Amazon.com

Elmo and Telly share billing on this half-hour instructional videothat gently preaches the virtue of being forthright. The lesson begins asGina reads "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" to her day-care charges. Elmo dreamshimself into the tale, in which no sheep are eaten and the offending wolfends up tied to a tree. Meanwhile, Telly seems to be the only one who hasn'tbeen or isn't going to the circus. Feeling left out, he tells them his UncleTommy (Dennis Quaid) is the ringmaster. Of course, he gets found out, isforgiven, and joins Uncle Tommy, Gina, and the gang in a big song-and-dancenumber. The irony for adults and older kids is that Uncle Tommy is actually an astronaut, not exactly a low-profile job. But even his uncle gets the callto blast off into space without the benefit of a rocket ship: Telly announcesthat he loves him even if he's not a circus employee. Stay tuned after thecredits for a one-minute message from Quaid. (Ages 2 and older) --KimberlyHeinrichs ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Finally, teaching the values of telling the truth
The world we live in is so full of false hopes and promises that so much of the time people forget to teach their children that being truthful, our word and our honor, is the most important thing we can offer. Children need to learn that telling the truth is a good thing, and not a thing of the past. This Sesame Street video reminds us, as adults, and them as children that although it's not always the easiest road it is always the best choice.

Teaches Children that Telling the Truth is Very Important!
My 14 month old is quite a handful, except when he is watching Sesame Street. He is especially fond of this Kids Guide to Life video! The story revolves around Telly and Elmo and various muppet monster and child friends who are in Gina's Family Daycare, Sesame Street's child daycare center. All are discussing how great the circus is. Some children and monsters already went and some will be going that evening, including Gina. Telly feels very left out. Gina proceeds to read a story about the boy who cried wolf while Elmo takes a nap and dreams he is in the story and is responsible to help the muppet boy watch the sheep, with results that teach children it is very important to tell the truth for many reasons. This is illustrated by the muppet boy "crying wolf" so many times his muppet family does not believe him (and of course Elmo) when the real wolf comes. If you have the Learning to Share video, you will recognize the wolf, but he has a bit of a French flair to him, which is quite entertaining. Before the story has ended, back at the daycare center, Telly has decided to say that his Uncle Tommy (played by Dennis Quaid) is a ringmaster in the circus, in order to feel important and gain attention! Of course, this is not true, and he then has to "fess up" and tell his friends that what he said was a lie, even though he is nervous that no one will want to be his friend anymore. The musical numbers and comedy, which is also aimed at adults, is very well done. This video is suggested for all children and parents, as we all have to deal with truth versus fiction in many real-life situations each day. ... Read more

Reviews (28)

More atmosphere than shocks
"Hey, ya wanna see something REALLY scary?" Well, watch another movie. However, Twilight Zone: the Movie was one of my favorite movies of my college years. I enjoyed the original series, but was never a fanatic. What captivated me about this movie, in particular the 3rd and 4th segments, was the atmosphere established by the filmmakers. The first segment with Vic Morrow is undoubtedly the weakest...there were obviously some script changes necessary due to his tragic death, and what we're left with is a predictable, trite, and even cruel story of a bigot who spouts a few angry words at the beginning then pays for it a thousand-fold. It's like watching someone being slowly tortured to learn a lesson then executed at the end just to make SURE he learned his lesson. The second segment is syrupy, but has the wonderful Scatman Crothers and some amusing moments with the old folks turning into kids. The third segment was my favorite. I always thought some of those old cartoons from the thirties were very creepy in their surreal quality, and watching this segment is like watching someone's nightmare of those old cartoons gone berserk. Of interest is the doomed sister, Ethel, who later on became the voice of Bart Simpson...she really DID get stuck in Cartoonland! And the fourth segment is pretty wonderful too, due to a comic twist on the horror provided by the script and John Lithgow's performance. Towering above the entire movie, though, is Jerry Goldsmith's score...one of his best and one of my three favorite film scores of all time. It truly adds to the eerieness of the first, third and fourth segments and while the second section pours on the schmaltzy strings, on its own it makes a GREAT listen with a memorable theme.

Tribute Classic
OK, there are some flaws in this movie but overall it can only be considered a modern classic. From the aged nursing home to the racial biggot sequence suspense reigns giving pure entertainment. Why this has not been transferred to DVD is beyond comprehension. As a cinema movie it is one i have never forgotten, the type of movie that remains embedded for twilight zone lovers. You can imagine my disappointment when continually searching for it on DVD. My fingers remain crossed !

I Love Creedence (ClearWater Revival)
After 20 plus years, TWILIGHT ZONE:THE MOVIE has attained somewhat of a cult following and has maintained a level that it is not too outdated, but did not do the original tv series justice. The movie will be remembered mostly because actor Vic Morrow (tv's COMBAT) was killed during filming along with two children. The first segment KKK is an original entry, directed by John Landis and starring Vic Morrow. It is not too inventive and very predictable. Morrow has made a career of playing baddies from BLACKBOARD JUNGLE to THE BAD NEWS BEARS so he was perfectly cast as the bigot who gets caught in a time warp to experience the suffering of the two groups he hates the most (blacks and jews). There is a segment where he is supposedly in Vietnam which doesn't go anywhere (because the scenes that were to be part of this sequence is where he got killed) but the producers stuck it in anyway. The next segment KICK THE CAN is directed by Spielberg who was continuing his period of working with children carried over from his film E.T. (and would culminate to his work on HOOK). This is a typical Spielberg directed sequence with a standout performance of Scatman Crothers as the instigator who entices the residences of an old folks home to think young again. The third segment ITS A GOOD LIFE is probably the most bizarre taking the original story to a more light-hearted approach. A boy who has the power to make anything he wishes come true while holding his family and townspeople at bay (in terror) was much more scarier and serious in the original tv episode. Director Joe Dante's take on it is more of a cartoon with a surprisingly upbeat and happy ending compared to the original's very downbeat ending. Bill Mumy (tv's LOST IN SPACE fame)who played the boy in the original tv episode makes a cameo appearance in the beginning of the sequence, but the cast (Kevin McCarthy,William Schallert,Lonna Schwab,Nancy Cartwright{voice of tv's Bart Simpson}) who plays the boy's terrorized family is the best part of the sequence along with lead Kathleen Quinlan. Finally, the last (and probably the best) segment, NIGHTMARE AT 20,000 FEET is pretty close to the original tv episode compared to the other two segments. John Lithgow's performance as the frightened passenger who sees a gremlin on the wing of a plane which disappears when he tries to get others to look out the window is equal to that of William Shatner's performance from the original tv episode. The prologue with Dan Aykroyd and Albert Brooks is amusing if not prdictable and the movie as stated still holds up despite its faults. Note: Look for a young John Larroquette in a brief appearance in the first segmnet (KKK).

I wonder why this has been forgotten?
It really is a sad thing how critics and those who have viewed this find this film a lost cause or a pathetic outdated mess. Now the film is about 20 years old but it is still very good and fun to watch. People just constantly knock the film saying it's bits are weak and don't compare to the original series now that may be true but the film that it turned out to be it is worth laughing at and enjoying. You are not supposed to get scared by this film you are really supposed to laugh your butt off I find that kick the can story hilarious a little touching but come on "Fresh Young Minds" you just don't take words like that seriously. How about the story with Anthony O.K the special effects are a bit dated but who cares? that bit is so hysterical because the plot is trying to be serious but it just does not work instead you just end up laughing at how the people who Anthony has taken to his home are forced to sit around and watch Cartoons all day! The last story is probably the most thrilling of the four (That's probably why they saved it for last) because watching John Lithgow hysterical on that airplane with those people is just classic cinema in my opinion. You of course have your first story with Vic Morrow where the disaster happened O.K that bit is a little dark and distrurbing but the whole film is one big laugh after another what about when Dan Aykroyd and Albert Brooks are just driving down a road and singing dumb songs are bored out of there minds because there song "Let the Midnight Special" tape broke. If you want to see something really scary as Dan Aykroyd puts it in the film or just want to laugh your butt off at crazy cinema you'll like Twilght Zone The Movie.

lpcb
I think that this was a cleaver movie because it had 4 differendt shows in it, I espeacally liked the last 2 shows....
-Casey ... Read more

Reviews (3)

The Kettles go back to the farm for some quick fixin' up.
The Indians try to make a fire in the Kettles fireplace the old fashion way, the smoke signal way. Judges are a comin' to award a child with a scholarship. However, who ever has the nicest looking farm and raises their kids in a good enviroment has a chance of winning. So the Kettles move back to the old farm (where they lived in their first film appearance THE EGG AND I [1947]) to fix it up. Funniest bit: Ma trys on a corset. Another funny bit: The town Indians had to read a book on "Indian Costumes" on how to dress (or be undressed) like their forefathers and learn to put on war mark make-up. Mary Wickes has a role as "Miss Wetter". The Kettles also have Christmas on the farm. The next film in the series is MA AND PA KETTLE AT WAIKIKI (1955).

The Funniest One!
Even though these movies seem so ancient compared to todays version of comedy, this movie is so funny! I think its probably the funniest kettle movie! In this one the kettles try transform their not-so-dream farm into a dream farm useing things to rebuild their barns and buildings that well, just dont hold up! Very Funny!

One of the top Kettle comedies
The Kettles' college-student son has described his folks' ramshackle farm as the last word in modern technology. Now Ma and Pa have to prove it, in one of the best Kettle comedies. (One memorable scene has Percy Kilbride playing a charming Santa Claus for his kids.) Check your intellect at the door for some simple, folksy fun. Picture and sound are excellent. ... Read more

Reviews (30)

Beverly Hills 90210 is one of my favorite shows!
This video is a must for anyone who loves 90210.It gives bits and pieces of the first two seasons, which brings back happy and sad memories of the characters.The video also talks about the character's feeling about graduating from high school and about leaving each other.If you have graduated or going to graduate from high school, this video will make you feel sad as you recall high school experiences.The saddest scene is at the end when they are looking at the sign that says, West Bev 93 and are staring at it.This is a video that you will love to own about all of the 90210 characters!

90210 is the best show on television!
I am a big huge Beverly Hills, 90210 fan! It's the coolest show on FOX, it even has a great soundtrack too. I watch the show all the time and all the actors are good. It's still a good show even though if it's been on for awhile. For those of you 90210 fans you can catch 2 episodes on FX every weekday at 4:00 and 5:00 (I think).

The sadness of 90210 ending
It is such a shame that 90210 had to go off the air. It was my favorite show ever since i've been alive. I will miss Luke Perry alot on T.V. I recorded almost every episode they made so at least the memories will stay with me forever. All I hope is that they make another show just like that. It really feels good to watch a great show and have the characters go through some of the same issues you might be going through. It was a great show and they did a great job. 90210 will be in memory forever...

Huge Fan from Brazil
I'm a huge, huge fan of BV 90210 from Brazil and I have never missed an episode of all ten seasons. I really look forward for their release on DVD!!! Beverly Hills 90210 definitely needs to be on DVD ASAP! I still watch the show everyday! Maybe this is the third time!!! But I NEVER get tired of it! I REALLY LOVE THE SHOW! I wish they would come out with all the DVDS soon.

90210 big fan!
i want to buy this video but with some of the reviews ive seen im not sure if i still want to. but i was young when the show started so i never watched it untill about the begining of 2004. see i really think luke perry (dylan mckay) is so hot so i started watching it and my dad records it every week day and on sat and sun. i love it so much! i wish they would come out with all the DVDS! season 1/10 cuz i would buy them all. i need to catch up with the early days. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

NAMI Media Award Winner
NAMI: The Nation's Voice on Mental Illness (www.nami.org) honored this movie with a 2001 Outstanding Media Award. it's excellent. A non-stereotyped portrayal of a person with mental illness and an at times difficult, but loving relationship with her sister. A true story. Book by the same name. It both opens minds and entertains. Great acting by Kathy Bates: an informative contrast to her role in the movie Misery.

Jan Linder-Koda in the movie
I love this movie. I got to play my scene with Both major stars. The work is superb. I love acting in this film ... Read more

Amazon.com

The dazzling Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, brought to lush life by the director of the original stage version, Joshua Logan. Set on a remote island during the Second World War, South Pacific tracks two parallel romances: one between a Navy nurse (Mitzi Gaynor) "as corny as Kansas in August" and a wealthy French plantation owner (Rossano Brazzi), the other between a young American officer (John Kerr) and a native girl (France Nuyen). The theme of interracial love was still daring in 1958, and so was director Logan's decision to overlay emotional moments with tinted filters--a technique that misfires as often as it hits. The comic relief tends to fall flat, and an overly spunky Mitzi Gaynor is a poor substitute for the stage original's Mary Martin. But the location scenery on the Hawaiian island of Kauai is gorgeous, and the songs are among the finest in the American musical catalog: "Some Enchanted Evening," "Younger than Springtime," "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair," "This Nearly Was Mine." That's Juanita Hall as the sly native trader Bloody Mary, singing the haunting tune that launched a thousand tiki bars, "Bali H'ai." Based on stories from James Michener's book Tales from the South Pacific. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (52)

Superb Restoration from original TODD-AO Negative
Hallelujah! Finally, Fox has retired the CinemaScope print versions previously used in its two video incarnations and gone back to the TODD-AO 65 mm negative to bring us the definitive edition of SOUTH PACIFIC. The THX digitally restored film (available in both pan and scan and widescreen) is impeccably beautiful. The colors are all true and rich and deep. No more grain or bleed as we had in the Scope versions, especially in the controversial color filter sequences, which now render powerful and true as they were intended (and which netted cinematographer Leon Shamroy an Oscar nom). The widescreen version is the one to get, however - the sweep and beauty of the scenery and composition of the players meld into a perfect whole. I've seen this dozens of times but was mesmerized with this print as if seeing it for the first time. Most of the controversy over the film's casting and acting and direction stem from the small screen pan and scan - you NEED the widescreen lush backgrounds to understand the story, why the natives are attracted to it and why it holds the naive Americans in its seductive sway. RUN to get a print of this while they last - a great musical (remember it ran in its TODD-AO versions for over a year in the major city roadshow releases - audiences of the day LOVED it, despite the critics' lukewarm responses). This is a true WINNER! For the record this also contains the original Overture (Some Enchanted Evening, A Wonderful Guy, Nothin Like A Dame, Younger Than Springtime); the Entr'acte (Younger Than Springtime, Gonna Wash That Man, Bloody Mary, Bali H'ai); and Exit Music (Younger Than Springtime, A Wonderful Guy, Some Enchanted Evening, Bali Ha'i) all set against travelogue vista outtakes and title card backgrounds.

More than a love story. And the music is great!
With the world a little shaky now, it's a real pleasure to be able to put on a DVD and take a trip down memory lane to 1958 when South Pacific was released in movie theaters. The Rogers and Hammerstein score sets the tone for this musical adaptation of the Broadway show that was based on Tales of the South Pacific" by James Mitchener.

The story is set on an island in the South Pacific during WW2. The Japanese are entrenched in a nearby island and are bombing American forces that go near, but life is sweet for the G.I.s at the naval base. Mitzi Gaynor, cast as a nurse, is beginning a romance with an older distinguished French planter played by Rossano Brazzi. John Kerr is a young lieutenant who comes to the island to convince the planter to risk his life to spy for the Americans. And Juanita hall is the older native woman who pushes her daughter, the lovely France Nuyen, at John Kerr. The music is excellent and the words of the songs really do move the story along.

The theme however, is more than a love story. It deals with racism and the tragedy of war too. And these themes are what held it all together for me. It's a great human statement surrounded by wonderful familiar melodies that I'm still humming this morning. I loved it. And I didn't even care that, with the exception of Rossano Brazzi and Ray Walston, whose role as a sailor who always has a scheme and adds some really funny comic relief to this tale of love and war, the acting in general was mediocre. Everyone else gave rather stilted performances, and Mitzi Gaynor might be pretty, but she can't quite show a wide range of emotion. Also, the songs were all dubbed and obviously so. But that was the way Hollywood did things in those days. It's also interesting to note what the standard for beauty was in 1958. With the exception of the dancers, it was youth alone and not workouts in the gym that shaped the actors' bodies. Narrow waists were in style for the women, but hips were allowed to flare naturally.

I loved South Pacific in spite of its few faults. It was great entertainment even though it didn't make me forget the prospect of war. If you've never seen this film, don't miss it. And if you've seen it before, it's certainly worth a revisit. Highly recommended.

Another Let Down
The first time I watched this I was hitting the sauce pretty hard with the result that I thought it was one of the greatest movies ever made. In the next few days I tried to re-watch it and there were some things I wasn't going for. (The interesting thing is I was drinking just as much, if not more.) Actually, there were a lot of things I wasn't going for, but I'll only mention a few of them: (1) There's some saying that the French plantation owner keeps spouting to the nurse as if it were their "little phrase" - something like "Fools never argue, wise men never agree", that's not it, but it was something that sounds profound but is actually a piece of garbage. Even if it were profound, I don't need to hear it. (2) This movie starts out making some pretense to being a realistic war movie, but the combat scenes toward the end are asinine in the extreme. (3) The nurse and the marine are both supposed to be racists who need to be straightened out, with the implication that YOU are if you're white. I'm sorry but I watch musicals to be entertained, not to get a course of "sensitivity training." -- If I ever watch this again, I'm going to cut it down to watching 2 or 3 of Mitzi Gaynor's numbers.

It's simply the best...
What a classic, wow! Don't believe one negative word you hear about this film. Everyone knows that the songs are the best Rogers & Hammerstein produced for one show. The singing in the film and the renditions are fabulous. The first time I saw this film I was 10 years old and, yes, it was in 1958 in an old, classic of a movie theater where the ushers were wearing suits. I was totally entranced by this great film at that time and still am today. Mitzi Gaynor and Rossano Brazzi were excellent selections-- I don't think Mary Martin would have been any better. John Kerr looked exactly like a young Marine lieutenant circa 1942. Sure, ladies, it could have been someone who was known for having knockout looks, but they would not have been as effective. And France Nuyen captures the essence of a native girl like no one else and that was good casting opposite Kerr.

To me, the greatest achievement of this film is that Joshua Logan absolutely captured everything about the early 1940s in that cast of characters. Mitzi Gaynor has a 1940s face and style, and looked exactly like a Navy nurse. The same is true for the other characters but especially so for Kerr. If you look at war footage from the Pacific theater, you'll see hundreds of Marines with frames exactly like Kerr's. No one lifted weights back then so no one had the "body cuts" of a weight lifter. He looked just like a Marine Lt from WWII should have looked-- tall, very lean, serious but a kid at the same time. He was intense in the combat scene and very light during the scenes with Nuyen. And Juanita Hall couldn't have been better; she will always be everyone's vision of Bloody Mary.

Logan manages to take you back to that time over and over again even though it was filmed 15 years later. When I watch it today I know that the smells were different, the mindset was different, the clothes were different, the cultures were different, the people were different, and life was different; perhaps simpler. Logan capture all of that for us to see over and over again. Plus, he did it in a way that makes the racial point but does it without being vulgar.

South Pacific captures the World War II era in the same way that Gone with the Wind captures the Civil War era. We can never go back to those times, but Logan helps make time stand still. Best of all was his casting. This version of South Pacific is one of my all time favorite films and no classic film library should be without it. Buy it. Watch it. Love it!

Great, but maybe not good
After viewing the full screen version of "South Pacific" on a projector screen as well as my own home, I feel that the movie was filmed beautifully!!! The use of color tints carries the audience away. Mizti Gaynor has a fabulous singing voice, even if she is "as corny as Kansas in August." The characters overcome the racial prejudices, showing the world that mixed couples are acceptable. The only thing that I found lacking was the plot line. If it weren't for the musical interludes, the movie may have been a flop. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Headline Scandal in Old Paris
Bette Davis is a young governess brought in to educate and basically mother the children of the Duc and Duchesse de Praslin in Paris of the 1840's. The Duc and Duchesse are at war with each other, trying to keep the children out of it. Davis' calm manner and way with the children soon catches the eye of the doting father, Charles Boyer, leading to a love between the two that is never acted upon. The Duchesse, Barbara O'Neill, grows to resent the governess for having taken the affections of her husband and children from her. It leads to a series of dramatic events that tears the family apart. Davis is subdued and unusually controlled as the governess, a fine counterbalance to the fiery dramatics of the spurned O'Neill. Boyer is excellent as the tormented Duc, torn between duty and love. It's a long film, but Anatole Litvak's tight direction and the quality production keep the story moving along well. Although primarily melodrama, it's has aspects of mystery and social commentary woven into its plotline, all anchored by Davis quiet performance. It's one of her least known films from that era, but one worth viewing.

If you think you're not a Bette Davis fan...
If you think you're not a Bette Davis fan, please try this movie before deciding. I almost didn't watch this film until my grandmother recommended it to me. Bette Davis shines in this wonderfully impressive role as a governess full of love, patience and mercy. Very different from her other roles, where being in the spotlight and causing trouble were paramount.
The movie begins with her teaching at a school for girls, where, upon learning some gossip about Bette, treat her awfully. Instead of giving up or turning to harsh tactics to control her class, she arrives one morning, and announces that she wants to tell them a story. Then after hearing her story, they can each be the judge, to decide if she is fit to teach them.
The story is one that you will not walk away from without feeling like you never want it to end. It's the kind of story that will have you so involved, it's like you yourself have been transported to France, that you are the governess, living out this story as if it were real. And you gain a whole new respect for Bette's acting. This movie is absolutely by far one of her best.

Wonderful Movie!
All This and Heaven Too is a marvelous romantic film about a French duc's unspoken love for the governess of his childen. There's the neurotic wife to spoil things and the wife's faithful servant to act as her spy as well as the ascetic Roman Catholic spiritual advisor. Charles Boyer and Bette Davis do a great job of expresing their love for each other without words. This is old-fashioned filmaking at its best. A perfect movie for a foggy or rainy Saturday or Sunday afternoon. The movie also speaks out against hypocrisy and keeping up appearances for the "sake'' of society. Highly recommended.

Afternoon of Total Escape
The perfect Sunday afternoon "old" movie. Laugh, cry, fall in love. Once you've seen this movie it stays with you always.

I Want a Snow-Globe
This is a truly remarkable film, and why "Rebecca" won Best Picture over this one in 1940 I will never understand, because this one is so much better. Not that I don't like Rebecca, but... that's beside the point...

Bette Davis plays Henriette Deluzy-Desportes, who is a sweet, kind governess to three girls and a boy, the children of the Duc and Duchesse du Praslin. I do like Bette in roles such as these, much better than the hard, scheming, or vicious woman she has the reputation of being. This is a sweet, chaste, hopeless love story between the Duc and Henriette, and the jealous, neurotic wife who completes the triangle. (The jealous, neurotic wife is the same lady who played Ellen O'Hara in Gone With the Wind. Now I will never look at Ellen O'Hara the same way again.) At first I thought it strange that the film did not probe more into la Duchesse's character to explain why she was a jealous, neurotic wife - but then, the story is told from Henriette's perspective, and I don't think she really understood the jealous, neurotic wife either.

You gotta love Bette's hair in this movie. I mean - it looks like someone sculpted it over her ears just so with hairspray. But the lovely dresses make up for the weird hair. All except the one she wore to the theatre with the huge ruffled flower on the front. And the children are all quite sweet. I've always enjoyed Virginia Weidler whenever I have seen her, and the little boy was an angel too. Charles Boyer's voice... Let's just say I dig the guys with the accents, Paul Henreid and Peter O'Toole among others.

The first time I watched this, I thought that the Duc's suicide at the end was a bit too melodramatic after all the more realistic drama that preceded it, and I didn't understand why he had to kill his wife either. A moment of violent passion, I suppose. Still, with Henriette, you come to love him so much that although you dislike these aspects, you can't hate him for it either. But the book says this is what happened, and that makes it more believable.

Speaking of the book, I recently read it - same title, and by Rachel Field. I recommend reading that along with watching this movie. Basically the movie adheres to the book, except that the book has a lot more after the film ends, and some of the scenes are switched around a bit.

Overall I thought this a very engaging, almost perfect film. I hope to own it one of these days, but meanwhile I'm happy to know the library has a copy for me to check out. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

From the sun-dappled heartland, a young man (Robert Redford, in soft lighting) emerges as maybe the best baseball player anybody's ever seen. On his way to the majors, he is cut down by an enigmatic black widow (Barbara Hershey) and vanishes for many years. When he reemerges, a silent mystery, he lands a spot with the New York team and begins tearing up the league--he's still the natural. Fans of the Bernard Malamud novel will be dismayed at the pure mythical hokum of this film, but baseball fanatics have been known to watch and rewatch this one; after all, it's constructed as a kind of shrine to the national pastime. Barry Levinson (Rain Man) directs the movie with an unabashed devotion to the game, although the film could use more of the realities of chewing tobacco and pine tar. Redford is fine, and Kim Basinger and Oscar-nominated Glenn Close are effective as the women in his life. The crowning touch is the soaring, extraordinary music by Randy Newman, the singer-songwriter turned orchestral composer. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (97)

Coulda Been Great
THE NATURAL has some truly great elements, especially the much copied score, good cinematography, and some moments that almost capture the mythical quality of baseball. Unfortunately, it falls short of the greatness it should have achieved. Nevertheless, THE NATURAL is arguably one of the better films about baseball (along with "Pride of the Yankees"), and it's worth a look.

Robert Redford plays Roy Hobbs, a man who truly loves baseball. All his life, he's been poised for greatness, but life has thrown him for some loops. He returns to the game in his late 30s and gets a final shot. Redford is pretty good in the role, although he's really too old for the part. Barry Levinson directs, and his direction is unusally ham-fisted...he and the actors telegraph every plot twist. Glenn Close was nominated for an Oscar, but she really isn't that good as Hobb's long-time love interest. Ultimately, the movie is too melodramatic and unfocused with cardboard characters, especially the villianous judge.

Extras: The only real DVD extra is a documentary on the movie featuring Cal Ripken Jr. It's pretty good, more affecting than the movie!

A Classic Baseball Fairy Tale!!
This fictional 1920s fairy-tale-style film is about a guy named Roy Hobbs (played by Redford) who is a great baseball hitter... thanks to the bat which he made as a kid from a tree that was hit by lightning. Hobbs' career gets sidelined for about 15 years due to an "encounter" with a mysterious woman. The tragic results cause a dark spot in Hobbs' past. Now older, and considered over-the-hill by the baseball community, the sports press, and his soon-to-be manager (wonderfully played by Wilford Brimley), Hobbs unpacks his "Wonderboy" bat and proceeds to decimate ballfields at seemingly every at-bat! Filmed in a retro 1920s style, this is one of the best baseball films ever made. It's not a true story obviously, but you won't care. Was it his "Wonderboy" bat that made Hobbs a star?? Great music by Randy Newman too (high praise coming from me, since I can't stand Randy Newman). If you are undecided on purchasing this one, definitely rent it and check it out... you'll be coming back to watch this one again and again! A great film to curl up and watch with the kids too. END

The Greatest Baseball Film Ever
THE NATURAL, based on the book of the same name by Bernard Malamud, is probably the greatest baseball film ever produced. Why? Because it contains no magical realism, no "tricks," no "gimmicks." It's just a film about second chances and redemption, in this case, redemption through the game of baseball. THE NATURAL is not nearly as dark as the book on which it is based and it's not totally factual in its portrayal of baseball, but who cares? This film gives us something better than facts. It gives us the poetry and lyricism of the game, the magic that made baseball "America's Pastime."

THE NATURAL is the story of Roy Hobbs (Robert Redford), a Midwestern boy who dreams of being "the best" in the world of baseball. Roy's dreams aren't just "pie in the sky." This kid has talent, talent like no one's ever seen before. But, as he's making the trip to Chicago to try out, he encounters Harriet Bird (Barbara Hershey), an enigmatic and dangerous woman, and Roy's life changes forever. Sixteen years later, though, Roy Hobbs is given what most people can only long for, a second chance. Yes, this second chance requires a stretch of the viewer's imagination, but not so much that it becomes an impossibility.

I know many people didn't care for Robert Redford's portrayal of Roy Hobbs, but I thought he was perfect. He really makes us believe in Roy and in his dreams and in his principles. I can't think of any other actor who could have carried off this role and carried it off so perfectly. Wilfred Brimley is perfect as Pop Fisher, Hobbs' manager. Robert Duvall as Max Mercy is also perfectly cast as is a very young Kim Basinger as Memo Paris, the woman who wants to be Hobbs' nemesis "the second time around." I didn't particularly like Glenn Close as Iris, but that's just personal preference. Close did a very good job with her role but not quite as good as did Basinger and Basinger's was far more demanding.

There are few mistakes in the continuity of this film. At one point, while playing for the mythical New York Knights at Wrigley Field, Hobbs' hits homeruns in the bottom of the ninth. What? He wasn't traded to the Cubs, so this has to be an oversight on the part of the production crew since the Knights, as visitors to Wrigley Field, would bat in the top of the inning. There are a few other such oversights, but I don't feel they're worth mentioning.

THE NATURAL works, and works so well, I think, because it relies so heavily on mythology, most notably the myth of the Fisher King. It romanticizes the game of baseball. Sure, it's been romanticized before, quite possibly more than any other sport, but THE NATURAL does it so well that we do believe and we do root for Roy Hobbs and all he stands for. Make us believe? This film makes us believe like no other.

Levinson has changed Malamud's ending considerably, but I feel that's for the best. Had there been no departures from the book, Hobbs wouldn't have been a sympathetic character and the film would have been too dark and contained too much despair. As it is, we're left with the promise of better things to come and hope for the future, just what baseball gave us in the "good old days."

THE NATURAL may be dismissed as "hokum" by some but I think it's an American masterpiece and pure magic.

Redford to the rescue

Director: Barry Levinson
Format: Color
Studio: Columbia/Tristar Studios
Video Release Date: September 26, 2000

Cast:

Robert Redford ... Roy Hobbs
Robert Duvall ... Max Mercy
Glenn Close ... Iris Gaines
Kim Basinger ... Memo Paris
Wilford Brimley ... Pop Fisher
Barbara Hershey ... Harriet Bird
Robert Prosky ... The Judge
Richard Farnsworth ... Red Blow
Joe Don Baker ... The Whammer
John Finnegan ... Sam Simpson
Alan Fudge ... Ed Hobbs
Paul Sullivan Jr. ... Young Roy
Rachel Hall ... Young Iris
Robert Rich III ... Ted Hobbs
Michael Madsen ... Bartholomew 'Bump' Bailey
Jon Van Ness ... John Olsen
Mickey Treanor ... Doc Dizzy
George Wilkosz ... Bobby Savoy
Anthony J. Ferrara ... Coach Wilson
Philip Mankowski ... Hank Benz
Danny Aiello III ... Emil LaJong
Joe Castellano ... Allie Stubbs
Eddie Cipot ... Gabby Laslow
Ken Grassano ... Al Fowler
Robert Kalaf ... Cal Baker
Barry Kivel ... Pat McGee
Steven Kronovet ... Tommy Hinkle
James Meyer ... Dutch Schultz
Mike Starr ... Boone
Sam Green ... Murphy
Martin Grey ... Additional Knight
Joseph Mosso ... Additional Knight
Richard Oliveri ... Additional Knight
Lawrence Couzens ... Additional Knight
Duke McGuire ... Additional Knight
Stephen Poliachik ... Additional Knight
Kevin Lester ... Additional Knight
Joseph Charboneau ... Additional Knight
Robert Rudnick ... Additional Knight
Ken Kamholz ... Additional Knight
Sibby Sisti ... Pirates Manager
Phillip D. Rosenberg ... Pitcher Youngberry
Christopher B. Rehbaum ... Pitcher John Rhoades
Nicholas Koleff ... Umpire Augie
Jerry Stockman ... Umpire Babe
James Quamo ... Memorial Game Umpire
Joe Strnad ... Final Game Home Plate Umpire
James Mohr ... Al
Ralph Tabakin ... Al's Customer
Dennis Gould ... Carnival Boy
Joshua Abbey ... Home Plate Photographer
Gayle Vance ... Maid at Party
George Scheitinger ... League Official
Peter Poth ... Dr. Knobb
Bernie McInerney ... Hospital Doctor
Elizabeth Ann Klein ... Stern Nurse
Charles Sergis ... Newsreel Narrator
Edward Walsh ... Newsreel Presenter
Darren McGavin ... Gus Sands
Brian Reingold ... Baseball Fan

This film made quite a stir when it was released. One of Redford's better ones.

Roy Hobbs (Redford) loves baseball. He played in high school and the semi-pros, and was picked up and given a contract by a scout for the fictional big league team, the New York Knights. Of course, he is the best! A natural.

He has a problem with his past, which he is close mouthed about, but a corrupt club owner, the Judge (Robert Prosky), tries first to pay him to lose in the playoffs, and then tries to blackmail him, and to subject him to the wiles of a femme fatale. And, of course trouble comes in threes...it is also discovered that he had a bullet in his gut that could be fatal if he keeps playing ball. So, guess what? He keeps playing ball.

This is a good, entertaining story. Redford has a huge following, and for good reason. Normally, I'm not enamored of baseball films, but this is a good one. I recommend it to you.

Joseph (Joe) Pierre Great Movie
The Natural is the best baseball movie ever made. Great for everyone in the family. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Joshua Logan's 1967 film of the hit Broadway musical about the love triangle between King Arthur (Richard Harris), Guenevere (Vanessa Redgrave), and Sir Lancelot (Franco Nero) is strong on star emphasis and weak on such fundamentals as story and sets. Except for a handful of solidly dramatic scenes--such as Guenevere grieving, late in the film, for the ruination she and Lancelot have caused--there's not a lot to get excited about. (The story's theme of a lost, great society, however, certainly struck a chord in the 1960s.) The Lerner-Loewe songs ("If Ever I Would Leave You," "Camelot") pretty much sell themselves, even if they are, at best, only proficiently performed in this movie.--Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (45)

Pure Emotion
Camelot made an impression on me over 30 years ago, and today, watching the remastered video, all the songs and lines come easily to me, yet I probably only saw it twice. Most reviews treat this film version unkindly, but I quite prefer Richard Harris as Arthur. In my mind, it's the greatest thing Harris has ever done, and his almost impish Arthur is appropriate for a boy-turned-king. He's neither too regal nor too arrogant, like some who have performed the role. He inhabits Arthur. I'd not have chosen Redgrave but she turns out to be luminous: by turns innocent, lusty, loving, and decent. Marni Nixon's dubbed singing works through her. Franco Nero's Lancelot is a sculpted icon of steel-eyed beautiful purity. Nero may not the greatest actor in the world, but he is endearing as Lancelot, and his physical loveliness in muscle, jaw, cheekbone and eye is probably unmatched for this role. The costumes are brilliant and gorgeous enhancements. (although a bit more real fur could have been used, back in the 60s!) The fact is, the score could not be more magnificent; the "natural" style singing is charming. Rather than focusing on "great" voices, we instead hear the intended core of each scene through "real" characters expressing themselves. These actors portray their roles gamely and truthfully as three people in love with each other. The entire production is a lush, bittersweet escape that infuses me with the sheer emotion and passion of ideals imagined and dashed. Love both lavished and betrayed is a sweet torment that this film tenderly displays to this viewer. I think it's highly underrated.

Drama tops everything
I enjoyed this movie. It seems to pale in comparison with the play, but i never saw the play, so I viewed it without anything to compare it to. I thought it was good. The songs were good, though not great or espicially memorable (they seem to have been better in the play), the sets and costumes were good, and many of the performances, espicially Richard Harris', were great. Harris sings well (assuming he wasn't dubbed), he's great at playing the boy-turned-king, though he looks 40 (he was 35), and he handles the film's drama perfectly. Vanessa Redgrave is good, too, easily turning from innocent bride to flirtatious married woman to passionate lover. And it's quite obvious that, even though she saves her passion for Lancelot, she still loves Arthur. Franco Nero isn't as good, but he's suitably passionate. (Whose idea was it to have Lancelot and Guenivere making love in the pool? They wouldn't have done it, just like they wouldn't have done most of the "loverly" things shown, and the scene in the pool's too From Here to Eternity!) Over everything tops the film's dramatic scenes, the ones in which Arthur confronts the love between his wife and best friend, both of whom he loves and both of whom love him. As I've said, Harris really shines here, really showing us his character's torment. Redgrave holds her own, too, espicially in the scene where she cries at the thought of never seeing Arthur's forgiving eyes again. Maybe it would have been better if they'd cast Richard Burton and made better use of the songs, and it would have been interesting seeing Julie Andrews have an extramarital affair, given as how she was still considered sugary-sweet at the time. Still, this movie was good.

ugh!!!!!
This is the worst movie musical ever made.It's hard to believe
that this piece of junk was made by the same producer who did
the magnificent "My Fair Lady".I've read that Jack Warner spent
$18 million on the production.Yes,it looks good.But the script
is terrible-not that the show was great,anyway.And the entire
cast overacts badly.One critic called it "an appalling film with
only good orchestrations to recommend it".Well,he's right.At
least Alfred Newman and Ken Darby did a great job with the score.
Their work makes the soundtrack listenable.Other than that,a poor
script,atrocious direction(Vincente Minnelli and George Cukor
weren't available???),and SEVERE MISCASTING add up to a complete
misfire.Forget it-listen to the soundtrack CD or the Broadway
cast album and watch "My Fair Lady " or "Gigi" instead.

AWFUL!!!!
Awful, awful, awful. Overacting run amok in a silly, unnecessary movie. The worst part was that it looked like a lot of effort went into this film and how horrible was the effort. What a waste of time. AWFUL.

Legendary Musical Falls Flat
This is a magnificent musical. It SHOULD HAVE been made with Julie Andrews, Richard Harris and Robert Goulet. Vanessa Redgrave looks wonderful, but her character seems depressed most of the time and the woman can't sing a note to save her life. Franco Nero was handsome, but looks Italian, not English... fortunately they found a very English voice to dub his songs. The other problem with this film, which bothered me when I first saw it was that it has the most cardboard looking stage sets for some scenes I have ever seen, and worse, the cameras move about exposing the painted backdrops even more. I do believe in the late 60s when this movie came out they had cameras that could be transported to real locations. My hope is that this beautiful musical will eventually be re-made with a SINGING cast using real outdoor locations.... please!! ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Olivia was wonderful in this movie!
I loved this movie. Olivia was transformed from a teenage girl to an lonely aged woman. Her acting abilities were breath taking! I loved the ending and how the son walk over to her and asked "may I have this dance"? "mother"! I cried for 10 minutes just thinking about how much she loved him and never thought that he would ever accept her as his mother. Corrine(whatever her name was, the one who lost her baby and raised him, made me sick, because she knew the truth and would not let that woman have her son! I have a journel full of Classic movies that I watched as a child and this has a big star next to it. One of my favorites, but there are sooo many of these movies that I love, I could go on for days.

Superlative story of mother love
"To Each His Own" would have to be one of the greatest of the 1940's tearjerkers and quite rightfully won Olivia de Havilland the 1946 Academy Award for Best Actress. Never has she been in better form and she delivers a many layered performance filled with love, sorrow, regret , frustration and ultimate fulfillment.

Olivia plays Jo Norris a young girl who falls in love with a young flyer in World War One and has his baby only by a cruel twist of fate to be deprived of the joy of raising him herself. She goes through the little boy's childhood being seen as his "aunt" as he is being raised by her former beau played by Phillip Terry. If ever there was a heartfelt performance given it was this one by Olivia and later in time as she becomes a successful business woman and tries to get her son back she realises that she has possibly lost him forever. By a strange coincidence she again meets him as an adult during the war in London and with the help of Lord Dasham (wonderfully played by character actor Roland Culver), her fire watching companion, she is finally reunited with her boy Grigsy" and is able to let him know the truth about his parentage while seeing him marry his girlfriend.

The whole story is guaranteed to bring tears to your eyes and I know it never fails to move me. The beautiful scene at the conclusion when Olivia's son finally realises who Miss Norris actually is, is the emotional climax of the film and is one of the finest pieces of acting from a 40's melodrama I have experienced.

John Lund in his film debut plays both Olivia's flyer beau in the first world war and also her son in the later part of the story. He carries off this quite difficult challenge admirably and he makes the two characters just that little bit different while retaining some similiarities so that his two roles both have a realism about them. His is a wonderful performance overraul and his presence really aids the film in general.

Without a doubt though it is Olivia de Havilland's film all the way and never have I liked her more than in this role. It is said it is her own favourite performance and considering some of her other sterling work in films such as "The Snake Pit' "The Heiress" and of course "Gone With The Wind" that is a tall order to fill indeed.

The film is also another truimph for talented director Mitchell Leisen who has produced some of my favourite films. His guiding hand of such a sensitive story can be clearly seen and I feel he is never given the true recognition as the great director that he was.

Enjoy "To Each His Own" as I always do and make sure you have plenty of hankerchiefs at the ready, this film classic is a guaranteed weepie of the first order. Enjoy

Olivia is great
I love classic movies and this one is no exception. Wonderful story. I give this one a million stars.

Oscar winning performance by Olivia de Havilland
One of the best performances by Olivia de Havilland, along with her roles in Gone with the Wind, the Snake Pit, My Cousin Rachel, and the Heiress. She was also wonderful playing opposite Errol Flynn, especially in her role as Maid Marion in the Adventures of Robin Hood.

This film is an excellent one about mother love. For most of her life, Josephine, nicknamed Jody wants to be reunited with her son who she gave up, in a cruel twist of fate. She falls in love in one day with a World War I pilot played by John Lund and spends the night with him, resulting in a pregnancy. The writers are careful to make sure the audience does not think it only a one night stand, especially on the part of the pilot. The love letter that Jody reads confirms that he is also in love with her and is anxious to be reunited with her after his tour of duty.

He is killed and Jody resolves to keep the baby. But a twist of fate prevents this and Jody is separated from the baby (Gregory) for many years. She does spend some time with the baby, until jealousy of Corinne over Jody and her husband prevents her from seeing the baby. The movie goes through various plot twists until the tearjerker ending, when Jody and her now adult son are reunited (the son is also played by Lund).

The acting of the supporting cast is uniformly good. I would have wished for a more subtle Corinne: Mary Anderson gave a somewhat over the top performance playing this unsympathetic character--in two scenes she shrieks "never, never, never." She has been better in other movies. Ronald Culver is great as Lord Desham and I found myself hoping that Jody and Desham would get married after the reunion between Jody and her son. I kept thinking if only she had met Desham before she met that pilot.

One quibble: Olivia de Havilland's makeup as the older Jody. The younger Jody was quite attractive and the older Jody was supposedly only in her forties. She was made up to look in her late fifties. If this movie were remade, Jody would look more youthful in her "middle age."

This is a wonderful film, especially for fans of Olivia de Havilland.

Sorry folks, I found this film to be really corny!
I watched this the other night and did not shed one tear or need any tissues. This movie was so silly and unrealistic, at times I was about laughing, and half way through, I was ready for it to be over. I like Olivia de Havilland in other things...she was superb in Gone With the Wind and The Heiress. In this, I felt she was just very strange and not very good. The whole story was too unrealistic. Her father's reaction to her pregnancy was not at all believable. The guy she fell in love with had about as much charm and charisma as a mannequin. He was doofy and what Olivia's character saw in him, I will never know.

I think this had possibilities to be a better story. If it was written by someone with more skill, who could be a little more subtle in some areas, and if the actors were chosen better, I may have liked it. The woman who ended up with her baby as her son, well, she was just a bad actress. So was her husband. The scene on the stairway, where it all comes out that he still loves Jodie after all these years, well, it is all so stilted and put on. The scenes later where she finally meets her son as a grown man, well, how unrealistic, and how handy that he just happens to see the scrapbook, and later put it all together, and realize she is really his mother with so much nonchalance, well it was just corny.

I love classic film, and after watching this, I was reminded again that there is good classic film and there is bad classic film. This is one of the "bad" classic films that I will not waste my time watching again. I was so glad when the whole silly story was finally over! ... Read more

Amazon.com

David Lynch's 1990 Wild at Heart is an utterly random and ugly experience with pockets of startling imagery and inspired set pieces. Based on a Barry Gifford novel, the film stars Nicolas Cage and Laura Dern as lovers on the lam whose relationship is tested and who meet some truly dangerous wackos (including an almost-simian Willem Dafoe). Lynch's thoughts seem to be everywhere, and he expects the audience to keep up with a story that seems more a collection of avant-garde whims than a coherent vision with the intuitive brilliance of his Blue Velvet. Cage gives one of his more chaotic performances, but then he was just reading Lynch's signposts. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (68)

if you're truly wild at heart, then you must .....
i first saw this film in theatres back in 1990 and i couldn't get the film outta my head. at that time, i knew very little about david lynch or his unique style. needless to say, i fell heart and soul for this maniac film and knew i would probably want to watch it over and over. nicolas cage gives perhaps his best performance prior to the wonderful leaving las vegas and i still think this film was very overlooked by everyone with the exception of true lynch fans. while this is probably his easiest film to date that the mainstream cinema could DIGEST, wild at heart is still very much avantguard as it is excessive in the language, violence, and sex departments. what makes this film so digestible is the ironic humor which surrounds the plot like a second skin. while still not a film for everyone, there is much to like about this david lynch treat. i particularly love the scene where nicolas cage is visited by the good which played by then unknown sheryl lee who advises him that the wild at heart must follow their dreams. shouldn't we all follow our dreams no matter how crazy or chaotic things may be?

Dear Tom Keogh,
Wild at Heart is, indeed, a film with some startling images. Any David Lynch fan will tell you that you should expect no less from him. In this film, Lynch is showing a subtle form of humor, he is referencing the Wizard of Oz (I'll not dare say "remake," he is rewriting it in his own fashion), and he is creating film as art in his typical fashion. You see, you actually have to pay attention to Lynch's movies in order to fully understand them. You likely have to watch them more than once to get his points. That's all part of the fun. If you bother to pay attention to the details of the movie, then you will understand that his thoughts are not all over the place at all, but are telling you a story, in Lynchian fashion. He doesn't take you by the little hand and lead you through a smarmy Hollywood film about life and love then whisk you off to a nice, rosy conclusion with a sunset and cutesy music. Don't expect the point to Wild at Heart to come easily. If that is what you want, may I suggest "Dumb and Dumber." David Lynch combines film with art and Wild at Heart is no exception. If you want a movie to present a simple story line and to conclude with a pretty red bow, then skip this one. But if you want to watch an outstanding David Lynch movie, then Wild at Heart will not disappoint. This is a fantastic movie.

PLEASE RELEASE IT ON DVD!!
David Lynch's Wild At Heart is a masterpiece, it won Palme D'Or at Cannes Film Festival for Best Picture. It has an outstanding cast, featuring Nicolas Cage, Laura Dern, Isabela Rosselini, Sheryl Lee,
Diane Ladd, Harry Dean Stanton, Willem Dafoe and so many other great actors! Why wasn't yet released on DVD in North America? Everywhere else in the world was. David Lynch is one of the best American directors and "Wild At Heart" is one of his masterpieces.
My favorite line from this film is: CENSORED.

Film of the Future
Lynch uses cinema the way it should be used. It's a naturally surreal medium, something only Lynch has truly understood, ever since Salvador Dali made Un Chien Andalou, all those years ago. Wild at Heart is totally coherent, as many reviewers have realised, even if only partly and subconsciously. All I would like to know is this: is the American South really the raw and mindless hell on earth that it seems to be in almost every film I've seen located there?

David Lynch's violent adaptation of the Wizard of Oz
Wild at Heart is David Lynch's violent adaptation of the Wizard of Oz with mesmerizing cinematography, which offers an exceptionally artistic cinema experience. Many scenes are visually packed as they offer much to ponder since they are often surrealistic or full of symbolism. The symbolism and surreal environment enhance the fantastic adventure into love, passion, and righteousness that Lynch provides for his audience. The tale begins with Sailor (Nicolas Cage) who was sent to jail for manslaughter as he killed a man in self-defense that was sent by his girlfriends neurotic mother. Released on probation Sailor is free and loving as he can reunite with his girlfriend Lula (Laura Dern) despite Lula's mothers opposition to their relationship. Lula's defiance upsets her mother who hires another hitman to slay Sailor. However, Lula and Sailor decide to take off to California and break Sailor's probation by following the yellow line on the road to the promise land. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Perhaps only Spike Lee could make a dignified yet extremely funny comedy-drama about phone sex. Theresa Randle (Bad Boys) is the title character, a hard-working actress who becomes addicted to this peculiar form of safe sex (the movie is verbal, not physical, in that department) at a high-class New York agency. Throughout the film, Girl 6 (she's unnamed beyond this) sports a dazzling array of new looks, hairstyles, and clothes. Randle radiates every step of the way. Lee even delivers on fantasy elements when Girl 6 finds herself in a send-up of blaxploitation films and a keen lampoon of The Jeffersons (the three-minute sequence is better than any planned TV-to-movie film that may come along). Revelations about Girl 6's life are brought out through her ex-husband (Isaiah Washington), who, in his very flawed but honest way, plans to reunite with her. Better yet are conversations with the next-door neighbor (Spike Lee, doing some of his best work). Solitary, experimental, with plenty of delicious cameos (including Madonna), Girl 6 is playwright Suzan-Lori Parks's first screenplay. Similar in tone to Lee's debut, She's Gotta Have It, Girl 6 also boasts an energetic mix of old and new songs by Prince and, as always with Lee, colorful camerawork. An alleyway kiss near the end is a great romantic image. --Doug Thomas ... Read more

Reviews (15)

One of my favorite films
I really liked this movie so much that I want to buy my own copy. I'd heard about the film when it first came out in 1996, but like so many smaller films, if you don't see it right away you miss your chance. Right away, the Prince soundtrack is wonderful and sets the tone and you hear so many great songs throughout the film. This movie has great dialogue and is very well written. If that isn't what you like, you will be bored and should go see some mindless action flick. I can't imagine how anyone would not like this film. It is my favorite Spike Lee film without a doubt. There is definitely an ethereal and dreamy quality to the film that I liked very much. The main character, Lovely or Girl 6, played by Theresa Randle, is stressed and and overworked from too many part time jobs. The movie is set in and around Manhattan. Lovely is working all the jobs so that she can be free to go on acting auditions. Her agent gets her a great audition for a film and she believes she is doing fine until the director says he needs her to take off her top so he can look at her breasts. She is so disgusted by this treatment that she walks out on the audition and she becomes increasingly frustrated at what it seems it will take for her to get a break in the acting field. While looking at want ads while riding the subway (we see her sick, coughing and exhausted from overwork and stress) she sees an ad that promises great money doing phone sex and she interviews for the job. The whole process of her inquiring about the job, training for the job and the people she encounters, not to mention the whole "business" of phone sex is so entertaining. There are some great cameos in this film, including Madonna (who is terrific), Naomi Campbell, Richard Belzer and Quentin Tarantino. Debi Mazor is another phone girl who warns Lovely (Theresa) not to take it all too seriously. Spike Lee is wonderful as Lovely's neighbor- a dreamer just like her. He chastises her for doing the "phone bone" when she ought to be pursing her acting career, but as Lovely points out, her job actually is acting on a certain level. There are some touching moments, too such as when Lovely hopes to meet one of her clients in Coney Island and she's waiting for hours and looking for him. There is also a very frightening scene when a sicko (snuff fantasy) client finds out where Lovely lives and wants to make his fantasy a reality. There is a funny side plot about Lovely's ex-husband who steals from local merchants such as fruit vendors. This ex-husband wants Lovely back and never stops trying. I won't give the rest of the plot away, but if any of this sounds remotely interesting, check out this film. I think that this film was well done in all aspects and I consider it one of my all time favorite films.

A Serious Comedy From Spike Lee
1996: Spike Lee directed this movie believe it or not. He wrote the screenplay and performed in the role of the wise, comforting and dreamer neighboor in Lovely's apartment. Theresa Randle of the Bad Boys film, stars as Lovely, or the eponymous Girl 6. When I saw this film, I could not believe it was a Spike Lee film, but his presence in the movie and his signature urban themes are distinctly marked in this movie. The film deals with an aspiring actress who is coaxed into working as a phone sex operator. Despite the good money it pays, it becomes messy and dangerous for her after a client becomes insanely obscessed with her. Her relationship with her (boyfriend ? husband ?) is in jeopardy due to her choice of work. Although clearly this movie attempts to be serious, there are many comic features written into many of the scenes, particularily the sordid, bizarre and outrageous sexual fantasies of the clients. The phone sex scenes that play out between the operators and their clients are hilarious! The "fantasy sequences" in which Lovely acts out various roles from television and film are also hilarious. These roles are: Lovely as Dorothy Dandridge in Carmen Jones, as the daughter in the old sitcom The Jeffersons, as Pam Grier's Foxy Brown in 70's exploitation movies and as a 30's or 40's Hollywood Golden Age diva towards the end of the film shot in black and white.Guest stars abound in this witty urban comic drama. Among them Madonna, as a phone sex operator instructor who is giving the girls tips and advice via a monitor, Halle Barry in a brief interview scene, and even Quentin Terentino shows up in the film. I don't know whether to laugh non stop at one of the silliest films ever made by Spike Lee or to wonder at the subtle signficance of its theme. Spike Lee seems to be portraying a strong black woman who undergoes terrible misfortune in a dark and risky business only to give it up in a beautiful scene towards the end when she and her boyfriend/husband kiss and telephones start falling from the sky in slow motion. In Hollywood, she does not give up her morals or dignity and refuses to do a nude sex scene that might be featured in pornpgraphy. It's really a look at Hollywood's love for sex, its classless tastes and its exploitation of women. It might be Spike Lee's greatest film. Just try to look beyond the comedy.

This is in my top 10
One of my favourite films of all time. There's something about Spike Lee's *Girl 6* that's particularly stuck with me. In short, it's about a phone-sex agency and the people that work there. Theresa Randle plays Girl 6 brilliantly as a woman of great strength and tenderness. Like the film itself, very funny, yet painfully gritty. A surprisingly good performance from Naomi Campbell as Girl 75. An excellent cameo from Madonna playing the aging scarlet-woman with too much makeup spouting sexual profanitys - typecast or what! And the cherry-moon on the cake is the ace use of Prince music running through the film... *How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore* (which was a rare track back then), *HouseQuake*, *17 Days* and *Hot Thing* (which plays during Madge's monologue) being the musical highlights, for me. Oh, and Mr Lee himself is pretty good in it too... I really hope he gets around to releasing this on DVD... soon?!

A Spike Lee Surprise
Spike Lee's "Girl6" proves to be a fantastic exploration into the urban american dream. Although it took me more than one viewing, i find this movie to be on the same level as "Do the Right Thing" and "Crooklyn." What does it take to strike out on your own? What is the difference between reality and imagined reality? These are questions that Theresa Randle encounters as she executes a steller performance as an aspiring actress new to the Big Apple in "Girl6". Lee's unique use of composition and setting create tangible texture with potent imagery. Originally a play, "Girl6" maintains theatrical dialogue and pacing. At first, subtleties are difficult to tap into, but through a more aware viewing "Girl6" blooms into a cinematic gem.

Uneven and Inaccurate
The film had uneven humor throughout and little accuracy in it's portrayal of the phone sex industry. I am in the phone fantasy business and "Girl 6" is largely fantasy. While callers do indeed have a racial bias and many quirks; offices never are even half that nice and working from home isn't scary. Although I suppose there are girls who give their personal number out to callers and obsess over their work; most of us are well adjusted educated women with normal homes and families in suburbia who keep a safe distance from our clientel. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

ONE OF THE GREAT TELEVISION SERIES
James Garner is one of the finest actors in television history. Unlike many actors in long-running series, he gives a fine performance in every episode. The true charm of the series is a combination of his acting ability and the terrific supporting cast and guest stars in addition to great script writing. The episodes are not simply "action" stories but frequently deal with the psychology of the various leading characters as well as the social mores of the United States and more specifically Southern California in the 1970's, sometimes seriously, sometimes in a satirical or humorous way, but always interesting.
Why isn't there TV like this any more?

Great episode, slightly flawed presentation.
This is a clever episode from the show's brilliant first season. Private eye Jim Rockford tries to track down a man who may have faked his death to grab a $400,000 insurance claim. James Garner already seemed completely comfortable in the shoes of Rockford, and there's great support from guest star Jill Clayburgh (who manages to look cute in a '70s-style afro).

For diehard fans of the series, however, there's a rather egregious cut made of a crucial scene that shows how Jim gets out of a scrape. Viewers who haven't seen the missing footage will find themselves wondering what happened. It seems that MCA Home Video used a syndication print, rather than an original master. In sum, then, five stars for the episode and the visual quality of the print -- but two stars must be subtracted from the overall rating given the editing.

"Rockford," by the way, is a series that cries out for a comprehensive release in the Columbia House Video Library series. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

"Twenty thousand dollars buys a lot of gro-cer-ies."
I've bought all the "Rockford Files" episodes that seem to be on the market (except for "Nice Guys Finish Dead"), and this one, "The Kirkoff Case", is my favorite of them. It's entertaining from start to finish, and it exemplifies the producers' ability to pack so many memorable, humourous, yet believeable scenes into so little time without making things seem rushed.

Guest star James Woods is superb as Larry Kirkoff, particularly in those distracted-in-thought facial expressions he makes a few times while Rockford is talking to him. Regular Joe Santos is especially strong in his performance as Sgt. Dennis Becker. And guest Abe Vigoda is perfect in appearance, voice, and subtle hand movements in his brief role as "labor-union" (mob) boss Al Dancer.

Recommended reading.

Rockford Files:The Kirkoff Case
James Woods did a great job in this show.He was very great in it.One of my favorite Rockford Files Shows.It's a good Action Show. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Frank Lloyd's 1935 version of the famous story is broadly superior to later attempts. Charles Laughton is brilliant as the harsh captain of the 18th-century British naval vessel Bounty, and Clark Gable gives an intelligent performance as Fletcher Christian, the first mate burdened with leading a mutiny in the South Seas. This is one of those archetypal stories that seems to invite a variety of creative and moral interpretations (see both the1962 and1984 versions, the latter called The Bounty), but this first shot across the bow still seems truest and least massaged for hidden meaning.--Tom Keogh ... Read more

Revie