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Staid, secure publisher James Stewart leads a quiet life until he meetshis bewitching downstairs neighbor, Kim Novak. John Van Druten's lighthearted Broadway comedy becomes a lush if lightweight romantic vehicle for Stewart and Novak, who would reunite for Hitchcock's Vertigo the next year. Novak is at her best as a Greenwich witch halfway between the worlds of magic and mortals, looking after her dotty aunt (Elsa Lanchester) and mischievous warlock brother (Jack Lemmon) as they keep their skills in practice. Novak's specialty is making men fall for her, but it's a one-way street: when a witch falls in love, she loses her powers. Director Richard Quine gives the witches an almost beatnik sensibility, a real Greenwich Village subculture hanging out in underground clubs and smart curio shops. Elegantly photographed in rich, glowing colors by James Wong Howe, Bell, Book and Candle is a fantasy world in New York set to a funky bongo-laced jazz score by George Duning. Quine's gliding camera is somewhat marred by abrupt editing, but his handling of actors is superb, in particular Novak, whose mysterious beauty masks inner turmoil and romantic yearnings. Ernie Kovacs appears as a wry author whose specialty is the supernatural, and Hermione Gingold is suitably florid as a witch elder with a penchant for theatricality. For once in his life Stewart is actually upstaged by the slyly comic performances around him. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (35)

Charming, colorful, quirky.....bewitching.
Adapted from the stage comedy of the same name, Bell Book and Candle stars Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novak, fresh from their successful teaming in Hitchcock's Vertigo. Novak plays Gillian Holroyd, a genuine, bonafide witch who runs a south seas antiquities shop. Falling in love with her neighbor, publisher Sheperd Henderson (Stewart), Gillian casts a spell on him. With help from her aunt (Elsa Lanchester), she obliges him to dump his fiancee, and ex college rival, and rush to her side. All of this goes against the grain of Gillian's Endora-like mentor Mrs. DePass (Hermione Gingold), who does her best to counterract the love spell. Meanwhile, Gillian's wacky warlock brother Nicky (Jack Lemmon) courts disaster by coauthoring a book on black magic with Sidney Redlitch (Ernie Kovacs). Legend has it that a witch can neither cry or fall in love. If she falls in love, she will lose her powers....can you guess what happens?

Rumor has it that this is the inspiration for the televisions series Bewitched. There are several striking, undeniable similarities. This film was released in 1958, and I find it just as enjoyable today as I'm sure it was then. Memorable performances by Novak as the icy-cool Gillian and Stewart in his last "romantic leading man" role drive the film. Jack Lemmon and Elsa Lanchester add a lot of quirky flavor as Gillian's spell casting family. Fast pacing, clever writing, great costumes and fabulous eye-popping technicolor make this a film worth watching over and over. It's sure to cast a spell on you too.

The Magical Ms. Novak
"Bell, Book and Candle" ( BBC ) is a very pleasant comedy, given an enormous boost from a formidable cast. In fact, much of my four-star rating is based on the actors involved, and their performances. Notwithstanding many glowing reviews, this is not a classic film and all of the key actors have made better movies.

I understand that BBC is based on a play. I hope that the stage version also had a strong cast, because the plot is really very slight. Jimmy Stewart is a book publisher who doesn't know that his apartment building is inhabited by a couple of witches played by the gorgeous Kim Novak and her nosy "aunt", Elsa Lanchester. When Kim finds that she is attracted to Jimmy, and discovers that his fiancee is a nasty former school mate, she decides to seduce him. Don't worry Mom and Dad--this is 1958--the "seduction" is totally "PG". We also meet Kim's "warlock" brother in a local night club--a bongo-playing Jack Lemmon, as droll as ever. Then we have Ernie Kovacs as an author with a big interest in witchcraft and booze, not necessarily in that order ! Such a shame that Mr. Kovacs passed away at an early age--a major loss for film and television comedy. Finally, as the "grande dame" of witches, Hermione Gingold steals scenes in her gloriously theatrical way.

I'm convinced that Jimmy Stewart could have read a telephone book for two hours, and still be watchable and entertaining. His character is required to look befuddled, perplexed, indignant and incredulous--qualities that Mr. Stewart could raise to an art form. He also has a number of scenes where he is "required" to kiss Ms. Novak passionately--and to think he got paid for this as well ? !

Many beautiful women became movie stars in the 50s--Marilyn Monroe is a legend--Elizabeth Taylor--Ava Gardner--Rhonda Fleming--Grace Kelly--it's a long list. For this reviewer though, Kim Novak was the most stunning woman on screen. In this film--and others--her presence is electric. Jimmy Stewart doesn't have a chance ! I should add that Ms. Novak was a recent guest on "Larry King Live"--yes, guys--she is still a knockout !

The DVD is nice, rather than outstanding--the colours exhibit some haziness here and there--mono sound, of course. This is not a great film, but if you want to spend a couple of pleasant, undemanding hours with this delightful cast--Stewart, Lemmon, Kovacs, Lanchester, Gingold and the truly magical Ms. Novak--you will not be disappointed.

An Entertainment
James Stewart and Kim Novak star in this movie about a publisher (Stewart) who crosses paths with a witch (Novak) who is looking for some excitement. There's nothing serious about this film but it is great fun to watch two good actors with chemistry at work. Though the film was release in the late 1950's, the set and some of the language definitely lets you know that the 1960's aren't far away. If you're looking for some lite entertainment and something different, give Bell, Book and Candle a try.

Kim Novak Enchants in this Bewitching Romantic Comedy
Kim Novac is wonderful as the 'good witch' falling in love with mortal James Stewart. The special treat with this film is that there is a complete 'underground society' (literally) of witches and warlocks, of whom we get to know Elsa Lanchester and Jack Lemon, both recommending Kim Novak quickly forget her romance with the mortal man.

This film is a visual feast with some tidbits of 1950s Jazz music in the score. Complete with black cat, spell-book and magic tricks. Who can blame Jimmy Stewart for falling for Kim Novak's spell? Don't miss this bewitching piece of light entertainment!*****

Love this movie!!!
Jimmy Stewart, Kim Novak, and an beautiful cat.....I absolutely love this movie. It is usually shown on television around Christmas time, and I have watched it every year since I discovered it. I'm so glad to see it is out on DVD! I'm going to purchase it right now! Don't miss this one! ... Read more

Description

Screen adaptation of Arthur Hailey's dramatic novel involving multiple characters and storylines simultaneously unfolding and intertwining inside a luxury hotel. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Hotel - Where women are "ladies" and men are "gentlemen"
I love this movie! It's a wonderful escape back to an era when hospitality was in and everyone not only knew how, but were expected to "dress" (it makes me want to buy white gloves and hats just to do lunch).

Catherine Spaak and Merle Oberon are luminous in Edith Head gowns, although Catherine's posture is noticably askew (her mother should've reminded her to sit up straight). Rod Taylor's performance is marvelous, but somewhat restrained for his typical style. However, no one does a love scene with more tenderness than Rod, so it's small wonder Spaak would dump McCarthy's character for Taylor's regardless of money!

Melvyn Douglas is at his best as the curmudgeon hotelier (stroke and all), Kevin McCarthy is the takeover louse you love to hate and Karl Malden almost steals the entire movie as the hotel thief who just can't make a killing. There are also delightful performances by bit players throughout the movie; McCarthy's "oily" sychophantic male secretary and the hotel staff, especially the errant bell captain who's on the take.

The background music is sometimes annoyingly loud (the editors should have caught that!), but Carmen MacRae's all too brief appearances as the hotel saloon singer make up for any soundtrack problems. Carmen could "turn a lyric" as well as Ella!

With all of the sub-plots, you just can't wait to see what happens next and of course, what's not to love about a mostly happy ending.

My only complaint is the common mistake of mispronouncing New Orleans. If you've spent any time there, you already know it's pronounced New "Or-luhnz" not New "Or-leeeens". LOL

Hotel...Two Hours of Distilled Style
I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw the score to this movie described as "dreadful"! I turned on this movie shortly after it started, and probably would have turned it off if the wonderful score hadn't grabbed my attention. The music and the Technicolor beauty drew me in, and the complexly woven plot kept me watching intently, rather than just listening to the music! And the end was great; I thought it was triumphant; very uplifting! If you want to watch two hours of distilled style, a portrait of a bygone era when men still wore suits and hats, when style and luxury hadn't lost out to cheap plastic imitations, get this movie!

Hotel - A reminder of movies made in more genteel times.
I seen this movie at least two times and found it very entertaining. Great subplots and characters. I felt the movie had a major undertone to it regarding personal service and hospitality versus non personal, efficiency,corporate driven profits which defines the hospitality business as it today.

The opening sequence was a very original one, and the character of the Duchess Of Lanbourne, may have been a thinly veiled characterization based in part on the Duchess Of Windsor (Wallis Simpson). The costumes worn by Merle Oberon in this film appear similar to the fashions worn by the Duchess Of Windsor herself during the late 1960's.

Check-in at this "Hotel"
"Hotel", with its lavish sets, believable characters, and well-constructed plot, is one of the better movies I've seen this year. Always busy, always hosting important people, this hotel reminds me of the Waldorf-Astoria in New York for its grandness and the Peabody in Memphis for its homeliness. Karl's performance stole the show, while Rod's role and character were the most believable. To add a cherry on top (no pun intended), one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen stars as a used and abused French woman. Her performance was exquisite as well. And the sad ending makes you dread the real-estate business. SEE THIS MOVIE! (By the way, the score really wasn't that bad at all.)

The Almost-Grand Hotel
"Hotel" is one of those maddening near-miss films that seem to define the film career of its star, Rod Taylor. Certainly, it seemed to have a great deal going for it - based on the bestseller by Alex Haley, with a strong supporting cast including Melvyn Douglas, Merle Oberon, Kevin McCarthy, Karl Malden, and Michael Rennie - but proved to be the blockbuster that wasn't.

Hampered by a dreadful score, choppy editing, and awkward plotting relative to its racial subtext, the film feels ponderous and uneven. Performances are uniformly fine, the production handsome, but all ultimately wasted in a lost cause. Even its brave departure from the book's sappy happy ending in favor of a more realistic, bittersweet finale fails to satisfy.

Fans of Rod Taylor ought to be used to this, the fine dramatic performance's ("Young Cassidy", "The Man Who Had Power Over Women"), the muscular action pieces ("Dark of the Sun"), and occasional comic turns ("The Liquidator") - all in films that didn't quite work (or just never found their audience). At least we have "The Birds" and "The Time Machine" to console us. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Please let ' The Buccaneer' set sail on DVD
This movie is one of my favorite pirate movies. Based on true and fictional accounts of Jean Laffite the pirate, this movie brings to life one of the key battles of the War of 1812...the Battle of New Orleans. Yul Brynner is terrific in the role of Jean Laffite, and Charton Heston is wonderful in the role of Andrew Jackson. If you like pirate movies give The Buccaneer a try, I recemend it. Please bring this timeless classic to DVD with the movie trailer.

Stupendous swashbuckler movie!
Even though there is very little historical fact in this movie, i.e., The Buccaneer VHS ~ Yul Brynner is simply, merely and basically a stupendous, amazing and a remarkable swash buckler movie filled with action, conflict and two incredible actors. As people know (and should know from reading my precious reviews), Heston is by far my favorite actor; however, Yul Brynner was and is by know means a slouch himself. Brynner and Heston play their roles with vigor, confidence and a swagger of superiority that is seldom seen in today's movies. I was especially impressed with Brynner in his portrayal of the pirate (a role that could easily have become a parody of good, decent and well done acting); instead, he gives a very moving rendition that shows the talent of a true master at work. The costumes, scene and music all add to the movie and the battle scene (discarding the fact that it is historically incorrect) is awesome and filled with adrenaline, raw emotion and pure brute strength; all components in real war. I must say that I was very pleasantly surprised and I would whole heartedly (without a shadow or notion of a doubt in my heart or soul) recommend this movie as great swashbuckler.

Jean Lafitte, Prince of Pirates
A swashbuckler with pirates, smugglers and patriots, this is marvelous entertainment, with two actors who are riveting to watch, and some history, which though embellished in some places and condensed in others, is in essence correct.
Jean Lafitte was flamboyant and a favorite of the ladies, and with his horde of sea robbers had his headquarters on an island in Barataria Bay, and controlled the waterways known as the bayou. As Lord Byron wrote of Lafitte,
"He left a Corsair's name to other times-
Linked with one virtue and a thousand crimes".

Yul Brynner is terrific as Lafitte, with swagger and strut, and even singing a beautiful Creole ballad, which Lafitte was known to do. The Costume Design in this film received an Oscar nomination, and should have won for the way they managed to fit Brynner's numerous outfits.
In the smaller but pivotal part of Andrew Jackson, Charlton Heston is downright magnificent and looks fabulous. With thick white hair, his resemblance to General Jackson is a marvel. Both Brynner and Heston, who two years earlier had starred in C.B. DeMille's "The Ten Commandments", have command and presence that fills the screen and is a joy to watch.

Others in the cast are Charles Boyer, charming and humorous as Brynner's friend and fellow pirate, Inger Stevens as Brynner's love interest and the daughter of Governor Clairborne (E.G. Marshall), and Claire Bloom as tough girl Bonnie Brown. The score by Elmer Bernstein is wonderful, and cinematography by Loyal Griggs very good, especially the scene of the British advancing, with bagpipes and drums, in the Battle of New Orleans, which took place in the Winter of 1814-15. The Red Coats falling to Jackson's troops was accurate, as the British lost an astounding 2,600 to the loss of only 13 of Jackson's men.
A remake of Cecil B. DeMIlle's 1938 film, this was supervised by him, and directed by actor Anthony Quinn. DeMille also gives us a small history lesson at the start of the film, with maps to demonstrate where the action takes place.
Total running time is 121 minutes.

The Buccaneer should have won Oscars
The Buccaneer is one of my all-time-favorite pirate flims. This movie should have won a few Oscars. It was, however, nominated for Best Costume Design and it should have won that award, because the costumes were exactly accurate to the time era of 1812. It should have been nominated for Best Cinemaography, Best Art Direction, Best Musical Score by Elmer Bernstien, Best Interior Design, and for Best Set Decarations. Even though this movie didn't get any awards, it's still a great flim. If you love pirate movies and if you want a piece of American history, give The Buccaneer a try.

Pass the "No-Doze" Please
As a history buff, reenactor and illustrator, I tend to watch movies like this without too much expectation. Hollywood is not known for getting the historical facts straight. The costumes and uniforms were horrible and the casting was a joke. I'll admit, Heston wasn't bad as Andy "By God" Jackson. He actually bore more than a little ressemblance to "Old Hickory", but at times the dialog he spouted was cartoonish and silly. Yul Brynner (I hope I spelled that correctly) was only fair as Lafitte. I felt that Fredrick March was MUCH better in the original BUCCANEER film from the 1930's. Of course as elusive as the real Lafitte is to historians, we'll probably never get a useful perspective of the man. I also agree with the reviewer who commented that any minute, the cast looked ready to break out into a song and dance number. Students of period weapons will be appalled at the number of "Trap-Door" Springfields rigged up to look like flint-locks. These are especially noticeable among the British troops, who should have had the imortal "Brown Bess" of the India pattern. The battle scenes looked pretty hokey with little attention paid to proper detail. Lorne Green makes a cameo of sorts as a "sell-out" who wants to surrender to the Brits. I almost wish the Americans would have thrown him in gaol for being such a horrible actor. I just wish that a serious director with a real sense of history would re-make this one and use reenactors to portray the troops. Who would play Lafitte ? Hollywood would probably pick Antonio Banderas, but I wouldn't. If just HAVE to get this one, be warned that it's a clinker. Go for the Fredrick March version if you can find it. ... Read more

Reviews (21)

Good Movie
"The World of Suzie Wong" is much under-rated. I think it is a well-acted, enchanting movie. William Holden and Nancy Kwan are both wonderful. I noticed another reviewer compared it to "Pretty Woman." I had not thought of it, but that is a good comparison. And the location shots in Hong Kong are "way cool." Want a good love story? Get this film.

gentle drama
THE WORLD OF SUZIE WONG is a gentle, heartfelt, human drama of two lonely people looking for love. It's sublime.

Robert Lomax (William Holden - THE COUNTRY GIRL, SUNSET BOULEVARD), is an American artist in Hong Kong struggling to make a decent living doing what he loves. One day while sitting on the Kowloon-Hong Kong ferry, he meets "Mei-Li", whom he is strangely attracted to.

Soon, however, he discovers that "Me-Li" is really Suzie Wong (Nancy Kwan - FLOWER DRUM SONG), a good-time girl with delusions of grandeur. Romance soon blossoms, but not until Suzie reveals a big secret and tragedy strikes...

Also featuring Sylvia Syms (CONSPIRACY OF HEARTS), and Michael Wilding (THE GLASS SLIPPER, STAGE FRIGHT), THE SECRET WORLD OF SUZIE WONG is a colorful romance set against the stunning backdrop of Hong Kong and the simple human passion of a lifetime.

Of Its Time, but Better Than the Sum of Its Parts...
American William Holden, as former architect turned struggling artist, Robert Lomax, a cynic who's "pushing forty," arrives in 1960 Hong Kong to make a valiant effort for his art. He's never been there and has no idea what to expect. On the ferry boat to Kowloon, he has a sort of altercation with the very young & attractive Nancy Kwan, who claims to be named "Mei Li," a very proper young lady about to enter into an arranged marriage set up by her wealthy father. Shortly before reluctantly introducing herself, she also almost manages to have Robert arrested by claiming he's a purse snatcher, which, judging from her mirthful expression, she does for the sheer entertainment value of the situation.

Robert, completely lost and not particularly wealthy, soon makes his way to the Wan Chai district, and, in his naivete as American abroad, fails to realize he's entered the main prostitution district in the city. His journey to the seedy hotel where he sets up shop as artist would be one of the highlights of the film: Robert's amazement and confusion at the bustling, vibrant city that has become his new home come across nicely. In many ways, the brilliant cinematography and camera work turn the city of Hong Kong itself into the unacknowledged third star of the film. However, it's a very different Hong Kong than now: very much a British colonial post, and, in segments of the neighborhoods, almost a Third World city.

Unfortunately, once Robert reaches the hotel, the movie loses much realism, and we've plainly entered a 1950's Hollywood set version of Hong Kong (although this happens to be a British film), complete with cartoonish prostitutes and Brit sailors on leave. It turns out that prim-and-proper Mei Li's none other than "very popular" Wan Chai "girl" Suzie Wong. There are some very dated scenes that follow, although actress Jacqui Chan's charming in an off kilter way as bar girl Gwennie Lee. Nancy Kwan vamps and spouts much pidgin English and says "for goodness' sake" about 500 times in a row. There's also a scene that made me cringe with a cheap dress getting ripped off Suzie by Robert. Fortunately, Robert, Suzie, and the camera eventually hit the streets of actual Hong Kong again.

Then, something odd happens with this film, bit by bit. The movie focuses more and more on Robert and Suzie as a couple, and, bit by bit, Suzie becomes less of a stereotypical bar girl and more and more of a human being who behaves unexpectedly. It turns out that she has developed a persona for herself, a very manipulative, successful one, that's given her an edge in a very harsh city for abandoned young women. She has an active fantasy life, that's enabled her to separate herself psychologically from the more sordid aspects of what she's done in order to survive. Robert too, becomes less and less Joe Gillis, Jr. (for those of you who've seen Holden in SUNSET BLVD. from a decade earlier), a one-note, crabby cynic with a paternalistic attitude towards Suzie, and more and more a human being who's in love. He shows this most plainly when he finds out that Suzie has an infant son, and Robert accepts little Winston affectionately as his own. In a complex way, Suzie, and also little Winston, act as muses for Robert, and his own art becomes more inspired and interesting because of them. Suzie also benefits from her love for Robert and shows some real emotion for him rather than her usual play acting.

This is where I find the movie interesting, as it depicts, much more realistically than one might expect in 1960, the dimensions of a biracial, bicultural couple's life together. Although Robert has made contact with the British elite in the city and needs them for patronage for his art, he's never really comfortable with them or their patronizing, mildly racist way of observing the Chinese. Kay O'Neill (actress Sylvia Syms), the daughter of a well-placed British banker, falls for Robert, but he doesn't really feel any emotion for her as he does for Suzie. Of course, she can't believe Robert would really prefer Suzie to her. When he announces he's thinking of marrying Suzie, Kay's father says that, of course, he could never hire someone in those circumstances. The rest of the Brits more talk around Suzie than to her whenever she's present. Likewise, most of the Chinese, while polite with Robert, don't know quite what to make of him, either, and he seems to do better either with Suzie as intermediary or because her friends help him along. It's obvious too that sometimes cultural miscues cause Suzie and Robert to misunderstand one another. This leads to the beginning of the climax of the film, which is somewhat tragic.

No doubt, this has been a controversial film. In the past, many Asian-American studies professors seemed to grow livid at the mention of it. This was supposed to be the ne plus ultra (or maybe the nadir, instead) for stereotypical portrayals of all Asian women as submissive little China doll characters or bar girls. There is some of that there (although much less than in most other 1950's-early 1960's American films), but, as I'd noted, the interesting thing's how the stereotype turns out to be a fake, something created for the advantage (if that's the word) of the heroine for relating to foreigners. It's also interesting how the genuine romance, one based on a sort of mutual respect between Robert and Suzie, becomes more important. Most interesting of all's the portrayal (that mostly rings true) of a biracial, bicultural romance between two human beings. As someone involved in such a relationship for many years, I found myself giving the film an extra star for this "rightness" alone. Finally, both Holden and Kwan are good in their roles and the way their characters interact. I just couldn't see France Nuyen and William Shatner (from the stage play version) evoking the same level of emotion and empathy for Suzie and Robert. It's even more remarkable that Kwan was only in her early twenties when she portrayed Suzie.

Plus, if nothing else, this movie's a terrific time capsule/travelogue of Hong Kong, as it was never so brilliantly captured elsewhere on screen in that era.

A True Human Expeience
'The World Of Suzie Wong' the romanticized story of a Hong Kong prostitute and an American artist is for some, a simplistic racist view of Chinese, for others, a guilty pleasure. Yes, it is both of those things but it is even more. It is a fine and tender love story of two people from very different worlds who overcome pride and prejudice and embark upon a true human experience. Forty four years after its release this film along with 'Flower Drum Song' are being re-evaluated and embraced by the Chinese American community. Why? Because beneath the surface of each film they share the common job of telling the story of their time and place with honesty and true humanity and in the case of Suzie Wong, the story is not such a happy one.
At first we are presented in 'Suzie Wong' a stereotypical view of happy little hookers in the Wan Chai district of Hong Kong. But as the story unfolds the veneer of this portrait cracks open to reveal through Suzie just how desperate the lives of these women are. In a city of over three million crammed onto the island city it is a case of do what you must to survive. In Suzie's case she must compartmentalize her feeling into body, love, and soul and thus protect herself by pretending that she is the daughter of a rich merchant rather than a Wan Chai bargirl. Though her relationship with Robert they both learn the meaning and cost of love in a world of narrow view and prejudice.
The film is very adult and honest in dealing with the subject of the flesh trade and racism in 1960 must have been a bit shocking on several levels. This film must be credited with opening the door to telling more honest stories of Asian's with Asian actors in the major roles. After all, not too many years before we had Jennifer Jones playing a Eurasian in 'Love Is A Many Splendored Thing'. She did a fine job, but still she was miscast. Here we have Nancy Kwan creating a memorable character, as it should be, by someone of Asian descent.
Nancy Kwan is luminous in the role of Suzie. This was a star making turn for her and led to other good roles over the years. She is sexy, with a street-smart veneer that covers her open and trusting heart. She rises to the many emotional challenges of Suzie and succeeds in carrying the viewer through the film as only an accomplished actress can. The camera falls in love with her, as does the reluctant Robert.
William Holden is perfectly cast as the "pushing forty" American who has come to Hong Kong to pursue his dream of being an artist. He is a pro who give the role just the feeling of wonder and discovery it needs blended with a certain worldliness that it requires. Together, Kwan and Holden are an intoxicatingly romantic couple that share a chemistry on screen most films of this genre aspire to but few achieve.
The supporting cast is filled out by standouts such as Jacqui Chan as Gwennie Lee, Andy Ho as Ah Tong, Michael Wilding as Ben Marlow and Sylvia Simms as Suzie's rival, Kay O'Neill.
Geoffrey Unsworth also known for his work on 'Becket', '2001 A Space Odyssey' and 'Cabaret' stunningly photographed Hong Kong for the film. His use of light and color is unsurpassed in capturing the long gone look of the city in 1960. The art direction of John Box is superb. He is best known for his work with David Lean on 'Doctor Zhivago' and 'Lawrence of Arabia'.
It is all expertly helmed by director Richard Quine who is also responsible for 'Bell, Book, and Candle', 'Strangers When We Meet' and the delightful 'How To Murder Your Wife'.
Of special note are the stunningly beautiful paintings of Miss Kwan by artist Liz Moore. They are indeed wonderful and one wishes there had been an addition to the DVD of slides of this artist's painting for the film.
'The World of Suzie Wong' is a film that holds both an important place in film history and the hearts film buffs and romantics around the globe. So on that rainy Saturday afternoon when you need a little romance, drama and travel to a far off land pop in this new DVD of 'Suzie Wong' and be carried away.

A Romance for guys, not a chick flick
Today there are many "chick flicks," but The World of Suzie Wong is the quintessential "romance for guys."

There are two parallel themes in this film: 1) the "Pygmalion" theme, which was old when George Bernard Shaw's play first appeared in 1913. Pygmalion, in classical legend, was the king of Cyprus who fell in love with his own sculpture. Hence the theme of beginning with a raw material (in this case a woman of no great position or education) and to some degree transforming her into she whom you might adore.

Some may object to this theme carrying racist overtones, but in my view the reverse is true. The essence of the message is an absence of racism. The very fact that in this type of romantic union the protagonists are of unequal social position means that the man is attracted to the woman because of her human qualities, not because of any advantage she can provide to him in terms of social status or wealth. In fact, a man who loves such a woman is often looked down upon socially, which is present in this story. The object of Robert Lomax's love is Suzie Wong for who she is as a woman and how she makes him feel, and he gladly, even cynically disregards the disparagements of those who do not approve.

2) Theme number two is the enchantment of the East. This is magic stuff for those so smitten, which includes your humble correspondent. In this way, this wonderful story (novel and film) is understated. It is barely believable that Lomax's attraction to Suzie would start from nothing and grow so slowly to compelling strength. Lomax must be a man of Quixotic romantic notions or he would not be trying this alternative life style of professional painting. This mixture of desire and fascination is more likely to stormily seize a man's heart, but "Robert meets Suzie-falls crazy in love-marries Suzie" would make for a ten-minute film, and that just wouldn't do, would it?

It's also an interesting commentary on the film makers of this approximate vintage that when they wanted to tell the story of interracial romance they often seemed to think they had to attenuate the effect. Both Nancy Kwan and France Nguyen (in South Pacific), for example, were of mixed parentage, (but the Asian love interests in The Sand Pebbles and Sayonara were not).

The World of Suzie Wong is so very romantic, and the themes explored here are enduring. I love the novel -- I love the film. I can't imagine anyone but William Holden playing Lomax (although William Shatner [believe it or not] played the stage role). This role belongs to Bill Holden. ... Read more

Description

Best known for his role as the 'Pink Panther'; this was Peter Sellers last film. Sellers plays two roles - the evil Fu Manchu and his nemesis, Scotland Yard's Nayland Smith. Manchu is celebrating his 168th birthday when one of his assistants spills the last of his anti-aging potion. He sends his assistants out to gather the materials needed to make more potion - including the Star of Leningrad Diamond. This alerts the authorities who set up a plan to get Manchu to kidnap a decoy Queen of England. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

OH MY GOSH!
this is unbelivabley MY GRANDFATHER!!!!!!!!! amaxzing isn't it, but sometime he scares me, this is an amazing film, I am not a bads person but someitme i have bad plots as well, this film has the best camera affect, best makeup (look at manchus face, hes screaming "damn im sexy"), you cant deny his amazing looks wich i picked up frum him, AMASING!

a diabolically criminally funny spoof
THE FIENDISH PLOT OF DR. FU MANCHU [hereinafter "Fu"] is a diabolically, criminally funny spoof of the preceding Fu villain movies. The opening scene was foretelling. Sellers, as a vintage Fu, is celebrating his 168th birthday. His crowd of sinister lackeys are singing "Happy Birthday." Fu calls for his life sustaining elixer to have a swig which would carry him over for another year. The elixer is brought into the chamber by an extremely familiar servant. This servant . . . uh, er let's call him Kato for want of a better name . . . well his robe catches fire and he douses the flame with all of the elixer. Now, Fu must replace the diamond ingredient elixer by stealing a couple of rare diamonds. After stealing one diamond, the action swings into a Chinese Fire Drill version of Pink Panther. To stop Fu, retired agent Nyland Smith, played by Oriental expert Sellers, is brought out of retirement. An FBI agent, Joe Capone played by Sid Caesar, becomes part of the Scotland Yard scenery. It was his job to belittle the Brits and draw his gun on cue. Agent Smith decides that Fu will kidnap the Royal Family; that they needed doubles to perform Royalty's civic functions. Those doubles were recruited from the police force and had to audition for the role. As auditioning Constable Alice Rage, Helen Mirren, did an a la Shirley Temple tap-dance number, singing "On the Good Ship Lollipop." I nearly choked on my popcorn from laughing. She won the role of Queen. Later in the film, I doubled up while she sang, "Daddy Wouldn't Buy Me a Bow-Wow." In a scene memorable of Jules Verne--or Bond for that matter--Agent Smith flies his cottage by balloon entitled, "Spirit of Wiltshire." This was Seller's final movie. Too bad that many of his fans, including myself, missed this very funny one at the box office. And, for sure, Helen Mirren was a Wow.

The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu
VHS in Spanish with subtitles and wasn't what I ordered. It was ordered new. VERY UNHAPPY with Video.

Campy, Satirical and Fiendishly Funny!
This movie is one that will either become one of your favorites or will cause you to ask yourself why it was even made. The difference lies in your previous exposure to the "Fu Manchu" mystique. For those of us who have previously read of the "Yellow Peril" and the "Vast Underground Conspiracy" the movie is a wildly funny romp through a fictional world where every oriental is working to enslave the human race. For those who have not read the original works by Sax Rohmer many of the most hilarious scenes and comments will slip by unnoticed. It is still a very entertaining movie, however, and is well worth watching, if only for the outrageously campy ending.

Very Funny. Fine Family Fun!
My parents hate this movie, and I don't know why. Peter Sellers is an actor beyond compare. This movie is one of the best evermade. It's a little campy but that's okay because that's what was intended! ... Read more

Description

A sex farce very loosely based on "Sex and the Single Girl" by Helen Gurley Brown ... Read more

Reviews (12)

They Don't Make 'Em Like This Anymore
This movie is a classic comedy. It is a wonder it is not on television more often. The sexy chemistry between Tony Curtis and Natalie Wood is what makes the film a great success, but it is also backed up with smashing performances by Henry Fonda and Lauren Bacall as the bickering Brodericks. The car chase on the San Diego Freeway to Los Angeles is hilarious, and is a fitting, symbolic end to the chasing around that occurred throughout the movie. A must-see!

Funny
Tony Curtis and Natalie Wood had great on-screen chemistry. Natalie was such a wonderful comedienne. And Lauren Bacall was perfectly cast as the jealous, suspicious wife of Frank Broderick (Henry Fonda). Some of the most original, funny dialogue is in this movie.

Realistic Corporate Portrayal
I liked the part where the two men at the office go to the restroom, and everything inside is coin-operated -- pay toilets, lavatory water, towels for drying hands... and to look in a mirror, they put a coin in a slot and a panel slides up, revealing a mirror for just a few moments of hurried hair-combing. I have worked at places where they put this much squeeze on their own employees, a real treat let me tell you.

This film's director, Richard Quine, switched to directing after starring in the film of a lifetime, "We've Never Been Licked," a 1943 movie about the incomparable fighting sons of Texas A&M. Quine played the lead, a cadet named Brad Craig, and shared the screen with notables Robert Mitchum, Anne Gwynne, Noah Beery Jr and William Frawley. Loved by a generation, "We've Never Been Licked" represented the pinnacle of an acting career, thus Quine -- though relatively young -- turned to directing. He died in the late 1960s, never having matched either in direction or acting his magnificent achievement with WNBL, though "Sex and the Single Girl" was a good-faith effort.

movie fan
This film is great fun and Natalie never looked more lovlier but I'll purchase it when it is released on DVD.

Natalie Wood Rocks
I love Natalie Wood so anything she is in makes my day, but this movie is really halariously funny!! Tony Curtis is a comedy genius. This movie has big stars and big laughs and the idea that something this risque would be in an older movie just tickles me.
Totally worth the time ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Freddy transcends from movies to TV
I never knew that Freddy Krueger had a TV series, until I found an episode in the store. As an avid Freddy fan (though Michael Myers is still my #1 fav!) I gave it a chance, and wow! Though not as intense as the movies (which is to be expected from 1980's TV), Robert Englund still manages to deliver his creepy, yet riotous, performance as Freddy Krueger. Many people say he became less scary as the movies went on, but I say his twisted ripoffs of one-liners makes him even better. James Bond pulls a similar stunt in all of his movies, so let's give Freddy a break and stop complaining about the movies. Robert Englund deserves a standing ovation for playing the same character for almost 20 years! In this particular episode, when a TV talk show host does an investigation into dreams that kill, Freddy attempts to stop the show, or else he won't have anyone to play with anymore! But the show goes forward, and Freddy puts the talk show host in the hospital. There's a truly great Freddy moment when he performs surgery on his patient, ripping off even more great oneliners. This is Freddy at his best! Although not as good as the movies, the TV series is still worth checking out, especially if you love Freddy! You are all his children now!

Freddy Fever!
I kind of thought the NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET the series was cheesy, but as a fan of Freddy, I still liked these episodes.

Okay episode of the Elm Street tv show Freddy's Nightmares
Dreams That Kill is the story of talk show host Charlie Michaels, who is plagued by Freddy during sleep. After he is accidentally electricuted on the set of his show and lapses into a coma, a young man who was in a motorcycle accident is injected with Charlie's brain cells by an overzealous doctor, to replace damaged ones. Only the doctor took them from the dream center of Charlie's mind. . . ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Cute film with top cast
Solid Gold Cadillac is a wonderful example of 1950's comedies. It was very well cast, not only Judy Holliday, but the rest of the supporting cast was great. The script was sharp and funny. It had funny, well-written characters. The film moves well. It's wholesome, clean fun with a nice message and a nice ending.

It is one of the few films made by the wonderful Judy Holliday. Though typecast as the "dumb blonde" in most productions, such as this one, she brings an aura or something that makes the screen light up when she's on it like you're seeing something special. You are. When she's not on screen, you miss her. I don't know if it's her timing, or facial expressions, or what, but this woman really had it. I guess the trade off for her brief film career is that she really did not appear in any "bad" productions and otherwise was afforded top scripts with top directors and co-stars.

I thought this transfer was lovely, the film really looked sharp and the whites and blacks were almost new-looking. The color sequence at the end was nice.

This is by no means the best/top of the 1950's as far as comedies go, but it's a nice example of a solid, quality production that is a joy to watch. If you are not a fan of 50's movies or otherwise don't enjoy/appreciate older movies or particular cast members here, you will probably find this dull. Comedies have changed a lot over the years, what was funny then, some may not find interesting or enjoyable now. If you're not sure, watch Judy Holliday's "Born Yesterday" before viewing this. If you enjoy that and liked Miss Holliday, then give this a try.

Woman changes stockholder business. Special color scenes.
Another Judy Holliday film. This one with Paul Douglas, Fred Clark, Arthur O'Connell and narration by George Burns. Judy Holliday (as "Laura Partridge") attends a stockholder's meeting. The meeting goes by too routinely. They almost neglect to see the waving hand of Miss Holliday. Naturally being a stockholder herself, she has a question to ask, before they vote for Treasurer. She does ask some very simple, honest questions, but these white-collar showboats just can't give her an honest answer without the push-off or feeding their face. Well, this smart blonde woman makes a motion and since she does own 10 shares, she would like to form a stockholders committee of her own to discuss the "too big" salaries of the showboats. She does get involved and this woman will make some unselfish changes. Watch the business and the fun begin. The ending of the film changes to color.

Almost Solid Gold
To begin with, I wish these so-called reviewers would stop giving away the plots of the movies they extol! That said, this is a rare case (the 1st of its kind?) of a movie being better than the play it was based on. The general framework was of course the same, but in the play Judy Holliday's part was taken by Josephine Hull, a very funny little old lady (who also scored both on Bway and on the screen in "Harvey" and "Arsenic and Old Lace," to name the only 2 that I know of), and the love interest on stage was only hinted at around the edges, it blossomed in the film. One problem, there simply were no witty lines, either in the play or the movie. This is odd for Kaufman (though the play was produced in 1953, very late in his career), but about par for Burrows (early in his career). But still it was clever and interesting, the play had more structure than the movie (typical of Kaufman), but the movie did things with the plot that were suggested but left undone in the play, which surprised me very much and made me wonder about Kaufman. Also the flick left out all the naughty words which I'm sure Hull barked out with delicious abandon! (Note: Kaufman co-wrote the play, Burrows adapted it for the screen.) This I think was more a sit-com than an actually witty Kaufman comedy. And finally, Judy Holliday did NOT play a "dumb blonde"! She only did that in "Born Yesterday."

Fine Comedic Vehicle for Ms. Holliday.
Although older film buffs remember her fondly, I suspect that Judy Holliday is not as familiar to classic cinema fans today as she should be. She was a beautiful, charming actress who sparkled in comedy roles. While her career took off in the late 40s, it was during the 50s that she made her most famous films, although the number of movies were relatively few. She was caught up in the communist witch-hunts of the 50s, which--to Hollywood's disgrace--had an impact on her film career, and the number of quality roles offered. She was not the only victim during those dark days. By the 60s, she was seriously ill, and succumbed to breast cancer, at age 44.

"The Solid Gold Cadillac" gave Ms. Holliday one of her best roles. As a minor shareholder in a major company, her character asks some simple, but pointed questions at a stock-holders' meeting that lead to various complications for a very greedy, dishonest and unethical Board of Directors, played by John Williams ( smarmy and unscrupulous ), Fred Clark ( a two-faced bully ) and Ray Collins ( indignant and crooked ). She also becomes involved with the founder of the company, played by Paul Douglas, a decent man with too much integrity for those sharks on the Board. The whole cast is excellent, and the plot is consistently amusing.

I found the main theme of this film to be just as relevant today. We are living in an era of high-profile corporate scandal ( eg. Enron, Hollinger, the list goes on and on ). When these situations are investigated, what is found at the bottom ? Nothing but pure, unadulterated greed. The more things change, etc. Actually, I could see "The Solid Gold Cadillac" being updated today--technology has changed, the "numbers" are a lot bigger--but good old-fashioned greed is still around, big-time ! I could see one of our current actresses, with a flair for comedy, having a big hit with this "remake". I nominate Sandra Bullock--hey Sandy--you'd be terrific !

In the mean time, this is a delightful DVD--nice picture, mono sound, of course, and a fine souvenir of Judy Holliday--a star who shone too briefly, but very brightly.

A Holiday Showcase
Hollywood has had a long tradition of dumb blonde performers who could be counted on to produce more than their share of belly-laughs. None, however, was more expert at the trade than Judy Holiday whose untimely death robbed filmdom of one of its most accomplished comediennes. This movie, along with Born Yesterday, is among her very best, and should not be missed.

Film fans may want to note that there's a direct line of descent from Holiday in this movie to Reese Witherspoon in the recent megahit Legally Blonde. Like Witherspoon's character in Blonde, everyone underestimates Holiday's Laura Partridge and with similarly devastating results. In both cases, it's that sweetly scatterbrained exterior that conceals a shrewd and determined inner woman, a combination which proves deadly for those who would happily exploit them. Here, it's the Board of a soulless corporation ( just then emerging from the 50's decade of growth) that falls into Holiday's trap with hilarious results. The Board itself is a stellar lineup of character actors: from the curmudgeonly Fred Clark, to the cultured John Williams, to the scheming Ray Collins, all familiar faces from the Late Late Show and pompously perfect targets for a womanly comeuppance. Holiday's pixilated exchanges with these smugly officious scofflaws are minor gems.

Those interested in charting the rise of the women's movement might also note an important contrast between the two films. Holiday's character, for all her wiles and willpower, must eventually succumb in typical 50's fashion to her stronger male half as played by the always redoubtable Paul Douglas. On the other hand, Witherspoon's post-Gloria Steinam character discovers a hidden self-sufficiency that requires no Douglas counterpart, producing a typically 90's note of feminist triumph. But these are merely incidental reflections on an underrated movie that truly sparkles because of the comedic lustre of its star, the unforgettable Judy Holiday, in a role that suits her to the proverbial T. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

One of Judy Holliday's best !
A delightful, genuinely heartwarming comedy, starring Judy Holliday and Richard Conte as a young couple about to have a child, yet still struggling to define what their family life will mean to them, and Salvatore Baccaloni as Conte's broadly portrayed Italian Papa. Fans of Judy Holliday will love this film -- she leaves her "dumb blonde" character aside in favor of a much richer role; she gets some great comedic moments in early on, acting out the clumsiness and moodiness of late-term pregnancy, yet also portrays a smart, intuitive young woman who provides the rational and emotional glue which holds her family together. There are a lot of subtle touches to this film; nothing is overplayed or hackneyed, and although it is set in the white-picket fence era of the early '50s, the issues addressed in the script will ring true for many viewers for decades to come. Recommended!

John Fante's sell out
Watching this movie was a tragedy for me. John Fante was a magnificent novelist of the 30's and 40's who wrote two of my favorite novels Ask the Dust and The Road to Los Angeles. He sold his talent to Hollywood in the 50's. In the 70's he had a short comeback with West of Rome and Brotherhood of the Grape, but the damage was done.
Yes Full of Life was a book written by him, but one I wouldn't dare read. It's about a good father dealing with his wife's pregnancy. John Fante wasn't the perfect sort though. His cynical Bandini is what makes his books so appealing. A disappointment. Judy Holliday fans should pick another movie as she is talented. Try The Solid Gold Cadillac or Born Yesterday instead.
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JUDY, JUDY, JUDY...
ATTACH JUDY HOLLIDAY TO A FILM AND EVEN A BAD FILM ELEVATES TO ART!

"The Baby"
I was so excited to see I could find this movie. I am the "baby" at the end of the film. I was born at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica and when the film crew needed a baby they came searching at the hospital. Unlike the "red haired" boy referred to in the movie, I was actually a blonde haired girl. But, what the heck!

A little story from the 50s
Dated way more than most. See attitudes evolve from the 19th century to the 20th in the 21st without the artifice of a historical drama. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A waste of time!
Being a fan of Peter Sellers I found this film to be one of his worst. It was very hard to watch because it was slow going and boring. The only reason I gave it 2 stars was because Peter Sellers is in it and did a good job acting, no other reason.

A realy GREAT video
This is the greatest movie, I have been looking for this for years, sell all your children just to buy it.

Sellers at his best
this is the absolute best movie ever!!! Peter Sellers at his best (yes better than A Shot in the Dark)!!!! Drop everything you are doing to buy and watch this movie 10 times over!!!! ... Read more

Reviews (37)

A Typical Lampoon Movie!
Hilarious from start to finish, this movie lampoons pretty much any action movie which includes Lethal Weapon, Die Hard, Basic Instinct, Silence of the Lambs, and even Wayne's World. It tells the story of detectives Colt and Luger two miss-matched detectives that come together to solve the murdering of Luger's old partener. Colt and Luger are played hilariously by Emilio Estevez (Colt) and Samuel L. Jackson (Luger). Other hilarious preformances come from the two villians, Tim Curry and William Shatner, also from Jon Lovitz. The cameos are countless. They include Whoppi Goldberg, Bruce Willis, Charlie Sheen, Phil Hartman, Corey Feldman, Paul Gleason, F Murray Abraham, and Erik Estrada. You will have to watch the movie more than once to catch all of the jokes and puns.The movie pretty much mocks Lethal Weapon, with the buddy-cop theme. My favorite Lampoon movie, this is one you don't want to miss!

One of my favorite spoofs. Incredibly underrated!
I'm not a huge fan of slapstick spoofs. I love "Airplane!" and the "Naked Gun" films, but it's not my favorite genre.

Ironic, then, that I find most spoof movies enjoyable, at the very least, because they're all really, really stupid. There's more quality in "Airplane!" than, say, "Hot Shots!", but both films are enjoyable, because you have to do absolutely no thinking whatsoever. All you have to do is laugh a few times. And with the millions of jokes (okay, hundreds) per film, you're sure to find at least a handful of things worth laughing at.

"National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1" is one of my favorite spoof flicks. Why? It's stupid, silly, funny, and one of the most enjoyable films available to see. Yeah, it's stupid, like I already said. But it's loads of fun, too. And I don't care if critics bashed it when it came out -- it's still a very fun movie.

Everything gets lampooned in this: "Lethal Weapon" to "Die Hard" to "Silence of the Lambs" to "CHiPs." And, alongside "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World"; "Austin Powers in Goldmember"; and "The Player," it has some of the most cameos/stars to date. Get this: Emilio Estevez, Samuel L. Jackson, Tim Curry, Jon Lovitz, William Shatner, Denis Leary, Erik Estrada, Dr. Joyce Brothers, Bill Nunn, Kathy Ireland, Corey Feldman, J.T. Walsh, Paul Gleason, F. Murray Abraham, Bruce Willis, Phil Hartman (R.I.P.), Whoopi Goldberg, Charlie Sheen (Emilio's half-brother)...am I missing anyone? Mel Gibson, Danny Glover and Joe Pesci would have completed this cast. I wonder if they rejected cameos.

Wes Luger (Jackson) has been assigned a new partner, the loose canon Jack Colt (Estevez), who lost his dog long ago and is now mentally unstable. Luger lost his partner (Goldberg), too, and the effects of the past often catch up with him, so far that he finds it impossible to fire a gun without shaking violently and spastic-like.

General Mortars (Shatner) is planning a devious scheme of running drugs through a Girl Scout cookie-type company, and Colt and Luger try to thwart his plan and save the day before it's too late. Meanwhile, they come to appreciate each other -- while lampooning everything in sight.

The most puzzling thing about "Loaded Weapon 1" is the fact that, if you look at most user comments on the Internet Movie Database, they're all quite positive. It has a low standing at 5.3 stars, yes, but the user reviews for the film are pretty decent. A lot of people found the film "funny for what it is." I do, too.

Spoofing a spoof is kinda pathetic, I'll admit. "Lethal Weapon" always was more tongue-in-cheek comedy than anything else. Even as a hard action film it was always winking at the other films of its genre. "Wayne's World" isn't exactly a drama of epic proportions, either, come to think of it. Even "Basic Instinct" is a hard film to spoof, if you take a moment to reflect -- it's never exactly horribly serious. Just sleazy. (I won't ruin how "Loaded Weapon 1" pokes fun at the famous Sharon Stone interrogation scene.)

Yet, in my honest opinion, "Loaded Weapon 1" does a pretty darn good job of spoofing everything in sight. Estevez is a good Riggs-type who pines for his lost dog (not a wife, mind you, but a dog). Jackson -- who's usually great -- is decent as the Murtaugh-type character, although he is shoved aside by the screenplay to make room for Estevez. (Whose brother was just as good in "Hot Shots!", although I think this is a funnier film.) Lovitz, hair bleached (impersonating Joe Pesci from the "Lethal Weapons"), comes across as an irritant sidekick who appears out of thin air only when the plot needs him -- which I suppose was the point. (Was "Loaded Weapon 1" assuming that Joe Pesci's Leo Getz character was an irritating co-star placed in the film as nothing more than an easy plot device? Probably.)

And in one of the simplest -- but also one of the most effective -- scenes, we get the famous bathroom bomb sequence from "Lethal Weapon 2" told in an entirely fresh perspective. Here's how it goes: The door to Jackson's house is wide open. Estevez walks in and calls him. "I'm up here!" is the response. Estevez walks up the stairs, gets to the bathroom, opens the door, sees Jackson on the toilet and says, "What are you doing?" Safe to say, he's doing exactly what it looks like. His blunt reply is one of the highlights of the film. (Let's face it, that scene from "LW2" was destined to get poked fun at some time or another -- I'm just glad it got spoofed in this.)

A hilarious spoof of "Lethal Weapon"
Emilio Estevez and Samuel L. Jackson are the Mel Gibson and Danny Glover of this film. There are spoof scenes from the Lethal Weapon trilogy and one from WAYNE'S WORLD. This filn was dircted by Gene Quintano who previously directed 1986's POLICE ACADEMY 3-Back In Training. This film reunites Quintano with Lance Kinsey. Kinsey was Lieutenant Proctor in many of the Police Academy sequels. Many people who have seen this film also saw THE BREAKFAST CLUB,THE MIGHTY DUCKS films,STAKEOUT,ANOTHER STAKEOUT(Estevez's other films),and PULP FICTION,one of Jackson's later films. Also many people who have seen this film also saw movies that Estevez's brother Charlie Sheen starred in.

Funny !
I first saw this movie was I was ~ 14 .
Now I'm 20 and I still love it - mostly because of Samuel Jackson and that guy with fantastic german (?) "aññent" .
"Where is the micGrofilm , mr. Colt ?" ....
If you like comedies and parodies - that's a great choice !

Great Comedy
John in his reveiw here has just said exactly what i was going to say! So I dont need to review this myself, he's already done it for me, word for word!

I will add however, if you happen to own this great comedy spoof/parody movie, you might be intrested to know there is a couple of eggs hidden on the DVD! If you go to the biographys and choose Samula L.Jacksons, as you flick through the pages, you will notice some of his movies have gold bars around them? You can select those bars, and click ok and watch the trailers to some of S.L.J's movies!

My words on this movie that John didnt add. If your into comedy spoofs like "naked gun" "airplane" "kentucky freid movie" "spy hard" "hot shots" "silence of the hams" and movies of that type of goofy parodying, then you will love this movie! See Johns reveiw for what movies get parodied ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Scenery and star help Blind Man's Bluff see daylight
Gosh! It's been a while since I last saw this made-for-t.v. movie, so I'll give it the old college try with the review. Journeyman actor extraordinaire Robert Urich stars in an unusual role. Urich's usually casted as a smarmy cop or as the sensitive everyday man in extraordinary situations. But this time he's in the title role as a blind man whose friends and collegues are turning up dead around him. He goes from bystander to ameteur sleuth to prey. Trouble is, he's blind. Makes for a nice twist on the whodunnit routine. Ron Perlman and Lisa Eilbacher are okay as a couple of Urich's close friends who may be next on the killer's hit list. The most impressive thing I remember about Blind Man's Bluff was its unusually good production values (for a t.v. movie). I believe it was shot in and around Vancouver, British Columbia (a lovely city you don't see everyday). And the music was good too. But it was a made-for-t.v. flick, and I remember being bored with the pacing of the story and the number of cannon fodder extras. All in all, I thought it was an above average, but not superior, whodunnit. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Two innocent sisters from Ohio hit Greenwich Village and must cope with wall-shaking subway construction, the neighborhood kooks, and a whopping $65 a month for an apartment. My Sister Eileen is one of those "Look out, world, we're conquering Manhattan!" movies, with Betty Garrett as a plain, would-be writer and Janet Leigh as her knockout sister, an aspiring actress who draws men like milk draws kittens. The 1955 movie's well-scrubbed Greenwich Village is a delightful fantasy playground. The city wasnever like this, but it probably should have been. In one of his early roles, Jack Lemmon (crooning one of the Jule Styne-Leo Robin songs quite charmingly) plays a magazine publisher, one of the many Young Men with Ideas he would play in the subsequent decade. Even more interesting is the presence of future director Bob Fosse, as a soda jerk who romances Leigh. Fosse also choreographed the film's musical numbers, and his dances include a delightful quartet at a bandstand and a sensational showdown with Tommy Rall. Fosse and Rall try to outdo each other in a male rivalry dance that will remind Fosse fans of his obsession with hats. The breezy direction is by Richard Quine, who cowrote the script with another future director, Blake Edwards. The original source material, stories by Ruth McKenney, formed the basis for a play and a nonmusical 1942 Rosalind Russell movie, also called My Sister Eileen (in which Quine played the Fosse role); there was a Broadway musical adaptation of the stories, Wonderful Town, which is not related to this film. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (6)

A charming, screwball musical
Most folks will pay attention to this film becuase it's an early piece by choreographer Bob Fosse -- but it is a fun bit of froth that easily stands on its own. An absolutely delightful musical comedy, starring Betty Garrett as a smart smalltown girl determined to make it in New York City. She moves there with her with her glamourous, ditzy sister Eileen, whose good looks open more doors than do Garrett's brains and moxie. A nice film about struggling to get ahead in the Big Apple, with a script that takes its time and several exuberently goofy dance numbers, gleefully choreographed by a young Bob Fosse, who also plays one of the sister's avid suitors. The penultimate dance scene is side-splittingly hilarious, featuring a swarm of recently disembarked Cuban sailors on the prowl for American women, who form an inexhaustable conga line that snakes chaotically through the gal's tiny apartment. Thoroughly entertaining... a great, lighthearted film with some fabulous acting and bright, winning performances by all involved.

A Nice Musical Comedy With a Young Bob Fosse
"My Sister Eileen" was Fosse's first official assignment as a film choreographer. He had already co-choreographed his dances for three musicals he made at MGM but didn't get any credit for it.
This film offers a rare chance to see him perform his own steps in front of the camera. He wasn't just a legendary Broadway director and choreographer, he was also a brilliant and nimble dancer with a sweet singing voice. His early stuff was influenced by Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire and Jack Cole, so don't expect the small intricate dancing with bowler hats that became his trademark.
Fosse is featured in three numbers: the quartet "Give Me A Band and My Baby", which is pure fun, the romantic ballroom routine "There's Nothing Like Love" where he partners "Psycho"'s Janet Leigh, and the explosive "Alley Dance" in which he competes with one of the best yet underrated dancers of Hollywood's Golden Age: the versatile Tommy Rall. The number shows a couple of early Fosse favorites such as the "Steam Heat" hat trick, cartwheel jumps and somersaults.
The rest of the cast is also quite remarkable: Betty Garrett is adorable with her dead-pan humour and Janet Leigh is simply sweet as Darlin' Eileen. And if you ever wanted to hear Jack Lemmon sing, here's your chance.
Director Richard Quine and young Blake Edwards wrote a rather unspectacular screenplay. Jule Styne and Leo Robin did a decent job with the songs but I definitely prefer Leonard Bernstein's "Wonderful Town".
"My Sister Eileen" is a nice little musical comedy. It's ideal to cheer yourself up on a dark and rainy evening.
By the way, this film isn't presented in its original Cinemascope format. The video version was slightly formatted. Well, let's hope for the DVD release.

Entertaining Classic!
What a great movie! It is refreshing to see so much energy brought to the silver screen. The casting makes this movie! It has something for everyone: dancing, singing, funny misunderstandings, apartment problems and much more. This movie provides the entire family with good clean entertainment which is almost extinct in today's Hollywood. Jack Lemmon is wonderful opposite Betty Garrett. Janet Leigh also does a superb job as the sister with everything!

Good Star Vehicle
Although the first version,starring Rosalind Russell and Janet Blair,is by far superior,this musical version with Janet Leigh and Betty Garrett as the two sisters in Greenwich Village is quite a good romp. Bob Fosse and Jack Lemmon (in a rare musical role )add the needed chemistry to make the girls sparkle. The story was later musicalized on Broadway as 'Wonderful Town',which again starred Rosalind Russell as Ruth Sherwood,and won a Tony for her work.

Watching a young Bob Fosse dance is incredible
A great cast with Jack Lemon and Betty Garrett doing a great job together and Bob Fosse showing why he is among the greatest dancers of our time. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The shaded face of a mysterious stranger fills the screen as a gunslinger enters the saloon deep in the background. A bright but plaintive trumpet moans out a melody to the accompaniment of a strumming guitar. The stranger drops his shot glass and fires, catching the drink before it hits the floor. Ah, the operatic excess of the spaghetti Western... But wait, is that Emilio Estevez hiding under that Spanish brim? Gene Quintano's made-for-cable homage to the mercenary Westerns of Sergio Leone and his ilk doesn't have the wide screen, the Spanish deserts, or the magnetic, squinting presence of Clint Eastwood (Estevez is a poor substitute by any standard), but his dusty plains and cinematic swagger make for a fun little genre picture. Borrowing story elements from A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, and The Good, The Bad and the Ugly (among others), Quintano tosses bounty hunters, treasure hunters, renegade soldiers, and a posse out for revenge into a busy tale of good and evil in the American Southwest. Quintano soon tosses the measured pacing of Leone for a rat-a-tat-tat narrative sparkled with trappings of John Woo: flying bodies in slow motion, unending hails of bullets pouring through six-shooters, and a one-man killing machine taking on small armies single-handedly. It won't replace the Eastwood-Leone classics, but it's a surprisingly fun tribute that strikes just the right balance between reverence and grandiloquence. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Great Western!! Emilio Estevez rules!!
This is a great western starring Emilio Estevez that's reminiscent of the Clint Eastwood 60's Spaghetti Western flicks.It's a must see!!

How could a movie that rips off Woo, Leone and Raimi be bad?
That's what I asked myself. It's got a Leone story (along with a 100% authentic imitation Morricone score), Woo action (the opening nightclub scene ripped COMPLETELY out of The Killer) and tries its best to have Raimi energy. But if you're going to be "inspired" or use an "homage", it should be to compliment a story and the story's characters; not build them.

A man with no name (ugh) gets involved with a one-legged ex-confederate soldier who's on the hunt for three pieces of a map that'll lead him to confederate gold. Tailing the mysterious man is another, beefier mysterious man (Howie Long) and his band of 'regulators' who seem to want to ventilate No Name's abdomen. Emilio Estevez as No Name, I am sorry, cannot be believed. With a gut hanging over his gun belt, I felt a little awkward as he sneered out tough-guy dialogue. Then when he reached up to put his hat on with tiny little hands, I lost it. When I saw that Estevez was starring, I hoped for a character somewhat like that of Billy the Kid in Young Guns 2, who Estevez was flawless as. Mischievous, lighthearted, smart-allecky. The Spider-Man of The Old West. But alas, we're given a Clint Eastwood character that the four foot-tall Estevez can barely fit.

The script, while containing some sharp lines, seems to be built entirely around them. I tried my best to understand where Dollar for the Dead went wrong and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly went right, but I couldn't put my finger on it. A cold, quick loner who reluctantly teams up with a man for whom he feels some animosity; but somehow No Name and Peg Leg just don't achieve what Blondie and Tuco had.

Then the villains, oh my. There's a totally unexplained Union Cavalry officer who just casually shows up and wants to kill our heroes. Then there's a Mexican soldier who has some sort of weird NOT-Mexican accent that I can't understand. And Howie Long. Amazingly, Howie's bad guy is the most interesting, but, par for this movie, he's the one with seemingly the least time spent on, hence no character developement. So at last, when No Name, Howie and the Mexican soldier face off in a The Good, the Bad and the Ugly-style three-man stand-off, the only tension that's felt is from reminiscing on memories from the older movie.

A Western with Hong Kong-style action, it's what I thought the world needed. But what's here is a case of "done before and better", without a lighthearted camp that could have saved it. If you're curious to see Emilio Estevez rip off Django, Chow Yun-fat and Sylvester the Cat, then rent and be wary. Maybe with lower expectations you won't be as let-down as I was.

Baby-faced gunman
I can't buy baby-faced Estevez as a cold-blooded killer (with hard eyes, as someone says). With guns waving around, he wipes out not one, but two, armies of bad guys and doesn't get a scratch. Har har. In this movie a wagon outruns horses, and a priest sits on a fortune in gold while his people are starving and tormented. Ay carumba!

emilio is the best
the film has alot of exciting parts go emilio ... Read more

Description

Collection of TV series stories, all set in the dreams and nightmares of Elm Street. The show is hosted by Freddy Krueger himself. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Freddy's "Trick and Treats" Review!
I actually remember this being one of my favorite episodes of the series back in its original run. Please note that this series is really intended for the die-hard Nightmare fans.

Marsha is a grad student, who despite having a fun-loving boyfriend would rather spend Halloween night, studying in the Springwood morgue. She is still haunted by memories of her psychotically-overbearing grandmother. Freddy uses her guilt over her grandmother's death to haunt her. Enter an arrogant dream supervisor who is using her to study the affects of her nightmares.

While Freddy usually only shows up to host most of these episodes, this one was one of a select few episodes to actually feature him as a central character. If you didn't like the movies, you probably won't like this show but if you're a fan, you will want to add this to your collection and quick.

the worst episode
this movie was so stupid it really never showed freddy. had nothing to do with the series. i was so bored watching this movie because for these reasons... stupid, not funny, not a good plot, bad acting. I recomend you DO NOT BUY THIS MOVIE its a waste of money.

Freddy's Tricks And Treats
One of the standout episodes in the lackluster T.V. series of the late 1980's. This episode features Mariska Hargitay of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" in one of her early roles as a med student who decides to spend Halloween in a morgue studying for an exam. This particular episode is not as cheesy as most of the others and the second half of it has an intrigueing subplot involving the recording of dreams for medical purposes. Worth checking out. Co-stars Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger . It is directed by Ken Wiederhorn.

Good episode of the TV series Freddy's Nightmares.
Jayne Mansfield's daughter, Mariska Hargitay, stars as Marsha in this bizarre Halloween episode from the first season, "Freddy's Tricks and Treats". On Halloween Night, Marsha would rather cram for finals with cadavers than party and pull pranks with the living. But staying awake isn't always easy. . .soon she dreams of her overbearing grandmother and the town's resident dream-psychopath. The second half of this episode deals with a college kid that uses Marsha as a ginea pig as he experiments in recording dreams. Welcome to her nightmare. . . A little confusing, but enjoyable Elm Street humor prevails. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

The Best Of Freddy and the Comedy Chills!
Ok after seeing No More Mr.Nice Guy I heard there were 4 more avalible.Hey I bought 1 lets buy another!Buy this you aren't about to waste your time and money!

1st Half:Freddy Krueger is channeled by a girl meaning to bring
a man back from the Titanic!Wow!Freddy loves his new body.He is
bragging!...It was Freddy!Fav. Quote:Your a real head turner babe!

2cd Half:Freddy Krueger goes to school!He is after some punks!
Of course,He would [end the life of] his girlfriend QUOTE:SAVE THE LAST DANCE
FOR ME!or the dweeb which helps him do his job.HOWARD NEHAMPKIN!
Really good actor.QUOTE:FREDDY WASNT SO BAD ONCE U GOT TO KNOW HIM!

Big inprovment!:More Freddy then NO MORE MR.NICE GUY!

It's My Party
Get past the tenth rate acting and cheap production values and you have a not too bad (not even decent either) entry to the all too cheesy, piece of crap TV series. The first half of this episode truly sucks as it spoofs "The Exorcist", but the second half isn't bad. The second half deals with Freddy's graduating class coming back to Springwood for their high school reunion and just finding out that the kid that wore that dirty red and green sweater all the time is not only dead, but a vicious child molester and murderer. One of his peers, a Hollywood horror film screenwriter, decides to exploit Freddy's story for the screen (it would make an excellent movie right?). For the Nightmare completist. Anyone looking for quality, look away.

Perfect for any Freddy fan!
If you like Freddy because of his way with words and his talent for FX-laden deaths, this tape is defintely for you. No pesky plot or realistic dialouge gets in the way of the gore! Robert Englund looks like he had fun with this one! For people who enjoyed Nightmare 2, or Freddy's Dead.

Good episode of Elm Street series Freddy's Nightmares
"It's my Party" is from the second season of the tv show Freddy's Nightmares. A phony psychic channeler gets more than she bargains for when she invites a spirit to take over her body-- and Freddy accepts the invitation. The second half of the episode centers on a woman waiting to go to her class reunion and dreaming of the man she played a prank on in high school-- you know who. A plot twist leads to a script being written for A Nightmare on Elm Street. Good tongue-in-cheek Freddy humor at its' peak. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

pretty good
i used to be a big fan of the tv series. and this episode isnt really your typical freddy slasher. its just like the dude from kosivo said take this episode for what it is. now keep in mind that the episodes took place in the late 80s real early 90s. tv shows wernt exactly how it is now. but over and all this is a pretty good episode even though i dont remember seeing this on tv a while ago. but if your a big nightmare fan such as myself and a big fan of late 80s and early 90s tv shows i recamend that you buy all the freddys nightmare episodes that are on sale right now

Not bad, for a low-budget series.
Like 1960's Batman, this series is campy. Don't look for unpredictable plots, state-of-the-art effects, or a mildly good scare. Take the series for what it is. A low-budget extension of the films. I didn't become a Freddy fan to be scared, I enjoyed his humor. Just take each episode with a grain of salt, willingly suspend your disbelief, and do your best to enjoy this series. Nearly every Freddy appearance is comedic and a treat. This episode is no exception.

Lucky Stiff
Of all the terrible episodes of this lousy TV series I've seen, this is the worst! There is no reason to see this cliched "scheming wife killing her husband to run away with another lover only to discover that her husband was buried with a winning lottery ticket" piece of garbage! Only for the "Nightmare On Elm Street" completists. This video features Mary Crosby of "Dallas" and David Lander of "Laverne and Shirley" as the couple. It was directed (?) without passion, suspense or anything else film makers put into their work by William Malone. It co-stars Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger. If you want an episode of Freddy's Nightmares check out any other one but this!

This is one of the more dumb episodes of the tv series.
Lucky stiff is an episode of Freddy's Nightmares taken from the second season of the series. It deals with a woman whose husband won the lotto-- but she only learns of it after his death. The ticket is missing and presumed to be in the jacket she buried him in. One of the duller eps of the show, Freddy is not a central character in the story, as he is in the other 4 videotapes that were released. ... Read more

Description

Two trigger-happy cops try to stop the distribution of mind-rotting Wilderness Girl cookies. Starring Emilio Estevez, Kathy Ireland and Samuel L. Jackson. ... Read more

Reviews (37)

A Typical Lampoon Movie!
Hilarious from start to finish, this movie lampoons pretty much any action movie which includes Lethal Weapon, Die Hard, Basic Instinct, Silence of the Lambs, and even Wayne's World. It tells the story of detectives Colt and Luger two miss-matched detectives that come together to solve the murdering of Luger's old partener. Colt and Luger are played hilariously by Emilio Estevez (Colt) and Samuel L. Jackson (Luger). Other hilarious preformances come from the two villians, Tim Curry and William Shatner, also from Jon Lovitz. The cameos are countless. They include Whoppi Goldberg, Bruce Willis, Charlie Sheen, Phil Hartman, Corey Feldman, Paul Gleason, F Murray Abraham, and Erik Estrada. You will have to watch the movie more than once to catch all of the jokes and puns.The movie pretty much mocks Lethal Weapon, with the buddy-cop theme. My favorite Lampoon movie, this is one you don't want to miss!

One of my favorite spoofs. Incredibly underrated!
I'm not a huge fan of slapstick spoofs. I love "Airplane!" and the "Naked Gun" films, but it's not my favorite genre.

Ironic, then, that I find most spoof movies enjoyable, at the very least, because they're all really, really stupid. There's more quality in "Airplane!" than, say, "Hot Shots!", but both films are enjoyable, because you have to do absolutely no thinking whatsoever. All you have to do is laugh a few times. And with the millions of jokes (okay, hundreds) per film, you're sure to find at least a handful of things worth laughing at.

"National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1" is one of my favorite spoof flicks. Why? It's stupid, silly, funny, and one of the most enjoyable films available to see. Yeah, it's stupid, like I already said. But it's loads of fun, too. And I don't care if critics bashed it when it came out -- it's still a very fun movie.

Everything gets lampooned in this: "Lethal Weapon" to "Die Hard" to "Silence of the Lambs" to "CHiPs." And, alongside "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World"; "Austin Powers in Goldmember"; and "The Player," it has some of the most cameos/stars to date. Get this: Emilio Estevez, Samuel L. Jackson, Tim Curry, Jon Lovitz, William Shatner, Denis Leary, Erik Estrada, Dr. Joyce Brothers, Bill Nunn, Kathy Ireland, Corey Feldman, J.T. Walsh, Paul Gleason, F. Murray Abraham, Bruce Willis, Phil Hartman (R.I.P.), Whoopi Goldberg, Charlie Sheen (Emilio's half-brother)...am I missing anyone? Mel Gibson, Danny Glover and Joe Pesci would have completed this cast. I wonder if they rejected cameos.

Wes Luger (Jackson) has been assigned a new partner, the loose canon Jack Colt (Estevez), who lost his dog long ago and is now mentally unstable. Luger lost his partner (Goldberg), too, and the effects of the past often catch up with him, so far that he finds it impossible to fire a gun without shaking violently and spastic-like.

General Mortars (Shatner) is planning a devious scheme of running drugs through a Girl Scout cookie-type company, and Colt and Luger try to thwart his plan and save the day before it's too late. Meanwhile, they come to appreciate each other -- while lampooning everything in sight.

The most puzzling thing about "Loaded Weapon 1" is the fact that, if you look at most user comments on the Internet Movie Database, they're all quite positive. It has a low standing at 5.3 stars, yes, but the user reviews for the film are pretty decent. A lot of people found the film "funny for what it is." I do, too.

Spoofing a spoof is kinda pathetic, I'll admit. "Lethal Weapon" always was more tongue-in-cheek comedy than anything else. Even as a hard action film it was always winking at the other films of its genre. "Wayne's World" isn't exactly a drama of epic proportions, either, come to think of it. Even "Basic Instinct" is a hard film to spoof, if you take a moment to reflect -- it's never exactly horribly serious. Just sleazy. (I won't ruin how "Loaded Weapon 1" pokes fun at the famous Sharon Stone interrogation scene.)

Yet, in my honest opinion, "Loaded Weapon 1" does a pretty darn good job of spoofing everything in sight. Estevez is a good Riggs-type who pines for his lost dog (not a wife, mind you, but a dog). Jackson -- who's usually great -- is decent as the Murtaugh-type character, although he is shoved aside by the screenplay to make room for Estevez. (Whose brother was just as good in "Hot Shots!", although I think this is a funnier film.) Lovitz, hair bleached (impersonating Joe Pesci from the "Lethal Weapons"), comes across as an irritant sidekick who appears out of thin air only when the plot needs him -- which I suppose was the point. (Was "Loaded Weapon 1" assuming that Joe Pesci's Leo Getz character was an irritating co-star placed in the film as nothing more than an easy plot device? Probably.)

And in one of the simplest -- but also one of the most effective -- scenes, we get the famous bathroom bomb sequence from "Lethal Weapon 2" told in an entirely fresh perspective. Here's how it goes: The door to Jackson's house is wide open. Estevez walks in and calls him. "I'm up here!" is the response. Estevez walks up the stairs, gets to the bathroom, opens the door, sees Jackson on the toilet and says, "What are you doing?" Safe to say, he's doing exactly what it looks like. His blunt reply is one of the highlights of the film. (Let's face it, that scene from "LW2" was destined to get poked fun at some time or another -- I'm just glad it got spoofed in this.)

A hilarious spoof of "Lethal Weapon"
Emilio Estevez and Samuel L. Jackson are the Mel Gibson and Danny Glover of this film. There are spoof scenes from the Lethal Weapon trilogy and one from WAYNE'S WORLD. This filn was dircted by Gene Quintano who previously directed 1986's POLICE ACADEMY 3-Back In Training. This film reunites Quintano with Lance Kinsey. Kinsey was Lieutenant Proctor in many of the Police Academy sequels. Many people who have seen this film also saw THE BREAKFAST CLUB,THE MIGHTY DUCKS films,STAKEOUT,ANOTHER STAKEOUT(Estevez's other films),and PULP FICTION,one of Jackson's later films. Also many people who have seen this film also saw movies that Estevez's brother Charlie Sheen starred in.

Funny !
I first saw this movie was I was ~ 14 .
Now I'm 20 and I still love it - mostly because of Samuel Jackson and that guy with fantastic german (?) "aññent" .
"Where is the micGrofilm , mr. Colt ?" ....
If you like comedies and parodies - that's a great choice !

Great Comedy
John in his reveiw here has just said exactly what i was going to say! So I dont need to review this myself, he's already done it for me, word for word!

I will add however, if you happen to own this great comedy spoof/parody movie, you might be intrested to know there is a couple of eggs hidden on the DVD! If you go to the biographys and choose Samula L.Jacksons, as you flick through the pages, you will notice some of his movies have gold bars around them? You can select those bars, and click ok and watch the trailers to some of S.L.J's movies!

My words on this movie that John didnt add. If your into comedy spoofs like "naked gun" "airplane" "kentucky freid movie" "spy hard" "hot shots" "silence of the hams" and movies of that type of goofy parodying, then you will love this movie! See Johns reveiw for what movies get parodied ... Read more