Reviews (146)

The feel-good movie of the year for women.
The "Mona Lisa Smile", directed by Mike Newell, is a story about women in society during the 1950s, when they were expected to become educated and then get married and become a mother.

PLOT SUMMARY: Katherine Watson (Julia Roberts) portrays a single woman in the 1950s who, freshly graduated from graduate school, gets a job working as an Art History professor at the exclusive Wellesley College for women in Massachusetts. Katherine is shocked when she learns her students have already fulfilled the requirements in their syllabuses by the very first class, and decides to stray against the rules by showing the girls modern art and teaching them that they have a choice in life besides becoming a housewife and mother. Katherine shares a special bond with her students, though a few students really stand out. Betty Warren (Kirsten Dunst) is a "proper young lady" who quickly gets married because her family wants her to and soon learns about marriage the hard way--she becomes rebellious towards Katherine's teachings in the meantime; Joan Brandwyn (Julia Stiles) is a bright and intelligent girl who gets into Yale Law School but must make a choice when she falls in love with a man; and then there's Giselle Levy (Maggie Gyllenhaal) who is kind of like Katherine herself, except Giselle is a "player" and likes to fool around with guys...especially men who are a lot older than her. Through these students, Katherine learns about herself and life as she goes against school board rules.

MY OVERALL THOUGHTS: The film was a bit feminist in my opinion, but since I'm a bit of a feminist myself, this only made me enjoy the "Mona Lisa Smile" even more. The acting, of course, was spectacular. I was quite surprised by the acting of the younger cast, though I always knew how talented these young women were and expected nothing less from them. Julia Roberts is as good as ever...she never fails to impress me. The storyline was wonderful and so was the dialogue and overall message of the story. The directing, costumes, settings, etc. were all brilliant. If you are a feminist and like feel-good movies, then you will certainly enjoy the "Mona Lisa Smile".

I highly recommend the "Mona Lisa Smile".

100/100
A+

Empowering
This was an empowering film to me. I loved how Julia Roberts' character, Katherine Watson, challenged these women into different ways of thinking. She helped them all to see what potential they have and that they didn't have to fit a binary of a woman in the 50s. Watson challenged every idea that these women were brought up with: the ideas that a woman's role was to serve her husband and keep house and home. Watson was a teacher ahead of her time and the fact that Julia Roberts played her character allowed Watson to come alive for me. This film was excellent and very well done.

Entertaining but Cliched Plot
I love Julia Roberts' glowing smile and infectious laugh, but this movie is just another cliché of the inspirational teacher. This time, it's not inner-city gang members, but privileged college girls at Wellesley who are motivated by a special teacher. I was pleasantly surprised by the ending, in which Julia Roberts' character admits that marrying and raising a family might not be evil incarnate after all.

a masterpiece...
I was very pleased with how this movie turned out (except the whole Bill situation could have been taken out. it didn't really match her ideals really..). When I saw previews for it, I knew at once I wanted to see it but was afraid Hollywood would ruin it. On the contrary, I was very moved.

I was really impressed how they addressed what is expected from all women, but also how all women are DIFFERENT. On one hand, there is Katherine Watson who believes women should not simply get married and have children, that there is "more to life" than motherhood. On the other hand, there is the university and most of its faculty and students who believe the opposite. And then there are the very few (or maybe one) in between who believe in possibilities... Though the character Katherine Watson has a noble agenda to change the rigid motherly ideals of the school, she has simply fled to the opposite extreme with rigid academic ideals.

Though this movie takes place in the 1950's, these themes are NOT irrelevent. Take it from a college girl herself (and many of my friends) - many of these expectations and pressures still exist in different forms. Replace Katherine with your high school, your peers, and your parents, and replace the Wellesley of the 1950s with your grandmothers, your aunts, your friends and you have MY life with a seemingly opposite but very similar struggle.

Therefore, I give this movie 5 stars. It realistically depicts the struggle that can still be seen in many women's lives today, but does not provide a cop-out answer for the masses. Like the analogy in the film of the paint-by-number sets, women are not cookie cutter shapes!

All the actresses in this movie did a wonderful job. Julia Stiles, Julia Roberts, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and more.. I was easily able to relate to these characters, and their development is exceptionally interesting. This film holds much significance to those of us women who have lived it out in one way or another.

another teacher-as-messiah film
**1/2 In the wheezingly old-fashioned "Mona Lisa Smile," Julia Roberts joins the ranks of Robert Donat, Glenn Ford, Sidney Poitier, Sandy Dennis, Robin Williams, Edward James Olmos, Michelle Pfeiffer and Kevin Kline, all of whom have played inexperienced teachers who manage to win over and inspire their initially recalcitrant students. It matters not whether these pupils are hardened inner city gang types or snooty prep school geniuses, the arc of the story is always the same. The teacher, armed with a sense of optimism and a zeal to "make a difference" in the students' lives, arrives at the institution nervous and unsure of whether she is really up to the challenge (or "he" in the case of many of these films). After a predictably disastrous start, in which the students belittle her idealism and efforts and attempt to take advantage of her inexperience, the teacher invariably throws out the standard, stuffy, boring curriculum and finds a way to make learning relevant, fun and engaging. This, of course, makes her the most popular teacher at the school, but also a threat to the ossified educational establishment, which throws up endless roadblocks in an effort to keep this know-it-all upstart from upsetting the applecart. Undeterred, the teacher manages to get down to the students' level, rapping with them as if she were one of their own, helping to solve their problems and inspiring them to take their rightful place in society as freethinking, morally upstanding individuals. Then comes the inevitable moment when the teacher must decide, midway through the term, whether or not she will be returning for the next semester, with the student who gave the teacher the most trouble at the start pleading with her to stay on and work her magic for generations of students to come. All of this invariably culminates in a tear-soaked finale wherein all the students gather in worshipful adoration of this almost godlike embodiment of Learning. A number of the movies that have utilized this storyline have been quite good, actually, but "Mona Lisa Smile" is not one of them. By bringing nothing particularly new to the formula, the film can't help feeling derivative and clichéd. Where is Miss Jean Brodie when we really need her?

"Mona Lisa Smile" begins in 1953 with Katherine Anne Watson's arrival as an art history instructor at Wellesley College. The school, as it turns out, is a haven for elite snobs - and its educational philosophy of rote, tradition-bound learning shows that the school is more concerned with turning the girls into dutiful, supportive wives and mothers than freethinking career women (the only classes we ever see the girls attending are art history, Italian, table setting and synchronized swimming, not exactly a rigorous course of study for a bunch of young ladies we are led to believe graduate with some pretty impressive degrees). Enter Katherine Anne, fresh from a state school in "liberal" California, who clearly does not buy into the false value system she finds here. After some initial resistance on the part of the girls and the powers-that-be at the institution, Katherine begins, slowly but surely, to win people over to her modernistic, iconoclastic way of thinking.

As a social document, "Mona Lisa Smile" is yet another film dedicated to exposing the "Stepford Wife" mentality of the conformist 1950's. The problem is that "Far From Heaven" did a much better job of that two years ago. In that film, the main character experienced a gradual awakening as to both her value as an individual and the societal prison in which she lived. During the course of the film, we grew along with her. Katherine, on the other hand, feels like a 21st Century woman transported magically to the 1950's. Not that there weren't such forward-looking women at the time, of course, but it's not very illuminating watching a person, spouting ideas no one in the audience could possibly disagree with, bringing knowledge and enlightenment to the ignorant masses. The acting is good but the characters are all either shallow stereotypes or straw men designed for Katherine to knock down easily. Ironically, the film is every bit as conventional as the conformity it's railing against.

Now that Ms. Roberts has gotten the Messianic Teacher Syndrome out of her system, perhaps she can move on to bigger and better things. This particular hole in her resume has at last been filled. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Nunnally Johnson's Broadway comedy was brought to the big screen by director Jean Negulesco, built around a trio of female stars, Lauren Bacall, Marilyn Monroe, and Betty Grable. They play friends who come up with a plan to find and marry rich men. They rent a lavish penthouse and use it as their launching pad to lure men with money in the bank. But each eventually finds that love is more important that material possessions, though it takes a while. One running joke has Monroe so insecure about her looks that she refuses to wear glasses, though this means she bumps into furniture and walls. The other has Bacall rejecting suitor Cameron Mitchell because he doesn't wear a tie, assuming this means he's low-class when, in fact, he's the Donald Trump of 1954. Pre-feminist comedy captures the mindset of an era in which women's identities were based on the men they married. It has its moments, but much of the humor seems dated, though its take on sexual politics is occasionally acute. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (31)

High Society Fun
Lauren Bacall, Marilyn Monroe & Betty Grable are highly entertaining in this tale of models who set out to land a millionaire. Not having any of their own money, they come up with some off the wall schemes to live the lifestyle they are dressed for! All 3 are gorgeous and funny to watch. Each does a great job of playing the quirkiness of their characters. This is a timeless classic that's as appealing today as it was in it's day. A great girly movie. Lauren Bacall has a flair for humor that is delightful to watch.

Brilliant
This as definatly a feel good movie. A sweet romantic comedy (leaning heavly on comedy) about three models who take up a expensive penthouse in New York hoping to catch themselves some millionairs. Schatze Page (Lauren Bacall)is a woman who is through with marrying poor men, or as she calls them "gas pump jockeys" for the simple reason that poor men have broken her heart. She's the brains of the bunch. Bacall is wonderfull in this film. Pola Debevoise (Marlyn Monroe) is the blonde, and blind, one who is really just going along with what shounds like a good idea. In this role Monroe pulls off a stunning performance, marked by her sweetness and child-like inocence, as well as many commedic scenes. She is somewhat sill (she beleives that her glasses make her unatractive) but warm-hearted.
Loco Dempsey (Betty Grable)is a girl who has an appetite..... for food. She is nice, somewhat dumb but a good person. Her performance is good, but not as outstaning as Monroe's.

Overall this is a really sweet movie with alot of substance.

"How To Marry A Millionaire"
"How To Marry A Millionaire" is a comedy story of 3 girls living in a penthouse searching for meeting and marrying wealthy millionaires.The movie is alot of fun.And if you want to know "How To Marry A Millionaire" and if they do marry millionaires with their schemes then you will enjoy this movie.The movie is Marilyn's best movie.The movie was very popular that there was a syndicated TV version of the same name "How To Marry A Millionaire" starring Barbara Eden in the Marilyn role,Merry Anders in the Bacall role,Lori Nelson (1st 39 episodes) in the Grable role and Lisa Gaye (in episodes 40 thru 52) in the Grable role.

EXCELLENT! BRAVO! 5 STARS!
This is a magnificent movie. It is artful, filled with humor and it's just good clean fun. It is an excellent choice for parents who have girls--like mine--who idealize Marylin Monroe. I can let my 5 and 8 year old watch this classic without any qualms. Betty Grable is fabulous as is Laurne Bacall. The dialogue in the movie is worthy of being memorized. If you like old classics, you'll love this movie. We sure do.

Marilyn should get the millionare
Marilyn Mnroe shines in this movie and all three ladies add a great comedic touch. Definately worth your money, you'll want to watch it many times ... Read more

Reviews (95)

4.5 stars -- more enjoyable than "Titanic."
"The Poseidon Adventure" is the quintessential disaster movie -- the very best of the disaster film genre that reigned through the 70's and early 80's.

This particular disaster flick involves a ocean liner capsized by a tidal wave (on New Year's Eve of all times!)and the ten survivors who struggle to make it up to the hull (which is actually the bottom of the ship) to possibly find a way out through the stern. Being that everything is upside down presents major obstacles to the cast.

The pic features a stellar cast, including a young Gene Hackman and a fit Ernest Borgnine, who are constantly at each others throats because, as the Hackman character points out, they're two of a kind and Borgnine simply doesn't like what he sees in the mirror. The female cast includes Pamela Sue Martin (Nancy Drew), Carol Lynley and Stella Stevens, all well-cast as scantily-clad babes in distress. Also, Shelley Winters does a nice job as an overweight heroine. Red Buttons, Roddy McDowall and Leslie Nielson (in a serious role as The Captain) are also on hand.

The sets of the sinking, upside down ship are absolutely outstanding. The scene wherein the ship tips over showing the party-goers fall/slide to the ceiling is superb.

The characters are great and you really start to care for them. Okay, there is admittedly some silly dialogue, but I KNOW people who talk like this in real life, so it's not as campy and unrealistic as some criticize.

Hackman as the fiery-passionate rebel preacher is excellent. His real struggle is ultimately with his Creator, who he "has it out" with at the end. Unspiritual people will no doubt tend to laugh at this scene, but it powerfully portrays humanity's grappling with the universal question "Why does a righteous God allow evil and hardship to exist?"

The "Preacher" is nicely balanced out by the Pamela Sue Martin character who loves him and the Borgnine character who despises him; but observe Borgnine's nice change-of-heart at the very end.

It's interesting to note that, even though some say this flick has campy aspects, everyone highly rates it. "The Poseidon Adventure" is just a very entertaining and moving motion picture. It's got "cult movie" written all over it.

I find it of interest that many reviewers state how they like "The Poseidon Adventure" better than "Titanic." "Titanic" is hailed as one of the greatest, most popular pics of all time, yet all these folks say they prefer to see the former. I'd have to agree. "Titanic" is a good flick, there's no doubt; but given the choice I'd much rather see "The Poseidon Adventure."

the mother of all disaster movies
Irwin Allen's THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE is regarded as being the forerunner of the myriad of disaster movies that reigned supreme at the box-office through the 70's and into the 80's.

In this enjoyable and quite campy film, we see the "stock characters" that would become a fixture in the disaster movie genre; the Jewish couple (Jack Albertson and Shelley Winters), the swashbuckling ah...priest? (Gene Hackman), the rowdy policeman and his ex-hooker wife (Ernest Borgnine and Stella Stevens), the nervous little singer (Carol Lynley), the bachelor (Red Buttons), the leggy teen (Pamela Sue Martin) and the know-it-all little brat (Eric Shea).

Mind you, the ship was bound to sink with Leslie Nielsen (AKA Frank Drebin) at the helm...

When the SS Poseidon capsizes in a tidal wave on New Year's Eve, this motley bunch of survivors try to climb to the thinnest part of the hull to escape. Climbing up a huge Christmas tree to begin the adventure, the Priest first makes some convienient "alterations" to the women's outfits. First he orders Stella Stevens to take off her evening gown and put on a short pink shirt; then he orders Pamela Sue Martin to take off her red mini-skirt, which she does, only to reveal a matching pair of red hotpants beneath!!

Then sit back and watch as our vaccuous and totally unbelievable band of dim-wits try to thwart the crumbling wreckage that is continually exploding around them. I mean really, what is Stella Stevens thinking that she can climb through vents and up ladders in silver stilettos?!!

Featuring the theme song "The Morning After" (mimed convincingly by Carol Lynley) and some marvellous miniature effects techniques.

My Favorite Disaster Movie!
I have written a review of The Poseidon Adventure before but that was before I got the DVD and in that review I basically was reviewing the movie so I thought I would write a new review. I received the DVD for Christmas and just watched it a little while ago and though I do think that they should release a new special Edition DVD with anamorphic widescreen and more extra features I'm pleased with this letterbox widescreen for now but will definitely think of getting a special Edition DVD if one is ever released. I enjoyed watching this movie and I think this is the best disaster movie I have ever seen and the whole cast is great. Gene Hackman (The French Connection), Ernest Borgnine (The Dirty Dozen), Shelley Winters (Night of the Hunter), Stella Stevens (Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows), Jack Albertson (Chico and the Man), Pamela Sue Martin (Dynasty), etc. If you are looking for great extra features on this DVD you will find that this is a bare bones DVD and the features are rather sparse and are only the trailer and a couple of short biographies and filmographies of only a couple of the actors from the cast and I hope that if a new DVD is released that it will have more special features that will include a biography and filmography of the whole cast and also cast interviews, deleted scenes and all of the usual extras. Well anyway until a better DVD comes along I'm actually content with this one.

SPECIAL EDITION!
Come on, everybody, just keep chanting it 'til we get it:
SPECIAL EDITION!
SPECIAL EDITION!
SPECIAL EDITION!
SPECIAL EDITION!
SPECIAL EDITION!
SPECIAL EDITION!
SPECIAL EDITION!
SPECIAL EDITION!

ALL STAR DISASTER CLASSIC!
As far as disaster flicks go, it's hard to find one as effective and engrossing as THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE. Director Ronald Neame, and the astute guidance of Irwin Allen, forged this riveting tale of a world turned upside down. Remember, they didn't have CGI back then, but the set builders and other technical crews gave us a ship turned topsy turvy by a monstrous tidal wave. While all the performers did very well, my favorites were Stella Stevens as the foul-mouthed ex-hooker starting a new life with her cop husband; Ernest Borgnine as Rogo, the aforementioned cop who brought all his trademark bluster, and innocence, to the role; Roddy McDowall, the oh-so-polite steward who always called everybody sir or ma'am; and Jack Albertson, the devoted husband of the doomed Shelley Winters.
THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE will always be one of (if not the) best disaster films----it has all the necessary ingredients and yes, it even had THE MORNING AFTER.
A good film!!!! ... Read more

Amazon.com

In this moving true story, an East Indian doctor takes over a hospital department of infectious diseases in rural Tennessee, just as the AIDS epidemic is sweeping the nation. Naveen Andrews (The English Patient) plays Dr. Abraham Verghese, a young family man who immerses himself in the lives of his patients. First, he must educate the residents of Johnson City, Tennessee, about AIDS. "What was common in New York and San Francisco was unheard of here," says Verghese.Before long, however,the compassionate Dr. Verghese is overwhelmed with a caseload of 82 people suffering with AIDS from hundreds of miles around. The acting in the film is first rate, with Academy Award winner Marisa Tomei playing a simple southern girl whose beloved brother (played by her real-life sibling, Adam Tomei) is dying of the disease. Glenne Headly's portrayal of a dirt-poor housewife who catches AIDS from her philandering husband is also especially strong. Mira Nair, director of such films as Mississippi Masala, brings her intimate knowledge of Indian traditions to the film, lending invaluable authenticity to its theme of clashing cultures. An engrossing, heart-rending picture, My Own Country is a true original that deserves a wider audience. --Laura Mirsky ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Great video, but heartwrenching
I saw this movie several years ago. It took me days to stop thinking about it. I thought all of the acting was good-to-excellent, and the subject matter is extraordinarily powerful. This is NOT just for homosexuals or people coming to grips with AIDS. This is a wonderful exploration of the prejudices that occured with the emergence of AIDS in this country (and continue to be a problem in some quarters even today). But the subject matter is somewhat disturbing. It really makes you stop and THINK about the AIDS epidemic and it really brings home what is happening in Africa right now.

not really worth the time watching
This movie is about a doctor who tries to help those infected by aids in his home country. I didn't really like the movie but maybe those who wants a better understanding of HIV or AIDS may want to view it. It is something that a hetrosexual may not to view this movie. But the Homosexuals or HIV OR AIDS positive people may want to view it to show what people goes through with this deadly disease.

Really Good Performance By Naveen Andrews, But...
Naveen Andrews is a fine actor; he was really good in The Buddha of Suburbia and The English Patient. However, this movie doesn't show his fullest potential as an performer. I felt the screenplay was a bit under-developed. Many important and interesting events that happened in the book version either got little attention or got cut out altogether in the film version. I am a bit disappointed by Mira Nair; having seen the well-written, well-directed Mississippi Masala, I was expecting better from her. I suggest reading the autobiography by Dr. Verghese before seeing the movie.

Nonetheless, this is still a good movie and I suggest everyone to see it. My only problem is that Marissa Tomei got top billing on this film, when she appears for only ten minutes. The kudos should have been given to Andrews, who portrays a doctor who did a very brave act of humanity in a time when it was seen that way. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Let's see--he's been Han Solo in three films and Indiana Jones in three more. So why shouldn't Harrison Ford take on a new continuing character in Tom Clancy's CIA analyst Jack Ryan? In this film, directed by Phillip Noyce, Ford picked up the baton when Alec Baldwin, who played Ryan in The Hunt for Red October, opted for a Broadway role instead. In this film, Ryan and his family are on vacation when Ryan saves a member of the British royal family from attack by Irish terrorists. The next thing he knows, the Ryan clan has been targeted by the same terrorists, who invade his Maryland home. The film can't shed all of Clancy's lumbering prose, or his techno-dweeb fascination with spy satellites and the like. But no one is better than Ford at righteous heroism--and Sean Bean makes a suitably snakey villain. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (58)

Patriot Games - A fine adaptation of Clancy¿s masterpiece!
Not for honor. Not for country. For his wife and child. These three bold statements are emblazoned on the cover of the DVD which, quite briefly, sums up the theme behind this fairly decent adaptation of Tom Clancy's best selling novel of the same name. While, as with all of the "Clancy" movies, the screenplay, written by W. Peter Iliff is very loosely based on the actual novel, this film is excellent as a stand alone. A minor note about the screenplay, they should've stuck with the original ending from the book, it would've been much more dramatic. This film certainly stuck a little closer to the original novel than the summer 2002 adaptation of "The Sum of All Fears."

Replacing "The Hunt for Red October's" Alec Baldwin and Gates McFadden (best known as Dr. Beverly Crusher from Star Trek The Next Generation) as Jack and Cathy Ryan are Harrison Ford and the ever beautiful Anne Archer. The films producers couldn't have made a better choice to fill these two integral roles. Reprising the role of Admiral James Greer, James Earl Jones gives another fine performance. The recently departed Richard Harris of Harry Potter fame performs admirably as well. Samuel L. Jackson does well with the role of Commander Robbie Jackson, fellow professor and best friend to Jack Ryan. Performing admirably in the primary antagonist's role is Sean Bean of Lord of the Rings fame. Outstanding performances by all mentioned.

The score, performed by James Horner, is quite in keeping with his usual high standards. It meshes beautifully with every scene. The DVD itself is not much to speak of, in that the only feature on it is one theatrical trailer. Ultimately this is fine though, as I rate/review movies based on the movie itself, not all of the extraneous other items...

Dr. John Patrick Ryan and his family are on a working vacation in London, England. As he and his family meet up in a park, what appears to be IRA terrorists, blow up a car and are attempting to kidnap members of the Royal family. Throwing caution to the wind, Jack Ryan jumps into the fray...

What follows is an extremely intriguing and well made movie. Many "Clancy" fans may not have found this film to be up to the standards of his novels. This, in my opinion, is not the case, being that it is entirely impossible to film a five hundred plus page novel into two hours. This is not the "Patriot Games" that I've read a couple times now, but it is very good as it stands on its own merits.

I highly recommend this film to all those who are interested in a good, suspense filled and action packed thriller. {ssintrepid}

Protecting His Family
Harrison Ford was a great choice to take over the role of Jack Ryan in Patriot Games. Ford has that everyman quality that works really well when he finds himself and his family (wife Anne Archer and daughter Thora Birch) thrust into international events when they witness an assassination attempt on a British royal. Ford thwarts the attempt, which makes his family revenge targets. The assassins, an Irish militant group, counts amongst its members, a hotheaded Sean Bean who makes it his mission to kill Ford, Archer, and Birch. But needless to say, Ford has other ideas!

Patriot Games is a well-crafted thriller from director Philip Noyce. He keeps the tension going from the beginning, mixing periodic bits of action into the drama that drive the film to its' climax. There's also a good mix of gadgetry and politics to spice the plot up as well.

Ford does a great job portraying the hero as a family man out to protect his loved ones. Archer is an ideal, classy wife, and Birch isn't the typically annoying or cute movie kid ... she's very likeable. Samuel L. Jackson is wasted in a smaller role as Ford's buddy, while Bean and Patrick Bergin make the most of their bad guy roles.

I've seen a lot of action films that have the heart stopping chases and intrigue, but Patriot Games is a step above them. It's a great combination of cast, director, story, and action, and it holds up to repeated viewings.

Slasher films a poor substitute
For sheer excitement on the edge of your not-so-easy chair, there's nothing like a good Jack Ryan story, and I think this is the best of them. The plot involves one of the most obsessed bad guys you'll ever see, a fanatically militant member of an IRA splinter group whose attack on the British royal family is thwarted almost unconsciously by Ryan, who is visiting England as a tourist/lecturer. Now ex-CIA, Ryan's family is nearby, and family is central in this tale of the cold-blooded world of international espionage and terrorism. The family angle is one that keeps the story so chilling throughout, as the terrorist's brother is shot to death by Ryan as he ruins their try on the royals, and our star villain then sets out to stalk Ryan and his wife and daughter.

The film moves at an almost perfect pace, and unveils to us some modern aspects of this shadowy world. For instance, even Ryan, played with understated perfection by Harrison Ford, is creeped out by his participation in a nighttime strike on a desert camp believed to be IRA training ground. In this scene he and several other jacket-and-tie types watch soldiers take out this nest of vipers a half-world away, thanks to infrared and satellite technology, all while detached voices calmly note "Target neutralized" and spies dressed like businessmen smile and nod while whispering to one another in thorough detachment from the blood and guts of the operation. All this technology and we are not removed from the days of the rich people perching on hills near the battles of Civil War days, sipping tea while viewing the entertainment.

I cannot give less than five stars to a film that draws me in so completely as this one, making me feel the tension with such clarity and indeed making it so easy to actually hate the villain. Yet the film strikes sour notes with the drunken Richard Harris's half-hearted performance as an IRA bigwig, and with the cliched ending moment of an otherwise superb boat chase at the film's climax. Two distracting moments would mean a score of 9 on a scale of 1 to 10, or, in Amazon terms, 4-1/2 stars. These being minor, a full five stars is quite reasonable. Nearly a perfect action film; even the understated music score is just so right that it can't be imagined being done any other way.

Reasonably good film - but what 'good' things?
I must admit to being disappointed in this version of the Clancy novel. Much as I like Harrison Ford, One can't help thinking Baldwin would have done a better job in portraying Ryan once again.

Sean Bean is eerily psychotic as Sean Miller - the man on an obsessive hunt for vengeance after the death of his brother at Ryan's hands, but there is an awful appearance by Richard Harris as a stereo-typical IRA man who forges an almost symbiotic relationship with Ryan.

Having said that, the end of the film is well-done and gripping - if you can manage to suspend belief that the security in place to protect the Ryans and their high-ranking visitor could possibly be so slap-dash.

In amazed disbelief at the previous critic who states that the IRA have done some 'good things', I am just sat here wondering what they could possibly be.

Perhaps he is thinking of the Warrington bomb - left randomly in a waste-bin in a crowded shopping centre? That had the distinction of killing two children.

Or perhaps the Omagh bombing? Scores of innocents died there, including a party of visiting Spanish schoolchildren.

Maybe the Rememberance Day parade at Inniskillen? Among the many Irish victims, I suppose the best known was an 18yr old Student Nurse.

Or the Harrods bomb, or the Hyde Park bomb, or the Chelsea Harbour bomb?

The knee-capping of young Irish men who refute the 'cause' or happen to disagree with them?

Could it be the weapons assistance and training with well-known Arab terrorist groups?

Or the solid refusal to lay down their arms and resort to the political process/ballot box in spite of the on-going Peace Process . . .

Just one or two of those 'good' things . . .

Patriot Games, Sean from Dublin
In many respects the film is an improvement upon the original book. The main plot remains fairly intact, but is greatly simplified. This makes the film much more accessible than the book, although purists will miss some of the endless details from the book. By having a minor member of the royal family as the target rather than Prince Charles the film is also more plausible and less cheesy.

Some individuals seem to feel that somehow the IRA is portrayed in a bad light. But it is scarely mentioned, as it is clearly stated that it is a splinter group not the the main branch or the terrorist organisation. Though admittedly one can draw fairly obvious comparisons in that both are vicious terrorist organisations willing to use violence against any who stand in their way. Those who seem to feel that the IRA are a noble bunch of freedom fighters might do well to look at the numbers and occupations of their victims. They include women and children as well as many other innocent bystanders and social undesirables in the view of the IRA. The unwillingness of Sinn Fein to place its faith in ballot box by disarming its supporters also illustrates the nature of the organisation.

Overall it is a good film, with impressive acting, special effects and a sound plot. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Excellent down to earth movie
This is one of the most underrated movies in war movie history. The acting may be shabby but the action scenes are well done. Platoon Leader is down to earth and straight to the point, war is hell but this is worse. This movie is a classic.

Platoon Leader-Great Movie
This is perhaps the most underated movie based on vietnam experiences ever produced. Much ,much Better than seige of firebase gloria that was simple poorly done with tons of phoney scenes. This movie is GREAT! How someone can state there is no story line is simply ridiculas. A great story...a great cast...no phoney combat scenes...a great ending and greatly directed. What more can you ask for. No body in the movie is playing "Rambo" and for good reason because if you did in real life you'd be dead. The movie is for real and very, very interesting. If you want hollywood watch Rambo...if you want a realistic movie concerning a platoon protecting a village in vietnam during the vietnam war... watch this. A green LT that goes by the book who at first was an outsider soon relizes that listening to his men and NOT going by the book is the real life way to deal with the situation he and his men were up against in vietnam protecting a village and their firebase. He earns his leadership and the respect of his men and takes charge of what they called. "The country club"(The firebase). The movie also sports one of the best multi helicoptor assult scenes ever done on film. Based on real facts, very realistic and is a movie that can be watched more than once.

Oyster
Having never been in Vietnam myself, but in the Army in the 70s, I explained offhand to a young 26 year old man how herion was a huge problem in Vietnam, how a lot of GIs came back hooked.
He understnadably could not understand how people got hooked on herion of all things in a combat zone.
I thought of the herion death scene in Platoon leader, and remebered by and large it was a terrific movie.Thats why I found it on Amazon and ordered it, mostly to show him our current troubles seem insignificant to the fatalities suffered then.
I havent seen the movie in gee, 15 years? Ive never forgotten it, tho.

"Platoon Leader" Overlooked
A fine war picture which shows the struggles of a platoon in Vietnam. Their leader gets a wake up call on assignment sending him to the hospital and realizes the importance of life (sacred). Michael Dudikoff is once again a genius and this movie is not on DVD. What's with MGM? Please put all of the Cannon movies on DVD right now.

Platoon Leader
I survived on a Stag team with the 4-503 173 Airborne Brigade during 1969-1970 This movie portrayed our dailey lives. ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Good.
Not my favorite of Hayley's movies but it's good, just a little weird compared to most of her movies. It is about an emotionally troubled teenager named Laurel who is always telling lies, she lives with a grandmother who is very controlling and mean and hardly pays attention to her, a new governess named Miss Madrigal played by Deborah Kerr (from An Affair To Remember) comes to take care of her and she is a bit odd herself but she tries to help Laurel as she sees that she is not getting the love and attention that she needs and another reason she wants to help Laurel is because Laurel reminds her of her own troubled youth and she doesn't want Laurel to make the same mistakes she did. It's not my favorite of Hayley's movies and I remember that the first time I saw it on TV when I was little I thought it was a little scary, definitely has it's darker elements compared to her Disney movies but I do think that it's a must see for any fan of hers and is worthy to be in a Hayley Mills video collection and I think Hayley did a wonderful job playing a emotionally troubled girl.

A Good Movie!
This is a weird but good movie about a girl from a very dysfunctional family who who lives with her very rich but control freak grandmother and the girl has some psychological problems which includes liking to tell whopper lies which I think she does to get attention from her emotionally distant grandmother. The grandmother hires a nanny to help out with the girl who I believe had a very beautiful name like Laurel.

The movie stars Hayley Mills from the Parent Trap as the girl and Deborah Kerr from An Affair To Remember as the nanny and I recommend it!

Excellent
The film is quite good. I enjoyed it, the actors/actress' fit their parts extremely well. The music is a bit too much. It was like DUM DUM DUMMMMM made you'd think someone had died or something but turned out she was just asking a question.

Inhospitable To Growth
Edith Evans is the wealthy grandmother to troubled teen Hayley Mills. Mills lives with her grandmother, since Evans is unhappy with her daughter's second marriage and wants to protect her granddaughter. John Mills works as the butler and Deborah Kerr is the latest in a long line of governesses hired. Hayley has a way of scaring them away. Kerr seems to have arrived without much of a past or family ties (but that becomes clearer later). Hayley is angry at her mother and the world and feels very isolated and it's up to Kerr to find a way (whatever the cost) to get through to her.

The performers are all strong. It's the kind of role that Deborah Kerr did very well, while Hayley is good in a character that requires her to be more than just cute. John Mills is solid as the butler, while Evans has some good moments as she realizes that not only her garden is inhospitable to growth, but so is her home and relationships to her daughter and granddaughter.

The music is a little over the top, as are a few melodramatic moments in the script, but the story is entertaining as the tug-of-war between the governess and her charge heats up. It's an interesting character study.

WEIRD AND WONDERFUL.
This is a rather unusual little film which is based on an unusual play by Enid Bagnold. Kerr is a mysterious woman who is applying for the position of governess at a stately old house. Kerr hasn't any experience nor references to give to her staid but essentially tender-hearted employer (played carefully by Dame Edith Evans, grotesquely dressed in lavender much of the time). Hayley Mills plays the troubled Laurel, a sprited, lying adolescent girl of 16 - who is much like Miss Madrigal (Kerr) was at the girl's same age.....There is an astonishing twist and a fairly satisfying ending - however, this movie is hardly high on most people's list of favourites, somehow. The symbolic film title refers to the chalk dominated soil of the garden - in which nothing can grow without additional nourishment - Evans hired Kerr because of the latters knowledge that nothing will possibly grow in a chalk garden without potash and other necessary and vital nutrients essential for thriving flowerbeds -an allegorical parallel to Laurel herself: the girl will never grow to be a gentle, loving and giving soul without her mother's love - which is cruelly withheld from her by her seemingly devoted and selfless Grandmother... ... Read more

Reviews (5)

timely
At a time when patriotism is more and more being defined as unqustioning support of administration policy, THE MALE ANIMAL offers a timely reminder of what Americanism truly is. I once heard a college president describe what education should be as "a window on the world, and a window is something you can look through from either side." This film provides a gentle reminder of the value of that insight. I still cheer at the end--every time I watch it.

One of the best films!
This a truly great film. I enjoy is immensly. It's funny romantic, and very moving at parts. Henry Fonda, is great as the English teacher husband and his wife, played by Olivia D'Havilland is so beautiful and charming. Jack Carson is funny and charming as well. He's a greta ctor. This is a must see movie, very decent, and one of a kind. I'd recommend it to anyone. It's one you can never get tire of it. Each time of viewing is like the first time. The plot and story is never dull and always makes sence.

5 stars for Nostalgia
The innocence and straight forward holsom theme and action of this film make it one of my lifetime favorites. When something is bothering me, I like to play non-stressful movies and this is one of them. It'll be boring to thrill seekers, but that's the point isn't it?

A Movie That Makes You Think And Laugh
The Male Animal is a movie that has you think about such serious issues as censorship and what it means to be a man, yet it doesn't sacrifice any laughs. Henry Fonda is perfectly cast as the professor who must learn whether he is man enough, and he is well supported by a beautiful Olivia deHavilland and a cast of good character actors. Not enough attention has been given to this movie over the years, and it deserves to be re-discovered. A great movie!

A great, old-time classic comedy, still relevant
This is the kind of socially-relevant James Thurber comedy Hollywood has all but forgotten how to make. Fonda and everyone are great, with a surprisingly nice job by Jack Carson. If you're a sports nut you won't care for the hilarious, all-too-true digs at college sports -- but the central theme of censorship still hits the mark, even if the movie is almost 60 years old. It's a dandy, lively story as well. And if you have an ounce of real American patriotism left (the more heartfelt kind, not the soppy apple-pie variety), you might even cheer at the end. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

A Treat for Smart People
It's always a pleasure to see a movie that presents both sides of a complex issue (in this case, liberals vs. conservatives) in an even-handed and enjoyable way. The characterization of First Monday is superb, particularly the antagonism between Matthau and Clayburgh. I chuckled numerous times over the dialog. Example: after hearing that the chief justice had flowers sent to the new female Supreme Court justice, Matthau muttered, "How come you don't send ME flowers anymore, CJ"? I hope this movie is released sometime in DVD, in letterbox, along with commentary.

Among My Top 5
'"Bet you anything" that Sandra D. Oconner thoroughly appreciated this "right on the mark" movie.

Ho Hum
From my seat as an amateur movie reviewer, First Monday In October ranks as a dissappointment. I always enjoy Walter Matheau as an actor. He has a special charm to his acting style. However, his humor is pretty stifled here. Also the he vs she plot just seems a bit too tiresome here. Matheau argues for the sake of arguing and that is never too pleasant.

Jill Clayburgh is mis-cast as the first woman Supreme Court Justice. She is way too young for such a role and that hampers the film from the get go.

The pornographic subplot also is addressed in such a boring way. The general plot does not excite me in anyway. I tried viewing this a second time to give it the benefit of the doubt. However, the arguing between Matheau and Clayburgh became more annoying than funny.

Walter Matheau's presence is probably the only reason this movie even earns two stars. His charm shines thru every now and then. Otherwise this movie is a flop.

A Treat for Smart People
It's always a pleasure to see a movie that presents both sides of a complex issue (in this case, liberals vs. conservatives) in an even-handed and enjoyable way. The characterization of First Monday is superb, particularly the antagonism between Matthau and Clayburgh. I chuckled numerous times over the dialog. Example: after hearing that the chief justice had flowers sent to the new female Supreme Court justice, Matthau muttered, "How come you don't send ME flowers anymore, CJ"? I hope this movie is released sometime in DVD, in letterbox, along with commentary.

The Supreme Court is nothing like this
This is the only movie I know whose subject is the Supreme Court. Maybe after this one nobody wanted to make another one. Silly plot, ridiculous dialog, cliched he vs. she storyline. I think they wanted this to resemble one of the old Tracy/Hepburn films but this is far from that league. It also doesn't in the slightest resemble the actual Supreme Court. Can anyone imagine a justice as young as Jill Clayburgh is in this movie? ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Often silly, very gory, never scary...
Maybe a three-star is being too nice, but I did kind of like this film. The special effects are good for its time and the story is somewhat interesting, but it's just not that memorable. Pinhead and the Cenobites return to wreak havoc on a mental hospital. Sort of like "Nightmare on Elm Street 3" only with Pinhead and instead of preadolescent kids it's, well, adolescent kids. Some neat visuals make this film an interesting watch, but it doesn't do much in the scares department.

One of the best in Hellraiser series, but no extra scenes
For those of you looking for the "Kirsty's room scene" and the "surgery room scene," do not buy this video. When it said "no longer produced" I thought that maybe this vid had the surgery scene in it, but it does not. It doesn't even have Kirsty's room scene in it. I have no idea why it is no longer being produced unless there is something I missed when I watched it, because I did not watch it straight through, I was fast fowarding and rewinding to find the new scenes.

ALL HELL BREAKS LOSE IN THE SECOND INSTALMENT TO THE SERIES
THIS MOVIE IS THE BEST ONE YET! ITS GORY SPECIAL EFECTS AND DARK PLOT GIVES THIS ONE AN EVEN BETTER PLOT THAN THE FIRST ONE. A LITTLE HARD TO UNDERSTAND IN SOME PARTS PUT STILL A GREAT MOVIE. THE DIRECTOR IS A GEANUS! CHRIS ROBINSON,10

THE EVIL IS NOT GONE!!
When a deformed demon is ressurected by an evil asylum docter after being fed one of the most vile patients ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE LITERRALLY!! the cynobytes are back and they want KIRSTY COTTONS soul to tourment she and a young patient Tiffiany MUST CLOSE UP THE HELL DIMENSION known as the lyaberynth while being persued by a demon more evil and powerful than evan the cynobytes it a hell of an adventure threw the world of darkness

THE TERROR ISNT OVER!!!
When a corruted asylum docter becomes obsessed with studying the deadly secreats of hell the worst is yet to come. The docter goes deep under the sanatarium where the vilelest most horrible patiennts are kept and takes them to be fed to an evil demon to give her life once again! However towards the middle of the movie the the corrupted doctor gets more then he bargans for from the demon and the lord of the underworld which ends with terrifying results.Also prepare for the return of PINHEAD and the rest of the hidious cynobytes as theycome for more flesh journey into hell in this sequal of horror!! ... Read more

Amazon.com

In the tradition of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? Hammer Studios drew aging Tallulah Bankhead out of retirement to play the fanatical matriarch of Die! Die! My Darling! (in Britain the film was simply titled Fanatic). Stefanie Powers, fresh from a string of juvenile and ingenue roles, plays her first adult, a thoroughly modern (and sexually liberated) woman who steps out of her time and into Bankhead's decaying mansion, a bit of southern Gothic nestled in the rural England countryside. Her courtesy call to the mother of her deceased lover turns into a cat-and-mouse thriller as the dotty, scripture-reading old lady dedicates herself to "cleansing" the befouled girl in memory of her son. Richard Matheson's smart screenplay (from the novel Nightmare by Anne Blaisdell) gives Powers a scrappy character, defying Bankhead and struggling to escape at every turn, while Bankhead's increasingly deranged campaign is given a delicious dimension with a marvelously schizophrenic backstory. Director Silvio Narizzano tends to overplay his hand at times and at one point steals a scene right out of Psycho, but he happily makes the battle of wits the central focus, letting the gothic elements stand as flourish. Peter Vaughan costars as a sleazy, salacious caretaker who can't keep his paws of their captive and Donald Sutherland has a small role as an idiot odd-job man devoted to his bizarre little family. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (8)

DELICIOUSLY CAMPY
DIE DIE MY DARLING was one of Hammer's diversions into "psychological horror", and it is a very interesting and well-made film. Scripted by the talented Richard Matheson, the story unfolds lazily, although we know the minute Stefanie Powers meets the irrepressible Tallulah Bankhead, the fun is about to start. Bankhead's remarkably smoky voice propels this fanatical old woman, and her performance is remarkably restrained; I think she did better in some ways than Bette or Joan in their "horror" movie days. I actually came to hate the woman with each ridiculous dependence on her Biblical reasoning for tormenting Powers. Powers herself does an excellent job in going from the sweet young thing to the venomous hussy who wants to tell Bankhead exactly what kind of girl she is. Yootha Joyce as Anna, and Peter Vaughan as her lecherous husband Harry, are very good in supporting roles; Donald Sutherland's idiot role demonstrates what a versatile actor he was going to be.
The film's opening credits, with the cat chasing the mouse, and the unusually bouncy jazz score, indicate that what's about to happen is being done tongue in cheek; yet the movie has a dark underlying evil that crescendos into a descent into madness.
This is a good, sturdy film.

As It Says In The Bible, I Must Kill! Kill! My Darling!
Stefanie Powers is Patricia "Pat" Carroll, a beautiful young american woman visiting England with her fiance. While there, she decides to keep a promise she'd made to her late boyfriend's mother (Tallulah Bankhead) and pay her a visit. Bad idea! You see, mum is actually a hyper-religious maniac who's been going increasingly bonkers in her moldering old mansion. Pat arrives and the fun begins. Mrs. Trefoile (mum) is distressed by Pat's attitude and worldly ways. She had figured that Pat would remain a devoted "wife" to her dead son, saving herself for him in heaven. Pat does not measure up to mum's expectations at all! So, with the help of her housekeeper Anna (Yootha Joyce) and Anna's lecherous husband Harry (Peter Vaughan), mum sets out to "save" Pat by kidnapping, starving, and torturing her with hours of monotonous bible teachings. When Pat finally stands up to her, mum pulls a gun on her! Now, THAT'S some old time religion! Pat's clothes are shredded, her make-up destroyed, and her jewelry confiscated. Mum has a "simpler" life in store for her. Thankfully, Pat is not a complete mush, and does try to escape many times. Her character is fairly realistic and sympathetic. Mrs. Trefoile is of course the demented center of this story. Her hidden basement room contains the truth of her existence. What's in there? Why does she go there late at night? DIE! DIE! MY DARLING! is a tense cat and mouse flick with some nice sharp turns. I loved every minute! Check out Donald Sutherland as the gardener! Highly recommended...

Camp classic comes to DVD
This is a film that is great fun if you like Tallulah Bankhead and camp. Bankhead didn't make very many films, especially in her later years, but she did this one basically for the money and because other distinguished actresses (Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, Olivia de Havilland, etc.) were making horror films.

In "Die, Die, My Darling", a Hammer production (originally titled "Fanatic" in England where it was filmed), Tallulah plays a religious zealot who cannot get over the death of her son. When her son's former fiancee (Stephanie Powers) arrives to pay her a visit, she becomes more and more enraged when she finds that Powers has participated in all kinds of ungodly things like falling in love again and heaven forbid, wearing make-up! She then traps Powers in her attic where she torments her. It's all quite over the top, offering a minimum of suspense, but it is, nevertheless, quite entertaining.

Bankhead filmed the movie just a few years before she died. She was plagued by a number of health problems at the time (most of them caused by too much drinking and smoking). She wears no make-up, her hair was dyed gray and put in a bun and there were many harsh, unflattering close-ups. Before the film was released, it was shown to Tallulah and a small audience of her friends. After her first scene, she stood up and told everyone, "Darlings, I must apologize for looking older than God's wet nurse."

"Die, Die, My Darling" is a hoot to watch. The role had to have been 180 degrees from Tallulah herself, but she pulls off the role flawlessly. She delivers Bible verses in her sonorous voice in a rapid-fire manner. Her double takes, as in response to Powers appearing in red dress and red lipstick, are hilarious. It was Tallulah's only appearance in a color film and she is practically unrecognizable except for her distinctive voice, which gives her away.

It is great to see this film restored to dvd. The picture has never been sharper - you can actually see a fly buzzing around Tallulah in one scene where she is lying on her bed! The film featured a muted color palette and they appear true and not saturated. The sound (Dolby Digital monaural) is decent for a film over 40 years old. The extras are a disappointment though and feature only three trailers ("Homicidal", "Strait Jacket" and "Mr. Sardonicus").

Remember: NO Lipstick!
I enjoyed the powerful performances turned in here by Miss Powers and Miss Bankhead. Bankhead appears to be having a ball as a bible-spewing nut case, who proceeds to torture the daylights out of her deceased son's ex-fiancee, after she comes for a friendly visit. The beautiful Stefanie Powers is perfect as the tormented prisoner of the wicked old battle-ax. A very good ending as well. A movie well worth your viewing time. Keep an eye out for Donald Sutherland as a dim-witted servant.

Holy Zealot!
Die! Die! My Darling! is a great movie. The basic story is that this chick (Stefanie Powers as Pat) goes to pay her belated condolences to the mother of a man she was once engaged to (mother being Tallulah Bankhead as Mrs. Trefoile), but who had died. The mother..., decides to hold Pat captive after learning about her plans to marry (or remarry, since Mrs. Trefoile considers Pat and her son to be married in the eyes of the lord). Sinner, repent! So, Mrs. Trefoile keeps Pat a prisoner, on a diet of scripture and not much else. Bankhead is great as a fundamentalist who is so fundamental she's in a religion all her own! If you want your supper in her house, you better get down on your knees, bow your head and sit through about 20 verses of scripture. And then, if you're lucky, you'll get a miniscule portion of some bland concoction. Remember, the Lord wants us to lead simple lives!

In light of her personal life, the fact that Tallulah Bankhead plays a religious fanatic is just so ripe with irony. Her performance, while not up there with the old hag horror movies of Crawford and Davis, is still pretty solid and surprisingly not as campy as I expected. Yeah, if you didn't know who Tallulah was, you might not detect the booze-drinking (even on the set of this film), ...lady that she was. Also of note is a young Donald Sutherland as a mentally handicapped servant at the Trefoile house. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

An eclectic, evocative and wholly outstanding collection
Composed by renowned South Indian recording artist L. Subramaniam, the "Salaam Bombay!" soundtrack features an invigorating blend of jazz and traditional Indian styles that serves to emotively embellish the movie's heart-wrenching tale. In fusing east with west in the plaintive and the frenetic, the work also manages to gloriously capture the spirit that defines the remarkable city that is Bombay. The album is not just distinguished though by its innovativeness or even its evocativeness, but also by the sheer brilliance of the musicianship on display. Track number 6 ["Chillum's Theme" - this song does not appear in its entirety in the motion picture], for instance, remains what is, in my opinion, one of the most incredible pieces of music to have graced my ears.

A FILM NOT SOON FORGOTTEN....
This is a superb film that gives the viewer a bird's eye view into the plight of India's urban street children. It is done through the experience of young Krishna, an illiterate, country bumpkin of a boy, who is abandoned by his mother at a circus and told not to come home until he has five hundred rupees for having broken something that belonged to his brother. While Krishna is on an errand, the circus packs up and leaves town, and he is left alone to fend for himself.

Krishna uses his last few rupees to travel to a city, which by luck of the draw turns out to be Bombay. Thrust into the life of the street children of Bombay, living among the pimps, hustlers, drug addicts, prostitutes, and throw away children that proliferate in India's urban settlements, a modern day jungle, Krishna struggles to survive. His resourcefulness holds him in good stead. He quickly develops some street smarts and forms attachments. He struggles to earn and save money, so that he can return home to his mother and the family whom he misses, only to be duped in the end by one whom he had trusted. His story breaks one's heart, as he learns some hard lessons in life.

This is a gritty look into the underbelly and plight of Bombay's poor street children, who call the gutters of its filthy urban streets home. It is filled with the sights and sounds of this urban nightmare. An Academy Award nominee for Best Foreign Language Film, this highly acclaimed film allows the viewer a peek at another culture, only to find that basic human needs and desires are universal.

Magnificent film!
This is fantastic! Great music, Great story, Awesome photography! I promise you will love this film.

India's Urban Experience
Salaam Bombay is an excellent portrayal of a slice-of-life in India's urban settlements. After I witnessed New Delhi's urban environment a year ago, Salaam Bombay serves as an ideal example of the lack of human basic needs in India. This film is full of common themes in India's less developed cities: migration, poverty, and employment, ECT... This film is great! No other film captures India's true urban situation.

Depth...
One well fusioned album with a lot of depth! Mira Niar did know L. Subramaniam would give a strong backbone to her movie - no doubt about that! Like the album "Conversations", have not words to express the brilliance of this one. But the fact I give it 4 stars and not 5 is cause there is no flow to the album. You have other pieces which is not L.Subramaniam, kinda coming in the way of the album. But hey! this guy does know what he comes up with! He sure is not given the due credit. He reminds me of another Mozart - quiet, shy but his Music is power - and we don't really know it - until the maker is gone. Way too much...? Over the top, huh? Let his Music speak... ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Braddock goes back to Vietnam one last time.
The final Missing in Action adventure is really just a remake of the first film, with a family oriented twist. When Colonel James Braddock (Chuck Norris) discovers that the girlfriend he believed dead is not only still alive, but that he had fathered a son as well, it takes him all of a millinanosecond to start preparing yet another single handed sneak attack on the PRV to get them out of there. Chuck's longtime stunt co-ordinator brother Aaron made his directing debut with this formula movie and he didn't do that bad of a job. Norris fans will find this hard to dislike.

Some of the best Chuck 'Hand to Hand' combat
Amongst all the generally ropey films that Chuck made with Cannon, this is one of the best.

Blistering action, excellent hand to hand combat scenes and pacey throughout, this film is not only essential for a Chuck fans but also for those who enjoy a no-holds-barred beat-em up with plenty of pyrotechnics for good measure.

What happen to Braddock after he had been caught by Vietcong
When Braddock and his family are half way through the jungle, they were being caught by the Vietcong. What happen to Braddock and his family, and did braddock ever got torture by the electricity?

What happen to Braddock after he got caught by the Vietnames
When Braddock and his family are half way in the jungle, they were being caught by the Vietnamese officer name Quoc. What happen to him and his family after that? And did he got torture later on by the electricity

For Die-Hard Chuck Norris fans ONLY!
This movie is definetly for the Die-Hard Norris fan. Full of action and adventure this movie is definetly a must see by fans every where especially if you've seen Missing in Actions I and II. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

DRAGONWOLRD
DRAGONWORLD is about a young boy (Jon) who goes to Scotland after the death of his parents. Jon has a hard time adjusting to life in Scotland as he and his granda live in an area where there are not many children his own age. Following a myth he had been told, he goes to a magical site and wishes for a friend. The Scottish fairies grant his wish by giving him a young dragon as a friend, whom he decides to name Yowler.
Time passes and the two grow up together. Ten years later, Jon's granda has passed away, and he is faced with the fact that he is not going to be able to keep his family's castle/manor. A developer and his daughter come to buy the land, when they see Yowler. The developer offers to pay Jon to show Yowler at a type of amusement park. Since he is desperate for money, Jon agrees so long as Yowler is treated well. However, Yowler is not treated well, so Jon and the developer's daughter, who have paired up romantically, set out to save him. Once back in Scotland, with the amusement park people on their tail, Jon tells Yowler to go away. With no dragon, the amusement park people are forced to leave, but Yowler is also gone, under the impression that Jon no longer loves him. Yet in the in end, after their first child is born, Yowler returns. So it ends happy.

A Highlander speaks out.
Dragonworld is more than a cute little movie. The background shots made me want to return home to Glencoe. I have purchased the movie and shared it with my friends. Of course I am just
learning people are very intrested in the ways of the Scots.
Dragonworld is a great way to start. At the end of the movie I
watched the extra footage and they were talking of a second one.
I do hope it comes about and [that thsy] will let me know so I can
get my order in first.

This is a great movie!!!
I saw Dragonworld when I was little. I still love it even though I have not seen it in years. It's about an american boy who's parents die so he has to move to scotland with his widowed grandfather. He is very lonely so he wishes for a friend and then he meets a dragon whom he names Yowler. They become best friends. Then they grow up and a developer and his daugher come to scotland. The boy, John, falls in love with the daughter and consents to send Yowler to a "better place," a park called Dragonworld. But Yowler is mistreated so John and the girl, beth set out to save Yowler. THis movie is great! I would recommend it for all ages.

dragonworld
a wonderful movie....sorry that I can't get a copy as it is not being available right now....

Excellent Family Movie
I thought the cinematography of the the beautiful English countrysides were visually stunning. The cherub faced, talented young actor Courtland Mead was spellbinding to my children and my husband and I alike. The baby dragons relationship with the young Mead is heartwarming. This movie is touching, funny, heartwarming, and the latter part of the movie is filled with light suspense, adventure, and good action scenes. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Memories of Midnight
This movie was terribly dissapointing. The Other Side of Midnight is one of my all time favorites and I could not wait to see this movie. The characters and story line are weak and unsophisticated compared to OSOM. I loved Jane's business attire, she dressed to the T in this movie and the scenery in Greece and Venice were lovely and that's about it. I would not watch this mini series again. Jane Seymore was wonderful in "Somewhere in Time".

Interesting Sheldon Thriller, But Too Long
Jane Seymour and Omar Sharif make this sequel to "The Other Side of Midnight" come alive, but they can only hold it together for a limited time. Seymour plays the amnesiac victim and Sharif is the badguy. When the are together this crackels, but unfortunately that isn't often. This film would have been much better with some judicious editing.

P.S. There is a very sexy scene at the end that unfortunately is covered by the end credits. Didn't the producers feel that they could have spared an extra five minutes for something interesting?

Terrific! Reunion of Sharif and Seymour like H is to O H2O
Jane Seymour is at it again as an innocent victim. She plays a great role alond with Omar Sharif who puts the icing on the cake. I suggest this mini-series to anyone and is definitely worth the price! It kept me in suspense 99.9% of the time. Sheldon is a true master! Also suggested with Seymour: Somewhere in Time, Matters of the Heart, Dr. Quinn, Onassis, and Live and Let Die. With Sharif: Dr. Zhivago, Oh, Heavenly Dog! (he plays the same type of villain only not as powerful but still high in the ranks). ... Read more

Amazon.com

Astronomer and all-around scientific hero Jeff Morrow (he of the stone face, Cro-Magnon brow, and heavy voice of dire intonation) discovers a new celestial body that suddenly changes course and slams into the Pacific Ocean off the Mexican coast. Meanwhile a mysterious white light takes over the body of lab director John Emery, who becomes the eyes and ears of the UFO when it emerges days later as a skyscraper-sized robot. Morrow and his crew--including his beauty-with-brains girlfriend, Barbara Lawrence; wisecracking sidekick, George O'Hanlan; and computer, SUSIE, which whirs and blinks but offers little real help--leap to the rescue, but not before the Mexican air force takes on the giant in a scene reminiscent of King Kong. Director Kurt Neumann, best known for the original The Fly, gives this low-budget s