Reviews (205)

Great film (it's Scorcese: what do you expect?)
"Casino" falls short of Scorcese's classics like "Goodfellas," "Taxi Driver," and "Raging Bull," and it covers too familiar ground (another mob movie? De Niro and Pesci again?). Nonetheless, it's an irrestistible glimpse at the mob scene in Vegas, and it's chock full of stellar performances. If Joe Pesci deserved an Oscar for his role in "Goodfellas," then he should have deserved two for "Casino," where he's in even better form. DeNiro also shines in his role as Rothstein, looking dapper in his flawlessly-tailored suits. But the film's revelation is Sharon Stone, who radiates as De Niro's love. She was rightfully nominated for an Oscar, but, to this day, she has never since had a role worth our while as this. Scorcese snobs will roll their eyes and call this film "Goodfellas"-lite, but, at nearly 3 hours, it's good enough to glue your eyes to the screen.

If you don't have my money for me, I'll crack your...
In many ways, Casino is the epic Goodfellas could not be. Casino is about relationships between characters in and around organized crime and gambling, and it's about the arc that an entire city of pleasure takes over these people.

It's Scorsese and Pileggi and DeNiro and Pesci and Frank Vincent again and it's a top-notch, gorgeous gangster epic.

In the early 70s the Chicago Outfit sends Sam 'Ace' Rothstein out to Las Vegas to manage the casinos they're skimming cash from. Ace is a gambling master, a sure-bettor who never loses; soon the Tangiers is raking in more dough than ever due to his management. In order to better 'manage', the Outfit also sends Nicky Santoro, a crafty but hot-headed soldiers (Pesci) to Vegas, to provide the muscle. Pretty soon Pesci is smacking people around, stabbing them with pens, putting their heads in vices, and even vandalizing their cars (not to mention flat-out threatening to crack their heads open) all as he looks to set up his own empire away from the Dons in the Midwest.

When Ace marries a call girl named Ginger (Sharon Stone) and attempts to start a family, things start going downhill. Ginger is still involved with her old pimp, for one. And let me pause to mention that James Woods has played possibly the sleaziest, most disgusting rat pimp of all time, from the subtleties like his mustache and mesh shirt to his cheap talk and bullying threats. Eventually, Ace, Nicky, Ginger, Nicky's Vegas crew, they all manage to bring the house crashing down on them.

This is all based on the true story of the Chicago Mob in Las Vegas and the hold the families had on the big casinos. Pillegi's source book is an interesting account for sure, with more commentary from some minor characters in the film, giving it different angles than just the Deniro-Stone-Pesci trifecta.

The film looks gorgeous, it has to be one of Scorsese's biggest budgets. The 70s clothes, the cars, the settings--they manage to scrounge up enough un-touched 70s Vegas left, and they film in real casinos quite a bit.

The film is three hours long; there's a lot packed into this. Along the way it can be fun; the voiceover sequences of Ace describing the workings of a casino, or how people cheat (and get caught) playing blackjack, or the montage of Nicky's gangster antics, all make this very engaging. The film is a lot bloodier than Goodfellas, and even had to be cut (during the infamous head-vice scene.)

This can't be recommended highly enough, HOWEVER, once again we have a very lame DVD, not as bad as Goodfellas, but not much better. You don't have to flip this one over, but for a three hour film, there are far too FEW chapters, making it very frustrating if you want to watch certain portions again. There's a trailer, wow! There's also some text you can read on the production and the stars, but quite frankly, that is one of the lamest features they try to put on discs. Can't they simply print production notes in a booklet?

If you haven't seen this or Goodfellas, come out of the cave. If you listen to some people who say 'It's like Goodfellas, but not as good', well, you can let them think for you. It's as good as Goodfellas, and arguably better.

And Joe Pesci has some of the most choice swearing lines...

Crippled American Version
This is a great movie that deserves a better dvd treatment. The layout and features are extremely vanilla. Not since Dracula have I see such a vhs content type dvd. Maybe in the future it will get a proper treatment in a boxset but in its current condition this release shouldn't be purchased to accompany any collection.

Also its important to note that this is not the uncut version. So far the only uncut version of this classic to make it to dvd is the Australian release.

A Scorsese Masterpiece.
'Casino' is a dominant film which is based on the true story of how Las Vegas was transformed from a simple gambling mecca into a place that has as much personality and colour as Disney World. Robert De Niro stars as a casino owner who is on the ground-level of the city's change. He is a high-class crook who's able to turn profits with the help of the mafia and crooked gaming practices (a norm for all casinos). Joe Pesci is on hand as the mob assassin with the short fuse who is De Niro's right-hand man. However, no one stays on top forever and De Niro's demise is partly due to his ex-prostitute wife (Sharon Stone, in her Oscar-nominated role). Bad decision-making, shady dealings, and questionable alliances will also be key factors in his ultimate downfall. Once again Martin Scorsese has created a film that is so multi-layered and smart that the viewer is completely engrossed for the entire 182 minutes.

'Casino' is a crime epic, in close contrast with 'The Godfather' series of films. Scorsese accomplishes what he did with 'Raging Bull' and 'GoodFellas'. Once again De Niro and Pesci shine with his direction and the unrelenting screenplay. Sharon Stone does the best work of her career. She does not necessarily shine brighter than De Niro and Pesci, but she holds her own and never lets either of them steal her thunder and lightning. Another great thing about 'Casino' is the supporting cast: Don Rickles, Kevin Pollak, James Woods, and Joe Bob Briggs all add great elements of both comedy and drama to this outstanding winner which has been overlooked on Scorsese's list of credits.

Pretty Good Movie
This one doesn't measure up in any meaningful sense to "Goodfellas" (one of the greatest films of all-time).
However I just wanted to voice my sentiments regarding one magnificent scene that gives me a bit of a vicarious thrill; when Pesci's character Nick Santoro (based on the true life mob enforcer Tony Spilotro) confronts the banker: "...I don't think you realize what it is that I do for a living. If I go down to your bank tomorrow and you don't have my money I'll bust your fckin' head open. And just about the time you're getting out of your coma I'll be getting out of jail and I'll bust your fckin' head open again. See, that's the business I'm in..."

I think just about every poor, working class and middle class person has had the urge to sound off to a bank official like that on at least one occasion.

Also Sharon Stone's legs are quite easy on the eyes. ... Read more

Reviews (66)

The Longest Story Ever Told
Having seen this movie twice now on TCM (in widescreen, no less), I still found my attention wandering away from the characters and towards the magnificent scenery. George Stevens last film was considered the biggest box office flop in Hollywood history until "Heaven's Gate" came out in 1980.

And no wonder, while Max Von Sydow is fine as Jesus of Nazareth, the supporting cast and cameo appearences run the gamut from inspired (Ed Wynn as an blind old man) to the insane (John Wayne as a thoughtful Roman centurian).

At times, this film seems more like a stylized retelling, rather than a faithful account. Take for example the scene of Jesus riding into Jeruselam on a donkey. Notice how nearly everyone is wearing spotless white garments. I guess the laundromat was just off camera.

But the major problem is the elephant-walk pacing of the film. It simply takes way too long to tell it's story, despite how great it is.

However, if there is a standout, it's the incredable scenery shot in perfect color hues and tones. What's even more inspired is that the film was shot on location in the American southwest. The mountains in the backgroud actually augment the "more than human" atmosphere that is the life of Jesus.

So, while it takes forever to get there, we at least get to take the scenic route.

Jesus Christ Never Existed.
'The Greatest Story Ever Told' is a famous film some people have seen or at least heard about. Most people fail to realize all of that doesn't matter because Jesus Christ never existed!! Jesus Christ is a mythological figure the church has exploited for hundreds of years and now the film industry has for almost a hundred years. There is absolutely no archeological or historical evidence that Jesus Christ existed. Even if he did exist, it would be highly unlikely he would have received that kind of punishment.
It is a shame that con artists like these filmmakers are using this mythological figure to make millions of dollars. People have to start swaying away from the manipulations of the church and the filmmaking industry and start looking at the hard facts. Jesus Christ and his crucifixion never happened.

a majestic, beautifully filmed epic
This film is often compared with the 1961 "King of Kings", and "Jesus of Nazareth", but this one is by far my favorite of the three, because of the exquisite beauty of it, and Max von Sydow's powerful portrayal of Jesus; his performance has a strength and boldness that is lacking in the other two, and therefore for me much more believable. Sydow was only known to fans of Ingmar Bergman's films at the time, having starred in the Swedish director's "The Seventh Seal" among others, and was a surprise choice to play Jesus, and a good one. He does a marvelous job, and I especially like the scene after Lazarus has died...it is brilliant, and very moving.

George Stevens' vision of the story has a stark majesty, and is taken at a leisurely pace; it is also quite verbal, with some of the major events in the gospels not pictured, but spoken of instead.
Filmed in Arizona and Utah, the cinematography by Loyal Griggs, who took over from William Mellor when Mellor passed away during filming, is glorious. There are scenes that have the composition and balance a fine painting, with extraordinary detail, often framed by doorways or windows, and it's a film I never tire of just looking at. Graphic artists should make a point to see this film, as there is much that can be learned from it. Alfred Newman also wrote a lovely score (with a little help from G. F. Handel) which adds to the aesthetic appeal of this film.

In the huge star-studded cast, some performances are truly memorable, like Claude Rains as a bitter and devious Herod, and Jose Ferrer excellent as his son Herod Antipas; Charlton Heston's ferocious, wild-man John the Baptist is impassioned and perhaps more like the actual Baptist than some of the tamer portrayals.

With its huge budget (over 20 million in 1965 dollars) it was a critical and commercial failure when it was released, but it has had a long life, and is being watched today while some successful films of the mid-'60s quite forgotten, and will continue to be appreciated by everyone who likes Bible epics. It was however, nominated for 4 Academy Awards: Best Art Direction/Set Decoration, Color Cinematography, Costume Design, and Original Score, losing out in all those categories to "Doctor Zhivago". There is "artistic license" taken with the story, but overall, it is a reverential, fairly accurate telling.
Total running time is 196 minutes.

huh?
Okay-- this is the movie on 1 disc ... no extras ... that's it. Why did they bother? You can still buy the 2-disc edition and get all the extras. Very confusing marketing move. I'd also like to see the complete 260 minute version.

the films not great but this is a beautifully acted christ
this film has an absolutely beautiful, poignant performance from max von sydow as christ.more than robert powell, defoe or clavell von sydow gives us a poetic, highly nuanced performance as a human, sensatively emapthetic christ. von sydow does more with facial expressions, his eyes and gestures than defoe did with his writhing or clavell did with his masochism.
powell came close but the quintessental acting role of christ belongs to von sydow.
the film itself has an abundance of flaws, most notably all the star cameos, but watch it for sydow ... Read more

Reviews (22)

Temporarily steals your heart away! Fun movie!
This 1984 film is a fantasy/Drama designed for the Fame and Flashdance crowd. Complete with a well thought out soundtrack made for success, this movie took a step closer to romantic and sexual than it's predecessors. It also included a "rear" look a Steven Bauer ...! You can see even more clearly on DVD!
It's funny to watch this movie so many years later. You see it much differently than the first time movie theater viewing. The styles are very 80's, from Barbra Williams versitile permed bob (updo, curly, straight and wavy) to marital problems of the 80's (succesfull husband not paying attention to his wife's carreer and sexual spontinaety). This type of scenario makes it very easy for young and handsome professional thief (Steven Bauer) to enter into her life.
This kind of movie is common these days on the Lifetime channel. If you enjoy all that, this movie is for you! The only thing missing from this movie on DVD is the extras that selll the other DVD's. Where is the rare musical video for the title song sung by Melissa Manchester in a steamy shower scene with Steven Bauer? Where is the video for Love In The Shadows sung by EG Daily (who recently updated this song) or footage by the stars involved?

Incredibly sexy movie with AAAAAWESOME 80s soundtrack!
This is one my absolutely favorite 80s movies. If you love 80s music, then this is for you - one of the best soundtracks out there. The plot is kind of cheesy but in a really fun way that takes you away from reality. It has a very sexual tone to it that makes you want to jump Steven Bauer. He looks totally hot in this movie. It's definitley worth watching.

Great Movie!....Lousy release version......
Note:My 2 star rating is for this dvd version.The movie itself rates 5 stars.
What was Paramount thinking when they released this chopped up version of this great movie? I still have my version that I taped off of The Movie Channel in 1986(!)which is the original version. There are scenes that are cut/shortened in this dvd release and there are scenes that are even arranged in an entirely different order than the original movie! I waited for years for this movie to be released on dvd.What a big disappointment.Don't waste your money on this dvd version.Try to find a copy of the unrated vhs release and see this movie as it was meant to be seen!
Paramount: Don't you think you need to release the ORIGINAL version of this movie? Sales would probably be better.Some extra features that the other reviewers mentioned would be nice.Maybe a commentary by Barbara Williams and the other stars???

'Thief of Hearts' on DVD: fuggedaboudit!
Lookin' to replace my aging VHS tape of "Thief of hearts", I found a good deal on the DVD edition, took it home, and watched it. I was hangin' in there, enjoying the performances by supporting actors George Wendt (who would eventually sign on as the bar-fly 'Cliff' on 'Cheers' Shortly after this came out) and a weasely & somewhat psychotic David Caruso (who hit it big with 'NYPD Blue' a decade later). Then came the overwhelming torrent of dismay when I found out the big nudie/boink scene-- which commences a little under an hour in, for the information of all you fast-forward-happy horndogs out there-- was cut down by almost a minute as compared to the VHS edition scene! I couldn't believe it-- one of the greatest non-hardcore nudie/boink scenes of all time (right up there with the 'Playboy-playmate-oil-up' moment in "Tennessee Buck" and the 'Catholic High School Girls in Trouble' segment in "Kentucky Fried Movie"), butchered! Oh why, Paramount, why?!?!?!

Needless to say, if you have the VHS edition of 'Thief of Hearts', and you're thinkin' of trading up, I highly recommend you hold off 'til they put out the unedited-boink-scene version on DVD. Don't allow yourself to suffer the disappointment that I've experienced...

'Late

Good movie with a great soundtrack
I remember seeing this movie when it first came out in 1984. I thought it was a good film and really enjoyed it. The music in this movie is really good and it adds a certain sexy appeal to the film's love scenes. I found this movie to be highly erotic which I love and thought the lovemaking scene in the thief's bedroom was done in very good taste without being too ponographic. As far as the acting is concern, Steven Bauer was very convincing as the man who disruptured Mickey's somewhat perfect marriage after stealing her diaries. As for Barbara Williams, no big deal I think she really needs to relax more in front of the camera she looked tense in most scenes. She really would benefit from enrolling in a good drama school and really learning her craft. David Caruso formerly on NYPD BLUE and now on CSI MIAMI, is also quite good as the volatile Bobby Calamara. I gave this movie three stars because I believe the movie could have told more about Scott's personal life and find out more about his background. He was extremely private and the audience I feel felt they were missing a great deal to his way of thinking and why he did what he did for a living. He was a loner, perhaps too much of a loner. Still this was a good movie I'm glad that they finally released it on DVD I wish they would release the soundtrack on CD, I love the music in this movie it is extremely romantic and erotic. Overall, what made this movie appealing to me was no doubt Steven Bauer's performance. He is a great actor is just too bad that we haven't seen too much of him especially in really good movies. Most of the movies that he has done have gone straight to video and they're pretty dissapointing the majority of them. It would be a good thing if he was offered a starring role in a major motion picture that would really show what he is capable of as an actor. Like I said he is a great actor who has not really been the kind of opportunities that actors like Tom Cruise or Brad Pitt have had. Buy this movie is really good and very sexy. See it with somone you care or love a great deal. I guarantee that after you and your significant other see THIEF OF HEARTS, you will want to make love for hours. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

A Bing Bang Bong...
Sophia Loren and Cary Grant team up in this hysterical movie. He's a widower with three children and his widow's sister after him (since she was four years old). Sophia is the daughter of a rich Italian Band conductor - she runs away because she's tired of being told what to do - and becomes the nanny for Grant. The only problem is she can't cook or clean. But the children love her. And soon Grant does too. Two things I learned from this movie: Never park your house on the railroad tracks, and always tie your house tightly to the dock.

Cary, Sophia and 50s Fashion and Romance at its best
Houseboat was the first movie I ever saw in a drive-in. Imagine seeing Cary Grant and Sophia Loren dancing to a Sam Cooke love song on a screen the size of a football field. The wardrobe for the movie is stunning. When did we stop taking the time to dazzle with matching hats, gloves, etc.? Obvious beauty aside, what really impressed me was the award winning script. The explanation Cary Grant gives as a parent about death, and the kids dialogue and behavior rang true. The kids behaved like any children would when one parent dies, and an absentee parent appears to take them from the safe world of their grandparents. The kids were terrific in their roles. Cary Grant and Sophia Loren were superb considering she had just dumped him to marry her current husband. One wonders what would have happened if Cary and Sophia had really married. Would they have lived happily ever after like they did in Houseboat? Who knows. At least we can have that fantasy time and time again on DVD.

a family classic
HOUSEBOAT is one of my favorite movies. I remember my family taping it when I was about 7, and I loved watching it. Needless to say, when the new DVD version was released I instantly snapped it up!

The story is about a widowed Government official (Cary Grant) and his three unruly children. A chance meeting throws the beautiful Cinzia Zaccardi (lovely Sophia Loren) into their lives. Cinzia is the daughter of a prominent classical conductor, and is looking for a change of scene. When she decides to become the children's nanny, no-one is prepared for the hilarity and heartache that is to follow...

This is indeed a lovely family film, with a few shades of "The Sound of Music". The new DVD version offers an average-looking transfer of the film, with a photo gallery and two trailers as the extras.

Also starring Martha Hyer, Harry Guardino, Paul Petersen and Eduardo Cinanelli. (Single-sided, dual-layer disc).

Charming!
Ok so maybe this isn't Cary Grant's funniest comedy but I still enjoyed it and found things to laugh at, it is a sweet movie about a handsome widow with mischievous children who meets a beautiful Italian woman who agrees to be nanny to his children and kind of a housekeeper though she at first is not very good at cleaning and cooking and he doesn't agree with her views about taking care of children and the banter and the attraction between them is amusing. Cary Grant and Sophia Loren are both very good but so are the kids especially Paul Petersen from The Donna Reed Show. I highly recommend this charming movie! I used to have this movie on video but the tape was old and worn out so I think I will probably be getting the widescreen DVD.

Nice 50s movie
The editorial reviews pass this off as a minor film with only the two stars - Cary Grant and Sophia Loren - making it worth your time. They are both great but this film has a little more going for it. Cary Grant is beyond the years when he would stand in the background and steal scenes with facial gestures, here he is well into his Hitchcock years. The 50s was a time of sophistication and pure charm for Cary and Sophia Loren was every thirteen year old boys fantasy.

The story is okay in that you know it will end with Cary and Sophia in each other's arms and everybody happy. But that's what a romantic comedy is and if you enjoy romantic comedies you will not be disappointed. Cary is taking on the responsibility of raising his three children alone on a houseboat and Sophia, running away from her famous orchestra conductor father, is the maid. The Maid! Can imagine Sophia as your maid? Or anybody's maid? Through kid problems, arguments, boyfriends, ups and downs, and country club dances it all ends well. It is the two stars that are the attraction here certainly, but wait; there's more. The film would remain a 3 star middle of the road film if it were not for the nice comedic bit by Harry Guardino and a great score. The score is not on a par with Doctor Zhivago by any means but it fits the film nicely and the lead song by Sam Cooke - Almost In Your Arms - is terrific. I bumped the film up a star for Harry Guardino and Sam Cooke's song. ... Read more

Reviews (105)

The Pivitol Battle of the Pacific War
In June, 1942, the United States uncovered Japanese plans to invade the island of Midway, located only 1100 miles from the Hawaiian islands. This fine film brings this great battle to life.

An all-star cast, including Charlton Heston (Capt. Matt Garth), Henry Fonda (Admiral Chester Nimitz), Glenn Ford (Admiral Raymond Spruance), Hal Holbrook (Commander Joseph Rochefort) and Robert Webber (Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher) turn in fine performances as the men who would ultimately win the battle and turn the tide against the Japanese. The Japanese actors do a fine job as well portraying such officers as Admiral Yamamoto and Admiral Nagumo.

The battle scenes, especially the American dive and torpedo attacks against the Japanese fleet, are excellent. Real battle footage is also included, and if you watch close enough, you may even see some scenes from "Tora Tora Tora" in the footage.

One part of the film that I didn't care very much for was the love relationship between Matt Garth's son Tom and a Japanese/American girl. I felt that this was unnecessary and didn't really contribute anything to the movie. Overall, however, I thought this was an excellent film. The battle scenes are top notch, and the attention paid to historical fact is evident throughout the film, right down to Joe Rochefort's smoking jacket and bedroom slippers.

I've seen this movie several times on VHS, but this was the first time I saw it on DVD. The widescreen format made me feel like I was in the theater. I highly recommend this fine war film. Watch this film and experience the turning of the tide in the Pacific.

Poor sound, over-edited
Midway as originally filmed is one of the great movies of all time. This DVD is not.

Problem #1: I have one of the best sound systems you can buy. The sound goes up and down and up and down on this DVD. You have to hold on to the remote just to be able to stay in the room with it because some combat footage is too loud, and other dramatic discussions are too low in volume.

Problem #2: My wife grew to hate this move somewhere around 1990 because on the veteran related holidays, a good 4+ hours were lost to watching this movie. Others claim that the original was over 5 hours. I'm very disappointed with the 2+ hour version. I want to see it all.

The manufacturer needs to do something to get us the complete movie. They won't, though, becuase they have to redo the sound for the DVD, and that's expensive.

One of the better historical WWII movies

A good friend of mine (and a contemporary) rode in the backseat of a dive bomber at the battle of midway. He's dead now, like three quarters of the men who fought in World War Two. Can you imagine riding backwards in a dive while the people below are doing their best to kill you? Unless you've been there, probably not.

This is, historically, one of the most accurate portrayals of the war. One critic complained that "the writing was weak. There was no suspense at all in the film." Perhaps there'd have been enough suspense if he'd been there, like Bill. But Bill survived the battle and died of old age, so I can't ask him about whether he felt any suspense, although we talked a lot about the battle of Midway.

In the film, they used top notch actors. For "Bull" Halsey they used Mitchum. Not a look alike, but of course Bull's dead, too, and Mitchum did a good job. Heston, of course, represented a fictional character (Matt Garth), but virtually all of the names of people in the film were real men who fought a real battle, and it was the turning point of the war. After Midway, we took a lot of lumps, but they were on the run from that point on.

Of course Hollywood took some liberties, and since they used a lot of actual combat shots, some of the aircraft used were out of place (F6F "Hellcats" for F4F "Wildcats" several times, and the ditching scene where Ensign George Gay went in showed a "Hellcat" instead of the TBD Douglas torpedo bomber that he actually flew. And the shot of the "Hellcat" being torn apart on the carrier's island was well-known footage from the technicolor documentary, The Fighting Lady, which was shot on the old Enterprise during battle, with narration by Lt. Robert Montgomery (qv). Garth's (Heston's) fictional son was supposed to be flying it in the film, but it was an actual crash on board the "Big E", in an actual battle. "Hellcats" (F6F) were Grumman fighter planes (the big brother of the "Wildcat" (F4F) which was obsolescent when the war started, but in use at the Battle of Midway--as was the old Brewster "Buffalo") and the F6F never saw combat until late 1943 (on my birthday, as a matter of fact.) The battle of Midway was in June of 1942, six months after Pearl Harbor.

It helps when you know a little history. For instance, Ensign George Gay actually did ride out the battle in the water, after he ditched, and was debriefed personally by the commander-in-chief, pacific fleet (CINCPAC), Admiral Chester Nimitz. He was the only survivor of his torpedo squadron, VT-8 (torpedo squadron 8).

Altogether, when you see this picture, you are watching history (as near as Hollywood will ever get to it), and many of the people who died to entertain today's movie audiences are named in the movie.

So, try to overlook the lack of a plot, at least in the battle sequences. History wrote them, not Hollywood script writers.

Joseph (Joe) Pierre, USN (Ret)

author of Handguns and Freedom...their care and maintenance
and other books

All-Star Cast. Ultimate invasion of Midway Island.
This story is set in June 1942, six months after the Pearl Harbor attack on December 7, 1941. Includes the all-star cast of: Charlton Heston, Henry Fonda, James Coburn, Glenn Ford, Hal Holbrook, Toshiro Mifune, Robert Mitchum, Cliff Robertson, Robert Wagner, Ed Nelson, Monte Markham, David Macklin, Christopher George, Robert Webber, Kevin Dobson, Edward Albert, Pat Morita, Dabney Coleman, Erik Estrada, Tom Selleck, Robert Ito, Steve Kanaly, Kip Niven, Clint Ritchie (ABC serial "One Life To Live"), Frank Parker (NBC serial "Days Of Our Lives"). The main cast can be seen acting with stock footage from THIRTY SECONDS OVER TOKYO and some old Japanese war films. However, some actual wartime footage of the real combat is incorporated into this film. The actual war footage was filmed in color by navy photographers and by the cameras mounted on fighter planes in 1942.
Filmed in the same manner as EARTHQUAKE (1974) and ROLLERCOASTER (1977) and in "Sensurround". "Sensurround" was a new sound system set up for specific films only that would make the sounds in the film seem realistic to you. The sound was balanced and came at you all around. You would hear the sound of an earthquake, riding a rollercoaster or being in the middle of a battle. Very few films were made in "Sensurround" and was only a gimmick in the 1970's. Small theaters benefited the most. Nowadays, we have sound systems in our own modern homes that come at us from behind and the sides. Disneyland rides use a sound system similar to "Sensurround".
A special television version runs four hours with commercials. It includes new scenes NOT shown on video or in the theatres. It includes new scenes with an additional cast NOT seen in the original version, Susan Sullivan, Richard Sanders, Noel Conlon, Don Dolan, Richard Sarradet, Alec Smight, Miiko Taka and William Wellman Jr. The extended tv version includes a Charlton Heston-Susan Sullivan romance and the scenes of the Coral Sea battle is played out. At the end of the television extended version, Susan Sullivan and Christine Kukobo are both shown waiting at dockside.
I think this film was meant to be a tribute to those Americans who served.

Just slightly over-edited
Our USMC squad went to the 'World Premier' at Luneta Theatre, Manila, Philippines. Midway WAS a Full-length FEATURE movie-then. It was near 5 hours long. Our sixes burned from seating.
>These days the once good, and quite long Midway has been edited-down from it's feature film status, a 5, to the new 2+ hour typical 'Hollyweird' shortened edition, a true waste of unreplaceable WWII Pacific footage, though actually faked. According to The NAVY, there were NO USN photojournalists with color motion-picture cameras at or near Midway, and actual Naval Aviators names were changed, and most colorized motion picture photography was filmed at The Battle For Leyte Gulf.
>Some carrier shots depict the ESSEX-class carriers designed POST Midway, and produced in 1943. "Universal" left-out several hours of video footage. Midway should be near 4-5 hours. ... Read more

Description

Mary-Kate and Ashley star as soccer-playing sisters who scheme to trade teams by secretly trading places. But as the plan unfolds, there's chaos on and off the field. With clever schemes, hilarious mix-ups and non-stop action all part of the game, Mary-Kate and Ashley are in for some fancy footwork in their all-new feature-length movie! ... Read more

Reviews (30)

OLSEN TWINS ROCK!
if you love soccer and if you love the twins than you will REALLY REALLY REALLY enjoy this GREAT movie! Even if you aren't a fan of the twins or maybe you are and just hate soccer you will really like this movie it's cute funny and adorable especially if you want your kids to be quiet(the older ones maybe) pop this movie in and they will keep quiet for about a hour!I also recommend Passport to Paris another great Olsen twin movie!

this movie was awsome!
if you like the olsens,soccer,and boys this movie is for you.this movie was about emma (ashley) and sam (mary-kate)stanton. sam is an athlete and emma,well is not!they end up on opposite soccer teams (sam on the bad, emma on the good) and they switch places to make eachother look good and then their mom finds out and they and thier dad are in trouble,they have to forfit their first 4 games fo lying. i won't spoil the end but lets just say emma and sam end up to live happily ever after with 2 boyfriends!

Really good and even interesting for adult viewing.....
My 5 yo got hooked on the Olsens by watching reruns of Full House on Nick and ABCFam. So I got a couple of videos for her to span the divide between her Dora years and whatever comes next! This is really a cute movie that even I enjoy watching several times over. I can relate to the parental roles and she can relate to the soccer and girly stuff. This led me to make more purchases of the video series and I hope the rest are as good. A nice relaxing watch!!

It Was Okay... I Guess
Switching Goals is not the Olsen twins best work, but if you're a soccer fan, you should watch it anyway. The plot was alright, but it was soooo predictable. It really needs more soccer scenes, but if you like soccer and/or the Olsen twins, you'll like this movie.

The Olsen twins are great role models!
I got this movie for for my younger sister for her birthday. She was kinda girly and didn't like sports much. I thought this would be a great movie since Ashley is her favourite actress. She had all the movies out at that time except for this one. When she watched it she wanted to be in sports! I thought it was so strange that suddenly she wanted to be in sports. I watched the movie for myself. I fell in love with. I bought a copy for myself. These girls are great role models. The Olsen twins got my sister into a physical activities instead of getting trouble or hooked on drugs. These are girls love being themselves and aren't into being what others are into, like drugs and stuff. They don't swear in their movies either. This is a great movie for the whole family to enjoy. This movie's about two sisters named Emma(Ashley) and Sam (Mary-Kate)Stanton who try-out for soccer teams for a soccer competition. Emma being girly thought it would be a new experience for her. When the sisters get the opposite teams which they had hope for. The girls secretly trade places. Will they pull it off? Will everything go smooth? Buy this movie and find out! Hope this was helpful!!! ... Read more

Reviews (17)

The Haze of Righteous Indignation
Somewhere amidst the perfection of 1989's My Left Foot and the frenzied energy of 1993's In The Name of The Father director Jim Sheridan had a brief flirtation with mediocrity in this drab Irish saga. Failing as an allegory and a docudrama, The Field is finally a film at odds with itself.

The time is 1920s Ireland where Bull McCabe(Richard Harris) works the land his father and his father's father had worked before him. By his side is his obedient somewhat dim son Tadgh(Sean Bean) and a slithery right hand man named Bird(John Hurt) who also happens to be a little dim. Together Tadgh and Bird will justify the old man's stubbornness with their mindless support.

When the English widow who owns the land on which the McCabe family has been toiling for decades decides to sell it, Bull is only to happy to spend his life savings to finally own what he feels to be rightfully his. In a film of many symbols, the most obvious here is the proud Irishman's refusal to let the English who starved and killed them own their land. Alas, an Irish American(Tom Berenger) has come to find his roots(or something) and decides that he must have this particular field at any price. Berenger is given all of four lines to explain his ache for the field, something along the lines of "When my father died, I had to come back".

A fable is by definition an unrealistic story set to convey a moral message. If The Field purports to be one, where is the sensual beauty that permeates these morality plays? If it's a realistic docu-drama, why is it that I can see the Lear like fate McCabe one hour before the film does? This is a movie with a thoroughly confused tone. Yet Harris's rightly Oscar nominated performance is undeniably great. With his chin down to his chest, his eyes bulging and his hands shaking in rage he spouts out his lines between heavy fumes of breath. But in the greatness of his performance there is a curious paradox. This stubborn unrelenting man who defends his right to the land as if it were his very soul is given the best lines, the most admiring closups. While the forces of reasons, the forces that oppose him are pale and lifeless. Never is this more clear then in what is ironically the film's most affecting scene: As McCabe stands infront of the local Catholic priest(who has now become quite chummy with the Yank) he movingly recounts how he and his father starved, bled and strained on this field and thus as a local deserves to own it. The priest's quite sensible response is "Why don't you find another field?". But it's such a colorless response uttered by a marginal character that it pales next to McCabes speech. Here Sheridan is commanding the audience to side with McCabe. I never felt much sympathy for McCabe's quest. Just Pity.

There are many reasons why people watch tragedies. I guess there is the compassion a viewer feels for his fellow man that maybe saddening but heartfelt. More importantly there is the character's reaction to the tragedy that provides the lesson, and possibly redemption. It is never in any doubt that McCabe's uncompromising ways will come back to haunt him. There are three broad outlines along which he could react to the inevitable fallout:

1)He could continue in his bigotry and refuse to acknowledge his responsibility, which ofcourse would require the director to come up with an original way to make his point.

2)He could face up to his actions, re-evaluate his principles and attempt to redeem himself.

3)Go Insane, which ofcourse is the ultimate cop-out. A convenient punishment that requires no introspection.

Of the three paths, which one do you think this self-defeating drama ulitmatley takes?

Not likely to run on TBS each St, Patrick's Day
Richard Harris received an Academy Award nomination for his performance as the domineering "Bull" McCabe in this strongly acted film of a bleak, mean spirited and reactionary Ireland. My favorite performance, however, is Sean Bean as Bull's son, Tadgh, the sullen, resentful canvas on which Harris paints his stubborn, destructive, megalomaniacal madness.

If you want to believe in cheerful Irish country folk making like Leprechauns and the Blarney Stone watch the reruns of the Quiet Man on TBS. But if you want a superbly acted story about one man's blindness to the effect his Irish pigheadedness has on others and how it can destroy what he says he loves, this is the movie for you.

At least it wasn't for a Yank burger shack
Land developers beware of Irish backwaters - they're more trouble than they're worth.

Old "Bull" McCabe (Richard Harris) and son Tadgh (Sean Bean) open THE FIELD by tossing the body of a donkey off a cliff into a body of water, and are then seen gathering seaweed, which they schlep over the mountains on their backs. It obviously isn't Kansas. As it turns out, Tadgh had killed the donkey when it broke down a wall and trespassed into the McCabe's field, a three-acre piece of pasture that Bull (and his forebears before him) have toiled over. The seaweed is used as fertilizer. After so many decades of sweat, the elder McCabe is convinced that the land is rightly his, though he pays monthly rent to an Englishwoman for the privilege of working it. Trouble erupts when the owner decides to sell THE FIELD to the highest bidder.

The film has good intentions as it attempts to illustrate the pitfalls of identifying too closely with a piece of ground rather than just letting it go when some developer expresses an interest. In this case, the evil land grabber is a rich Irish-American (Tom Berenger), who's returning to the country of his roots. He wants to pave over Bull's field and make it a staging point for a quarry. (Consider some of the lands in dispute in today's world and imagine what nice parking lots they'd make for a new Wal-Mart.)

THE FIELD is set after the English were chased from the Irish Republic, but before WWII. Harris is first rate as the old fighter who's not about to give up now despite other festering problems. McCabe's wife Maggie hasn't talked to him in eighteen years, apparently since their first-born son committed suicide, itself a millstone around Bull's neck. McCabe senior is now left with Tadgh, not the brightest bulb in the pub sign, who's not interested in inheriting Old dad's crummy lot anyhow and just wants to run off with a Gypsy temptress.

THE FIELD is a dreary piece enlivened only by Richard's performance and that of John Hurt as "Bird" O'Donnell, evidently one of Bull's hired hands, who serves as either a catalyst of trouble or silent observer of events as the plot dictates. Berenger is non-descript as the rapacious Yank, and Bean's Tadgh is totally unengaging. Even Maggie's first words to Bull after the long dry spell are curiously lacking in profundity.

Filmed entirely in Ireland, there's something to be said for the land's austere beauty as captured by the lens. However, by the end credits, I just didn't care about THE FIELD, its walls, its sheep, its cattle, its seaweed, and its crazy renter. Retire to Florida, already.

an all-time favortie...
I read a review of this film on Amazon - indicating that any Irish film must mention the Famine - the review irked me, everyone is entitled to an opinion, sure, but that observation struck me as a very disdainful comment on Irish culture & history than the film itself - after watching The Field again this evening, I decided to offer my own opinion.

I love Jim Sheridan's work in general, but truly appreciate this film - an excellent story, believably written and acted with incredible delicacy. This film tops my list. I very highly recommend The Field as one of the finest & most moving tragedies on film.

Excellent, gripping, and SO depressing.
Richard Harris is absolutely outstanding in this film. No wonder he got an Oscar nomination. This film about pride and struggle keeps you rivited from beginning to end. And a sad, frantic, tragic end it is.

Sean Bean plays Harris's son, and he is very effective as a somewhat dimwitted fellow who is cowed by his powerful and stubborn father. Brenda Fricker (as Bean's mom and Harris's wife) is fine too. And John Hurt plays an amusing gap-toothed buddy with great humor! He was a particular favorite.

Tom Berenger as "The American" gives a fine performance as well (he did a good "East Coast" accent), but it's unfortunate that his character's motivations in buying the field are not more clearly defined--it would have helped explain more of the plot.

Beautiful scenery, and a great score by Elmer Bernstein add much to this film as well! However, closed captions definitely were needed in this movie. The accents are too thick for American ears. (Except for Berenger's accent, of course!) I don't understand why this film was not subtitled or closed-captioned. Not only do the hearing impaired need the captioning, anyone who has trouble with the thick accents will need it too. What gives?

An excellent film. Depressing and dramatic, but it keeps you thinking after the film is over. Richard Harris is *amazing*. What a treat to see him shine in such a way. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Trashy! Ridiculous! Awful Performances! DON'T MISS IT!
This movie is so bad, it's good!

Without giving away the wacky concept behind this mess, "The Lonely Lady" has all the appearances of being a made-for-TV movie produced sometime around the late seventies/early eighties, with some superficial nudity thrown in for good measure. Definitely a period peice.

The characters are so two dimensional, it's almost like watching lip-syncing cardboard manikins. Pia Zadora's squirrelly acting style is particularly amusing. The storyline is sort of nonexistent.

So Martha S. says here's what to do in order to make this occasion a cheery holiday funfest: Have a low-rent party!!! All you have to do is make a batch of fruit punch and spike it with MD 20/20 or some other cheap wine; Whip up some Hors Deuvers made of Ritz crackers, Spam and Cheez Whiz. Fry up some Okra!

Then, get a copy of the other Pia Zadora Epic, "Butterfly", invite all your freinds over, and have a Pia Zadora Film Festival... So what's not to like?

An American Classic
Don't listen to all of those stuffy movie critics and people who ripped on this movie without even watching it. If they had their way, we would watch nothing but endless reruns of foreign films (w/ subtitles) and hapless domestic productions that are short on action and long on boredom.

This HOLLYWOOD rags to riches story was truly inspiring! Pia Zadora gives an Oscar worthy performance while displaying all of her assets (no pun intended).

In short, if there is one movie you see this year, "The Lonely Lady" should be tops on you list.

Sometimes your in the mood for that
Don't listen to all the uptight reviewers who say this movie is awful. People need to lighten up. I hardly think Pia and company were aspiring to great art here; instead they've created a deliciously tacky movie that has plenty of sex, drugs, and campy acting. Sometimes your in the mood for that, you know. p.s. pia's body is to die for.

Glop!
This was one of those movies I watched on cable one night when I was a kid and my parents were not at home and It was one of the worst movies I have ever seen so vapid and trite and stupid! A pile of glop!

Total "Camp" Classic!
I didn't like this movie much when it was released back in 1983. Over the years it has sort of grown on me. I seemed to always catch it playing on TV and couldn't stop watching it. Recently, I saw it on TV, and figured I might as well buy it on video since I like it so much. The copies I purchased here in Canada from a record store were awful, and was I able to find a clean playing copy that was new on the internet. It's basically about an up & coming writer that sleeps here way to the top and meets a lot of unscrupulous people along the way. It's a drive-in movie through & through. Lots of nudity, violence, and a really lame script, but it has a certain charm that I can't put my finger on. If you like 'B' movies, this one is a must have for your collection. ... Read more

Reviews (676)

A dissapointment
The first Mummy was an enjoyable, if tedious, romp about the struggles of an adventurer and his companions to stop the apocalyptic agenda of an ancient Egyptian priest. Far from perfect, The Mummy nevertheless boasted an infectious blend of high adventure, low-scare horror, and special effects that transformed it into a surprise hit. Now comes the sequel; The Mummy Returns along with most of the original cast. The rather jumbled plot is as follows: A cult of power-mad Egyptologists have concocted a plan by which they can obtain world domination. First, they must resurrect Im-Ho-Tep, the mummy from the first film. Since they are being led by the ancient priest's re-incarnated girlfriend, Anck-Su-Namun (Patricia Velazquez), this proves to be surprisingly easy. Then, with his powers restored, Im-Ho-Tep heads off to do battle with the mythical Scorpion King, whose tomb lies in a pyramid at the center of a hidden oasis. In order to find that oasis, Im-Ho-Tep needs an artifact which happens to be in the possession of Alex O'Connell. And, when the boy is kidnapped, that brings his parents, his uncle Jonathan, and their old friend, Ardeth Bay, into the conflict. This results in a lot of chasing around the globe and a climax that features a special effects-laden battle between two armies. Unfortunately, it becomes obvious real fast that the only reason The Mummy Returns exists is because of Universal Studio's greed, and not due to a creative process. Of course this is the thought process that kills most sequels. The story is told so sloppy and is so unnecessary, the characters are eventually abandoned and it becomes really hard to care about anyone or anything. The plot pot is boiling so furiously with silly deaths-and-rebirths and various attempts at sub-plots, it turns to overkill.

Fraser has never seemed more smarmy; he doesn't retain a smidgen of his usual bumptious charm. Weisz, who must shift from being a strong woman at one instant to a helpless damsel the next (and endure some really embarrassing fight sequences with Velasquez in flashbacks to her former life in ancient Thebes -- she's been reincarnated -- don't ask), is surprisingly nondescript in all these guises. Even the CGI is a let down: The computer generated Scorpion King is simply awful (the warriors of Anubis are so startingly fake you can feel Ray Harryhausen crying out for vengeance). While roller-coaster rides can be fun, even they need proper timing: they require occasional pauses from the plunges, and certainly shouldn't drag on forever. Oh well, I hope Jurassic Park and Planet of the Apes score better than The Mummy Returns.

Action-packed Entertainment - a True Sequel
I tend to rate a movie on it's 'see again' factor - I'd watch this one again and again... I've rarely seen a sequel that follows on so beautifully from where the original left off. It's 10 years later and the O'Connells have a son, Alex, who has a relentless tendency to get into trouble - kind of like his mother, really.

Okay, so there are a few 'seen-it, 'been there, done that' moments, but despite this, "The Mummy Returns" manages to pack in the action and keep your eyes glued to the screen. Best points: the story behind the murder of Pharaoh Seti I in the first movie involving Evy, Imhotep and Anck Su Namun - nice follow on there; the FANTASTIC battle between Anubis's army and the Medjai in the desert - great SFX! And the moment of Anck Su Namun betrayal - one of those rare times your heart goes out to the bad guy.

Most importantly, the movie is about FUN. Yes, there are things that defy reality, the plot isn't water-tight or rock-steady - so what? It's an action-packed, entertaining, SCI-FI movie with memorable characters, great actors that makes brilliant use of special effects and doesn't take itself too seriously. What more could a die-hard movie buff ask for?

All I'm saying is...
...this could have been much better. Three years after the fact, I know many of us are in agreement that this sequel did not live up to the original, so instead of just bashing it, I thought I'd do a take on what NOT to do with a sequel:

1.) Do not sacrifice plot for action. After so many sequels that bombed because of this, the producers still fell for it anyway. Do you know what made "The Mummy" so awesome? The lure of all the ancient Egyptian lore and myth, which, when interspersed with action, brought the entire movie alive. We don't need more brawls and swordfights and self-consuming cities--we need more of the MAGIC.

2.) Don't reference the original more than twice. It's not as if we don't remember the books and the plagues and the happy romance. If anything, constant reflections insult us as an audience. It's another bad trap that sequel-makers fall into, and again, it happened here too.

3.) Don't wreck the memory of a beloved setting. Hamunaptra was chock-full of all that we as Americans want from ancient Egypt: vast treasures, sarcophogi, curses, booby traps, juicy mummies. And what did we see of it in the second film? Sand, teeming with people who couldn't even find it eight years before. Huge electric lights illuminating what once could only be seen by torchlight. Trucks, instead of camels! And some really strangely reincarnated Anck-su-namun. The moviemakers effectively ruined the magic of Hamunaptra, and they didn't have to. Shame!

4.) Never, ever, ever pull a stunt like a CGI Rock again. Could they not afford to pay him for the final scenes? Just imagine the heroic fight between Rick, Imhotep, and the Scorpion King--only all three are in the flesh! People would have been cheering in the theatre watching the Rock fight with Brendan Fraser and Arnold Vosloo. But noooo...let's pull CGI out of our butts for the eighty millionth time. Shame shame!

5.) Don't ruin the best moments of the film by shortening them. Were we too busy playing around with CGI Rock to choreograph a great fight scene between Anck and Evie? I think we might have been. I understand that having Anck shy away from fighting helped set up her not being brave enough in the end for other things, but even just extending the fight a little longer would have helped. Anck could have given her best in an extended fight but still lost, and then we could have watched her bravado melt away and become her undoing.

All that being said, there are some bright spots. The mummy himself, for one. And the character of Jonathan was as lively and funny as ever, thank goodness; Ardeth Bay (Oded Fehr) was even more campily serious and apocolyptic, and that was fun, too. Enough can't be said for Brendan Frasier, who IS the action hero of the the new millenium--handsome, funny, totally self-aware, and he puts his heart into everything completely.

I hope they make a third "Mummy." There's a lot left of ancient Egypt to explore, especially since in the time period of the movies not everything had been discovered yet. I think all the main characters would have to return, and that the plot with the most potential still remains that between Imhotep and Anck-su-namun. With all the money they have in Hollywood, the producers should be able to hire a team talented enough to write a movie as magical as the first.

Mummy Dearest
Such trash the movie studios insult us with. The Cringometer peaked over the red line from the opener and climaxed with some of the worst CG ever. The Rock- more like The Crock! Possibly the worst film in any aspect ratio, preferable on NO SCREEN. Had hoped that Stephen Sommers would be sent into exile for this sub-par Jules Verne abortion, but we've just seen Van Helsing and don't understand why he hasn't suicided.

Mummys Back
The second adventure of this series is set eight years after the first. This time the affects are better and we get to see more of supermodel, Patricia Velasquez, wearing only gold paint as well as toting a machine gun. The most popular scene in the movie is the chic fight between Velasquez and Weiss, no doubt the pause and shuttle buttons will get a work out...

As usuall Brendan Frazer is at his silly best with his now on screen wife, Rachael Wiess a still overly beautiful adventurist. This time they have an equally inqusitive son who simple can't leave things alone... ... Read more

Reviews (240)

The Lost World
This sequel to the 1993 blockbuster is good as sequels go but isn't a great movie. Jeff Goldblum gives a good performance as Dr. Ian Malcolm and Julianne Moore contributes too. The screenplay based on the novel by Michael Crichton is poorly done but has a few funny lines. The cinematography is good and captures the horror very well, and the production design is very frightening. The soundwork is very good, but the editing by veteran Michael Kahn (Close Encounters, Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T.) is not very well done, you can hardly digest what is happening. John Williams contributes a rousing yet ominous score. One thing that keeps this movie moving are the incredible Oscar nominated special effects done masterfully by the great Dennis Muren and Stan Winston. The basic plot is that John Hammond, the creator of Jurassic Park, has an island where dinosaurs roam freely but must send Malcolm along with his girlfriend and two other companions to photograph the dinosaurs so Ingen will be kept from disturbing the dinosaurs. Overall, fairly well done, suspenseful, but fails to capture the awe, greatness, and wonder that the original possessed. There is also a Jurassic Park 3 coming out. I can't wait.

Dinosaurs Galore
Recently I was able to catch Spielberg's The Lost World. I say Spielberg because other than the title it bears no resemblance to the book. This is not necessarily a bad thing. While a lousy interpretation of the book it is still a good film.

Jeff Goldblum is hired (by a man who is dead in the book) to study the ecosystems on InGen's Site B where dinosaurs have been flourishing. Only the fact that his girlfriend is in danger gets Goldblum to go. No sooner does he arrive and try and convince her to leave than a massive InGen expedition shows up to hunt and capture dinosaurs.

InGen's plans for capturing dinosaurs goes awry when Goldblum and friends release the dinosaurs during a satellite-linked board meeting. InGen plans to open a dinosaur park facility at the San Diego zoo. During the chaos every radio in the camp manages to get trampled. The survivors must now find a way off of the island. Unfortunately most of them are killed in a brief attack by velociraptors while in tall grass.

The few survivors of the second expedition manage to capture a T-Rex and ready it for shipping to the states. Goldblum and friends escape by helicopter.

In San Diego the T-Rex manages to escape and go rampaging through the city. Goldblum must lure the T-Rex back onto the freighter that brought it to the States. In the end a huge navy escort follows the freighter back to the island while Mr. Hammond implores to public to leave the dinosaurs alone; they deserve it.

Some people definitely had fun making this movie. There were scenes from classic and not-so-classic movies including King Kong, Godzilla, Carnosaur 3 (CARNOSAUR was the book Crichton got the idea for JURASSIC PARK from) and others. Two scenes I particularly enjoyed were a crowd of screaming Japanese looking over their shoulders while running in terror and a little boy who wakes his parents to tell them that there is a dinosaur in the back yard.

It was reported that a paleontologist made sure that the dinosaurs acted as current scientific beliefs say they should. Hah! The Stegosaurs were the size of apatosaurs. Something, possibly the escaped triceratops, managed to knock a hummer airborne so that ir reached an altitude of at least a hundred feet and an amazing distance. Velociraptors can now leap three stories up and forty yards out. The tyrannosaur can run right through building walls without slowing down. Fun? Yes. Realistic? No way. Needless to say if the dinosaurs acted this way in the first movie then no one would have escaped.

Still, it was a very fun film that I recommend to any dinosaur lover who can stand to see people pulled apart by huge carnivores sharing a tidbit. The Lost World (the third film by that name) should be available on video and day now.

Steven Plays Around A Bit...
Actually, LWJP is just Steven Spielberg having some fun. It's an obvious tribute to movies like King Kong, Godzilla, and even the original 1925 version of The Lost World. It's a non-stop SFX extravaganza that is more dessert than a nourishing meal. Jeff Goldblum returns as Ian Malcolm. He is not bad in his role, though he does wear thin. Julianne Moore is beautiful as always, and pulls off her "concerned scientist" part with ease. The T-rex is back, with his mate and offspring. The Raptors terrorize, managing to kill off many slimy hunters and Ingen drones. Not a bad sequel, considering that most sequels are pure rubbish anyway. I enjoyed the T-rex running rampant in LA. I only wish it had had more time to cause hysteria and chaos! A nice binge-eating trip down Hollywood Blvd would've been cool! Oh well. Watch with brain on pause...

It's Lost All Right
"Jurassic Park" could be forgiven the lack of story and character development because it was artfully crafted to be a thrill ride. This sequel, also inspired by Michael Chrichton's book, departs more from the story and fully flops into the B-movie category.

Jeff Goldblum is back visiting the dinosaurs, along with several other characters from the previous movie. This time our scientists are observing the behavior of the dinosaurs, trying to learn as much as possible, a very scientist-like activity. However, greed plays a part once again as a team of big-game hunters come to the island to attempt to capture an array of dinosaurs for a dinosaur zoo in an attempt for Ingen to recoup some of its substantial investment in the dinosaurs.

All appears to be going well for everyone except the dinosaurs until the scientists decide to play environmentalists and release all the dinosaurs from their cages. The dinosaurs go on a rampage (ever seen a rampaging triceratops?), destroying the camp of the hunters. Even then our scientists would have been okay had they not decided to help a baby tyrannosaurus. The parents track down the baby with predictably bad results for the humans.

Now scientists and big game hunters alike are on the run from the tyrannosaurs, and in the process of escaping they encounter our old friends the raptors, still intelligent, still agile, and still very hungry.

Eventually some of the characters escape, and the tyrannosaurus and its baby are captured so that they can be taken to California. Something unexplained happens on the ship and the only thing left are the tyrannosaurs and a hand trying keeping a cargo bay door closed. Remove the hand and a miniature Godzilla roams the streets of San Diego.

The first Jurassic Park movie had plot holes that you were able to ignore in favor of the cool special effects and the action. This time the plot holes are bigger than the movie. Real scientists do not behave as Dr. Sarah Harding (Julianne Moore) does in this movie. As Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) advises her, "Do not interact," a basic rule of scientific observation. Interacting is for Green Peace and the Sierra Club, not for real scientists.

Our hunters blunder about in a manner that is guaranteed to get them killed. They run when they should walk. They walk when they should stay put. The actions of the supposed scientists continually put everyone into danger. When you remove the bullets from a gun, and the gun is later used to attempt to protect you, the result is predictable. The plot holes continue in allowing the tyrannosaur escape.

Added to the plot holes are moments of humor that further spin this movie into the realm of low-budget monster movies. The scene with the dog in a San Diego suburb was completely unnecessary. Of course, by that point I was beyond disappointed with the movie.

This movie does have a few good points, all based on action scenes, but the plot holes outweigh the good portions and the mistakes and silly behavior make this movie difficult to watch. I give this movie three stars because the special effects continued to be good, the only redeeming feature of this movie.

Okay, not as good as the first
This movie was okay. The first one is so much better, but this one is still not bad. I thought it was awesome when the T-Rex attacked a city! I still bought it because I love the movies. See it if you like the first, but don't expect it to be better.

MPAA: PG-13
Running Time: 129 minutes
Year released: 1997 ... Read more

Description

A country and western singer jeopardizes his marriage and his career when he has an affair with the young daughter of his longtime musical sidekick. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

What's Not to Like?
One of the feel-good movies of the 80s, "Honeysuckle Rose" wears well. Willie Nelson plays Buck Bonham, a country superstar (surprise!) who's about to go out on tour when he loses a key member of the band. No problem. Buck's loyal, loving wife (Dyan Cannon), herself a former superstar and now Buck's business manager, books the young, attractive, and professionally untried daughter of a longtime family friend (Slim Pickens) to temporarily join the tour until a seasoned replacement can be found. It turns out the girl (Amy Irving, young, sexy, and beautiful) can really belt out a tune. And that's not all.

Before you can say "broken heart," Buck and the girl are in bed together, and their mutual passion is there for all to see as they sing together on stage (by the way, Irving has one heck of a voice, and her duets with Nelson are sweet and lovely). How long will it take for the Missus to find out?

Despite the open disapproval of his band members and country friends such as Amy Harris (who has a couple of solos as well), Buck continues the dangerous affair--until somebody tips off his wife and she appears unexpectedly at one of the concert venues. There ensues a great deal of melodrama, most of it played out in song, like the classic "You Were Always On My Mind." Unfortunately, Cannon, who is supposed to be a country great in this movie, sings as well, and her flat, untrained and grating voice is just awful.

The plot sidesteps into a silly trip to Mexico with Slim Pickens, the outraged father and friend, during which Bonham comes to his senses. All works out just fine in the end, and the viewer ends up smiling, humming country songs, and rewinding the tape to start it up all over again.

"Honeysuckle Rose" a totally entertaining film.
Honeysuckle Rose once again proves that a great singer, Willie Nelson, can be, and usually is, a more than competent actor. Buoyed up with outstanding performances by Dyan Cannon, Amy Irving and Slim Pickens, Willie more than holds his own in this totally entertaining and music- filled portrayal of life on the road as a country musician. Most of Willie's million-seller hits are included along the way. It is a realistic and satisfying account of journeymen musician's lives, including the creative energy they must generate to be a success and the foibles they often display enroute. Don't miss it.

A true-to-life image of music on the road
While it certainly does not hurt to be a Willie Nelson fan to enjoy this movie, anybody (whether into rock, country, folk, etc...) wanting to see a humerous and serious true-to-life movie about playing music on the road should see this. The acting is great and the plot and content is superb.

Classic, true outlaw-country road movie
Willie nelson plays Buck Bonham, a country singer based on his own person. The movie makes you relive the time Willie Nelson was at one of his peaks. Great music, and although the storieline is a little weak, the settings and music make up for it a 100 percent. It's the only movie I know of that can be watched hundreds of times without getting boring. ... Read more

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Akira Kurosawa's rousing Seven Samurai was a natural for an American remake--after all, the codes and conventions of ancient Japan and the Wild West (at least the mythical movie West) are not so very far apart. Thus The Magnificent Seven effortlessly turns samurai into cowboys (the same trick worked more than once: Kurosawa's Yojimbo became Sergio Leone's A Fistful of Dollars). The beleaguered denizens of a Mexican village, weary of attacks by banditos, hire seven gunslingers to repel the invaders once and for all. The gunmen are cool and capable, with most of the actors playing them just on the cusp of '60s stardom: Steve McQueen, James Coburn, Charles Bronson, Robert Vaughn. The man who brings these warriors together is Yul Brynner, the baddest bald man in the West. There's nothing especially stylish about the approach of veteran director John Sturges (The Great Escape), but the storytelling is clear and strong, and the charisma of the young guns fairly flies off the screen. If that isn't enough to awaken the 12-year-old kid inside anyone, the unforgettable Elmer Bernstein music will do it: bum-bum-ba-bum, bum-ba-bum-ba-bum.... Followed by three inferior sequels, Return of the Seven, Guns of the Magnificent Seven, and The Magnificent Seven Ride! --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (92)

One of The Last Great Westerns
Before the advent of the Spaghetti Western and the few good films that followed came The Magnificent Seven. The Wild Bunch, The Long Riders and several others owe their creative souls to this movie. I like Yul Brenner, if you have seen Westworld, well this is where Mr. Brenner began the character he later used in that film. Charles Bronson , Steve McQueen, Eli Wallach, what a cast! And the heroic notion of helping a village of peasants fight tyranny....what more can you ask for!? The special features, well maybe not like in some more modern videos, but it is nice to hear Eli, and James Coburn and the directors and producers wax nostalgic about said movie...I admire their acting capabilities and their knowledge of film in general, so I enjoyed this a lot. If you are a lover of the Western genre, then by all means you have to have this for your collection! And the music too. What a score!

An Epic American Western
"The Magnificent Seven" combines the great elements of a successful western...exciting story, stellar cast, scenic locations, and a legendary soundtrack. A Mexican village plagued by a gang of bandits led by Eli Wallach solicits the aid of mercenary gunfighters. Yul Brynner, with his commanding presence and black attire, recruits a band of diverse characters, including a wry-witted drifter seeking excitement; a brash young man seeking respect; a skilled craftsman seeking challenge; an opportunist seeking wealth; a tough sentimentalist seeking redemption; and a man on-the-run tormented by fear. Together they assume heroic proportions in an altruistic fight against near-impossible odds.

Elmer Bernstein's memorable musical score has achieved a lasting stature. From his rousing signature title to the haunting Spanish-flavored themes, the music teems with scope, drive, and energy. After 40 years, "The Magnificent Seven" remains vibrant, robust, and enduring...a hallmark for American westerns.

Wanted to Give it 5 Stars, BUT...
This movie was excellent, from the brassy music to the awesome cast and storyline (from The Seven Samurai. It is just too bad that there are at least three scenes that require the viewers to leave the room until they are over. All three of these feature a certain person, played by Horst Buchholz. They say that his character's name is Chico, but I prefer to call him the "Stupid Kid." He is the only damper on an otherwise perfect movie. It is a terrible shame, from his lovely appearance, as he stupidly follows the hearse, to his speech to the farmers about how cowardly they are, to his love affair with the stupid girl, to his ....oh I can't go on.....

A review of the DVD in specific
This is a superbly remastered and restored film, It comes with some brilliant extras including original trailers and more interestingly a documentary on the film named "Guns For Hire".
If you are a fan of the actors in this classic you'll love the doco which shows what they went on to do and includes some interviews showing the actors today and telling how Yul Brynner brought this tale to life.
For Steve McQueen fans you get a little insight into how he tries to steal every scene he appears in.
The film is a great telling of an adventurous story based on the Toho studios film "The Seven Samurai".
The commentary features actors James Coburn, Eli Wallach, producer Walter Mirisch & Ass Director Rob Reylea. It covers many interesting stories from a set which saw several stars of the time and even the wedding of Yul Brynner.
Worth a viewing.

A cultural transplant that wasn't rejected
A small village in Mexico is repeatedly harassed by outlaws, and decides to hire seven gunfighters as protection. A simple idea, transplanted out of Akira Kirasawa's "Seven Samurai", but when the cast is right, the film is right. Steve McQueen, James Coburn, Charles Bronson, and Robert Vaughn were all up-and-coming stars, and Yul Brynner was perfect as the essence of cold, efficient, authoritative leadership. Add an unforgettable musical score, and you have a winner. ... Read more

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Part conspiracy theory and part religious message, Left Behind (based on the first in a series of runaway bestsellers by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins) is a passable, occasionally compelling thriller that turns the rapture and the ascendance of the Antichrist into something resembling a Robert Ludlum espionage potboiler. The beginning, though, is pure Stephen King: as morose pilot Rayford Steele (Brad Johnson) steers his jet plane toward London, comely flight attendant Hattie Daniels (Chelsea Noble) informs him that a number of passengers have disappeared--at 37,000 feet, leaving their neatly pressed clothes behind. And they're not the only ones who've gone missing. The mass disappearances throw the world into chaos, and the sinisterly compelling Nicolae Carpathia (Gordon Currie), head of the U.N., selflessly steps in to help broker peace among the world's nations. But is he as good intentioned as he seems?

Turns out the appropriately named Mr. Carpathia is behind a plot to rule the world and control its food supply, and intrepid reporter Buck Williams (Kirk Cameron, better than you'd expect) is onto him--with a little help from some biblical prophecies. Suffering the problem that befalls most first installments in a series of books and movies, Left Behind busies itself with the task of introducing characters and setting up expository plot lines, and audiences may be frustrated by the lack of action--Rayford's somewhat labored crisis of faith takes up a good chunk of the film. Still, it's an intriguing premise that should satisfy fans of the novel and possibly pick up a few more converts along the way (be warned, though, this is a modestly budgeted film that looks more like a cable TV movie than the latest James Bond extravaganza). And, if like a fair number of the film's characters, you can't figure out that someone named "Nicolae Carpathia" is a bad guy, then, well, you need to bone up on your evil villains. --Mark Englehart ... Read more

Reviews (924)

A great movie for any age!
I have read and recently saw "Left Behind - The Movie." Let me just say that this movie is very well done and should do very well when it hits the box offices in February of 2001.

I enjoyed seeing what the authors, Tm LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, chose for the roles of the people featured in the books. A lot of the cast and crew in the movie looked like what I had expected.

This movie does not pick up all key points that were in the book and viewers not reading the book wouldn't know a couple details that were left out of the movie. (They wouldn't have made