Amazon.com

Boasting some of the most impressive swordplay in the history of samuraiepics, Sword of Doom is a visceral masterpiece of violent style andpowerful substance. Illustrating the timeless adage that "an evil soul wields anevil sword," this highly stylized classic is driven by the fierce and fearsomeperformance of Tatsuya Nakadai as Ryunosuke, a sociopathic samurai whosesoul--and sword--are vicious instruments of evil. Having mastered a highlyunconventional style of fencing, Ryunosuke welcomes an exhibition match at afencing school run by master swordsman Shimada (Toshirô Mifune, in a small butpivotal role), where he kills his opponent after promising not to. Flagrantlyviolating all codes of honor, Ryunosuke eventually finds himself challenged fromall sides; even his own henchmen rally against him, and director Kihachi Okamotostages confrontations that are as beautiful as they are graphically violent. AsRyunosuke descends into pure, bloodthirsty insanity, Sword of Doom endswith a freeze-frame that's unforgettably intense. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (31)

Excellent Film and Action!
SWORD OF DOOM is one of the masterpieces of samurai, and action, cinema but certain aspects of it are difficult for non-Japanese audiences or viewers not familiar with the historical background of the subject.

Toshiro Mifune, who gives a fine performance as fencing master Toranosuke Shimada, once said in an interview, "We [the Japanese producers and filmmakers] know that many samurai films are shown outside of Japan, but we make no attempt to cater to that market." SWORD OF DOOM is a perfect example. It was made for Japanese audiences who are familiar with the original story which had been filmed and staged many times and was well-known. The Japanese audience is expected to be as familiar with the plot and historical details as an American audience watching a film about the Civil War or the Old West is expected to be.

Here are some plot points that may make the film a bit easier to understand for new viewers or for other viewers who previously watched it and got tripped up on some details. I know I did the first time I saw it theatrically. If you found the film difficult on the first viewing, give it another chance. And maybe these notes will help!

* In one scene, the main character Ryunosuke Tsukue changes his name to Yoshida after killing an opponent during a duel. The name change isn't explained in any detail. A subtitle simply identifies a sign outside his house as "Yoshida." Some characters now refer to him as Yoshida and others as Tsukue. Again, remember that Japanese audiences are probably familiar with the change.

* Tsukue first meets Shimada at his fencing school. Tsukue wants to challenge the student who won his match with "a splendid Do attack." This referrers to Kendo, the Japanese martial art of fencing. In Kendo, participants wear headgear and leather armor and fence with bamboo swords. Only certain areas on the body are legitimate striking points: the top of the head, the forearms, and the sides. When Tsukue defeats his opponent, Shimada says, "Men. He won." He's referring to a point scored, not addressing his students!

* In one scene, a title informs the viewer, "The Shinsen Group is formed!" The Shinsen Group (Shinsengumi) were a para-military group of swordsmen who vowed to protect the Tokugawa Shogunate which was losing its once vast power. Shinsengumi fought against anything that might weaken the Shogunate; including foreign influences and internal factions. The Shinsengumi have been portrayed many times in movies and TV shows. In some cases, they are portrayed as self-sacrificing patriots loyal to their country. In others, they are portrayed as a fascist military group killing anyone who opposes them or the Shogunate. Toshiro Mifune starred in and produced an excellent film about them called BAND OF ASSASSINS (SHINSENGUMI). Hopefully, AnimEigo will eventually release this.

* The final scene. What exactly happens? Does Tsukue kill dozens of men and then die? Does he survive to face the brother of the man he killed? Or is the entire battle only in his deranged mind? It's the last scenario. When Tsukue ran out of men to kill, his warped mind invented more. Of the three versions I've seen, (this version, a trilogy of films made in the 1950s by Tomu Uchida and another trilogy made in the 1960s by Kenji Misumi) this is the only version that doesn't explicitly show that Tsukue is imagining the final battle.

* What does happen to Tsukue? If you'd rather not find out, skip to the next paragraph. Tsukue is blinded during an explosion and becomes more of a sympatric figure. The avenging brother finally has a chance to settle with him during a violent storm. He hesitates to kill the nearly defenseless Tsukue. A flood washes Tsukue away to his death.

SWORD OF DOOM is a fantastic film to watch. The director, Kihachi Okamoto, was one of the most impressive visual stylists working in film. The final scene holds up beautifully today. The acting is excellent all around. Nakadai as Tsukue gives one of the screens best performances. Few actors could create such disturbingly nihilistic characters as Nakadai does in this performance. The character is a perfect contrast to Mifune's Shimada. Both are highly skilled swordsmen but Mifune knows that "an evil soul is an evil sword."

Now this is what a film should be...
This is perhaps the greatest non-Kurosawa (Director of: Seven Samurai, Yojimbo, etc..) Samurai film ever! (a) It has some of the greatest looking swordplay I've ever seen. (b) The protagonist is a bad guy (read: anti-hero) who looks and acts pure evil. (c) Toshiro Mifune is in it (though his part is short, he still takes out about 20+ guys in less than ten minutes). (d) Finally, it has what I would call the greatest samurai movie ending ever (what can I say, I like not knowing what exactly befalls the villain)! If just one of these does not make you want to buy this film, you're insane! My only complaint is that there is no DVD version!

Great movie, but abrupt ending!
I really enjoyed the heavy atmosphere and fight scenes in this movie, but was disappointed with the abrupt ending. I would have also liked to see more character development, particularly concerning Ryunosuke. It would have been interesting to see what the cause of his "evil" tendencies was. Overall, it was a very interesting, enjoyable movie and exposes the audience to other Japanese samurai films not directed by Kurosawa.

2 good fights, no story
First of all, I have to say that it was a very strange film. It was so poorly edited that transitions between scenes taking place in different times and places were unclear. You are watching one scene and then suddenly it's a year later, suddenly it's winter or suddenly you are with some group of people who just showed up in the film out of the blue. The film had a very strange pace -- slow moving scenes cut together like some sort of montage, some sort of loose collection of subplots that never meet.

I wouldn't have been so disappointed with the way the movie played if it wasn't for the compelling performances in it. The screen presence of Tatsuya Nakadai (Kagemushu, Ran) made it hard to look away. Though he was reserved there was an underlying madness that screamed out at every moment. His slow gait brought a horror element to every scene. It was a splendid performance wasted on a choppy film with no real story to tell other than, "This guy is evil."

[warning: spoilers]

I mentioned that the subplots never meet, that isn't entirely true but it seems so, especially at the end. There is no revenge, there is no answer - you are just left with a man gone mad. It's like they ran out of film. The final fight is brilliantly laid out, the villain lashes out like a drunk surgeon and it is a bloodbath. Then suddenly, the movie ends right in the middle of all this chaos. The character is forever trapped in a burning nest of vipers. He will forever be tormented there in my mind. Interesting but not satisfying.

The best moment in the film is the sword fight between Toshiro Mifune's character and forty assassins. Toshiro Mifune (The Seven Samurai, Yojimbo, Sanjuro, Rashomon) plays the head of a martial arts school who is training the brother of a man that the main character killed. When attacked by assassins, Toshiro slices them to pieces Yojimbo style and berates their leader. Then, he walks away unharmed.

There is never a duel between the main character and the brother of the man he killed. There is never a duel between him and Toshiro Mifune. The girl at the end isn't rescued. It isn't clear if the villain dies or not. We don't know what happened to his baby. Virtually all the subplots are left wide open. The film seems unfinished. It's crazy. I don't care what kind of statement we are supposed to get from that, there is no excuse. It's lazy. I didn't like it. I liked the two major swordfights. The rest of the movie looked cool but had nothing to offer. Watch Sanjuro again and don't bother with this film unless you really want to see the two sword fights. Toshiro's fight with the assassins was quite spellbinding.

film noir meets chambara
this film is a classic. the entire aesthetic of the film reminds me of the classic brooding dark film noirs of the forties and fifties. the antagonist of the film is doomed from the start, his evil ways eventually end up being his undoing, but not before tallying up a huge body count. sword of doom is definately a must see for samurai and film noir fans alike. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Two Good Episodes
The Deadly Toys Affair shouldn't be missed if for no other reason than to see Angela Lansbury's over the top performance as Elsie, and Illya turned hairdresser for Diane McBain's character. It's clear that Elsie is patterned on Auntie Mame, which Lansbury later played on Broadway, with Jay North as her nephew who Thrush wants to send to their 'special school'. Napoleon gets to play a joke and novelty toy salesman, and Illya is the hairdresser that most women would love to have. When he kisses Diane McBain to shut her up while they're being chased by the Thrush sentries, it makes the whole episode worthwhile.

The Minus X Affair was later in the series, but compared to some of the other offerings from season 3, it's pretty good. Eve Arden made a great scientist who was working for Thrush, she could always do a good villian. It's fun to watch Napoleon pretend to be five years old (actually, he didn't do half bad), but the plot continuity left a lot to be desired. Why is it that when the Thrush agent shoots Illya with a sleep dart it takes him a full two minutes to realize he's just been drugged? Still, if you're willing to suspend logic, it's an entertaining episode.

My Favorite Second Season Episodes!
"The Deadly Toys Affair" and "The Minus X Affair" is my favorite second season episodes besides "The Foxes and Hounds Affair", "The Discotheque Affair", and "The Dippy Blonde Affair".

Episode 38 "The Deadly Toys Affair": THRUSH plans to use Bartlett Warshowsky (Jay North), a boy genius, for its own purposes. When Elfie Von Donck (Angela Lansbury), an eccentric movie star, assumes the boy's custody, THRUSH agent Noubar Talemakian (Arnold Moss) convinces her that Bartlett will do better to go to a non-American school, though he purposely forgets to tell her that the school he will be enrolled in is controlled by THRUSH. UNCLE sends Napoleon Solo (Robert Vaughn) posing as a toy salesman, and Illya Kuryakin (David McCallum), posing as a hairdresser to Joanna Lydecker (Diane McBain), to help Bartlett escape out of THRUSH's grasp. * This is a very fun and exciting episode with plenty of both Vaughn and McCallum. Angela Lansbury is perfect for the part of the movie star with her very strong foreign accent. Diane McBain is also wonderful as Illya's employer who has a crush on him. My favorite part is where Illya makes Joanna shut up by kissing her and where they escape out of the cooling storage.

Episode 58 "The Minus X Affair": When Professor Lillian Stemmler (Eve Arden) invents a drug called Plus X, which enhances all of the human senses, Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin are assigned to protect her. What they don't know is that she is actually working for THRUSH and though and first willingly, is now having second thoughts. To ensure her cooperation in having the drug infiltrate a U.S. govenment plutonium plant, THRUSH agent Rollo (Theodore Marcus) kidnaps her daughter, Leslie (Sharon Farrell). Solo and Kuryakin try to stop THRUSH from going into the plutonium plant when they realize that not only is there a Plus X drug, there's also a drug called Minus X, which dulls all of the human senses. * An episode which has lots of action and a pretty good twist in the plot. This episode has also great special guest stars such as Eve Arden and Sharon Farrell. My favorite part is Illya infiltrates the plutonium plant but still gets caught by the THRUSH agent.

The Men from U.N.C.L.E. deal with some "minor" problems
The Men from U.N.C.L.E. have to deal with the small fry in the two episodes on Volume 3. "The Deadly Toys Affair" (Episode #37, November 12, 1965), gets off to a fun start as a defecting Thrush scientist warns Mr. Waverly of a project by the bad guys to use poison gas. However, the scientist runs off to Switzerland to rescue his son (Jay North!) from a boarding school run for Thrush by Angela Lansbury. Solo and Kuryakin show up to try and save both the boy and his father from Thrush. Written by Robert Hill, "The Deadly Toys Affair" was directed by John Brahms. "The Minus-X Affair" (Episode #58, April 8, 1966), has guest star Eve Arden as Thrush scientist Lillian Stemmler, who has the "Plus-X" serum which heightens the senses and increases the intelligence. Stemmler also has created "Minus-X," which makes people revert to the level of children. Wackiness ensues as you might imagine. An excellent story from writer Peter Allan Fields with a less than happy ending, this episode was directed by Barry Shear. A couple of above average episodes from the Sixties spy spoof series.

Quality is not there!
"Deadly Toys" is a perfect example of the pitiful quality this show began reflecting in its second season. "Minus X" is nothing less than camp. The show should've been canned the second year. Save your cash on this one unless you're a bit crazy.

Napoleon and Illya are GREAT!
I loved the Deadly Toys and Minus X Affair! Illya and Napoleon are great and I love Angela Lansbury as the actress, Elfie Von Donck. I love the first part in the Deadly Toys affair where Illya and Napoleon have to blow up the plant. I also like it when Joanna follows Illya to the school. My favorite parts in the Minus X Affair is where Illya infiltrates the plutonium plant and where Napoleon pretends to be drugged with the Minus X! ... Read more

Description

You're in for a devil of a time when three outlandishly wild witches -- Bette Midler (BEACHES, BIG BUSINESS), Sarah Jessica Parker (HONEYMOON IN VEGAS), and Kathy Najimy (SISTER ACT) -- return from 17th-century Salem after they're accidentally conjured up by some unsuspecting pranksters! It's a night full of zany fun and comic chaos once the tricky 300-year-old trio sets out to cast a spell on the town and reclaim their youth -- but first they must get their act together and outwit three kids and a talking cat! Loaded with bewitching laughs, HOCUS POCUS is an outrageously wild comedy that's sure to entertain everyone! ... Read more

Reviews (105)

A Fun Halloween or Anytime Movie, One of the Best.
Three aged witch sisters (Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy) are brought back to life after three hundred years when a teen virgin taking his little sister (Thora Birch) trick-or-treating scoffs at a local legend and lights a black flame while trying to impress a girl.

It is light-hearted and fun but a little scary for a Disney flick as the witch sisters must find children and suck the life from them to regain their own youth.

Good vehicle for Midler and Parker as the bumbling witches wisecrack their way through an action-filled Halloween night. Ten-year-old Thora Birch (American Beauty, Ghost World) is typically witty and very cute.

Some themes are a bit racy for a Disney feature and very young children might find some scenes a bit scary, but these are what help make this movie entertaining for the whole family. It's Halloween fun.

Any witch way you slice it...Hocus Pocus is fun!
I never understood the negative reviews for Hocus Pocus. We went to the theatre anyway and thoroughly enjoyed this movie. Bette Midler is hammy, yes, but it's Bette! She's playing a beaver-toothed, child chasing 17th century witch in a Disney flick. What else is there but hammy?! Kathy Nijimy, with her Dairy Queen hair and lopsided grin, is a hoot. And Sarah Jessica Parker, the curvaceous, third sister, does Sex In the City...Salem-style! (stictly PG of course!) Thora Birch has yet to reach her brooding, raven-haired American Beauty stage, so she's still adorable! And to top it off, there is Zachary Binx, the talking black cat...an obvious inspiration for Sabrina, the Teenage Witch's Salem! My seven-year-old daughter loves this movie! I finally purchased the video today (we had been holding out for a DVD release) to save myself the video rental fees! If you're not a "serious student of film" and can sit and watch and just enjoy a fun movie...rent Hocus Pocus for a test drive...and then buy it!

Glorious For Anyone Who Loves Halloween
If you grew up where I grew up, Halloween was THE biggest event of the year - and all these (45) years later, I still love the sights, smells and spirit of that most magical night.

In Hocus Pocus, you might not find true horror, blood and guts, body parts and roaming zombies (um, wait...), but you do feel the gorgeous allure of the season through the crunchy-leafed scenery, the equisite set design, costuming, innocence of youth and the somewhat corny (if not over-acted) witchy zeal of the wonderful Sanderson sisters. Okay, the plot wouldn't win a Pulitzer Prize, but for sheer fun and enjoyment, let Hocus Pocus transport you to a time and place where witches ruled and moms still impersonated Madonna in cone cupped bustiers. PS: Did I mention I have my own black cat named Zachary Binx?

Disney wrost movie.
This movie shoud be on MST3000.

"This are my three ugly sisters."

"She flying a what?"

"You she her this moring."

It's time to run a-muck!
I, personally, find this movie to be hilarious. The acresses are great and very funny. The whole cast is great. The story is very funny as well. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

80's movie
Not a bad movie - not a good movie either--

BIG SPOILERS- the whole movie is detailed here,so if you dont
want to know what happens if you have not seen it- don't read!!!

Many people have seen this and have thought of it as retarded-
so it may not be a big problem

About 2 girl and 2 guy teens that hang out together at at Canadian Amusement Park getting to know each other-- and indeed fall in love

But 3 incompetant jewel theives are after a diamond
they hid in a stuffed animal prize at one of the Midway games---

The 3 dumb theives run into these teens at night-
1 of the 2 teen girls has the jewel in her stuffed animal
that the theives are looking for--

The theives chase these teens around the park to get their diamond back as the teens try to outrun them--

Eventually the 3 foolish theives get caught-

And one of the teens who was indirectly involved

by placing his fingers on the case the jewel was in

is let off the hook-- naturally the cops think he was the theif

cause his fingerprints were on the case the diamond was in-

but he was looking at it- and had no intent to steal it--

but the 3 idiots are the ones who really have it--

and so this movie is a retarded romp through an

amusement park---

Beware-- I watched this when i was 8, or 9 with my brother

with the babysitter when my folks were not home because indeed

there are a few shots of FEMALE ANATOMY that may be

objectional!!! ... Read more

Amazon.com

It's time to face one of the great questions of the television age: Is"The Trouble with Tribbles" really as good as everyone thinks it is? You bet.While the story might be a little slower than many of us remember, the episodeis deservedly beloved for writer David Gerrold's witty, mildly acerbic script,and the way the cast took to heightened comic possibilities against networkresistance. (Heavens! Comedy on a science fiction show?) Stanley Adams isdelightful as the huckster Cyrano Jones, who gives a trilling furball called atribble to Uhura (Nichelle Nichols), who brings it aboard the Enterpriseand watches it reproduce... and reproduce... and reproduce. Soon, hundreds oftribbles are in every part of the ship, making Captain Kirk (William Shatner),already grouchy about guarding a mere grain shipment from Klingons, evengrouchier. There's no question that Gerrold made a major contribution toTrek culture with this show, setting a tone that Star Trek hasvisited again and again, including the feature film Star Trek IV: The VoyageHome and sundry episodes of The Next Generation, Deep SpaceNine, and Voyager. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (14)

The episode where Star Trek becomes a situation comedy!
"The Trouble With Tribbles" might not be the best Star Trek episode, but it is certainly the funniest. The Enterprise rushes to Deep Space Station K-7 only to find a pretentious bureaucrat named Nilz Baris who wants Kirk to protect tons of quadrotriticale, a hybrid grain that will be used to colonize Sherman's planet. Kirk is ticked off that Baris misused the Priority 1 Distress Call and only allots two guards to watch the "wheat". Meanwhile the rest of the ship gets shore leave and Uhura meets Cyrano Jones, a trader of curious items, including the amazing Tribble, the creature that is apparently born pregnant (one of Bones' best all-time diagnoses). While the little beasties threaten to overwhelm the ship, Kirk has to deal with some unhappy Klingons, reprimand Scotty for defending the ship's honor in a bar room brawl with the Klingons, and try to protect all that wheat, er, quadrotriticale. Watching a clearly peeved Kirk deal with all these headaches is a hoot, as is the classic moment when he has to endure a shower of Tribbles. Plus there is the sight of Spock petting a Tribble and Scotty ending the episode with the all-time greatest pun in Star Trek history. They must have had a total blast doing this one.

David Gerrold, who wrote this episode, also wrote one of the more interesting Star Trek non-fiction books detailing how he came to write the episode and how his script came to be filmed. An excellent behind-the-scenes book for aspiring Star Trek writers. If you love this episode, then you owe it to yourself to also check out not only Gerrold's book but the Deep Space 9 episode "Trials and Tribbulations," where Sisko, Worf, O'Brien and Bashir go back in time and re-live the original Star Trek episode to preserve the time-line. That episode is worth it just for the double-take everybody does when they see how different Worf looks like from the "original" Klingons. That episode was definitely my type of homage. Oh, and the "sequel" on "Star Trek: The Animated Series" was that the best episode of that short-lived cartoon series as well.

"No Tribble at All"
Even people who barely know what Star Trek is have seen or heard of this episode. "Tribble" has become a household word. This episode is hilariously funny, expecially if you know the characters. It is generally regarded as the funniest episode in the series. Although it is not my favorite, I love this episode, and highly recommend it. The Enterprise answers a distress call and travels to a space station, where the crew dicovers that there is no emergency. The space station has just recieved a shipment of a new, highly dvanced grain, and the powers-that-be want it guarded. Kirk is, needless to say, very annoyed. Add to that a Klingon ship requesting "shore-leave rights," and a trader selling cute little balls of fluff called Tribbles. Humans instictively like them, but Klingons do not. Once one Tribble is brought on board the Enterprise, it begins mulitplying so rapidly that it becomes a source of concern to Kirk and Spock. There is no better combination for a funny episode.

The Funniest episode of TOS.
William Shatner and the rest of the Star Trek cast get to laugh and have a good time in this light-hearted adventure when the Enterprise is assigned the task of protecting a space station full of grain for delivery to a developing planet under dispute between the Federation and the Klingon Empire, and they encounter a trader (Stanley Adams) who sells some of the crew a small animal called a "Tribble" which then reproduces into hundreds of "hungry little Tribbles" who hate Klingons, like both humans and Vulcans, and proceed to eat the grain. Which then exposes a Klingon plot to destroy the grain shipment. Lots of laughs abound in this episode including Jim being buried alive by a hundreds of tribbles that fall out of a hatch. Was followed by a sequal in the Star Trek animated series called "More Tribbles, More Troubles."Written by David Gerrold. Directed by Joseph Pevney. Music Composed and Conducted by Jerry Fielding.

Stanley Adams (Cerano) wrote an episode as well
The episode with those furry little creatures was the apex of humor on Star Trek. By this point in the show's run, characters were well enough developed for the actors and brain trust to feel comfortable stepping out a bit. And they certainly step out in this one. Thanks to writer Gerrold, the episode actually has a fairly solid dramatic foundation that includes Klingon intrigue, and threats to both the food supply and the Enterprise itself. One could be forgiven for not realizing this though, since the tribbles
completely steal the show. Actually the enterprise crew (and Adams as Cerano)for the most part prove quite adept in the comedic roles, and the officious Schallert is a perfect straight man under the circumstances. A Starfleet official is even correct in his desire to reign in Kirk, for once!

Tidbits: The fight scene was supposedly pinched en masse from a prior film. Recognize the Klingon? He was Trelane from The Squire of Gothos, played by William Campbell.

One Of The Finest Hours Of The Original Series
"The Trouble With Tribbles" is my personal favorite among the nearly 80 hours of the original "Star Trek" series. It is unquestionably the funniest, with David Gerrold's deft, wittty prose creating hilarious scenes and dialogue as precious as any I've seen on Jackie Gleason's "The Honeymooners". James Doohan's Scotty steals many of the scenes he's in, though highest honors for hilarity deservedly go to Stanley Adams as the trader Cyrano Jones responsible for the tribble infestation on the Federation space station. The fight between the Klingons and the Enterprise crew is certainly among the finest examples of "Star Trek" humor I've seen. Fans of slapstick comedy will not want to miss this terrific "Star Trek" episode.

This was David Gerrold's first professional sale as a writer and remains one of his finest episodes of science fiction television (However, his best probably is the Babylon 5 episode "Believers".). ... Read more

Reviews (22)

A quiet film, and hauntingly lovely
Dancing at Lughnasa, a movie adapted from an autobiography, delves into the lives of five women, unmarried sisters living in rural Ireland in the 30s. The youngest sister has given birth to an illegitimate son, and at the beginning of the movie Michael, the little boy, is 8 year old. There's a pagan ritual that the village observes every August, a night when they dance around a fire in honor of the god Lugh, the ancient god of light. But wait? Aren't these villagers good Catholics? It's Ireland, after all. The answer is yes...at least, sort of.
Tensions increase with the arrival of 2 men. One is the only brother in this family, an elderly priest returning from missionary work in Africa, where he apparently slowly lost his mind. The other is Gerry (Rhys Ifans), Michael's long-absent father who's still not about to commit to much of anything. Meryl Streep plays the eldest sister, often a shrew, but always riveting.
It's a good one, augmented with gorgeous music and stunning cinematography of the incomparable Irish countryside.

One Irish summer
A man fondly recalls the summer of 1936, when he was eight years old in this Irish slice-of-life drama. Young Michael lives with his unmarried mother and her four spinster sisters, including Kate (Meryl Streep). The women make a meager living by knitting gloves, until a knitting factory opens nearby. Into their quiet and ordered lives comes their older brother, a priest who spent his life in Africa and has suffered a kind of breakdown, and Michael's long-unseen father, an adventurer who's on his way to fight against Franco.

This is a very quiet and slow-paced film. It succeeds in capturing the lifestyle, character, and beauty of the Irish countryside, when all that mattered was your family and church. There is very little action - a motor cycle ride, listening to the radio, and on one special night, dancing in the yard - but that makes the film even more poignant. Based on an autobiographical play, Dancing at Lughnasa is a raw, no-frills look back in time, with an art-house-film feel. Fans of Meryl Streep will enjoy her fine performance as the strict and melancholy eldest sister. Michael Gambon gives a sympathetic performance as the confused priest who has come home to die.

Stellar cast and director can't save this turkey!
God, what a disappointment! I am a huge fan of both Meryl Streep and Michael Gambon, and I know Brian Friel has written some wonderful plays and screenplays -- so I couldn't believe what a dismal bore this turned out to be. As other reviewers have said, practically NOTHING happens, except that these five lonely, pathetic, spinster sisters sit around and bicker at each other. Streep's character is a priggish, joyless nag who makes her sisters even more depressed than they already have reason to be. At times the film seems to be building up to some climactic event (somebody will die or get knocked up), but then... nothing. And the sisters' big, exuberant dance scene near the end seemed totally fake and tacked-on to me -- I suspect they included that just so they could put it in the movie's trailer!

Not What I Expected
The only reason it even gets two stars is that Meryl Streep is in it!

When I saw this movie, I had just found Wicca. I pretty much said to anyone I met, "Hi, my name's Barb, nice to meet you. I'm a Witch." I was still in that first falling-in-love phase. As a matter of fact, I still thought that Wicca was "The Old Religion!"

Someone reccomended this movie to me as a movie that portrayed Pagans in a positive light and it had Meryl Streep in it! I fully expected a story about a Lughhnasa Rite. NOT!

This movie is actually quite boring and is the only movie with Meryl Streep in it that I've seen that I haven't liked! It's basically a story about three sisters that live in Ireland in the(I think)1950's.

There is only one brief part about Pagans in it, and they are definietely NOT PORTRAYED IN A POSITIVE LIGHT! There is a brief scene of drunken revelry where a group of people who identify themselves as Pagans appear to be engaging in orgiastic behavior.

Not only that, there is an intimation that they might possibly force the young woman who was brought to this not even knowing what it was, to join them!...

THEATER AND MOVIES
The old saying that says that a play can not become a satisfying movie is again the situation here.Although all the actors do play their roles convincigly,it's basically a play that can't be openned up.There is a feeling of mental distorsion throughout;two characters are affected by it.This convey a melancholic mood to the story.As it is ,i still enjoy the movie because of CATHERINE MCCORMACK and her fabulous ironic smile.I like the scene when she says to her son:come i'll put you to bed,perhaps because i envy the kid. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

An Experience in Boredom
A total fiasco! This movie doesn't even come near as " so bad is good " since is a total bore! The original SUPERFLY is an urban classic with a wonderful Curtis Mayfield score. This one the music by OSIBISA is good but not enough to compensate Mr. Ron O'Neal's lousy direction and Alex Hailey boring script. Sure, Mr.Hailey did a better job with ROOTS, but this story was dumb,uninteresting & forgettable. Beware, you have been warned!

bad sequel
this movie is probably the worst sequel that I have ever seen! please do yourself a favor, and stick to the original superfly. this film would have still been horrible, even if curtis mayfield had returned to do the score. pass on this one. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

classic outer limits
one of my all time favorite episodes of the outer limits, the plot? what a great idea, take all your misfits of society, your criminals,rapists,murderers,child molesters, etc and Banish them to another planet, let them deal with the problem. one problem. what alien race would tolerate another's misfits? great episode, great animation with the alien bugs. nasty critters.great performances by Bruce Dern, and others in this classic. a must see.

This is the one with the alien bugs!
When asked if he remembers "The Outer Limits", invariably, a person can recall this episode. It's the one where a man on the run (Bruce Dern) and his crazy girlfriend inadvertantly drive into an area of the desert (filmed at Vasquez Rocks in Ca.) where a group of government officials await the arrival of outer-space visitors. The aliens turn out to be scary little bugs about eight inches in length with equally scary faces. Theyare criminals exiled to earth because they come from a planet that has outlawed capitalpunishment. A must for "Outer Limits" collectors. This one would be a great one to re-make on the new series.

HILARIOUS
me and my friend checked this out from the library, and were rolling on the floor laughing! it seems that they ran out of money to continue making the claymation ants. at the end, they just sit there while the people blow them up. The funniest part is when the ant suddenly jumps out of the ship and you can tell its super-glued to the door. I would pay 50 bucks for it! buy it right now!

"What we have here is a failure to communicate!"
The inhabitants of the planet Zanti have a foolproof means of dealing with their hardened criminals: just ship them to another planet and let that planet deal with him. Of course, the planet in question is Earth and you know how WE deal with the natives.

"The Zanti Misfits" is one of the most intense of the series' two-year run. An inspired touch is the Zanti convicts: ants with human faces. While the episode reuses the same models (due to a tight budget, no doubt), it still holds the tension from the first sight of the inhabitants of the prison ship until the last all-out battle with the U.S. military.

Michael Tolan, Robert Sampson, Olive Deering, and a young Bruce Dern bring realism to their respective roles of the human characters involved in the Zanti government's machinations.

Nothing like "The Outer Limits" has been seen on television since. One can be grateful that "the video revolution" enables a new audience to discover this landmark program.

Invade their privacy at your own risk....
The Zantis love their privacy, and after Bruce "You smell bad when you lie" Dern invades it, he ant in very good shape. For sure, any episode that remains a classic even after lines like "'He's a psychopath, and he's not beautiful'" (the crazy lady quoting her husband) is some amazing episode. Much more than an inside-out version of "Them!" this is a perpetual-motion, real-time classic that skitters along in a nice, ant-sy fashion. Much of its power stems from the drama of Earthlings desperately trying to avert a confrontation with a superior power, all the while wondering if it might be better (and more honorable) to lock antennae with the enemy. Here, we see humans stepped on by ants--at least until the closing ant-ihilation. Have you ever wondered how the Zantis are able to TALK via radio to the Earthlings, yet all they can do in person is buzz? They have human faces with mouths, but on-camera they don't talk, though they sure behave ant-agonistically. I'll be Derned if I can understand it. Director Leonard Horn subsequently joined the colony of directors on "Mission: Impossible." ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Mob Hit!
If you loved GOODFELLAS and THE SOPRANOS, this should be on your Christmas list. Vincent Pastore (Big Pussy), Michael Imperioli (Christopher Moltasanti) and Kathrine Narducci (Charmine Bucco) all appear in this film along with Nicholas Turturro, the first cousin of Aida Turturro (Janice Soprano). As with most mob films the story tends to be cliche but well acted. The only disappointment, aside from the incrediably long wait for this movie's release, is that the film isn't available on DVD. Let's hope the DVD version isn't far behind and that Kathrine Narducci won't be lost in the transfer.

Good alright, almost as good as Gotti
This is a good picture alright, Although I would have preferedto have done the casting my self, However I disagree with Michael Cellio regarding Abe Vigoda from the godfather who's playing Big Paul Castellano, I think he's the perfect guy for the role. But Tom Sizemore and Nicholas Turturro could have a number of replacers though. But I am a big fan of mob movies and cant judge this picture to hard, my final words are: "It was good but not as good as Gotti with Armand Assante". And Michael take a look at the real Paul Castellano and maybe you'll see that Abe Vigoda is pretty similar...

Excellent film--Not to be missed by fans of "mob" films
This film is an excellent adaptation of the story told in "Sammy the Bull" Gravano's book, *Underboss*, the reading of which would actually enhance this film for any viewer. Nicholas Turturro does with his acting the same magic Gravano performs with the written word--taking you directly into the mind and the world of a real gangster with few excuses offered.

Gravano was raised to revere and respect "the mob" the same way other kids in the U.S. learn to idolize sports heros and financial wizards today. To get into the mob was to "make it", and Sammy Gravano did just that as few others have, ultimately rising to be second-in-command of one of the country's most powerful mobs.

This is the story of the decline in power of the Gambino crime "family" following the death of its formidable founder, the low-key but lethal Carlo Gambino. His replacement, "Big Paul" Castillano proved not as devoted to "the family" or to his own family his forerunner, both colossal faux pas for a crime boss. His being replaced with the flashy, all-too-public "Teflon Don" John Gotti dealt the Gambino organization a blow from which it has yet to recover (it may be supposed; who knows what underground operations may yet be going on?).

Gravano's hands somehow appear much bloodier in the movie than in the book--perhaps because the book allows more time for the protagonist to tell his side of the story and come up, if not smelling like a rose, at least not smelling quite as much like stinkweed. In Witness for the Mob, his true status is more clearly spelled out as that of a serial killer who was granted immunity in exchange for the testimony that put John Gotti, among others, away for life. Gravano entered the witness protection program and, the film tells us, is now "doing business somewhere in the United States."

This film makes it appear that at least as late as the 1980's, before the fall of Gotti, members of "the mob" enjoyed the same sort of glory and hero-worship as the bankrobbers of the American Old West and Depression-era. Every little boy dreamed of growing up to be a gangster, and every woman of marriageable age wanted to marry into the lavish lifestyle such a life afforded. In fact, one of the most interesting aspects of this story is the way the mob wives lived in luxury while turning a very practiced blind eye to the means by which the money rolled in.

"Sammy the Bull" employs a candor in his book that spills over into this movie. At no time does he claim to be a hero of any sort and freely admits that saving his own skin was his primary motivation in becoming a federal witness against his former partners. That candor becomes a reason to believe, if not admire, him.

Nicholas Turturro is outstanding in this roll, portraying Sammy the Bull in the way that Gravano himself would probably have preferred, judging from his book. Tom Sizemore is totally believable as the "Dapper/Teflon Don" whose love of being in the public eye began to tighten the snare set for him. And it is great to see Abe Vigoda again, this time as "Big Paul" at the end of his reign, too smug and self-satisfied to think that the new "up and coming" members of his own gang might break long-standing Cosa Nostra taboos to get rid of a leader they came to regard as ineffective at best. And it is amusing to see Gotti, as portrayed by Sizemore, make the same mistake of thinking that once you are "the boss", no one can take you down, even though he was very actively involved in the assassination of his predecessor.

There are no heros in this film, which adds to the veracity of its story. What the viewer gets is a far above average look into the world of the mob, a world that is confusing, horrific, and occasionalliy amusing in a dark, sardonic sort of way. For three hours, you see it all through the eyes of "underboss" Salvatore Gravano. And that is about as close an observation as you can get and still live to tell about it.

Mob Madness
This movie is about the rise of mobster Sam Gravano, whose testimony put John Gotti and others in jail. Some may find this movie too long. I thought the nearly three-hour length allowed the story to develop more fully. The story drew me in. The film raises the question of what is ethical. According to this movie, it depends upon one's point of reference. The mob has its own code of ethics. Gravano is depicted as striving to live according to that code. It is a code that jusifies murder. This film has plenty of executions but I did not think the violence was overdone. This movie draws the viewer into the mad world of the mob. We are enticed to see Gravano, who murdered 19 people, as an honorable hero. This view is questioned at the end, however, when we begin to emerge from the darkness of the crime world and see the cost of crime to all of us.

government rat
What do you rate a good mob movie on. Maybe how it compares to Godfather or Goodfellas. No, you rank them based on the material in the movie and in this case I would have to say that they used alot of useless parts of this story and put it in the movie. They(mafia rats) all tell stories to make them selves look like the victim. But the truth about Sam gravano is that he was a stone cold killer and the movie gives you the idea that he was just doing what he was told. Not true, instead of puttng the courting of his wife, who left him because he was a rat and killed her brother, the movie should have focused on why he became a killer. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Matchmaker Matchmaker Make Me A Match
Mr. Hirayama (Chishu Ryu) congratulates his secretary on her wedding and wishes another one the same domestic bliss. But when the subject of his own daughter's marriage is touched - he is in no hurry. She is still a child. One of his friends, Mr. Kawai, sets him right: Michiko is 24. He knows the right suitor, a young doctor, and offers to act as matchmaker. The evening is long (baseball, sake) and one of their buddies, Mr. Horie, brags about his young wife. No "aid" (viagra) needed; His wife buys him just vitamines... The others crack jokes behind his back: old fool, I don't want to be like him...

Michiko greets her father ("you're drunk"). This beautiful young girl is not the subjugated "little woman" but a proficient housekeeper on her way of becoming a shrew. She has no intention to wait on her little brother Kazuo. She shrugs off Mr. Kawai's warning that she may become an old maid...Hirayama's class comrades nearly exhibit Mr. Sakuma, their old math teacher as warning what can become of a man who neglects the duty to marry his daughter. Sakumas daughter, Tomoko, restrains herself and remains polite when her father's former pupils deliver the staggering old man in his miserable noodle-kitchen. Only after they left this faded and careworn woman allows herself to cry...

Koichi, Michikos elder brother,is married to Akiko who is just as self-assured as her sister in law. When her husband bosses her around she bosses him back. Koichi touched his father for 50 000 yen - for a washing machine - and golf-clubs that his wife will not allow him to keep ("golf is a luxury for a little clerk like you"). He is sulking...Hirayama asks his daughter if she does not want to marry. He feels that he has taken advantage of her. She remains obstinate, claims that she is contented with her life, does not want to "speak about it". Hirayama asks his younger son if he "has somebody". Yes, Kazuo replies, and he suspects that Michiko "has somebody" too. Michiko visits Koichi and Akiko. Her father's matchmaking is getting on her nerves, although she is not disinclined to marry. She finds one of Koichis colleagues, Mr. Miura sympathetic...With his father's approval Koichi puts out a feeler: "Would you like to marry?". Too late! Mr. Miura was, in fact, interested, but thought that Michiko was not - and now he has another sweetheart. Michiko keeps her countenance while her father and her brother break the news gently to her. She cries only in secret. But there is still hope: Mr. Kawai's candidate, the young doctor...Too late again! His union to another girl is as good as settled...April Fool! Mr. Kawai couldn't resist his little joke...

...And the marriage does take place: Michiko is a beautiful bride and Hirayama a proud father who wishes his daughter: "Be happy". He does not plan to move in with Koichi and Akiko because "young people belong together. The old should not trouble them". He will stay at home together with his younger son. He gets drunk in a bar. People ask him if he comes from a funeral ("Something like that" he replies). Kazuo awaits him at home. "You're drunk!" "Go to sleep!" he orders his old man. Mr. Hirayama is sitting on a chair and has a look at his empty house. Now he is truly alone.

Masterpiece - what hackneyed word to describe Ozu's last film. Neither did he make use of classic sources (like Kurosawa) nor did he invent the "eastern". The problems his protagonists face are everybody's problems: How to grow up and find happiness without angering your parents, how to grow old and surviving it without angering your children...Ozu is at his best when he describes the generation gap. How did other directors capture the moment when a parent has but one duty: let go. Different perhaps; Better is impossible. Ozu is as good as Wilder when mixing drama & comedy: Hirayama meets an old wartime comrade in a bar. They deplore that the younger generation is influenced by american culture. What if Japan had won the war? ( We'd be sitting in New York. Americans would wear japanes hairdos. And they would play the shamisen while chewing gum"). The talk about aphrodisiacs and contraceptives was probably too "adult" for western audiences of the time, but sometimes dissonant parts amount to a harmonious total.

Ordinary people, extraordinary film-making
Some have called director Yasujiro Ozu the poet of the everyday. Most of his films deal with ordinary people leading ordinary lives. But what is not so ordinary is Ozu's ability to capture the essence of human relations. His characters seem so real to us, because they are reflections of ourselves and the people we know. In Ozu's final film, Samma No Aji (which literally means "the taste of mackerel"), a widower knows his only daughter must eventually leave home and marry. We watch, as he tries to deal with his growing sense of isolation and loneliness. He becomes nostalgic for the good ol' days. He hangs out at a bar run by a woman who reminds him of his late wife. A popular World War Two song, Gunkan Machi (Warship March) pervades the film. In contrast to this, his married son and daughter-in-law represent the new Japan. They are more concerned about material things like golf clubs and new appliances. There are sad moments in this film, but funny ones as well. One of my favorite scenes takes place in the bar. The widower, who was a naval officer during the war, and a former shipmate are talking. The shipmate says if Japan had won the war, American women would now be wearing geisha-like wigs and chewing gum while playing the shamisen (a Japanese musical instrument). There is no melodrama in this movie, just an honest portrayal of family life and human relations. And it's that honesty that makes watching an Ozu film such a memorable experience.

mu
You have a review by 'unhelpful' which is in need of a footnote or two. His gripe about the price relates to an earlier edition. I'm sure he'll be happy to allow that the new 20 dollar version isn't going to upset anyone in terms of price. The Japanese-release version of An Autumn Afternoon (sanma no aji) is in fact no longer than the American release. I don't know how he made that mistake.

Ozu's Late-Late Masterpiece
This film is so painfully beautiful, as Ozu's sad farewell (he died of cancer), that I found it hard to believe that New Yorker, who owns exclusive rights to so many of Ozu's films, found it necessary to cut it by almost twenty minutes. The Japanese-release version of An Autumn Afternoon is listed at 133 minutes. In Japan, the video, from Shochiku Video, sells for about $30. New Yorker retails for about twice the price, in a bowdlerized version. Save your money for future releases.

Sublime Swan Song
Ozu's final masterpiece is a such a wonderful way to end one of the most distinguished careers in filmmaking. Chisu Ryu is once again superb as a lonely widower trying to grapple with giving away his only daughter in marriage. Although the film runs the gamut of familiar Ozu themes, you never ever tire of the Ozu trick of a "good two hours spent with your neighbors". His beauty of filmmaking, which is drenched in simple joys of everyday living makes him one of the greatest humanists of world cinema, along with Ray and Renoir. Put simply, this film is "stunning visual poetry". This is an absolute "must have" for all you Ozu fans out there, and recommended for all lovers of world cinema. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Excellent piece of Art !
This is an excellent movie, one of the best movie I have ever watched and appreciated since Wend Kuni of Gaston Kabore. It is a truly beautiful artwork that I will strongly recommend for those interested in understanding traditional Africa, especially family and marriage in traditional Burkina Faso. There are several themes being treated in this movie: marriage in the Mossi society, the social organization of the family, the powers of the elders in traditional societies of Burkina Faso, the price to pay when one goes against traditions, and finally the cost of incest in those social formations.
Burkina Faso is the capital of African cinema, and it is not surprising to see a magnificent artwork like Tilai shine again.
Luc Zio
Webmaster Ouaganet.com

Two Thumbs Up !!!
Another country , another nation far away from asia here . Just a wonderful DISCOVERY and GEOGRAPHY film with a uncommon love-story. Wonderful cinemography , wonderful music , don't miss it!

boring movie
this movie was very boring. it involves Saga, a guy who loves a woman who his father married. he has sex with this woman and the town considers it incest. he is forced to flee. his brother claims to have killed him. but Saga returns...

this is an art house film. it is from west africa. and i found it quite boring. the plot was nothing unusual. it was a study of honor and tradition, a code of conduct for the town's people (tilai means "the law"). it is boring. very boring. i fell asleep watching it. and my mind wandered so much that at times i lost track of what was going on.

the landscape shots are beautiful. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

The Second Greatest Movie of All Time
This movie wasn't as good as the first one, which was spectacular, but it's still a good watch. Yune flexes his acting muscles in this fine action/comedy/drama film. If you enjoyed "They Call Me Bruce" then you'll definitely enjoy this one. T-cake also gives a good perfomance. I can't wait for the third installment due out this summer!

THE BEST
Don't listen to anyone I tell you, this movie is a really funny movie, you'll die laughing!

Absolutely an insult to the First Movie.
Have you seen over the top?

This movie was an abject horror. I was never so disappointed in a movie since Red Sonja. I felt betrayed and hurt. The child actor from from "Over the Top" (Sylvester Stallone, 198-who cares) reprises his role as the stupid kid that hits his head and limps to the boxing / karate ring to cheer on his favorite hero. What a travesty. The first movie was so good I rented it 10 times. This so called second is no better than William Shatner's directoral debut in Star Trek Five, The Final Frontier, a movie I saw in the theater because I had to, and sits amongst the Island of Misfit movies still in the wrapper. Shame. Shame. What ever went so wrong? And why is it so difficult for me to find a copy of my favorite comedy ever produced, " They call me Bruce." One can only ponder. One can one only ponder. Oh, the madness... oh, the madness.

A Gloriously Awesome film
No matter what Leonard Maltin says or what a viewer from California says, this film is a classic of its own kind. I've watched this film about a hundred times since like 1990 when I got a dub of it somehow, and I've loved it evry time. It's not really *that* serious, and I guess many consider it cheesy, but that's what's so fun about it! It really is a laugh-fest. So give it a chance! I recommend it!

Not the first one.
This movie wasn't horrible. It was just lacking the humor of the first one. "They Call Me Bruce" was a laugh-riot. "They Still Call Me Bruce" was a little more serious, and just didn't come off as well. He was supposed to be a wanna-be Bruce Lee, hurting himself more than those around him, and winning by luck alone. If they had released it on it's own, and not as "They still call me bruce", I feel it would have done better. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Excellent purple prose meets the unbelievably creepy
Joseph Stefano's prose can either fall flat or wonderfully enhance the action on the screen. It's definitely the latter here, whether delivered by George MacReady in his breathless anticipation of power or by Neil Hamilton in what turns out to be a grotesque soliloquy that's somewhere between Mein Kampf and a prolonged mental orgasm. And matching the mental horror generated by the speeches of the alien-possessed is the physical horror of the actual attachment of the symbiots and the contortions created by failed attachments. Effective editing, great use of sound and lighting, and Don Gordon's stoic performance all help the episode.

Bring On the Sick, Nameless Nuclei!
One of Stefano's best scripts, and one of the scariest OL entries. This one could almost be considered a logical sequel to "Corpus Earthling," in which alien parasites commandeer human hosts.

The Invisibles are "sick, nameless nuclei" spawned in space and fallen to Earth, looking like mutant horseshoe crabs, that attach to human hosts' spinal columns and seize control of them. The GIA (the CIA actually refused to let their name be used for the government agency in the story) have gotten wind of the Secret Society of the Invisibles, consisting of some very powerful political names, and infiltrate it with undercover agent Luis B. Spain. The audience accompanies Spain on his adventure of discovery into alien invasion, and gets quite a few chills along the way.

The tension and suspense in this episode are superior. It's a nail-biter. The possession scenes are uncomfortable, suggestive of homosexual rape. The cast is stellar, especially Neil Hamilton as a possessed general and the ever-arch George Macready as the head of the alien Society.

If this one doesn't make your skin crawl, well, then...you're probably one of Them.

Actually deserving of 4 stars, but........
just to counteract an unjust low rating elsewhere on this page. Not a great episode, but very good along the lines of "Invisible Enemy". As good if not better than your typical theatrical sci-fi potboilers of the late 50s-early 60s.

Incredibly stylish episode!
While producer Joseph Stefano's script fails to make things as clear as they might be, "The Invisibles" has incredible style and atmosphere, mostly courtesy of director Gerd Oswald. Don Gordon ("Bullitt," "Papillion") is perfect as "GIA" agent Luis Spain, and future "Batman" regular Neil Hamilton and a pre-"Hogan's Heroes" Richard Dawson head a fascinating supporting cast. The plot concerns alien parasites from somewhere in space who are intent on using humans as hosts for--what else?--planetary takeover. Extremely effective and greatly enhanced by the cinema-level photography of Conrad Hall.

lesser Limits
This is one of the poorer episodes in the series. The claim that it is one of the most unsettling is probably due to the "attachment" procedure that the title creatures use to enter the bodies of their human hosts. It reminded me of the way John Hurt was "hosted" in the film Alien. However having this procedure didn't seem to change the behaviour of Don Gordon who behaves the same way before and after. Perhaps the way it effected George MacReady and Neil Hamilton (later to appear in TV's Batman) was to make them act over-the-top. This is particularly unsettling for MacReady, who's voice is in opposition to this kind of performance. (Who can forget him in Gilda with Rita Hayworth). His teeth are also noticeably odd here. Was he wearing dentures? There is also a surprising homoerotic subtext to this episode which I'm sure is unintentional. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Disappointing, normally Kevin Spacey guarantees a good movie
I viewed this movie just waiting for the usual Kevin Spacey twist. It was there; kind of. However, there was not enough of it and in too convoluted of a movie.

The story line is of a two-bit criminal David Lynch (Kevin Spacey) who plays just outside the line of the law. Due to antiquated rules and laws in Ireland, not only can he avoid prison, but he can also receive his unemployment check while being a happy well paid citizen who just happens to be a crook, hence the title; "Ordinary decent criminal".

David Lynch at one time, a happy beatnik living in subsidized housing gained notoriety for standing up to an eviction notice on this housing prior to its demolition and in order to leave was granted a free home for his cooperation. Learning from this success he continued thumbing his nose at local law enforcement and just steals enough to support his and his cronies lifestyle. However, as an aging crook and being recently enamored with this "fame" on TV, he decides to overreach his limit and gains not only attention by the local authorities, but by members of the IRA that want a cut of his proceeds. Now things get complicated.

There are several other well-known stars supporting such as Linda Fiorentino and Colin Farrell. They are never really used to their best advantage. Kevin Spacey's blissful nose thumbing attitude also comes across as a modern day twisted Leprechaun as well. It never really sets the right mood.

This movie could have been so much more. I felt it was slow, poorly crafted and a waste of some spectacular actors.

It's fun to cheer for the bad guy!
While it's not the best 'cheer for the criminal' movie I've ever seen it is still fun. My only complaint is that Colin Ferrell's part is so small. It's entertaining, although it is a bit dark at times. I would recomend it for anyone who is a fan of Boondock Saints or Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, as it's very much in the same vein as these films. Kevin Spacey and Linda Florintino are great as usual. it's tons of fun to watch Spacey's character run the poice around in circles. So if you're in the mood for a smart criminal drama I think Ordinary Decent Criminal is a great pic at least for a rental.

Enjoyable as Snatch? Yeah, right....
This is one of the most boring movies that I ever saw. The DVD box says: "If you enjoy Snatch you'll enjoy this" (or something like that)... with this great cast you must think that's true, but the movie is horrible, I tought Kevin Spacey was a smart guy when he pick un scripts, but I guess I was wrong. The movie is soo slow that you may get sleep... Don't buy it, don't rent it, don't see it on television...

Spacey moons the camera, then the movie gets mooned
starts off as Spacey's moons the cameras and people and then goes on with a boring pace and the worst part is that Colin Farrell has little screen time in this one and gets killed as hes shooting from behind a painting, what the hell. Fiorento has a good British accent but the story is to dumb and Spacey's friends and the cops are obnoxious, but Farrell was mute maybe for most his part. for Spacey or Farrell fans

TOTALLY MISSED THE POINT
Before I get started here, let me just point out to some of the other reviewers that this is a work of fiction "based on (not recreating) a true story" and that Kevin Spacey played Michael (not David) Lynch. That said, I was happy to find this little gem last night and surprised that I'd never heard of it. With a cast that includes Spacey, Linda Fiorentino, Peter Mullan, and Colin Farrell to go along with the beautiful Irish scenery, this movie tells it's quirky little tale in just 94 minutes. Short, sweet, and to the point. It's a shame that more movies (and reviewers) can't do the same but instead totally miss the point. ... Read more

Reviews (75)

This movie is as good or better than Liar Liar.
I'm a huge Jim Carrey fan and I'd heard of the two Ace Ventura movies a couple of times in the past, but I never really went out to look for them. Then I saw "When Nature Calls" at a friend's house and I was laughing hysterically the whole time.

The most hilarious parts in this movie are the "rhino giving birth" scene, the fact that whenever someone says "Shikaka", the Wachati tribe members present will kneel and Ace uses it as a sort of "Simon Says" game, the Wachutu tests, and the beginning when Ace uses a Slinky on those hundreds of stone steps singing "Everyone loves a Slinky, you gotta get a Slinky! Slinky, Slinky, go Slinky, GO!"

Summary: It's a great movie that will make all Jim Carrey fans laugh out loud at least once.

Better than the first!
When Nature Calls is so much better than Pet Detective! Of course you know any Jim Carrey movie is going to be hillarious, but this one just surpasses them all. There are so many crack-up "quotable" scenes that will bring you to laughter every time you remember them for years to come. The Ace Ventura series and Dumb and Dumber are the funniest movies ever made. You will learn to love not only Ace but his faithful sidekick Spike, as well as all of Ace's hillariously funny habbits.

Although there is one quite innapropriate scene where Ace is...pleasuring himself that is uncalled for; this being a "children's movie" and all.

I don't go for "stupid" humor, but...
I admit it, I'm pretentious. I like intellectual artsy kind of films, and cult movies. My humor runs along the veins of movies like "Brazil" and "The Big Lebowski". Kubrick is my cinematic hero, and I run screaming from anything tainted by top 40 pop-culture homogeneity.

That said, I have a weakness. For slapstick comedy. And I think "Ace Ventura- When nature Calls" is one of the funniest movies ever made.

Unlike other reviewers, I love the fact that there are no attempts at a "plot" or "character devlopment". The only character developed is Jim Carrey, and that's all that's needed. The first Ace movie had a couple funny moments but was pretty painful, as it tried to show the character of Ace Ventura (Pet Detective) in an attempted "realistic" environment, with attempted "believable" characters. The persona of Ace was stuck between goofy slapstick and moments of awkward "realism", (a love interest, Courtney Cox, the whole Dolphins thing). In other words, it sucked.

This second movie dispenses with such extraneous distractions. You won't even know what the plot is, or care. Ace is pure 100% buffoon, never stopping to inject some ridiculous "drama" into the proceedings. Like a good Three Stooges short, this film's sets, costumes, supporting actors, etc. are all window-dressing for good ol' some fashioned numbskullery. The mechanical rhino scene is absolutely classic, and the fight scene between Ace and Tommy Davidson's character is just great comedy.

When I first saw this movie, I laughed almost to tears. Jim Carrey is a funny guy, there's no denying that, although he is often funnier in interviews than he is in his actual movies. His on-screen shtick gets old quick, mainly because his talent is as a pure clown and as I stated above, for some reason directors always want to put him in "serious" (read: painfully cornball) situations. In my opinion his true gift is for pure, unadulterated slapstick. He is a comedian, and should leave the "real" dramatic acting to others who don't have his gift for the absurd. For that reason, this movie and "Dumb and Dumber" (another pure slapstick classic) are really the only two Jim Carrey vehicles you need to see. Oh, and the entire In Living Color series ;)

Please go to a neutral corner.
It's hard to find a film where those who watch it are either disgusted by it, or are rolling on the floor with laughter. This is one of those films. Jim does not disappoint with his crazy antics, and the fact that he is willing to do anything for a laugh is admirable. He humiliates himself more than once in this film all for the sake of laughter. I won't slam this film for its deficiencies, nor will I praise it for some inspired comedy. Sufficed to say, I am going to remain neutral here. If you love Jim for his self-deprecating and crude humor then this film is for you. If you prefer cerebral wit to over-the-top slapstick, well, you probably wouldn't be concerning yourself with reading this review. Jim's fans should not be disappointed.

Not that great
I liked the first movie because it made Ace look very intelligent, and he has that "you can't mess with me cause I have a very witty come back attitude". Ace even had a serious personality on more than 2 occasions in the film.

But in When Nature Calls, he's completely idiotic. He's never serious and he doesn't have that "you can't mess with me attitude" That was my main beef with the film. The film's plot isn't that great and it's all about Ace makin an, excuse me for this, ass of himself.

It however does have some funny parts and you should watch it if you like Jim Carrey ... Read more