Amazon.com

With good production values and a load of suspense, Atomic Train delivers the goods--ahead of schedule. A rich bureaucrat with a Porsche, a goatee, and a defective sense of morality places a defective Russian nuclear warhead aboard a defective American train for cheap disposal, but the engine loses its brakes and hurls out of control toward Denver. Will it explode? Will it wipe out half the city? Will the thoughts and prayers of the President--played by Edward Herrmann, in his best Chrysler-salesman mode--do any good? Will Rob Lowe, the major hero of this epic, ever be able to save his career?

Atomic Train hauls along every disaster-flick formula you can think of: an estranged couple bonding again during a time of crisis (you begin to miss the hysterical Harvey Fierstein character of Independence Day); urban rioting and mayhem; government officials wearing headsets and breathlessly watching video monitors; trigger-happy military men; high-speed stunts; escapes by helicopter; clean-up crews in white spacesuits; many scenes of families being reunited after subplot cliffhangers, to major-key crescendos on the soundtrack. The only typical element missing is a dog saved from a fire at the last minute. But, you have to admit, what Atomic Train does it does with pizzazz.

Everyone's a hero in this movie and almost everyone faces great danger, including Esai Morales, an estranged husband and father; Kristin Davis, the ex-wife with child he's competing with Lowe for; and Zack Ward, the assistant train engineer. It's interesting to see what Ward looks like and what he's doing so many years after playing the yellow-eyed bully in A Christmas Story (hint: a strikingly handsome decent actor). That's one of the many guilty pleasures of this film, with its post-Armageddon tone of overly heroic but ultimately disposable machismo. And explosions. Lots of explosions. --Robert Burns Neveldine ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Cheesy but watchable if there is nothing else on TV
Okay so this film was pretty cheesy but let's be honest there have been worse that have been screened and have even won Oscars, so lets not be judgemental okay?

Rob Lowe does a pretty passable job as the jaded Train Crash expert John Seager trying to hold his family together, rebellious teenage daughter Grace, shy and gentle step-son Chance plus a sassy young wife with a chip-on-his-shoulder Cop for an ex-husband.

The plot is fairly simple and perhaps a little long winded. Nuclear Bomb ends up on a train conveniently sitting next to some highly inflammable chemicals; train has a REALLY bad leaky break problem. Enter Rob Lowe, a bunch of army guys, a gung-ho General who wants to blow the train off the mountain (this actor plays General Hammond in Stargate by the way!) a rather goofy good hearted President of the USA and an assortment of heroes, heroines, goodies and baddies all putting in their 10 cents worth..

The train ends up behind derailed and the bomb explodes, and the disaster movie becomes a disaster movie twice over.

The special effects are not bad, the acting ditto, a bit hammy but like I've said, there's worse out there in cellular city. The movie does however lack any real suspense, and of course you have the cheesy family reunions , rescues, tears and tantrums, plus the obligatory resentful step-daughter embracing her step-mother near the end of the film.

You also get some terribly embarrassing speeches from the President but hey why on earth not? You've got everything else in this kitchen sink of a film, why not some heart-felt speeches to give it a little patriotic zip?

All in all though, its not a bad little film to wile away a really boring evening, I've seen worse and at least with this film, I won't loose my way in the plot, so I can nip out and make a cup of tea and still know where I am when I get back!

Atomic Train was a surprise blast.
I took a chance on buying the movie Atomic Train. I have never seen it before or knew anyone that has. I based my decision on the title and the reviews I read on Amazon. Knowing that it was a made for TV flick my expectations was low. I have watched the movie twice now and I am glad I bought it. The basic story is a stowaway nuclear bomb on a runaway train. Will the train crash and set off the bomb? I will not give much away but to say there are a few surprises. Being a TV movie you have your soap opera elements but not as bad as I had expected. The special effects are good and the acting decent. There is a short making of the movie on the DVD. If you like trains and action you probably won't be disappointed.

Not bad, but not good, either
Atomic train is one of those "In between" TV films. It is not bad, but it is by no means good. The movie is about a runaway train heading towards Denver with a nuclear bomb inside one of its cars. The engineers an't stop it, so one man, a train wreck investagator, John Seger (Rob Lowe) goest out to try and get the situation under control.

Now, I just saw this on Sci-Fi a few days ago. The action scenes were well done, but some of the acting could have been much better. Also, there are a few holes in the plot that were extreamly noticeable, and during the course of the film there are many chances to stop the train that are overlooked. (i.e, when a crew member on the train is leaning against the hand break of one of the frieght cars and says "How the hell do we stop this thing"). But other than that, this was a good movie. If you like trains, you should see it at least once.

Make Up Your Minds, People
I am watching this movie on Sci-Fi as I write this. Not a bad movie, HOWEVER, atomic energy is not nuclear energy. The movie is called "Atomic Train" but the filmmakers can't decide if its an atomic bomb or a nuclear bomb. They're not the same. Atomic came before nuclear. And my mother hates Mena Suvari because she is a blonde. (I think she's cute.) And that concludes our lesson for the day.

Holy ... - a-zoida
WOW! What a movie. I've watched the movie probobly a 100 times it is so good. The plot is super and it is very true to the subject matter. Due to a great crew. SUPER MOVIE! ... Read more

Reviews (8)

What Courage It Takes To Tell Such A Story So Eloquently
The Little Rock Nine tryed in September 1957 to implement the Supreme Court decision of Brown vs. Board of Education. What follows was nine months of chaos, hatred, and courage that would forever change those involved, especially Ernest Green, the only senior. He would eventually become Assistant Secretary of Labor to Jimmy Carter. What he learned in that time was more valuable than any other experience he had. Hear him as he narrates the story, and see the obstacles he had to overcome. This movie also takes a look at the bigotry all nine students faced, and is a testiment to some of the lowest behavior the white race has ever participated in. It is also a testiment to the theory of non-violence in practice, and how one person's fight for what is right can truly make people question and change their beliefs. Excellent performance by Morris Chestnut as Ernie, Ossie Davis and Grandfather and Gary Grubbs as Mr. Lumas, Ernie's Physics teacher and Boys Counselor at Central. Every high schooler ought to be required to see it before graduation.

Amazing
I researched the Little Rock Nine for a report, and this movie really puts it in perspective for you. Its an awesome movie and everyone in America should see it.

Something everyone should see
An excellent and humbling movie. It brings to life and brings home the awfulness of the day to day struggles the Little Rock 7, and all blacks, had to go through and the courage and strength of character they faced it with. It is in a sense a sobering movie. Although it does end on a definitely triumphant note, it is not a sugar-coated "and they lived happily every after" story. I believe that every child should be required to watch this in school at least once. The history books give us facts, but it is excellent movies like this one that put names, faces, and emotions to our history and really make the story stick in your mind. The Long Walk Home is another excellent movie I recommend in this category.

A Must See!
Wow! What a must see for everyone during January and February with Dr. King's Birthday celebration and Black History month. I teach in a public school and show it every year. It is a powerful story of courage in the face of racial discrimination and utter hatred. The movie is a heartfelt look at what those courageous teenagers did, so that my black students and white students could go to school together peacefully. Young children do not realize the sacrifices made so that they could have equality today and this movie is an excellent look at what a mere 40 years can do to change a society, when there are people willing to stand up for what is right!

A MUST SEE FOR EVERYONE
I LOVED THIS MOVIE. I THINK IT SHOULD BE SHOWN TO ALL CHILDREN, SO THAT THEY CAN SEE JUST HOW FAR CIVIL RIGHTS HAS COME, AND HOW FAR IT STILL HAS TO GO. THE MOVIE BROKE MY HEART IN CERTAIN SCENES, AND MADE MY HEART SOAR IN OTHERS. AND JUST PLAIN MADE ME ANGRY IN SOME. I RECOMMEND THIS MOVIE TO ANYONE WITH HEART. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Brilliant
Do you enjoy Michael Jackson's early work? Or are you an aspiring director? Either way this is a great thing to watch. Unlike most other "Making Of's" this one is generally longer. It is not only filled with interviews, but A LOT of footage on the video, such as the makeup, how it is done, and the filming. Buy it!

Thriller thriller thriller....
Thriller and I go way back. I was too young when Thrillermania was going on but I experienced parts of the michael jackson mania since the mid 80's. The video scared me when I was a toddler but I had a Thriller toy anyways and appreciated the video even more when I was older. It is a brilliant masterpiece, the king of all music videos and it will never be forgotten. I love this video, it shows you how this masterpiece was created and there's a lot of cute moments while making the video. I love mike, he's the best.

THRILLER NIGHT
THIS VIDEO IS GREAT. I THINK EVERYBODY SHUD GET THIS VIDEO . IT REALLY SCARY AND THA MAKING OF IT VERY COOL!! FIRST ULL SEE THA VID THEN THA MAKING OF THA VIDEO. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

The two classic Brady Bunch Marcia, Marcia, Marcia episodes
We are not talking lofty standards here when we recognize the fact that this particular set of episodes from "The Brady Bunch" contains two of the show's signature episodes from the perspective of American pop culture. The common denominator here is the oldest female Brady, Marcia (Maureen McCormick), in what are clearly her two most famous misadventures. "Getting Davy Jones" (Episode #61, December 10, 1971) has Marcia promising to get teenage hearthrob Davy Jones of the Monkees to sing at her school prom. Unfortunately, this appearance is news to Davy. Good thing this is a television comedy otherwise this would end badly for Marcia. Marcia, Marcia, Marcia gets her comeuppance in "The Subject Was Noses" (Episode #90, February 9, 1973), when she gets hit in the nose with a football. The nose swells up like a balloon and because of the disfigurement Marcia's boyfriend Doug Simpson (Nicholas Hammond) ditches her. Obviously no great loss, but it sure bothers little miss vanity. For fan's of neglected sister Jan this has to be the most popular episode of "The Brady Bunch" ever. You do not have to like these episodes let alone "The Brady Bunch," but you do have to at least know about them as touchstones of pop culture. P.S. Pay attention to the guest stars besides Davy Jones on these episodes and their importance in television history. The first one has Marcia Wallace, who went on to success on "The Bob Newhart Show" as receptionist Carol Kester and who know provides the voice for Bart's teacher Edna Krabappel on "The Simpsons." Nicholas Hammond from the other episode ended up as television's "Spider-Man" after being one of the Von Trapp children in "The Sound of Music."

Girl, look what you've done to me ....
Classic Brady! Do you know any girl who, not only got a rock star to play at her prom, but got a date out of him? Only Marcia could pull this off! I remember when it originally aired in the 70's and had dreams of meeting the infamous Monkee (OK, I was 6 years old and hadn't discovered "Tiger Beat" yet). The clothes and hairdews alone make the episode (check out Davey's dorky mananger and Marcia's groovy poncho). On a footnote: did actually meet Davey 15 years later during a Monkees Reunion, a disappointment. Better on tape, than in person.

Of course it's stupid fantasy...
and this video is worth the money just to hear the black girl in the Davy Jones episode ask Marcia (referring to Davy) -- all excited and bubbly -- "is he as neat as he looks?" Yeah, right. I like the end of the episode when Marcia and Davy stand side by side, and you can get an idea of just how short Davy is - he is shorter than Maureen McCormick. The "oh my nose" episode is pure fantasy -- and as for Marcia episode it's right up there with the Romeo and Juliet and braces episode --the family that paints together? Marcia's swollen nose disappears overnight? The Big Man on Campus asks Marcia out? She ultimately chooses Charlie the awkward delivery boy? And in the former episode, Marcia enters Davy's recording studio -- while he's recording no less -- without any problems? If you ask these questions then you definitely won't enjoy it. If you don't care about reality...then this is the best! Crank up "Girl" and drive your neighbors nuts!

A Great Show For Its Pure and Utter Stupidity
The Brady Bunch is a guilty pleasure of mine. It's ridiculously cheesey and stupid and unrealistic, but it's a great show to watch and make fun of. Plus it's a good show to help cheer you up, or to watch when you're sick.

Still, it's pretty stupid. I mean (everyone knows this already) the Brady family is SO perfect, what with the dad always giving horrible speeches everytime the kids say something mean to each other (they don't much, though), but most of the time he just does the ridiculous speeches for no reason. The kids are terriblly happy all the time, and the situations they always get themselves into are just plain dumb!

Carol Brady (Florence Henderson) is only there to say stuff like "Oh, Mike," or "Your father's right." The kids are all very one dimensional yet fun to watch. Alice does nothing but say dumb jokes however I respect Ann B. Davis as an actress (not that she is one anymore).

Of course everyone also know that the late Michael Reed dispised this show, and he had good reason, especially with the way his character acts. Everyone seems to regret starring on this show! Serious. Just watch the E True Hollywood Story on The Brady Bunch, and see. Susan Olsen (Cindy) sais she's been stereotyped ever since. Barry Williams (Greg) claims it's now very hard to get a job, and Florence Henderson sais the show was to unrealistic, and so on.

Still, you gotta love the show. How can't you? The people that hate this show have no heart. I'm mean, it's a horrible show, but it's a wonderful show! Sound strange? Sorry, but come on, even you people who bash it here really love it, and you know it. Why? Because it's really entertaining, and some episodes are actually GOOD (the Hawaii episode early in the show).

Don't buy these DVDs, the show is on all the time. But do buy the Brady movies, they're hilarious!

Later

Don't knock him!!
For Pamela, I'm sorry David didn't fulfill your dreams. He is really a wonderful guy - YOU should try to make EVERYONE happy for a while and see how you do at it! David would feel terrible that he hurt your feelings. I've gotten to know him in the last few years, and he is sweet, charming, kind and considerate. Whatever happened at the concert you attended, he had his reasons for his behavior. He's not perfect - but then neither are ANY of us!! Please don't defile his character. He gets enough S**t from fair-weather fans who don't "know" him . He's a very special guy!! Give it another try - things will work out better next time!! Believe me, it's worth the effort!! ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Lost Highway is more than just a movie...
...it's art. This film is abstract and there is no easy to follow storyline. The many scenes are highly detailed, intellectually stimulating, and exciting. The costumes, scenery, and soundtrack evoke all kinds of emotion.

The characters are very unique and memorable: Robert Blake as the white-faced bizarre "Mystery Man," Robert Loggia as the powerful, crazy "Mr. Eddy," and Bill Pullman as the tormented and confused "Fred Madison."

The music chosen for the film is unbelievable -- the music really makes some of the scenes, such as when the main character, Fred Madison, is playing his saxophone in a night club and the tune he is playing keeps getting crazier, more insane, parallel with his own mental state.

If you're looking for an easy to follow plot with normal run-of-the-mill characters, this is not the movie you're looking for. Lost Highway has a complex, twisting plot and is full of the unordinary and extraordinary.

tightly focussed and very weird
Lynch's film starts in a typically bizarre way. Jazz musician Fred Madison hears a voice on his Beverly hills house intercom, tellign him that one of his acquantiances is dead. When he goes to the door to see who is speakng, he finds a video...of him and his wife, in bad, sleeping, filmed by a stranger with access to their house.

Lynch's film follows Madison as he pursues this bizarre revelation, fearing that his wife, Renee, is having an affair. Then the film-- in Lynch's new signature twsit-- transforms Madison into a young man who works for a Mafiosi, whose wife devlops an interest in this young man.

Lynch's film has been called a Mobius strip, where following one side of it will gradually take you around so the opposite surface, looking at thigns from an entirely different point of view. Here, Lynch uses his transformation device to examine sexual jealousy, transgression, revenge and evil. The film has the usual Lynch hallmarks-- a subtle and perfect musical score (co-writtten with Trent Reznor), languid pacing, oddly comic moments, and a few sections of sheer, gut-wrentching terror. The scene where Madison meets a Devil figure at a cocktail party has to be the weirdest thign ever done in cinema-- Lynch is in the company of Bunuel here.

The film is ulteimately a loop, bringing its iewer back to its beginning. As such, it is an intense, and terrifying experience, but, since its sens of horror stems from its claustrophobic structure, viewers may miss the final sense of transcendence that his earlier Blue Velvet offers. Nevertheless, this is a fine outing from Lynch, and much superior to the throwaway play of Wild At Heart.

Dark Puzzling Nightmare!
The title, Lost Highway, by itself lays ground for cognitive dissonance as Lynch presents a puzzling cinematic journey into a vivid nightmare. In this nightmare the audience is to follow Fred Madison (Bill Pullman) who is coerced through visual hints into jealousy and suspicion as his wife acts peculiarly and mysterious videotapes of his home appear on his door step. The nightmare intensifies as Lynch presents further suggestive indications that Fred's wife, Renee (Patricia Arquette), is having an affair with a friend of hers. However, as soon as the audience feels somewhat comfortable with the story Lynch throws a wrench into the cerebral machinery by adding a new idea. An idea that drives the story in a different direction that generates further confusion as the nightmare snowballs. Lynch tells a bizarre story about envy, love, jealousy, and revenge that reminds more of a painting than a film as the cinematography and mise-en-scene are extremely suggestive. Lastly, the soundtrack is exceptionally well selected as it complements the dark theme of the film and helps to provide a terrific cinematic experience.

sorry david lynch fans...but i must
ill just start out by telling you that i felt very dissapointed with this movie. i had high expectations due to the star cameos, which i must admit that i deeply respect all of them, and a top rate sound track. It just didnt stand up to the hype... at all. It just looked like a B movie the whole way through. The beginning was so boring and drawn out that i could bairly tolerate it. i was VERY tempted to stop the video and return in without rewinding it due to the fact that it was so boring... and i havnt stopped watching a rented movie in years. this one was very close. some of the acting was pretty poor too... like, unfortunatly, ole hank rollins... ive seen him do much better than what he did in lost highway. the only reason i have this film more than one star is the fact that the director did do a good job, dispite the poor quality of the film istelf. as for the story line, i didnt like it at all. i like strange movies, but i just didnt care for this script at all. it did pick up towards the end a bit and i did like the pastey camera character, so that did help get the second star. My main beef with the movie was the lack of backround sounds and music. the film wasnt all that bad during the times when there was some sort of music in the backround.
art? who am i to say. all i am saying is that i didnt really care for this movie and would never suggest it to anyone i know, and they would trust me because they trust my film reviews for the most part. i may not know art, but i know what i like.. and i just didnt care for this. it just, how do you say.. SUCKED! i SAID IT! SO THERE!

LOST
I hate to say it, but I was a bit disappointed with the movie simply because the movie was just too hard to follow. While watching the film I was thinking about Pink Floyd's "The Wall" movie because like "The Wall", "Lost Highway" made no sense to me whatsoever. The only reason I give it 3 stars is because it had one of my favorite actresses in it (Patricia Arquette) with plenty of hot scenes with her. It also featured my favorite hard rock/metal band "Rammstein". I'll have to say the movie lived up to its name for I was LOST throughout it. ... Read more

Reviews (585)

one of the best comic flicks, since spider-man.
he's faster than a speeding bullet, more poweful than a locomotive and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound.....no i'm not talking about the guy in the red n blue tights..but green skin with purole pants.

that's right true belivers.THE HULK is nothing short of another marvel masterpiece alongside BLADE, SPIDERMAN and X-MEN
instead of filling the movie with boring dialogue and senseless fight scenes ("can you say MATRIX RELOADED"?) ANG LEE gives a psychological perspective behind marvel's mightiest monster. the origin is surpasses it's comic counterpart..here banner deals with his surpressed anger and confusing regarding a truamatic experince during his childhood.

ergo the result of his alter ego's rage. the special effects are pretty impressive and not the "shrek on steriods" as some naysayers would believe. HULK isn't the sterotypical smash and destroy everything in sight, there's even a breif moment of heroism during the scene over the san francisco bridge.

eric bana does a great job as bruce banner, he even resmebles the mild manner scientist from the comic version and pays more homage to the comic as oppossed to the laughable tv series of the 70's (lou ferigno) all in all a great film and FINALLY co-creator JACK "KING" KIRBY is credited, his name was missing during the xmen movies.

marvel is on a roll next up THE PUNISHER, GHOST RIDER AND DEATHLOK!!!YES!

Too heavy a mood
When an arthouse director like Ang Lee takes the helm of comic pulp fantasy Hulk popularized by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, you are almost sure of a heavy Freudian psychodrama with sense and sensiblity. One can't help also but to admire Lee's vivid use of split screens and panels, textures and colors to furnish a graphic novel. The gargantuan green creature of angst and amazing flying power is magnificently expressive and menacing as he storms through deserts, wrecking helicopters and fighting mutated beasts. Banner (Eric Bana) undergoes mutation agitated by a gamma-ray explosion with earlier experimenting done by his deranged geneticist of a father (Nick Nolte). Jennifer Connelly is his love-interest who helps to cure Banner of his trauma while her father (Sam Elliot) is the general assigned to destroy Banner. It is a moving essay on the dynamics of father-and-child with charged symmetry from Banner and Betty with their parents. The pace of the thrills also get unnecessarily bogged down in the first hour with its emotional cloud. Hulk fortunately regains its momentum with a special-effects extravaganza and draws exceptional performances from Nolte and Connelly that provides Hulk the movie substance and bulk.

Horrible
I saw this movie @ my cousin's and I thought it was gonna be so good. I love comic book movies so I was expecting something excellent. I thought this movie was a waste. It just totally sucked. I wouldn't buy this @ all. If you wanna see it, go out and rent it or borrow it. It's not worth spending your money on actually buying it

transhumanism meets the indigenist movement...
I know...a lot of people don't "get" it. This is a story about humanity's desire to tweek nature to transcend the "common" human condition. The hubris of science trying to break free of nature by manipulating nature...big business and the military industrial complex attempting to enlist this Icarus-like program for their own nefarious and very inhuman-human purposes...the HULK...transcending and returning to the very place his creation was an attempt to escape...those few Indians in South America facing genocide at the hands of modern civilization (so called)...snake bites it's own tail tale...

puny human
Wow this movie was amazing. I dont understand why it got a low rating. great dialogue from the actors. I enjoyed watching Jennifer Connelly on camera. She has pretty eyes and shes cute. The special effects were awesome! I especially like the behind the scene special features. Both discs are loaded with goodies! I hope they make a sequel. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The winner of 1934's Best Picture Oscar proves that the Academy hasn't changed its tune much in 50-plus years. Though films of that year, such as King Kong, still remain in the public psyche, Cavalcade, which is rarely seen now, fits the Academy's bill as an "important" film, one worthy of the Best Picture title. It chronicles the life of two British families, from the eve of the 20th century to 1933. One family is upstairs, the other downstairs, but it's less a view of the class struggle than a remembrance of things past. People honeymoon on the Titanic, they fight in the War to End All Wars, and they seem to entirely avoid the 1920s. Based upon Noel Coward's play, young couples banter using frightfully high-tea terms--everyone's "dreadful," "horrid," or "pathetic." A final montage tirade about the decrepit state of the times (hey, they did it back then, too!) almost knocks the legs out from under the whole proceedings, but it holds on. Stiff upper lip and all that. --Keith Simanton ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Memorable But Stylistically Dated
CAVALCADE is an extremely good example of films made in the first few years following the advent of sound, an era in which actors, directors, writers, and cinematographers struggled to find a new style that could comfortably accomodate the new technology. During this period, many actors and writers were drawn from the stage--only to discover that what seems real and natural in the theatre seems heavily mannered on screen.

This is certainly the case with CAVALCADE. The film presents the story of two London families whose lives intertwine between 1900 and 1933. The film begins with the upperclass Marryot family and their servants, Mr. and Mrs. Bridges, facing the Boer War--and then through a series of montages and montage-like scenes follows the fortunes of the two families as they confront changing codes of manners and social class and various historic events ranging from the sinking of the Titanic to World War I.

From a modern standpoint, the really big problem with the film is the script. CAVALCADE was written for the stage by Noel Coward, who was one of the great comic authors of the 20th Century stage--but the sparkling edge that seems so flawless in his comic works acquires a distastefully "precious" quality when applied to drama. Although the play was a great success in its day, it has never been revived, and the dialogue of the film version leaves one in little doubt of why: it feels ridiculously artificial, and that quality is emphasized by the "grand manner" of the cast.

That said, the cast--in spite of the dialogue and their stylistically dated performances--is quite good. This is particularly true of the two leading ladies, Diana Wynyard and Una O'Connor (best known for her appearances in THE INVISIBLE MAN and THE BRIDE OF FRANKESTEIN), both of whom have memorable screen presences that linger in mind long after the film ends. The material is also quite interesting and startlingly modern; although it is more covert than such films as ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT, CAVALCADE has a decidedly anti-war slant, and the characters in the film worry about where technology (which has produced such horrors as chemical warfare by World War I) will take them in the future.

I enjoyed the film. At the same time, I would be very hesitant to recommend it to any one that was not already interested in films of the early 1930s, for I think most contemporary viewers would have great difficulty adjusting to the tremendous difference in style. The VHS (the film is not yet available on DVD) has some problem with visual elements and a more significant problem with audio elements, but these are not consistent issues. Recommended--but with the warning that if you don't already like pre-code early "talkies" you will likely be disappointed.

A world long lost, twice removed from our own...
Noel Coward's homage to the bygone era of Edwardian England. A long and somewhat lumpy script tracks one upper-upper class family's trials through 1899-1933, as their paths intersect the Boer War, WWI, and the Titanic... Oddly enough, considering Coward's bon vivant temprament, the movie seems to condemn the libertine sensibilities of the Jazz Era (great glimpses of the action, though, including a gay couple exchanging gifts in a nightclub...) and exalts the more traditional English reserve. An interesting film, although in retrospect WWII loomed large in the background...

Cavalcade a historical timepiece
The most important thing to keep in mind with this film is the fact that it was made in 1933. It is an excellent film for capturing the mood of the English people at this time. It seems to be almost a tribute to English perseverance and a wake up call for a society that is spiraling into decadence and immorality. (ie Wake up - life is brief and may be over in an instant) I loved the symbolism in this movie, the horses portraying time marching on, the image of Jesus hanging on the cross as the troops march off to "sacrifice" themselves. The cross on the top of the church that symbolized faith and eternity. You really need to look under the surface to appreciate this film. As a timepiece, and a wakeup call that went unheralded, I give it four stars.

AN UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS LACKLUSTER FILM...
It is difficult to believe that this film won the 1933 Academy Award for Best Picture of the Year. It is a somewhat dull, tedious affair, based upon a Noel Coward play of some popularity. The screenplay by Reginald Berkeley evidently lost something in the adaptation, as it has little to commend it.

The movie chronicles a span of over three decades through the lives of two British families, one upstairs, the other, downstairs. The upstairs family, the Marryots, and their maid and butler, the dowstairs Bridges family, undergo tremendous changes as world events spin out of control, impacting on them in unimaginable ways.

The movie begins with the ringing in of the twentieth century. Both families, employer and employee, welcome in the New Year together and toast each other, little knowing the changes that the twentieth century will bring each one of them. As time goes on, the relationship between the two families begins to change, as class distinctions begin to erode. A montage of historical world events, the Boer War, the death of Queen Victoria, World War I, and the jazz age continue to shape and mold them in a pastiche of human drama.

While it sound like it could be interesting, it is not particularly so. One never really gets to know any of the characters nor care about them. While it is a highly stylistic film, it is one that has not aged very well as a storytelling vehicle. It is just not that interesting a film, though it is highly atmospheric and would, therefore, be of some interest to nostalgia buffs and those who love vintage films.

Good But Not Great
"Cavalcade" directed by Frank Lloyd is probably best known (to those who have actually heard of it) as one of the most forgettable Oscar winners ever! It's a sad fact but true. Diana Wynyard stars as Jane Marryot. The Marryot's are an upper class English family, and are struggling with the same problems people of every class are struggling with. Like the Bridges whom happen to be their servents, they are played by Herbert Mumdin (Alfred Bridges) and Una O' Conners (Ellen Bridges). Originally a play by Noel Coward, the screenplay by Reginald Berkeley doesn't provide us with an interesting portrait inside both families. For example, we don't even know how long each couple has been together. We don't know how old they are, we don't know how old their childern are. We don't know how the Marryot family came into wealth. It's simple things like this we would like to know. But, I must admit at times we do feel for these people. Certain sad events take place, and we found ourselves actually caring and getting caught into the movie. But, not enough of these moments happen where I would dare give this film a 4 or 5 star rating. Even though I didn't care for the screenplay very much, there are highpoints to the film. I liked the acting by Diana Wynyard (She was nominated for an award) and her husband Clive Brook (Robert Marryot). The directing by Lloyd was good also. And, one of my favorite moments in the film Ursula Jean (Fanny Bridges) singing "20th Century Blues". One of my favorite Coward songs. The reviwer below me mentioned Coward's "In Which We Serve" that movie was a better film. We cared for the characters in that film more than we do in this film. But, even though many many people would not go for a movie like this today, it's still not a waste of time to watch it. At least give it a try. This movie was nominated for 4 Oscars, it won three; "Best Picture", "Best Director", and "Art Direction". It's not great but does prove to be entertaining. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Don Ameche, silver haired and aged to classy elegance, tries to explain to the Devil (a deliciously underplayed Laird Cregar) why he should spend the afterlife down below. "Have you committed any major crimes?" he's asked. "No, but you might say my life has been one long misdemeanor," he replies. He then proceeds to tell his life story: romantic misadventure, infidelities, and the one true love of his life, his faithful wife, played by porcelain beauty Gene Tierney. Ernst Lubitsch's first film in color is a gorgeous evocation of America through three generations and a charming if meandering romantic comedy. Ameche is a fine performer but a limited actor, never capturing that knowing glance or the lively spark of Maurice Chevalier, while Tierney's charm carries her through her role. Cregar (in his brief scenes) and Charles Coburn, who plays Ameche's spunky grandfather, all but steal their scenes with puckish performances. Next to the colorful but vapid 20th Century Fox musicals and romantic comedies, this is a stylish breath of fresh air, but it hardly ranks with such masterpieces as The Shop Around the Corner or To Be or Not to Be. Still, Lubitsch in decline is better than many directors at their best, and Heaven Can Wait remains an amiable, often hilarious lark in exquisite Technicolor. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Some reviewers are just plain [stupid]
... It's a charming story, but I guess all the nudity and face-eating kisses we are bombarded with these days must have numbed you to some good old fashioned storytelling that does not need sex and drugs to be interesting. When looked at from that standpoint, this film has LOADS of substance ... Could the point of it also be that none of us is perfect but all are capable of achieving Heaven onetheless?

Second, judging something from the past - whether it is a movie or history - must be judged on the face of its merit as it was when it originally occurred. Judging today's behavior against standard decorum from the past is completely stupid.

Third, it is a very clever movie. There are several moments throughout the movie that are downright funny. For example, consider the woman who wound up in the ultra-hot environs while Don Ameche's character is there. A true comedic classic.

If you're still unsure, rent it. If your video store does not carry it, buy it (from Amazon!) It's THAT GOOD!

Although not great, still worth seeing
Don Ameche stars as a turn of the century playboy who still has a good heart, and so the devil isn't convinced he belongs in Hell. He gets to tell his life story, which is recounted in the film, to see whether he really belongs in Satan's Realm after all.

Although Ameche and Tierney have the starring roles here, Charles Coburn as the puckish and witty Grandpa steals many of the scenes. And Laird Cregar is superb as the Devil, a role he underplays with irony, wit, and charm, and he seems more like a bemused business executive rather than the Prince of Darkness himself. I would go so far as to say his supporting-role performance is actually the best part of the movie.

A brief note on Cregar, which I turned from up the IMDB database. Can you believe he was only 26 or 27 when he played this role? He looks and acts like a suave, sophisticated, man in his 40's! Unfortunately Cregar died of complications from a crash diet. He had wanted to play leading-man roles, but when the 6' 3" tall but husky Cregar decided to lose weight rapidly, he developed heart complications from the severe diet, and he died at only age 28--a great loss.

Although Ameche is good in the role, I think it required a little more intensity and energy, and perhaps even roguishness, than Ameche displayed, but he still comes off as a basically good human being, despite his philandering ways with women--who we really don't get to see much of anyway in the film--so he doesn't seem like that successful a playboy, either. And the goodness part is important, since that's why the Devil thinks he may have come to Hell by mistake.

Last but not least, the period sets are lavishly realized and certainly add to the overall ambience of the movie. And there are some funny scenes where the overly polite, New York upper- crust society of Ameche's family is contrasted with Tierney's crustier, but more down-to-earth and plain-speaking, parents from Kansas City.

In the end, the Devil decides in Ameche's favor. When Ameche steps into the elevator connecting Heaven and Hell, he turns to Cregar and says expectantly, "Down?" And Laird Cregar has the last scene-stealing word, as he manages to seem both playful and ironic as he pronounces his fateful decision and says, No--up!"

Overall, although not great, still a good movie. Big Steve says go see it (or in this case, rent it or buy it), and don't Bogart the popcorn.

Film Has Style But Little Substance
What was the point of the film? That adultery is forgivable and one can actually end up in heaven? The film lacks the wit of earlier Lubitsch films such as "Shop Around the Corner". It's way too talky and lacks action. For example, viewers would've sympathized with Martha the scorned wife more had the film shown her witnessing her husband's infidelity. Don Ameche is competent as the lead but lacks the spark and roguish charm the role requires. I found it hard to believe women would find him irresistable and that his wife would want to stay married to him. This film could've eliminated several scenes not quite pertinent to its story, which dilutes the impact of the storyline. Don't buy this film. Rent it first.

One of the Lubitsch's Best
Ernst Lubitsch's "Heaven Can Wait" - written by Lubitsch's long time collaborator Samson Raphaelson - is, quite simply, one of the sublime experiences of classic Hollywood cinema. Easily one of the Lubitsch's greatest accomplishements. As expected of a Lubitsch classic, "Heaven Can Wait" is a sheer delight full of grace, glory, and gaiety. Not to mention, every shot, every gesture, and every movement is close to perfection. Rarely has a classic used the Technicolor in such a stunningly beautiful manner. And what a terrific cast! Don Ameche, Gene Tierney, Charles Coburn, Marjorie Main, Eugene Pallette, and Spring Byington are nothing short of brilliance. Keep your prejudices to yourself - this is a film that needs to be judged in its own terms.

Pure marvel
Viewed it 5 times this month : a real marvel to me. I am sorry I don't master english enough to write a comment making justice to my feelings and thoughts. The main point is that every situation is dealt with the way real humanity would be in dreams. Fantasyland maybe, but such a pleasure ! And also, such fine acting and conducting... Definitely love it. Along with Night of a Hunter and Rio Bravo, this is my favourite english speaking movie. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Put Charles Grodin together with a 200-pound Saint Bernard and you're likely to come up with some good laughs. In this popular family comedy from 1992 Grodin plays a beleaguered dad who reluctantly lets his kids keep the lost puppy they've adopted. The dog quickly grows into the huge and clever hound named Beethoven. In a marked departure from his nice-guy roles in several Disney comedies from the 1960s and '70s, Dean Jones plays the villainous veterinarian who abducts Beethoven to be a subject in his sadistic animal experiments. The kidnapping sets the stage for a raucous rescue and, of course, an inevitable sequel. Innocuous but harmlessly entertaining, Beethoven is one of those movies that some kids can't get enough of. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (15)

great family film
With the exception of a few more intense scenes in this film (namely the ones with the antics of the villian veteranarian), "Beethoven" is a great choice for the whole family. It's just a very lighthearted and fun film with real characters and a plot that is just as funny as it is heartwarming. It focuses on the Newtons, who are just a normal, happy family with their own set routine until a stray puppy comes upon them and "puts the dents in their home." The father George's (played to perfection by Charles Grodin) feelings for this dog are beyond indifferent, but he finally gives in to his three young children and allows them to keep the puppy, whom they soon dub with the name "Beethoven." As the dog grows into an enormous St. Bernard, the kids are having a ball with him, but George is....well, this is not quite the kind of change in his life that he had hoped for, and what unfolds are some often hilarious moments between George and Beethoven. I remember watching it over and over when I was younger, and I still love it now.

Charles Grodin and Bonnie Hunt are great as the kind and loving parents, and Nicholle Tom, Christopher Castile, and Sarah Rose Karr are equally delightful in their roles as the 3 kids. Overall just a really sweet, funny, and good family film.

enjoyable for the most part...
I would regard this as a good family film with some reservations. Since I remember how much I used to watch this when I was a kid, I remember what parts I enjoyed and what parts I didn't. It's okay to have a darker side to a family movie, but perhaps not with such unnecessary rough dialogue and violence with an evil veteranarian attacking and abusing animals. And since when does a father earn praise and honor from his wife and children when he punches out the bad guy?

The strength and the fun of this movie comes from the family who adopts a lost St. Bernard puppy, much to the father's dismay. The three children in this film, Ryce, Ted, and Emily (played by Nicholle Tom, Christopher Castile, and Sarah Rose Karr) are cute enough; what I like so much about this movie is the way they're shown as such a normal, loving, typical family that many of us could probably say we have seen before somewhere in our own lives. You've got the grumpy yet loving father, the nurturing "stay at home" mother, and the three mischievous kids. Overall, it's a film you might enjoy with your family...worth at least a rental.

stupid
don't watch this movie. because this movie ain't that funny.

One huge puppy/dog. 15th april 2004.
The newton family have just adopted one huge saint bernard dog that was kidnapped out of the shop it came from. He's big,he drewles,and he's a big responsibility. Beethoven made him self happy in the newtons, emily dreamed of having a dog and she woke up with one right beside her in her bed. No one knows about him been there until her mum brother and sister walk into the room. He grows massive, and it is about a family who love him too bits, exept they had to work round there dad. Great family film.

NOT for younger children
This movie is terrible in that it sends very mixed messages to children. A veterinarian "villian", a father hitting a "bad guy" and getting cheers from his family, etc. This, and a very scary and intense near-drowning scene (of a child) made my 4-year-old cry. We ended up turning it off and having a long talk afterwards with our daughter. I'm glad we only rented it but I'm kicking myself for not previewing it first. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This film and Hello Dolly were the knockout blows to the studio movie musical, but Paint doesn't deserve its tarnished name. Ben Rumson (Lee Marvin) takes the model of a rakish derelict to an unequaled high as a prospector who teams up with a greenhorn named Pardner (Clint Eastwood), and they both end up marrying the same scorned woman (Jean Seberg). No-Name City, the prospecting town they found, is Sodom and Gomorrah without the camels, and a vision of humanity left to its own devices. The songs are mostly wonderful melodies from Lerner and Loewe, with definite high points, notably "They Call the Wind Maria" and "Wand'rin' Star." Clint Eastwood always gets flack for his versions of "I Still See Elisa" and "I Talk to the Trees," but that scorn is equally undeserved. Perhaps Paint's biggest sin, in retrospect, was trying to combine the aesthetics of the musical with the aesthetics of the male protagonists' world-weary machismo. Not the easiest task, but Paint pulls it off. --Keith Simanton ... Read more

Reviews (57)

Bawdy Good Fun!
Totally irreverent and unabashed Paint Your Wagon is bawdy good fun for the whole family! In spite of the critics' remarks about its morals or lack of them, I found the story to be true to life in the old west. In watching the documentary "Ken Burn's presents The West," one learns that many decent law abiding folk abandoned all sense of morality and manners once out on the American Frontier.

The music as with all Lerner and Loewe films is excellent, especially the unforgettable song, "They Call The Wind Maria." Clint Eastwood sings beautifully and most probably could have had a nice singing career had he not gone to tough guy films and spahgetti Westerns. Lee Marvin and Jean Seberg compliment a fine cast of actors that make this musical very enjoyable and a believable picture of life in the Old West.

Adapted by Paddy Chayefsky (remember "Marty?") the musical is filmed on location in a beautiful wilderness (supposedly) in California which is about to become a state. Reckless, raucous and full of good fun it makes Rogers and Hamerstein's "Oklahoma" look dull and tame by comparison. Like the song "With A Little Bit Of Luck" in the musical, My Fair Lady, Lerner and Loewe tend to celebrate the lesser (and more real) qualities of humanity with a tongue-in-cheek sense of humor. Thus so I dare say I enjoy Lerner and Loewe much more than Rogers and Hammerstein.

Bawdy Good Fun!
Totally irreverent and unabashed Paint Your Wagon is bawdy good fun for the whole family! In spite of the critics' remarks about its morals or lack of them, I found the story to be true to life in the old west. In watching the documentary "Ken Burn's presents The West," one learns that many decent law abiding folk abandoned all sense of morality and manners once out on the American Frontier.

The music as with all Lerner and Loewe films is excellent, especially the unforgettable song, "They Call The Wind Maria." Clint Eastwood sings beautifully and most probably could have had a nice singing career had he not gone to tough guy films and spahgetti Westerns. Lee Marvin and Jean Seberg compliment a fine cast of actors that make this musical very enjoyable and a believable picture of life in the Old West.

Adapted by Paddy Chayefsky (remember "Marty?") the musical is filmed on location in a beautiful wilderness (supposedly) in California which is about to become a state. Reckless, raucous and full of good fun it makes Rogers and Hamerstein's "Oklahoma" look dull and tame by comparison. Like the song "With A Little Bit Of Luck" in the musical, My Fair Lady, Lerner and Loewe tend to celebrate the lesser (and more real) qualities of humanity with a tongue-in-cheek sense of humor. Thus so I dare say I enjoy Lerner and Loewe much more than Rogers and Hammerstein.

The movie they tried to ruin
"Paint Your Wagon" is almost a textbook case in how to ruin a film version of halfway decent musical. Take a minor Lerner & Lowe hit, blow it up all out of proportion, cast three non-singers for the main leads, and remove most traces of the whimsy and irony that made this moderately popular in the first place. That the result is STILL somewhat entertaining is almost a miracle. A lot of the credit has to go Lee Marvin, who plays his trademark drunken Westerner to the hilt. But Clint Eastwood and Jean Seberg are bland to the point of nonexistence. A standout (he's hard to miss) is Harve Presnell, an actual singer who belts out the movie's big hit, "They Call the Wind Maria" then promptly disappears. There's a lot of "what-in-the-world-were-they-thinking?" in this one. But it's still worth a couple hours of your time.

Good Old Fun
Wow, how can you not love Clint Eastwood's singing? This movie is fun and hilarious. A little action and a lot of laughter. The characters are witty and the plot is creative. I would recomend this movie to anyone, unless you don't agree with drinking, smoking and gambling. Just watch the movie and enjoy.

My first true laugh
Thirty years ago when I as a young buck watched this movie, it was a delightful surprise. That Lee Marvin was so funny. You never forget that first kiss,well you never forget that first really uncontrollable laugh either. Lee Marvin, like alot of heavies, had a gift for comedy. The part of the movie when Marvin thinks he is in hell is so classic. The closing song is bittersweet. It is hard to say good-bye to all the great characters. Ah to be so young and innocent again! ... Read more

Reviews (219)

one of the greatest westerns of all time
I was going to say that this is the greatest of the spaghetti westerns but truthfully, this movie is bigger than that. Every single thing about is incredible. The theme, the filming and the music is almost operatic. The casting of Henry Fonda as one of the most vicious villains ever seen in a movie was brilliant. Fonda tears into the role. Claudia Cardinale never looked as gorgeous again and Jason Robards, as the movie's wise man takes what could've been just a supporting character and makes him a hero. Finally, there's Charles Bronson, playing a man with no name, a man with only one thing to live for. When the camera leans in for a close up of Bronson's eyes they are cold, empty and seemingly dead. The only time he allows them to light up is when he looks at Claudia and when he and Fonda finally have their little chat. Every time I watch this film I see something that I never noticed before. It's great.

Once Upon a Time in the West
Not only is Once Upon a Time in the West the best western ever made, it is also the best movie ever made, period. The incredible cinematography, the awesome Ennio Morricone score, and the shockingly brilliant casting of Henry Fonda as one of the most cold-blooded villians ever to light up the big screen combine to produce a true movie masterpiece. Sergio Leone's meticulous attention to detail produced a film which is, at once, both a visual work of art and an exciting action picture. Please add my name to the list of people who are anxiously awaitng its release on DVD, and PLEASE use whatever influence you have to encourage its availability with Dolby Digital 5.1 or DTS audio. The soundtrack is the best I have ever heard, and it would be an awful shame to release it in a lesser format.

The Greatest Western of all Time.
Even though Sergio Leone is Italian, he's very precise about American history in all of his westerns. Once Upon A Time In The West is based upon such American events as the opening of the western frontier and the age of the Railroad barons ( or " Robber Barons " ). The movie takes place in a small western town called Flagstone, although it's in the middle of nowhere it thrives, probably because of the Railroad ( HINT : If you look carefully at Mr. Morton's private train car, you can find out the name of the railroad ). A widow named Jill McBain ( Claudia Cardinale ), is defending the land she inhereted from her murdered husband against the greedy and powerful railroad tycoon, Mr. Morton ( Gabrielle Ferzetti ) and his pure evil gunman, Frank ( Henry Fonda!!!! ). She soon teams up with a notorious bandit, Cheyenne ( Jason Robards ), and a lonely gunfighter, Harmonica ( Charles Bronson ) to help her. But what she doesn't know is that Harmonica doesn't care that Frank might try to kill Jill, he wants revenge for something Frank did along time ago. Once Upon a Time in The West is full of important expressions, clever ironies, and Sergio Leone's famous close-up shots that truely make this movie an all-time classic.

This is one of Sergio Leone's best, BUT ....
... Charles Bronson and that damn harmonica! Over and over again those same three notes!! Play something else for God's sake!!! Yes, he's a loner who's beyond words - we got it the first 20 times!!!

Don't get me wrong, harmonica aside, this is a great movie - amazing composition, great pacing, very stylized, awesome score (of course). I still think The Good, the Bad & the Ugly is a better movie though. If you haven't already, BUY that DVD!

Henry Fonda is a scary dude
If you have never been scared of Henry Fonda, this is the movie that will do it for you. The scene in the beginning, right after the whole family is killed is so eerie as the gunmen just appear silently from the brush. Henry Fonda's cold, killer eyes staring down the little child before he shoots him. Wow.

This is a very well made film, nothing like is has been made in years. Every scene takes its time to build up the right mood. This is a movie to watch when you have alot of time and nobody is around to bother you. The DVD transfer is nothing short of amazing, the color and quality of this 35 year old film will leave you speechless.

Claudia Cardinale is an absolutely stunning beauty, Charles Bronson is perfect as the vengeful quiet loner. I didnt expect Jason Robards to work well but he is very effective.

Definitly a movie to buy, not just rent. Something to give to someone who really appreciates epic movies the way they used to make them. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

One of the boys best films of the 1950's
Abbott and Costello were one of the best duos of comedy history and too bad that they had to break up and it is my understanding that Abbott and Costello didn't get along with each other but oh well, during their recent years the Abbott and Costello movies weren't doing very well like they were in the 1940's with classic movies like Hold That Ghost (my favorite one), Hit the Ice, Naughty Ninties and Meet Frankenstein, the best part of the whole movie is when Costello gets his foot stuck on the railroad tracks and he gets off the track within inches of getting hit by a train, I'll never forget my reaction when I watched that part, and if you're looking for a great Abbott and Costello, watch this movie, and avoid Lost in Alaska and Meet the Mummy.

One of Their Best
Abbott & Costello star in this hilarious film set back in 1914 and while searching for a swindler named Gormon, end up in Hollywood. Would recommend for A&C Fans

Not Top Drawer, but Amusing
Bud Abbott and Lou Costello were nearing the end of their reign as Universal's top comedians by the time MEET THE KEYSTONE KOPS was made, and it did indeed seem as if the bottom of the barrel were being scraped to find ideas for the boys' films. While hardly a classic, KEYSTONE KOPS at least has an interesting concept that appears to be partly inspired by Lou's early career as a movie stuntman. There is more slapstick than usual for A&C, and a few hair raising stunts, which is appropriate for a comedy set in Hollywood circa 1912. Fred Clark gives the film a real boost as a swindler turned movie director; he is an excellent foil for Bud and Lou. Comedy legend Mack Sennett makes a welcome and all too brief appearance as himself. Keep an eye out for veteran Keystone comedians Herold Goodwin, Hank Mann, and Heinie Conklin. Lou's daughter Carole does a brief bit with her dad at the beginning of the film. Recommended for kids, die hard A&C fans, and anyone wanting to relax with some nostalgic nonsense.

ONE OF ABBOTT & COSTELLO'S BEST FILMS
Abbott & Costello go to Hollywood in search of a swindler and become movie stars. Ed Clark plays 'Gorman' a con-man who cheats the boys out of a small fortune, by selling them the original Thomas Edison movie theatre. The climatic chase scene is a must see as the boys enlist the aid of the famous Keystone Kops,and their attempt to ride a motorcyle with sidecar. A & C at their FINEST. ... Read more

Description

Jane Fonda stars as the alcoholic actress who wakes us with a dead man in her bed. It's The Morning After and she doesn't remember what happened or how he got there. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Jane Fonda At Her Best!
Jane Fonda was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress for her performance in this movie. I do not recall now who else was nominated in 1986, but I cannot imagine that they did better than she does as a fragile alcoholic who wakes up in bed with a dead man and hasn't the foggiest idea how she got there. "I once was an actress," she tells Jeff Bridges who plays an ex-cop who tries to help her. Both Bridges and Raul Julia, Fonda's exhusband and straight hairdresser-- one of the six in captivity-- both give adequate performances; but this movie belongs to Ms. Fonda. (We can only hope that she gets back into acting soon.)

The film of suspense is directed by Sidney Lumet who gave us the great movies "The Pawnbroker" and "Dog Day Afternoon."

A Story of Wounded Souls
Maybe the reason that some have negatively reviewed this movie is that it was seen as a thriller. And maybe, in fact, it does fail in that regard. [I'm no expert here; I was actually surprised when the killer was revealed.]

But I viewed this movie as a story of two wounded souls coming together in an unwitting fashion, loving and then wounding one another, and then somehow managing to come back together in the end.

Jane Fonda's performance is perhaps the finest in her career as an actress. She is funny, maddening, heartbreaking, tragic and sexy all at once.

And of course Jeff Bridges gives another subtle and truthful performance. He gives us a man who, were we to actually meet in real life, we might want to distance ourselves from. But there is much more there and Jeff makes you want to stick around to find out what that "more" is. He takes a sterotype and breathes life into him and makes us feel for him.

Please do not let the fact that you may be savy enough to guess "who done it" early on in this film. Stick around for the end. Stick around for the journey these two are on. It's worth the trip.

Not first rate but well-lit
This was reportedly the first film Sidney Lumet made in LA after working in New York for years. Cinematographer Andrzej Bartkowiak traded his usual black and brown chiaroscuro lighting for sunlit oranges and pastels. This colouring also applies to Jane Fonda who adopts a bleached blonde look to play an alcoholic has-been actress, who was "being groomed to be the new Vera Miles", suspected of murder. It is a nice touch to have made the victim a photographer of female muscle bodies, considering Fonda's fitness empire. The thriller elements of this film are undermined by an awful overbearing score by Paul Chihara and a clumsily staged climax. It works better as a drama with intimate conversations, in opposition to Lumet's tendency to have his actors yell. (Just think of Network). Both Jeff Bridges and Raul Julia work well off Fonda, Bridges in particular, though his fleshiness here makes him look more like his brother Beau. Fonda is quite brilliant in her 2 drunk scenes and her sober world-weary line readings are funny. She seems almost anorexically thin but gets a remarkeable makeover mid-way. I like the cuts in the love scene showing what makes Fonda's character drink. This is the only time the music works. I also like the line given to a friend of Fonda's when she asks for some conservative clothes - "Honey, I'm a drag queen, not a transvestite".

Stupid
The biggest problem with this so-called mystery is that there is no mystery. From the beginning you realize that there is only one possible murderer. Fonda is quite good, however. Her performance does not come across as methodical as in other movies. Still, I wouldn't buy this video. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

This is a Great Movie
This is one of the best Charlie Chan movies. Though I found the beginning to be slightly confusing, it is a very compelling and interesting story. I would recommend this film to any Chan fan.

A Strong Supporting Cast
Sidney Toler plays Charlie and Sen Yung has the role of Jimmie Chan in this movie about the great detective solving a homicide which happened on board an airliner. It's another 20th Century-Fox film with Harry Lachman as director and a strong supporting cast.

Murder Over New York
My Dad first saw Charlie Chan movies when he was a little kid watching the late late movie(which was frequently a Chan movie). He remembers none of the movies, except this one. Just that says alot. "Murder Over New York" is a great movie, and a good mystery. That plane scene towards the end is one of the most suspenseful scenes ever made in a Chan picture. Number two son Jimmy is on hand as usual, and Sidney Toler does his usual excellent job as Chan. Also, Shemp Howard of Three Stooges fame makes a surprise appearance at one point. "Murder Over New York" may not be critically acclaimed, but it is viewer acclaimed. ... Read more

Amazon.com

In between his breakthrough film (Life Is Sweet) and his world sensation (Secrets and Lies), filmmaker Mike Leigh created his most abrasive and daring film, Naked. This "Angry Young Man" for the 1990s follows an acidic wanderer (Cannes award winner David Thewlis) who observes a corrosive Britain. An intellectual, bitter film filtered with debauchery and black humor, Naked follows the bemusing Johnny as he crosses in and out of doorways, drifting into old acquaintances and new lost souls. It is more of a character film than sheer entertainment and thus itcan be hard to watch, but it offers one of the great performances of the 1990s. Thewlis would have been an Oscar shoo-in if he'd worn a tuxedo and repressed his emotions. He didn't, and his brilliant work went unrecognized in mainstream America. --Doug Thomas ... Read more

Reviews (33)

A film without purpose about people without purpose
British cinema likes to deal with hard topics and this has led to some remarkable films in the past. A crucial part of those successes is always the portrayal of even the most unsympathetic characters as real people with plausible flaws and redeeming characteristics.

Naked fails simply because it forgets to do this.

The film's central character, Johnny (David Thewlis) is an emotional predator. He preys on those weaker than himself for his own amusement. Intelligent, persuasive and articulate, he has little trouble doing so as long as he is with the right people.

Fearing a much deserved beating, he steals a car and flees his native Manchester and arrives at the house that his ex-girlfriend Louise (Lesley Sharp) shares with two friends. There, he has a series of misadventures in which he crosses paths with an assortment of unlikely characters.

First, there is Sophie (Katrin Cartlidge) a young woman who is attractive enough that Johnny wants to bed her and stupid enough that she thinks that it means something. Later, he encounters a security guard who invites him in to the building that he is guarding, a lonely woman seen undressing at a window who invites him in to her room, a man putting up posters in the night who invites him in to his van and a waitress in a cafe who invites him in to her house.

Not one of these characters or encounters is at all plausible. They are moving in a world where fear and suspicion are key survival traits and yet everyone the Johnny meets invites him in to their safe zone.

Thewlis does a great job with the material that he is given and almost manages to make you believe in Johnny but the task is too hard.

Watching this film is a little like watching one weeks episodes of a typical British soap opera. People move around and events take place but nothing actually happens.

Best actor ever meets best British director ever.....Good.
This does for London what "Taxi Driver" did for New York, exposing its sinister underbelly in such gruelling detail that is, at times, hard to stomach. It's possible to view this as a film about the kind of people that Robert De Niro chauffeured in the aforementioned film, themselves confused, depraved low-lifes so inherently stuck in their own meaningless lives but not so unintelligent as to not realize it. On top of which, David Thewlis creates one of the most mysterious, complex characters I have ever seen in "Johnny", the Manchester stalwart, who validates himself through cigarettes, rough sex, and the more-than-frequent smart-alec remark or insult. He nearly reduces a security guard to tears with his prophecies of the end of the world, exposing the ludicrousness of his daily life and the irrelevance of his work. Despite all of this darkness, "Naked" is somehow hilariously funny, with Thewlis' quips providing much of the humour, as well as his (possibly) girlfriend's stoned flatmate. "Naked" is a film that you will leave quivering, yet exhausted with the strangest of emotions. In that sense, it is one of the most powerful films I have ever seen.

Blistering
I love this movie. It contains one of the most blistering portrayals ever put on film. David Thewlis as Johnny gives a magnificent performance and its the best reason for seeing this movie. You can't be unmoved by him.

I'm sure after seeing Thewlis playing Professor Lupin in the third Harry Potter movie that a lot of people are wondering what else he's done.

Why isn't this movie available on DVD?!

RIP Katrin Cartlidge--Desire beyond desire
This film possesses a hypnotic pull that I am unable to resist. It demonstrates a clear argument against most human interaction. Johnny is on the run from doing something he probably shouldn't have. He leaves Manchester and heads for London, where his ex-girlfriend Louise works and lives. Their initial reunion is filled with tense silences and overt hostility. Johnny is antagonstic towards everyone and everything he sees. Yet, he does see, which is more than can be said for the rest of the characters in the film.

Clearly, Johnny is a stranger wherever he goes. He's an outsider who loathes the hypocricy he associates with the inside. It isn't that he is hopeless. Nor does he lack desire. He desires that which exists beyond the palty grasp of human desire. He has heretofore avoided being nailed to the floor with compensations for thwarted, vulgar human desire. There is no pleasure in consuming for Johnny. There is no pleasure in most things that he, or any other human, might covet.

Johnny believes in an angry, vengeful Judaic god that hates mankind. He seems to believe that humanity is a scourge on the planet. He obsesses over eschatological xtianity. He seems rather unimpressed with the basic living apparatus most civilized humans take for granted. He certainly finds it most economical to degrade women as he sees fit. Johnny is rare. His truths are scalding to those careful, complacent types who make up the world of false ideals and false hopes.