Amazon.com essential video

Things get off to a bumpy start. First, Charlie fails to makeanything profound out of the cloud formations above, just a "ducky" anda "horsy." (But that's always been one of his best qualities--he callsthem as he sees them.) Then he has a disastrous kite experience,followed by further humiliation on the baseball field (with itsdandelion-covered pitching mound). Just when it seems as if thingscouldn't get much worse--they don't. Charlie finds something he's goodat. Lucy, Violet, and the rest of the Peanuts gang doubt thathis spelling bee winning streak can possibly last, but Charlie provesthem all wrong and makes it to the national championships in New YorkCity. His best pal, Linus, and free-spirited pooch, Snoopy, arriveshortly afterwards and provide their support. Granted, this rare,full-length feature film ends just as it began, with one more smallhumiliation, but it's Charlie's achievement that leaves the biggerimpression. There are even a few lessons to be learned, but the tone isnever preachy or condescending. Along the way, there are numerouspleasures to enjoy: Vince Guaraldi's classic Oscar-nominated score(featuring lyrics by Rod McKuen), the brightly hued, clean-linedanimation (which occasionally erupts into impressionist and pop artflights of fancy), Schroeder's lovely rendition of Beethoven'sPathetique Sonata, Snoopy's ice-skating escapade at RockefellerPlaza, and Linus's Fred Astaire-inspired dance with his long lostblanket. --Kathleen C. Fennessy ... Read more

Reviews (13)

One of the best animated films ever made.
I love this movie. With the exception of Pepermint Patty and Marcy, it has all the classic elements of the Peanuts gang that made them so cute: Charlie Brown can't fly a kite because he's afraid the trees will eat it, his baseball team always loses, Snoopy thinks he's a WWI fighter, Shroeder plays great symphonies on the tiny piano, Linus adoring his blanket, and of course, Lucy pulling away the football. I love the songs and kiddie jokes which tell of how Charlie Brown is enrolled in the national spelling bee. All 84 mintues of it are pure delight, even the long musical interludes. And is it possible to not want to shed a tear at the end?

A Great Paramount Family Favorite
Good grief. G-O-O-D G-R-I-E-F. Good grief. Even though Woodstock, Peppermint Patty and Marcie did not appear, (Neither
did Rerun) This is still a great movie. Charlie Brown tries to
volunteer for a spelling bee,But Lucy Van Pelt, Frieda (who blew
bubble gum at the baseball game) and Violet think he's just a
"Failure Face". There's not just that spelling bee, There's More.
Before the spelling bee, Charlie Brown has a baseball game to play. Some parts are funny. Frieda blows bubble gum,Pig Pen puts
dust on the ball,Snoopy ( Voiced by Bill Melendez, who produces
with Lee Mendelson) yawns and gets the ball in his mouth, Linus
Van Pelt (Brother of Lucy van Pelt) puts his security blanket
(Which is his trademark) in his baseball hat and Frieda,Violet and Patty(Not related to Peppermint Patty) do not catch the ball.
Although some parts could look like romance scenes like Lucy
kissing Schroeder and Sally (Related to Charlie Brown) says to
Linus "Isn't He The Cutest thing", This film is great and is
the 1st full-length film. F-I-L-M. Film. Cinema Center Films,CBS
Video,Cbs/Fox Video,Fox Video,Paramount Pictures,1969,Rated G.

Good Grief, A Spelling Bee!
This is some good movie, but there's a sad ending. But I highly recommend it!

A Boy Named Charlie Brown
I am an 18 year old college student who, after completing high school, have never learned any lessons as important as the life lessons that I have learned from this film. Poignant, sentimental, and heartwarming, this film delivers moving memories and gentle reminders for the older audiences and instills a sense of innocence and natural truth in the younger ones. Truly a classic of the 20th century. Film highlights; original music compositions and various other selections, musical montages, and the excellently portrayed messages of loss, discovery and acceptance.

This is one of the Essential Peanuts movies. I love this.
When I was a little kid back in the day I loved this movie so much. It was so magical and the music just could not be compared. I enjoyed everything about the film, from the characters to the dialogue to the words they would flash on the screen. Even when Snoopy was ice skating in the park I loved that to death. This was everything to me when I was a kid and I will show this to my kids if I ever have them. ... Read more

Reviews (157)

Fantastic adaption of Clancy's novel
A first-rate thriller that provides the goods again and again. Excellent cast, good direction (the almost always reliable McTiernan--see "Last Action Hero" for the only real blemish on his record), plenty of suspense and thrills. There are a few differences between the novel and the film, but only purists will quibble about that. And yes, Scotsman Connery plays a Lithuanian, but he does it well, and as always, brings a touch of class to the role. I despise Alec Baldwin, but he's perfect as Ryan--the right age and look combined with the proper mix of guile, humility, and cockiness. The film also boasts an excellent supporting cast, with kudos to Sam Neill, Richard Jordan, and Courtney Vance for their performances. Scott Glenn and James Earl Jones are also solid in their roles. The occasional "technobabble" and military talk may confuse those unfamiliar with such terms, but it doesn't detract from the plot or action--in other words, you can still understand and follow the film even if you don't understand the terminology. The DVD features no extras of note, unfortunately, but the transfer quality--while a bit off-color at times--is still far better than VHS, and those of you with home theaters BEWARE--the sound quality (5.1 Surround) is frighteningly good at times (is that torpedo in your living room, or on the screen?!?). A so-so disc, but an incredible, intelligent thriller that's worth buying in any format.

Decent film; terrible DVD
"The Hunt for Red October" is a smart, tightly directed adaptation of Tom Clancy's novel of the same name. It's probably one of the more entertaining submarine movies (if you'll buy into the genre). There are some wonderful performances (especially by Joss Ackland, Courtney B. Vance, and the late Richard Jordan) as well as some inspired casting (most notably Tim "Dr. Frank-N-Furter" Curry as Dr. Petrov). While this film is certainly no "Das Boot," it is highly entertaining for all of its 134 minutes.
However, as an avid collector of DVDs and laser discs, this is perhaps the worst video transfer I have ever seen. In fact, I've seen Chinese bootleg copies of other films that have been superior in terms of video quality. For example: In the opening sequence there is a great deal of dust and dirt on the screen - like you're in a third-rate theater watching the film after it has been showing for about a month and a half. Another example: There is an important interior scene on the USS Dallas that features a wonderfully acted and written interplay between Seaman Jones (Vance) and Seaman Beaumont (Ned Vaughn). However, each shot of Jones is inexplicably awash with so much video noise that it completely distracts from the performances.
Why Paramount would neglect such a film is beyond me. The other huge disapointment on this disc is the complete lack of any extras. This disc is a complete bust. Frankly, I hope that another edition is released out of respect to this worthy film.

The best of the Jack Ryan film series.
Based on Tom Clancy's 1984 novel of the same title, "The Hunt for Red October" is the first Jack Ryan adventure on film. Although I like Harrison Ford better in the role of Jack Ryan than either Alec Baldwin or Ben Affleck, "Red October" is the best of the Ryan films partly because of the script, but largely because of the ensemble cast including Scott Glenn, Sam Neill, Tim Curry, James Earl Jones and, of course, Sean Connery as Captain Marko Ramius, the Lithuanian-born commanding officer on the Soviet nuclear submarine Red October who seeks to defect to the United States. Tension builds as Ramius and the Red October move closer to U.S. waters with the Soviet Navy in pursuit and U.S. forces unsure of Ramius' true intentions. "The Hunt for Red October" is a taut thriller, an excellent movie based on a modern masterpiece of a novel, and I fully recommend it.

One of the best movies you will ever see
Tom Clancy is a master writer. His books are amazing thrillers and the moives haven't been that bad either. This is the best of all the Tom Clancy books that have been made into moives and is one of the best book adaptations ever.

Captian Ramius(Connery) is the best the Soviet fleet has to offer. He's trained most of it and he's now in charge of a new Soviet sub. This sub has a new drive system that runs silent meaning it can't be detected by other subs sonars. After Ramius writes a letter to the Soviet Naval command the search is on. They alert the Americans saying Ramius and his crew has gone mad.

The Hunt for The Red October is on. The U.S. can't play around on this idea because the October could park in any U.S. bay and launch hundreds of Nuclear missiles. Jack Ryan(Baldwin) is a CIA Operative that gets selected to help with this mission. He's met Ramius before and doesn't believe that the man wants to harm the U.S. He believes that Ramius wants to defect along with his officers to the U.S., but he's not sure how Ramius is planning to do it. He now has only a couple of hours to prove the intentions of Ramius and save the ship before the U.S. or Soviet fleets find it and sink her.

All the actors are fantastic in the movie. Alec Baldwin is Jack Ryan is flawless. He played the role to perfection and it's the best movie he's ever made. Sean Connery is the man. Instead of killing Soviets he plays one to perfection in this moive. I love his accent and I though he did a great job of faking it. I loved Sam Neil in the moive. His character Vasily has always been one of my favorites because of his loyalty to Ramius. One of Neils best performances. Tim Curry is good as the weasal Soviet doctor. He plays a weasal better than anybody else. James Earl Jones is himself in this movie and like Connery is just the man. I also like Courtney Vance as 2nd Petty Officer Jones. He gives one of the most memorable performances of the movie. This is an all star cast and everybody is fantastic.

John Mctiernan is one of the best directors in Hollywood. He was one of the biggest when this moive was done with hit titles under his belt like Die Hard and Predator. He can make a good action thriller and this is one of the best ones ever made.

The cinematography is great in the film. You feel like your on real naval ships. The uniforms are authenic on both fleets. The sound is fantastic. This is such a well made movie and the is the movie that all submarine movies should stive to look like.

This is such a good movie. It's made to perfection with a great cast, well made, awesome score, and is just flawless. If you want to sit down and watch a good action thriller than this is it. You will struggle to find a better made movie than this.

Best of the Series
Though I have to admit that I prefered Harrison Ford as Jack Ryan, I'll have to give THFRO the nod for the best in the series. The show's brilliant. Brilliant script that is well executed by wonderful acting. Sean Connery's the man. Can't imagine anyone else playing Ramius. Baldwin did a wonderful job playing Ryan. His best role till date. Would have been greeat to have seen him develop the character in the sequels. And furthermore, James Earl Jones aka the voice of Darth Vader makes his presence in all 3 movies felt though his air time's brief. His presence was greatly missed in The Sum of All Fears.

If the studios are planning another Jack Ryan movie..... please get rid of Affleckand bring back Baldwin. ... Read more

Reviews (322)

It's been a long time...
This is truly a lovely movie, and it has been a long time since a romantic comedy has been this enjoyable. This movie may remind you of "When Harry Met Sally" or "Sleepless in Seattle", where the couples are clearly meant for each other, yet have obstacles they must overcome. The acting and dialogue are superb! Hugh Grant, a world-famous actor, is completely convincing as an average bloke, while Julia Roberts goes by Anna Scott and plays herself, a "heavenly" movie star.

One review of this movie called it "pure fairy tale." As long as you can believe that it is possible for an actress to truly be a "good person," that she may actually want to live a relatively "normal" life outside of her acting career and may want to start a family of her own, then this statement is false. One specific scene mentioned as difficult to believe was the initial kiss that takes place quite soon after they meet. However, there are two reasons why this scene is believable. First, it is quite obvious that she is impressed from the start with his wit, sensitivity, and honesty, especially compared to the other men who are falling over themselves when they meet her. Secondly, this kiss may be a sort of test. In a city filled with reporters trying to get a story and her pictures plastered everywhere, her life has to be secretive as much as possible. Perhaps she wanted to see if she would be reading about the incident in the next day's paper before she allowed herself to get too close. She gave him quite the opportunity to brag to his friends or family, but he does not.

This movie is quite entertaining to watch the first, second and even fifth time.

Quirky, funny and totally sentimental...what more is there?
This is a feel good movie for everyone who has ever loved or been loved. Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts are great as the mismatched couple who meet one day and strike up the most unlikeliest of friendships. Julia Roberts plays "the most famous film star in the world", whilst Hugh Grant is a bumbling bookstore owner with a failing business. Their love affair is a fairy tale come true, but like most fairy tales there are a few hurdles to overcome before true love and happiness can finally be theirs. Grant and Roberts are ably supported by an excellent cast, including the Emma Chambers better known as Alice Tinker from "The Vicar of Dibley", and Rhys Ifans who brilliantly portrays Grant's nutty Welsh flatmate. Notting Hill doesn't tax the brain cells. There are many hilarious moments, one of the funniest being the car scene when Grant tries to get to Robert's press evening, it's a laugh a minute and the same can be said for the rest of the film. So if you want a gentle love story, a surprisingly good comedy combined with witty dialogue and a cast of great actors then rent or buy this movie. You won't regret it.

zzzzzzzz Oh Okay I'm awake.......zzzzzzzzzzz Yeah Ok...zzz
I would like to say that I agree with some of the previous reviewers on this forum that Julia Roberts is not much of an actress. Just a pretty face. I rented this and went into it with a open mind. I haven't seen Julia Roberts in any other movies. This is the first. Julia Roberts did not add anything to the part. Hugh Grant was okay. I haven't seen him in any other movies either. So this was a first for me to see him. Now, as for the film. The story was pretty much bland and it was difficult to hold my interest. The film is very much a boy meets girl/ boy loses girl etc.... and you're basic light, fluff love story. The only humorous portion was Hugh Grant's slob/eccentric roommate and even that was only mildly funny. From what I understand, this is the formula film that Roberts generally is in and she does not change much from that formula. There is not any pretty scenery, vistas or even witty/clever dialogue. I think women would enjoy this film more than men. After watching it, you come away from it feeling like you haven't watched anything of substance. The film does touch on the difficulties that Roberts (who plays a famous movie star) has being famous and contending with the press and gossip in the London newspapers. I think most people would be satisfied to watch this film once and leave it at that. Others might really find it a waste of their time, while I know some people will turn it off after 15 minutes. It's not the worst film I have seen, but it is far, far below the standards of a really good film. I wouldn't recommend this as a film to keep in your DVD library. It is a toss away film. Not bad, just sub-standard all the way around. (I don't see what all the fuss is about regarding Julia Roberts as an actress. I see just a pretty face. There's a lot of prettier women out there in the real world). Two stars folks.

dissapointed
The movie is ok for watching once.. so rent if you want to see it first.. but not one i'd watch again. nothing really captivating in this movie. why julia in this movie was interested in grants character is beyond me... she barely knew the guy except for a few things... his apartment is a mess and he has some freaky roomate that would have scared me off.. i can sympathize with her situation and sort of see movie stars life in a new light.. but then again being rich and famous has a lot of other pleasures i'm sure! and this movie makes it seem like shes plain miserable. anyway, this movie was slightly boring. i like roberts and grant as actors.. i just didnt see the real attraction between them no matter how hard they tried... there was no moments in this movie that would have made them very close therefore not moving to me.. this one isnt a keeper in my opinion.

Well- at least this time she's in the right role
I've been waiting forever for a critic or reviewer to expose Julia Roberts for what she is- a talentless, over-estimated, freak of nature--- but the culture is so heady with celebrity buzz that it will never happen. So I'll have to take matters into my own hands:

Roberts has been getting away with simply playing variations of herself since the days of Mystic Pizza. Her same shrill laugh (it's actually a barking shout- look for it) can be heard in any one of those forgettable roles from Flatliners to the Pelican Brief, and the academy-award-winning Brokovich character was Roberts again, only this time dressed like a trailer park refugee and spouting a little more anger and sarcasm than she normally does. God help us- Pretty Woman was such a smash that we'll never be rid of her. Unfortunately, when not playing one of those personal variations, she's lost because she honestly can't act. Take a look at her poor attempt in Michael Collins and there you'll find someone out of their depth. The role was not difficult, just not a variation of herself (am I getting redundant?)

Now for the review of Nottinghill: The script is witty at points, and the story is at times charming with some entertaining moments. According to a professional reviewer, "True, Roberts doesn't really have to stretch very far to play a big-time actress who makes $15 million per movie . . ." Well, that nails it, doesn't it? For once, Roberts can be forgiven for being herself, because that's what the role calls for: a famous, over-paid, self-consumed, Hollywood celebrity. But as well-cast as Julia is here, even she can't resist going over the top on occasion, as in the scene where one of Grant's friends, who meets her for the first time, discovers she's an actress and comments that it's a tough occupation in which to make a living. Our girl enjoys her response entirely too much when he asks what she got paid for her last work. Then again--- I guess I can see her gloating in the same self-satisfied manner in real life, so it's probably appropriate. In contrast to this kind of affirmation, however, notice how Alec Baldwin's cameo portrayl of the male star counterpart later in the film is more tongue in cheek; Julia, on the other hand, is far too relaxed (and serious) playing the pompous, condescending star. Gee, by Jove, it's her!

As enjoyable as this film can be at times despite the romantic comedy formula which has been so overdone, the real killer is the fairy tale ending. It just wouldn't have happened this way, no matter what we want to believe. If by some strange quirk of fate, Roberts' character was somehow faintly drawn to this guy and married him, it would have been only as a passing diversion, and annulled 2 weeks later (any real life analogies?). Good performances by Grant and most of the supporting cast, and Roberts doing herself (there it is again), but it's not enough. Even though the film is not a disaster, it just doesn't work. Spend your money on the popcorn for another video.

By the way, will someone also please finally admit that Julia Roberts is not attractive? With that mouth, she looks like she could consume a '56 Buick whole in one bite. ... Read more

Reviews (96)

Give me a break
I almost didn't purchase the video due to the number of poor reviews and complaints about the production. I'm glad I chose to buy the show anyway. The Lord of the Dance is the single most awesome entertainment experience I have ever witnessed. I have seen the show on more than one occasion and I own the sound track, DVD and VHS versions of the show. All are amazing. Although no movie can match the excitement of any live show, I enjoyed them all immensely. This is NOT Riverdance (thank goodness) and there's a lot more to see. I did not find the different camera angles to be distracting in any way. They allowed for great perspective, in my opinion. Whether you 've seen it live or not, get the CD and the sound track. There won't be another show like this one for a long time!

Very good DVD
I have always loved Irish dancing (...everything Irish actually...) and after seeing Riverdance I knew LOTD would be great. It was...and this DVD captures all of it. The music is great. And, of course, Flatley and his dance troupe do a WONDERFUL job.
The reason I give this four stars is because I found the camera work somewhat annoying on the DVD. As other reviewers have noted, the camera angle changes quite often and there are several slow motion effects that I would prefer not be in there. However, I have read many complaints about the sound quality of this DVD. I found it to be rather good. I don't have one of these super nice surround-sound systems (as I suspect most people don't...) so I can't comment on the quality of my 30th channel ;). I also don't see anything wrong with the lighting. I've watched the dvd no less than 100 times and the lighting quality looks great to me.

chopping block
Although the "Lord of the Dance" is comprised of some of the most talented dancers and choreographers of Irish Dance, one cannot enjoy it or even NOTICE the steps. The camera's shots may be great, but they have been subjected to the chopping block into tiny increments of barely discernable steps. I got a head-ache from watching the moves though a strobe-light. A re-make is in order.

audio quality
The quality of the audio on this DVD is horrable. The VHS version has sound and volume quality 10 times greater then this DVD.

Lord of the Prance.
Huh????

Why didn't they call it "Michael Flatley's 'Look at Me!' Show?" ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Not the fun kind of chicken ranch...
Ok, to start with, yes, this movie was so funny I choked. Like the other reviewers, I only bought it for my precious Bob. To answer some questions you may have, no, the main character and Bob do not get it on in the hay, because she's not that smart. No, the main character does not die a fiery death, because the producers aren't that kind.
Bob Dylan goes through the entire movie with an "I hope you all die" expression on his face, which is perfectly suitable considering the lines he's being forced to say.
Rupert Everett is all broody and sensitive and painfully boring in this movie and he made me want to hang myself. The only problem is, you can only hang yourself once.
Any music in this film that doesn't come from the mouth of Bob is painfully bad, so have that remote control handy.
Would I buy it again, you ask? Sure, if only to see Bob screw with his image yet again.

Soooo bad - it's good!
If you're a Dylan fan, you should see this just to watch Dylan humbled. Dylan plays an retired rock legend (Billy Parker), who gets friendly (no, nothing happens) with a young female musician...takes her to England with him to play a gig, where they meet a rock star/Parker fan (Rupert Everet). She falls for Everet, blah, blah, blah. The film is cheesy. If you can imagine a circle, with good on one point and bad at the opposite end, picture this film at the bad end...but it is so far into the bad side of the sphere it ends up on the good side. Yeah! It's really that bad. The female singer - Molly (played by Fiona) starts out with some musical integrity (she at least plays guitar) but by the end looks and sounds like Tiffany (who I vaguely remember...but I could be wrong what with being a small child in the late 80s). The Everet character (Colt) plays the classic cliche of what a male musician is - sensitive, moody, drinks to excess (I can't belive they didn't address his alcoholism), and likes to wear more make up than your average model. Oh, and the Dylan character is slightly pedophilic. Molly says she's 18 (which I don't think Fiona was) and Dylan is quite a bit older - he wants her but tries to stay away...tries to protect her but in the end I think he decides he'd like to hook up with her anyway (despite what he says to her in begining of the film). Oh, and before I forget, check out Molly's drummer...the hulking blonde...esp the scene where they get to America and he kisses the floor and shoves a groupie. I chalk this film up to Dylan messing with his image and screwing with the public...at least this funny...the victoria's secret thing just makes me sad.

Make Sure You Get The Right Video
I thought I was getting Bob Dylan, but Clevon Little's Movie instead; if you're buying used make sure you're getting the right one. I wasn't one of the lucky one's and would like to spare someone else the same (Jack) Fate :O)

Almost pure camp fun for Dylan fans...
...except you will need to use the fast-forward button on your remote when Bobby isn't onscreen. He performs a song called "The Usual" that's still in my head after only seeing it once! I heard it wasn't written by him, but I'm sure he does it justice like noone else can in this film.

Oh, and I love the little serenade in the barn at the end.=)

Another thing is I really like Fiona Flanagan's music, which of course helps when you're watching this..a cool chick.

Peace out,
R&C

Don't Shoot Me-I'm Only a Chicken Farmer!!!!
The Late Victor Mature once said he'd been barred from a certain club on the grounds he was an actor. Vic asked the club if they'd ever seen him act! Sadly, Bob can't (act that is) though he remains the enigmatic (musical) genius he's always been. Only highlight is a non-Dylan song-John Hiatt's "The Usual" which sounds like it was written for Bob!
Apart from that, the thing tanks bigtime! ... Read more

Description

An unexplained power loss has stranded the Doctor and Sarah Jane on Exxilon, the home planet whose ancient civilisation has lapsed into savagery. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

My FavJon Pertwee Adventure - The Best of His Final Year
I have to say, despite other negative reviews, this is my favorite Jon Pertwee adventure. I think the final Pertwee season is his best and the Chemistry between he and Liz Sladen (sorry Katy Manning enthusiasts) is excellent.

The first and last episodes are the best in this. The TARDIS losing power in the beginning is very creepy and creates a nice tone. The Doctor's navigation through the Exxillon City in the final episode is also nicely executed.

As I said, the final Pertwee year I think had some of the best stories (Time Warrior, Dinosaur Invastion, Death to the Daleks). Many in the US associate Sarah Jane with Tom Baker's Doctor and never realize she had a full season with Pertwee. If you like Pertwee era Doctor Who I highly recommend this.

certainly not the death of good science fiction
This is one of the best Dr Who stories and one of Jon Pertwee's best. It is also one of my favourites.
The TARDIS lands on a planet and is immediately subjected to a power drain.The Doctor thinks initially they have landed on another planet Florana, so they can have a vacation. But not so. They are forced to leave the spaceship and search for the source of the power drain, which is caused by a beacon atop a city which has been in existence for thousands of years.
The Doctor encounters members of an Earth expedition, who are on the planet because they need parrinium which cures the peoples of Earth of a space plague.
Sarah goes near the city and is nearly sacrificed by the inhabitants of the planet that consider the construction sacred. But outcasts of the race do not and try to help the doctor.
The Doctor, with the assistance of Bellal, one of the planet's inhabitants, enter the forbidden city and pass all the tests,and the Doctor gives the city the equivalent of a nervous breakdown. Unfortunately he still has the Daleks to contend with because they are on the planet too to get the Parrinium for their own evil plans.

Third Doctor's third and final tussle w. Daleks
One of the Third Doctor's last stories is against his biggest foes, those salt-shakers the Daleks. And in this story, the members of the Earth Marine Space Corps and the Daleks are forced to undergo a temporary truce to figure out the power drainage that has forced their craft down. "We're all in this together, all equal, all powerless" the Doctor tells the Daleks. The Doctor and Sarah too are victims when the TARDIS is forced down on Exxilon. For once, the Daleks are forced to cooperate with humans, whom they consider inferior. However, the Doctor points out to the MSC that the Daleks are "brilliant technicians. It's their inventive genius that made them one of the greatest powers in the universe" something the humans acknowledge grudgingly.

Both the MSC and the Daleks are also after parrinium, a mineral that can cure and give immunity to a virulent plague that's killing millions of colonists in both empires. They need it in quantity and fast. However, they are captured by the native Exxilons, a silicon-based life-form wielding spears and arrows. Any chance of an amicable settlement is done when Sarah wanders into the sacred Exxilon city, a shrine-like place only the high priest can go. The realization of the city, with its touch-sensitized surfaces that glow when touched is a special effects triumph.

However, Dan Galloway, the grizzled and sour-faced weapons officer who's now in command, is ruthless enough to allow an alliance with the Daleks that has the Exxilons and the Doctor on the receiving end. To him, getting that parrinium and saving those millions are the main thing. "If some people we don't know have to die in the process, well, that's just too bad." His attitude appalls the more compassionate Lieutenant Peter Hamilton and civilian geologist Jill Tarrant, but he learns later that the Daleks aren't the best creatures to trust and make alliances with.

The way the Exxilon cloaks blend in with their surroundings is put to good effect in Episode 1. One moment, it seems like a huge rock, but then, it moves in pursuit of the Doctor.

The trip the Doctor and Bellal, one of a more enlightened faction of Exxilons who are friendly, take through the city, avoiding its traps and solving its puzzles, has a dungeon and dragons feel, but it demonstrates the problem-solving abilities of the Doctor. In fact the Venusian hopscotch game is later replicated in the checkerboard scene in The Five Doctors.

Some of Erich Von Daniken's theories of aliens landing on Earth (q.v. Chariot of the Gods) is touched on when the Doctor recognizes the symbols of the Exxilon city from a temple he saw in Peru. As he learns the Exxilons were technological superior when most races were primitive, he deduces that they must have visited Earth and shown the early people how to build temples.
The power drainage is a reference to the power cuts Britons experienced due to the 1973 oil embargo, which had a tremendous effect in 1974, the year this story aired. The scenes where the Doctor has to use an oil lamp for illumination and a crank handle to open the TARDIS door is a sobering realization of how dependent humans were/are on electricity and power.

John Abineri (Captain Railton) also appeared in the Who story The Ambassadors of Death as General Carrington. Duncan Lamont (Galloway) was a friend of Jon Pertwee's (the Doctor) at RADA and the two used to chase girls together. On Joy Harrison (Jill), whom Pertwee described as gorgeous, he remarked in his memoirs that it amazed him that female members of the expedition on a hostile planet always had perfect make-up and hair.

A good story made in Jon Pertwee's last season as the Doctor, with an abandoned Dorset quarry used for Exxilon.

One of the 3rd Doctors best
This was one of the 3rd Doctors best stories. The only problems was that this perticular video was not in the segmented form as i do belieave that is how Dr Who should be seen.This episode is the 2nd of two stories from this season to be unsegmented. Maybe some day it will be avlible on DVD.

Dr. Who and the nergy problem!
This Doctor Who adventure starring Jon Pertwee is another of those Doctor Who adventures popular in the 1970's dealing with the environment.

The TARDIS is thrown off course by a peculiar energy drain and manages to land on the planet of the Exxilons. The Exxilons area savage race who worship the gods who inhabit a deserted city which is dominated by a tremendous beacon. On the planet too, is a party of Earth soldiers who are seeking a mineral to help defeat a galaxy-wide plague which threatens human existance. Shortly afterwards another spaceship crashes onto the surface which brings a party of Daleks to Exxilon and who are also rendered powerless. A series of shifting alliances and some double dealing eventually pits the Doctor and the humans against the Daleks but of course, the Doctor emerges triumphant at the end, the Daleks are thwarted and humanity is saved.

The story has anumber of holes in the plot and is also a thinly disguised attack on the policies of energy corporations. The portrayal of the Exxilons (no guessing who these guys are supposed to be) as savage creatures prone to fearing the unknown who are no match for the higher brained, reasoning humans and Daleks is an obvious sybolism for the short sighted policies of the oil companies versus the longer term policies of environmental groups and well meaning governments.

A well told tale even if the story has it's faults. The most glaring of which is the whole thing about the Daleks being able to move around at all. The Daleks a la Fred Flintstone is a ridiculous concept although a funny one. The plot really does not stand up to much of a close inspection but there you go. ... Read more

Amazon.com

A project developed by the late François Truffaut but leftunrealized by him after his death, The Little Thief was completed by French filmmaker Claude Miller (The Accompanist) and partially revised in script form by several writers. The result is a slight hodgepodge of story ideas about an adolescent girl (a strong performance by Charlotte Gainsbourg) intrigued by adult mysteries, anxious to lose her virginity, and dabbling in petty crimes until she is caught by the law. After a somewhat rocky first act, the film settles into a strong groove and begins to feel very much like Truffaut in his prime. The poignant and witty (if somewhat abrupt) introduction of the idea of the heroine rediscovering the world through a camera lens--and being saved from her wayward existence by the discovery--can't help but make fans of the New Wave pioneer misty-eyed. A good movie, full of ghosts and sweet memories. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Truffaut's "Unfinished Symphony" Beautifully Realized
More so than most directors, Francois Truffaut drew on his personal experiences (e.g., "400 Blows") in crafting cinematic tales of the pain and pleasure of growing up. "The Little Thief" began as a script idea of Truffaut's in the 1950s, but had never been realized at the time of his untimely death, in 1984. Janine (Charlotte Gainsbourg) is a 15-year-old girl, growing up poor in postwar France. Janine is in a hurry to grow up. But to Janine, who survived as a street urchin during the Nazi occupation, growing up means stealing and getting away with other such petty crimes and losing her virginity ASAP. After being run out of town by the local gendarmes, Janine goes to work as a maid in a rich couple's house and eventually falls in love with an older, married choirmaster (Didier Bezace), who tries to steer Janine away from crime and towards a productive life. Although she finds sex with him exciting, he is much older and their difference in maturity eventually drives the couple apart. Janine then falls in love with a young man, Raoul (Simon de la Brosse), who is from the lower classes, and influences her to drop out of school in order to pull off a heist during a dinner party held by her employers. After getting arrested and landing in reform school, Janine comes to realize that growing up is not all it is cut out to be. She begins turning her life around when she meets a fellow inmate, who teaches her about photography and darkroom printing. After escaping from the reform school, Janine finds that she is pregnant with Raoul's baby. Again, she wants to run away from her problems, and returns to her hometown to visit a back-alley abortionist. But Janine has no money, so the abortionist demands Janine's twin-reflex camera as payment. Assessing the situation, Janine realizes that she's been handed a sucker's deal; She will only end up without a camera and without her baby. So, Janine commits one last crime: She steals back her camera, decides to have her baby and straightens out her life, accepting responsibility for her actions.

The feel of the movie is dead-on for capturing postwar France in 1950: The costumes, the sets, the automobiles, the Pathé newsreels and the period music all conjure a bygone era with style. Alain Jomy's impressionistic soundtrack recalls the best scores of Georges Delarue.

"The Little Thief" is a poetic, beautiful, moral tale, but never moralizing. It's easy to relate to Janine's predicament, the urge of the adolescent to break the chains of society. Director Claude Miller uses this fable to teach the important lesson that one can only learn from life by having lived it.

It has its moments...
Charlotte Gainsbourg is excellent as the "little thief". However, I found the movie a little boring. Till the end I waited for something to happen... and nothing did... It's somewhat interesting as a character study though, and the film has its moments. Francois Truffaut wrote the screenplay (original).

Not the Best Truffaut
I kept waiting for something to happen in this movie. But it's just the story of a girl, who likes to steal small stuff. I really expected more from Truffaut, who wrote the screenplay. Although I am not familiar with her work, Charlotte Gainsbourg, who plays the lead character, is fun to see. Not enough though, to recommend this movie to anybody. ... Read more

Reviews (24)

"That's a beautiful notion!"
"Horror of Fang Rock" is a wonderful example of what can be achieved on a shoestring budget. While Doctor Who's lack of funds mostly resulted in embarrassingly poor special effects, this story is a triumph of minimalism (OK, there are a few poorly realised scenes, but they're largely incidental). Set on the craggy Fang Rock and its lighthouse, the story consists of only a few sets, which work to effectively maintain a claustrophobic atmosphere and build a sense of siege. That is not the story's only strength. It is well written and acted. Tom Baker and Louise Jameson both excel themselves in their roles of the Doctor and Leela, while the supporting cast are mostly well portrayed. Colin Douglas's Reuben is perhaps a little too stereotypical of the crusty, veteran sea-dog, but not excessively so. The combination of characters could also lead to accusations of class cliches. The young keeper, Vince, and the seaman Harker are both working class men with big hearts, whereas the upper class trio of Lord Palmerdale, his secretary Adelaide and Colonel Skinsale, are all truly despicable individuals. (A truly interesting scene is when the Doctor announces that Skinsale's death was honourable, when it was anything but. It's a compassionate side to the Time Lord, who in a very small way re-writes history to protect a man from posthumous humiliation.) However, the characters don't just fit into boxes, and the class divisions seem feasible. Plotwise, the story remains taut and engaging. Suspense builds up through the story - the brief glimpses of the alien only serve to build this atmosphere - and, for once, the unveiling of the enemy does not disappoint and there is a satisfying conclusion. There is only one part to the story which demands a cry of "cop-out". When the Doctor announces they are all trapped on the island (after Skinsale destroys their only form of communication), he could easily have bundled everybody into the TARDIS and removed them from danger. It is just waiting there on the island; perhaps a plot device of making it inaccessible would have made this a bit more believable. However, that is the only true complaint I have with this story, and a small one at that. "Horror of Fang Rock" is an excellent production. Very watchable and highly recommended.

A gripping thriller.
The Doctor (Tom Baker version) and Leela arrive at a lighthouse which is receiving a mysterious visitation.

This is a well-written and tense story. The lighthouse provides an excellently isolated location and there are plenty of strong characters who become trapped together in claustrophobic surroundings. The electricity-shooting alien is nicely symbolic, an embodiment of the fear people had of the newly-introduced concept of electricity at the turn of the century, the era in which this adventure is set. A must-see.

One of my all-time favourite Who stories
I can remember watching this story very young actually, and it's one of the few that I can watch today and remember seeing back then (the rest seem to have gotten lost in a fog of memory). Besides that, it's one of my favourites because it's a great story during one of the best times in Doctor Who...Tom Baker as the Doctor and Louise Jameson as Leela, his companion.
Just the fact that the entire story takes place in a lighthouse was a stroke of brilliance. It's a perfect setting for this horror-laced story, brimming with tension and suspense a-plenty. The entire cast gives great performances and there are some classic Tom Baker moments: The survivors or a ruined ship take refuge and start to bicker amongst one another, and the Doctor is just sitting there amidst it, until he suddenly interrupts: "Just a moment! We haven't been introduced!" and then slumps back in his chair. Additionally, later on in the story, he returns to the survivors and says, in his usual maniacal fashion, "Gentlemen, this lighthouse is under attack and by morning we might all be dead. Now, who's interested?" Classic stuff, to be sure. Not to mention we finally see the nemeses of the Sontarans, the Rutans.
I would heavily advise this story to anybody looking for a primer in not only the Tom Baker era of Doctor Who, but Doctor Who in general. I've shown this as an introduction to several friends who were unfamiliar with the show and they've become fans as a result, so I suppose I must have chosen wisely! LOL

An Interesting Morality Tale
Tom Baker was blessed with some of the best Dr. Who scripts and this one, for me, remains one of the best and one of the most intriguing. Besides being a variation on 10 Little Indians as other reviwers have mentioned, the story is also an intriguing morality play. All the victims were guility of a kind of deadly sin. The lighthouse was populated people guilty of greed, ignorance, intolerance, etc. which ultimately costs those people their lives.

I can't think of another story that did similar.

Hitchcock-style suspence at its best.
The Doctor and Leela arrive at a lighthouse which, unknown to the keepers, has already received a visitor. Before long, a ship lost in the fog runs aground on the rocks and its survivors are marooned on the island. A creature with electrical powers is stalking the shadows. And, fittingly, it's at the dawn of the twentieth century, an era when there was fear concerning the invention of electricity. All in all, this is one of the most tense and suspenceful stories in the show's history. The isolated lighthouse, enshrouded in both legend and in fog, makes an ideal setting. The characters are all very well-thought-out, the dialogue is first-rate, the Doctor and Leela are just as they should be. Tom Baker is at his best here, his character shifting perfectly between brooding stranger and rolling-eyed madman. There is barely a dull moment. ... Read more

Description

From the directors of Disney's ALADDIN and THE LITTLE MERMAID comes a spectacular new motion picture for the entire family. Buckle up for thrills and excitement as a classic story of friendship, courage, and self-discovery gets an incredible futuristic twist for an all-new generation. It's "another jewel in the crown of Disney animated classics" (Clay Smith, Access Hollywood). A secret map inspires a thrilling treasure hunt across the universe as young Jim Hawkins and a hilarious cosmic crew headed by the daring Captain Amelia set off in search of their destiny. Aboard a glittering space galleon, Jim meets the ship's cyborg cook, John Silver, who teaches him the value of friendship and the power of dreams. Jim soon teams up with his crazy new robot pal, B.E.N., and the shape-shifting Morph to discover a treasure greater than he ever imagined. Featuring an all-star voice cast including Emma Thompson, Martin Short, David Hyde Pierce, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Brian Murray, and Michael Wincott -- TREASURE PLANET is "a magical, inventive, and utterly delightful movie" (Paul Clinton, CNN). ... Read more

Reviews (128)

Treasure Planet is sure to be a hit!
Treasure Planet is the latest animated feature film from Walt Disney. It is based on Robert Louis Stevenson's "Treasure Island", but is set way on the future.

The story is about fifteen-year-old Jim Hawkins, who comes across a map to the greatest pirate trove in the universe. The tale follows Jim's fantastic journey across a parallel universe as a cabin boy aboard a glittering space galleon. Befriended by the ship's charismatic cyborg (part man, cook John Silver, Jim blossoms under his guidance, and shows the makings of a fine spacer as he and the alien crew battle supernovas, black holes and ferocious space storms. But even greater dangers lie ahead when Jim discovers that his trusted friend Sliver is actually a scheming pirate with mutiny in mind.

Although it does look a lot like "Atlantis - The Lost Empire", Treasure Planet is much different than it, because I feel that Atlantis was way too complicated for children to understand the concept and the storyline of the movie, whereas Treasure Planet is based on Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island, a famous classic with a simple storyline. With amazing special effects and cgi technology, this movie is sure to put the audience in awe. The voices provided for this movie are from some famous celebrities like Roscoe Lee Browne, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and David Hyde Pierce which itself is worth watching for.

All in all, I think Treasure Planet will become a sure hit because of all the reasons above. A must watch!!

I've seen it 13 times!!!
Action, adveture, the perfect movie. Disney's Treasure Planet is a Wonderful film, one of my top ten, but maybe I'll tell you about that when I review Snow White, if at all. The movie is based on Robert Louis Stevenston's classic novel, I'm sure we've all read it, I have. Jim Hawkins live with his mother while running the Admiral Benbow Inn. Although his sort-of aligned on the wrong tracks, he know how to handle a solar-surfer. One day while coming back from surfing, a ship crash-lands on the dock near the Inn. An ugly turtle-like alien steps out, along with a chest. Being a kind hearted soul, Jim helps him into the Inn. They find out thai his name is Billy Bones, and is trying to hide from pirates. Knowing that he was dying, he gave Jim two things. A treasure map, and a warning to "beware the cyborg". Grabbing the map and his mother, they ran to the back door to escape, not a second too soon, because pirates then raided the Inn, looking for Bones' map. Jim and his mother escaped to they're good friend's house, named Dr. Doppler. (The friend, not the house). After Jim opened the map, they discovered that it led to treasure, the loot of 1,000 Worlds. Eager to see find it, Dr. Doppler & Jim hire a crew, and they set sail. Jim was to give the captain, Captain Amelia, the map for safe keeping. After that, Jim was named Cabin Boy, and was assigned to work with the ship's cook, John Silver. But Jim was terrified to see that he was a cyborg!! But after getting to know him, Jim decided that this couldn't possibly be the one he was told to look out for. They became fast friends, and became very attached to one another. But after accedentally stumbling onto his plot, Jim runs to the captain to warn her. But it was too late. The mutiny had begun. Trying desperately to get to a life boat, Jim loses the map, only to find that Morph, Silver's pet, had changed it's shape to look like it. But fortunately, none of the pirates knew. Knowing that that disaster had taken place, they were now on Treasure Planet, and Jim was to go and find shelter. On the way, they meet up with B.E.N. (Bio-Electronic Navigator) and he offers them his home. He was marooned by the same pirates, with the most famous, Captain Nathaniel Flint. In the middle of the night, Jim, B.E.N., & Morph set out to go back to the ship, dis-arm the laser-cannons, and get the map. Since all but one sly pirate, Scroop, had been left on the ship, they climbed the anchor's chain up to the top. B.E.N. was given the job of dis-connecting the laser-cannons, Morph to distract Scroop, & Jim would go and get the map. But eventually, Morph and Jim ran into each other, so now that Jim has the map, now he has to get rid of Scroop. Fortunately, B.E.N. while trying to find the right plug to puul, pulled the plug on the artificial gravity, so as jim just bearly grabbed the ship's flag as he was floating upward, Scroop passed him, flinging him into space forever. After B.E.N. finally put the gravity plug in, and the laser-cannon plug out, tthey headed back to camp, only to find that Silver had taken Dr. Doppler & Captain Amelia hostage. Forcing Jim to lead them to the treasure, they set off. They finally found it though, and Silver was filling a life boat of treasure. B.E.N. and Jim found something quite interesting, too. Jim found Captain Flint's skelliton, and B.E.N. found his missing memory chip, which Captain Flint had taken away from him, so long ago.When Jim inserted it, B.E.N. remembered about the booby trap, and the whole planet was going to blow!! ... But Jim will always remember his wonderful adventure on Treasure Planet. Well, that's it. I hope this review has helped you and encourages you to get this DVD. P.S. If you like the movie, buy the games.

In the top 2 of modern Disney films!
This is up with The Lion King in quality and is modern Disney animation at it's best, unlike the shockingly bad 'Brother Bear'.
Treasure Planet also has real touches from old Disney like Peter Pan, you could see the characters in a line-up with these classic icons.
I went with a group of adults and we ALL found it very funny and yes, I was on the edge of my seat at one point!
I don't understand any criticsm for this - and I' not one of those Disneyoids who likes any Disney film either.

A Movie That Makes You Dream
Even if it isn't exactly after the rules of the book, nor gravity, I greatly appreciated this animation movie. The characters were alive and the relationship between old pirate Long John Silver and young lad Jim Hawkins showed what true friendship looks like and that people can change for the better of ways. The soundtrack is also one of the best, the music and the lyrics make you fly off and enter the wonderful world that Disney created to let people dream.

What's up with Disney?
Once again Disney disappionts me by making yet another action film to target young boys. And in the proccess making a movie with no heart I could care less about the relationship between that 17 year old and Captian Long John Silver or whatever they called him. Why can't Disney come up with more orginal stuff like Lilo and Stich that movie was halrious! The future for tradional animation is looking darker and darker. Hopefully Home On The Range will brighten things up but not likely. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

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

Amazon.com

At the time of its release in 1987, this Elaine May production was bandied about as one of the worst films of the decade. It was nominated for three Razzie Awards that year--Worst Picture, Screenplay, Direction--but it still was not the nadir detractors claimed it to be. (Remember, that was the year Norman Mailer's self-indulgence spilled all over the screen in Tough Guys Don't Dance.) If this comedy had been made by unknowns, it would have simply faded into the obscurity it deserves. The fuss came about because May squandered much talent and a ridiculously large budget, rumored to exceed $40 million, returning less than half of that in ticket sales. Two artistically challenged lounge musicians (Warren Beatty and Dustin Hoffman) are jettisoned out of the States by their agent, who finds them a gig in Morocco. En route, they become pawns in an international power play between the CIA, the mythical emir of Ishtar, and upstarts hoping to overthrow the emir's regime. There are some humorous bits, such as when Hoffman and Beatty so badly perform their horrible ditties that audiences are left appalled. Most of the time however, we are the ones lulled into a near daze by a hokey script and boorish jokes about blind camels. If Abbott and Costello had made this flick, it might have worked. --Rochelle O'Gorman ... Read more

Reviews (68)

The Parody That Tops Them All
Sadly, "Ishtar" is a completely misunderstood movie by way of the critics. If one takes it for what it is, one will see that it is purely a parody (and a very funny one at that). Hoffman and Beatty are brilliant in their ability to act so terribly dense and untalented and play it all with a straight face. They play songwriters who aspire to be famous, and they truly believe that their songs such as "Wardrobe of Love" and "Dangerous Buisness" could be sung by Simon and Garfunkel themselves. Charles Grodin gives a brilliant performance as the butt-kissing CIA agent, and Elaine May wrote the clever script that is filled with witty remarks and totally hysterical action. "Ishtar" is up there with all the other great screwball comedies such as "The Producers" and "Some Like it Hot". I've never laughed so hard while viewing a movie before. Absolutely give this movie a chance.

Don't tell anyone, but I LOVE Ishtar
Ok, so MOST of my friends either refuse to watch the video with me or fall asleep ten minutes into it. A very few of my friends agree that this movie is so far beyond bad that it's terrific. I've seen Ishtar more times than I can remember, and every time I laugh. If you're a little quirky, and if you're willing to take the movie as a song and character showcase (forget the plot!), then you may have found a new favorite movie to torture your loved ones with.

I'm not kidding.

Imagine if you will Dustin Hoffman and Warren Beatty singing (badly) these super lines:

"I said come look there's a wardrobe of love in my eyes/ Come on in, take a look and see if there's something your size."

"Telling the truth is a dangerous business/ Honest and popular don't go hand in hand./ If you admit that you can play the accordion/ No one will hire you in a rock-n-roll band."

You live your life and I'll live mine, and mine will always include a copy of Ishtar.

Ishtar Was Overlooked
Elaine May's Ishtar is one of the all time grossly overlooked comedies. Dustin Hoffman and Warren Beatty are hilarious in this intelligent comedy. The solid and understandable plot never tires and this portrait of two losers is very funny. Small funny contribution by Charles Grodin.

a brilliant comedy...waiting to be re-discovered
perhaps the high concept was never accepted by the critics......a hope and crosby road movie ...with beatie and hoffman.....naive americans mixed up in foriegn intreige....a pretty girl sought after by both.....good guys bad guys......the gun selling scene which must rate as one of the funniest scenes ever filmed.....hoffman mistaken for a gun auctioneer tries to fake his way in pidgin arabic saying things like ...abdul jabar,chad gadya, an other such stuff.

buy it ,see it, youll laugh

I would buy the DVD~!
You have to bring this out on DVD

It is a milestone movie! It has to be done!!
Yes it takes great acting to come up with this totally funny Movie...
Everything that killed it when it was released only adds to the legend!!
I am having the whole neighborhood over when it comes out on DVD. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Disney couldn't resist the temptation to remake 1961's popular comedy The Absent Minded Professor, so they cast Robin Williams as Professor Philip Brainard (a role vaguely related to the character originated by Fred MacMurray), and the result is a comedy that, frankly, doesn't fully deserve its modest success. It's admittedly clever to a point, and certainly the digitally "flubberized" special effects provide the kind of movie magic that's entertaining for kids and parents alike. The professor can't even remember his own wedding day (much to the chagrin of his fiancée, played by Marcia Gay Harden), and now his academic rival (Christopher McDonald) is trying to steal his latest and purely accidental invention--flying rubber, or ... flubber. The green goo magnifies energy and can be used as an amazing source of power, but in the hands of screenwriter John Hughes it becomes just another excuse to recycle a lot of Home Alone-style slapstick humor involving a pair of bumbling would-be flubber thieves. There's also a floating robot named Weebo and some catchy music by Danny Elfman to accompany dancing globs of flubber, but the story's too thin to add up to anything special. Lightweight fun, but, given the title, it lacks a certain bounce. Of course, that didn't stop Disney's marketing wizards from turning it into a home-video hit. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (27)

Cute But Absentmindedly Twisted
Recently I went to a theater showing the Disney remake, Flubber, starring Robin Williams. Although I still prefer the original The Absent Minded Professor, Flubber was a whole lot of fun.

Robin Williams plays a science professor looking for a new form of energy. As the film opens, Williams is already in danger of missing his own wedding for the third time. But while guests wait patiently Williams discovers the semi-intelligent Flubber. Much of the rest of the film is spent trying to win back the heart of his fiance and subsequently save the collage from bankruptcy and closure. Williams is aided in his endeavors by two robots. The first is an exceptionally capable housekeeping robot. The second is a levitating, self-aware intelligence with full emotions. While fun companions movie-wise, the technical aspects of these robots would be more than enough for Williams to save the college. In the End Williams wins back his fiancé, defeats the bad guys trying to close the college and finds a future for Flubber.

While Flubber is very enjoyable it seems like the writers added details for the sake of cuteness without thinking about the implications. Williams is looking for a new energy source yet he has a robot that can defy gravity and powered by simple electricity. He needs a discovery worth money yet he has two very successful and useful robots, one of them alive. Flubber itself has been made into some kind of life form. This may be good for merchandising but one can only wonder about the source of powdered Flubber or the implications of flight resulting from intentionally causing the organism's decay. Selling the rights to flying cars to Ford made for a funny scene but now there can potentially be millions of semi-responsible drivers flying through the country's airlanes while carrying radioactive materials. Additionally, a few scenes were changed from the original and are now less plausible. For instance, in the original, the fiancé calls the professor when he is late for the wedding again.

So if you are looking for fun then this is your movie. However, if you tend to rebel at inconsistencies and like your plots to make sense, then you might want to avoid this one. It's up to you.

Suitable for kids aged 0-100!
Oh, I loved this movie, I was so surprised. Robin Williams is a brilliant actor, and he's in his comedic element here! He plays a mad scientist who keeps on postponing his wedding to create his ultimate invention - FLUBBER - a rubbery substance that has a life of its own and can make you fly. Yes, I'm 30 years old and an action fan, and a guy that doesn't appreciate chick flicks. but kids flicks I can tolerate. My five-year old niece had this for her birthday, I sat and watched it with her and laughed out loud all the way through. The special effects are superb as well!

Typical unimaginative Disney claptrap.
Have you ever been invited to some friends' house for an evening and thought that you were going to be doing something interesting or fun, only to find out that they rented a video for all of you to watch? It's always something you never would have rented for yourself in a million years.
For all of it's former ingenuity and creativity, today's Disney films certainly have a habit of showing a lack of imagination and originality. If you think about it, most of today's Disney animated films are based on old stories that have been around forever, and most of the studio's live action films are remakes of early Disney-era classics. This is not to say that the occasional enjoyable Disney film doesn't make an appearance at your local theater now and then. Some of them are hard not to enjoy.
When the overpaid, brain-dead executives at Disney decided to remake the 1961 hit film, "The Absent-Minded Professor", they indicated the type of audience the film would be catering to by dumbing down the title of the film to "Flubber".
"The Absent-Minded Professor" is not necessarily one of my very favorite of Disney's classic era 50s and 60s films, but it was a well-written, creative story that could be enjoyed by kids and adults alike, and it has held up pretty well through the decades. This remake is nothing more than an attempt to show what can be done with today's overblown computer animation technology. In the story, an absent-minded professor, who's always forgetting his wedding date (this is where the mandatory love interest comes into play), accidentally invents a form of bouncing, flying synthetic rubber, and as luck would have it, is able to use it to help the local high school basketball team finally win a game. The fate of the free world seems to hinge on this small town team winning this game. That simple story was enough to make the 1961 film a winner with audiences but today's kids (and some adults) would find that boring because they've had technology shoved down their throats since birth. So in this new film, we have incredibly stupid scenes such as the little blobs of Flubber changing into the shape of little fat men and dancing to rhythmic quasi-Latin music. The Flubber men also change their shapes to become different Latin percussion instruments during the song. Oh, that Disney magic! What would we do without it to make our lives worth living???
This is a fairly repulsive film for a non-thinking audience.

Flubber
A Great Movie!!!! I laughed alot! I like the way the flubber entered the Villian's mouth and went thru his system and came out of his Butt was extremely funny. The crooks getting hit in the head with the golf ball and bowling ball was funny and the crooks saying it sure gives you a headache. The only bad thing about the movie is some cussing that should have been left out.

Dancing Globs make me wozzy
Wow this was disappointing. The stupid parts outweight the good stuff. What a waste. With all the potential to make a real interesting story, and with all the high tech capabilities now vs when the original was made this should have been a real fun movie to watch. It is not. Most of my kids had left the room before the end. definitely rent before you buy. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This is a surprisingly winning little comedy, though hardly a hit. Extrapolated from Bruno Barreto's Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands, the film stars Sally Field as a woman about to embark on her second marriage after her first husband, a charismatic Broadway director and choreographer (James Caan), has died. But as she plans her wedding to the likable but unexciting Jeff Bridges, Caan returns from the dead. Though only she can see him, it's a formula for disaster: She begins to doubt her plans and wonders whether she'd be happier with Caan's ghost than with Bridges's live body. Meanwhile, everyone else begins to doubt her sanity because she's talking to a dead man. Better than critics gave it credit for being, although you'll probably enjoy it more if you've never seen the original. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (9)

funniest movie you will ever see
I saw this movie years ago and it is still one of the most consistently funny movies I have ever seen. You can watch it over and over!!! I just wish they would put it on DVD!!!

FOR HE'S A JOLLY GOOD FELLOW...
This is a delightful, little known, romantic comedy. It focuses on the prospective second marriage of Kay Villano (Sally Field), who three years prior had become a widow, when her then husband, Jolly (James Caan), met with an accidental death. Her fiance, Rupert Baines (Jeff Bridges), is a quiet, academic sort of man, the antithesis of her dead husband, who was a flamboyant philanderer and well known Broadway choreographer.

When Kay decides to reopen their old home and have the wedding there, she gets an unepected visitor, the ghost of her long dead husband. Unfortunately, only she can see or hear him. She now has to choose whether to linger over the memories of the dead or embrace the idea of creating new memories with the living.

Sally Fields is absolutely delightful as the tormented Kay. Her comedic timing is great, whether as the comedienne or as the comedic foil for James Caan. James Caan takes to the role of Jolly with unsurprising ease. Jeff Bridges is, unfortunately, somewhat wooden and stiff in his role. He could have been better. The rest of the supporting cast, which includes Claire Bloom and Mildred Natwick, however, is excellent.

This film, which brings to mind the likes of Noel Coward, is a funny, well acted film. It is a light, frothy, romantic comedy and has no pretensions of being anything more. It also features a song sung by the late, great Dusty Springfield as an added treat.

A GREAT FILM--Even for a Guy who HATES Chick-Flicks
This romantic comedy has been one of my long-time favorites. I have literally watched this film twice in one day and laughed out loud both times. The perfect blend of chemistry and comedy, it will work for both men and women. Once when watching this movie, my younger brother began to protest, "I hate girl movies!" I asked him to give it a chance and briefly explained some of the plot. He laughed so hard that he cried at the film's conclusion and then said the magic words "You were right." This is a great little movie that thought it could....if you can muster the open mind, you won't be disappointed. It's romantic without being overly sentimental--funny without overacting--bittersweet and perfectly played. My only regret---it's not on DVD yet. This movie also features a great song by Dusty Springfield, which found at both the introduction and conclusion. BUY THIS!!!!!

Where have all the good movies gone?
Quite an early look at Jeff Bridges. This movie was hilarious Sally Field and Jeff Bridges were so cute. I sooo miss movies like this. The actor who plays Sally's Father is so funny there are scenes he's in that you have to pay attention to because they are subtle funny.

James Caan was okay, I was much more impressed with Jeff's performance in this one.

Happy Viewing

Kiss me Goodbye
Sally fields is very funny along with her co-stars.
Intresting movie from beginning to end. Never get tired of watching it. ... Read more

Description

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

Reviews (12)

Must Be Seen To Be Believed
'Warriors Of The Deep' is absolutely every bit as bad as it has been made out to be. The acting is absurd, the costumes terrible, the direction flat and the poor production values brightly lit for all to see. As a piece of unintentional comedy, 'Warriors' works rather well even though the cast takes itself so seriously.
On paper, this is actually an interesting story. Set on a seabase during a futuristic cold war being attacked by two popular monsters from the Pertwee era and complete with devious double agents and a hideous, unstoppable cybernetic creature, this story has plenty going for it. Unfortunately, the Silurians and Sea Devils are pale imitations of their 70s predecessors, the double agents are served by wooden actors with bad accents and the hid