manor Born.

Volume 18 features two episodes. First, in "Rumpole and the Quacks," Rumpole battles the formidable Phillida in court to defend his doctor, accused of sexually molesting a patient. Next, in "Rumpole for the Prosecution," Rumpole takes on a rare role as prosecutor to investigate a policeman who may not have been properly charged for murdering a girl.

Typical of British drama, production values are low while the caliber of script-writing and acting is unsurpassed. A rare example of a television serial that is as appealing and engaging after watching it 10 times as it was the first. --Erik Macki ... Read more