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| 61. The Lighthorsemen Director: Simon Wincer | |
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Reviews (17)
The storyline focuses mainly on a small group of soldiers in the Australian mounted infantry of World War I and their commanders. One new lad straight from Melbourne has a problem: he can't find himself able to shoot the enemy. This climaxes in a scene where a wounded Turk nearly kills him with a sword. Eventually his friends encourage him to join the medical detachment of the unit. Meanwhile, General Allenby is placed in charge of British forces in Palestine after Sir Archibald Murray's latest blundered attempt to take Gaza. Realizing his troops are low on water and the German officers are expecting another attack on Gaza, he chooses instead to strike at the other end of the line to take the wells of Bersheeba. It is here that the Lighthorsemen will make their fated charge against the Turkish trenches. The film has a strong sense of historical accuracy. An earlier film of the same charge had the Lighthorsemen riding on their horses holding their rifles held up. In actuality, they attacked with bayonets as they had no swords - this was correctly portrayed in this movie. They also show the Turkish infantry forgetting to check their sights - a very important aspect because it caused them to shoot above the Australians' heads and miss them completely! They also give a great depiction of Meinertzhagen's brilliant ploy of placing a fake letter from a soldier's wife in a folder with fake plans to attack Gaza. The Central Powers fell for it and thought the main thrust would come at Gaza again. The climactic charge is obviously the highlight of the movie. It is furious, with many close-ups of the riders and the horses' galloping legs. I wish this video copy was widescreen, because they really do give some great wide shots of the entire line of charging horsemen. The intercut scenes of Turkish artillery men rapidly lowering their artillery guns give a heightened sense of anxiety. There are also, for what it's worth, some nice point-of-view shots, which include what it's like to fall forward off a horse and what it was like to watch the Lighthorsemen leap right over you. Oh yes, I almost forgot: the music in this is beautiful. It's a very good theme and I'm surprised it's not more famous. I've heard the theme for "Gallipoli" played more times, but that isn't even an original theme. This is indeed an underrated war film classic. If you like war films, or you're looking for World War I films, check this out. I'm hoping some day the Australian company will be nice and give us Americans a DVD release in our region. Please? We love you!
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| 62. The Day the Earth Stood Still Director: Robert Wise | |
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Amazon.com essential video Reviews (228)
Directed by Robert Wise, the movie, fully restored for the DVD release, has drama, good special effects (for its time) and plenty of social commentary (that's still relevant in today's world). The film is pure magic. Even though, the last time I saw it was some 12 years ago in film school, I think its still one of the best films that I ever "had" to watch. I have to commend FOX, for the way the film is given the deluxe treatment on DVD. The extras are just superb. The commentary with Wise and (fellow "TREK film") director Nicholas Meyer is a real treat. It's very well done and informative. There's also a "meaty" 70 minute retrospective documentary, archival newsreel footage, a restoration comparison, no less than 5 photo galleries, the shooting script, and the vintage theatrical trailer. To have this many extras on a DVD of an older film is a rare thing. Those fans of the film will be delighted with this disc. And to anyone not familiar with the movie--now's the time. Highly Recommended
This outstanding movie is presented with better clarity and sound than the original 1951 film release. This incredible movie now can be enjoyed over & over again without ever losing picture quality. This 2 sided DVD Full Frame Format (4:3 tv / 1.33:1 aspect ratio - before WideScreen) Black/White as the movie and audio commentary with Robert Wise & Nicolas Meyer on SIDE A and a 70 minute "Making the Earth Stood Still" documentary, Movietone newsreel 1951, Restoration comparison footage, 5 still galleries, shooting script & trailer. Summary: This movie has an outstanding cast with newcomer Michael Rennie as Klaatu the peaceful (human)alien who visits paranoid earth circa 1951. First stop Washington D.C. Greeted with violence and skepticism, escapes and goes into hiding. He befriends a mother (Patricia Neal) & her son (Billy Gray - also her real son) at a boarding house as he covertly studies the humans behaviors disguised as a businessman. He trys to get the world leaders to reach a world wide peace but they resist his ideas. They are given a sign of his powers by stopping all machinery worldwide, thus "THE DAY THE WORLD STOOD STILL". The ending is perfect and the audiences loved this film. Even today the special effects stand the test of time and the story is so profound and sheer genius. Hollywood delivered a classic scifi film for all time. "The Day the Earth Stood Still" is a Hallmark film. This is scifi at its best & now this DVD can be added to your home movie library. Enjoy.
Robert Wise did a masterful job directing the picture. Given the fact that he was directing a new and somewhat unknown lead actor in Michael Rennie, Wise did a superb job. Could anyone else have played Clatu other than Rennie? The premise of the story, a visitation from another planetary system to warn us off our reckless advancement into the nuclear age is very timely even in 2004. Clatu, the alien traveler, needs to discuss the ramifications of our behavior with every nation on Earth but learns that such a meeting is impossible given the petty international squabbling and mistrust of the day. Clatu escapes his captivity in the hospital and moves around disguised as a Maj. Carpenter. He meets Helen Benson (Patricia Neal) and her son Bobby (Bill Gray) and learns about many of our human foibles. Also involved is Hugh Marlow's character, Helen Bensons male companion. Sam Jaffe is wonderful as Prof. Barnhardt. Eventually, Clatu is shot (a second time) and killed. Gort, the robot, with the intervention of Helen revives Clatu and in a final climatic scene Clatu delivers his message. This is a marvelous film even after 53 years. The DVD is also well worth the small investment. I purchased my copy at a discount store for $5.50....I should be arrested. I agree with an earlier reviewer that the number of extras devoted to this old film is remarkable. If you get the chance grab this DVD. Even after all these years the movie is fresh and certainly timely. Also, a final observation. Given the paranoia in most modern movies dealing with aliens, The Day the Earth Stood Still is another perspective on the topic of alien visitations. Its amazing how perverted the whole genre has become. This is certainly a reflection of society as a whole.
Although it has a little of the hokiness inherent to all movies of the 1950's, "The Day The Earth Stood Still" actually has a good meaningful story. The typically-round flying saucer lands in a baseball field in Washington DC. A normal-looking man (Michael Rennie) emerges, offering a small gift. As usual, the military shoots first and asks questions later. A large robot (to be known as "Gort") emerges and stands guard near the ship. In the hospital, the man requests a meeting of all the heads of world government to share an important message. He is told that a meeting of all nations is impossible under the current state of international tension. After recovering a day in the hospital (and self-healing) the man, named "Klaatu", escapes and assumes the identity of Mr. Carpenter (another patient whose clothes he takes). After renting a room in a boarding-house (run by 'Aunt Bea' from the "Andy Griffith Show"), he befriends a young boy ('Bud' from "Father Knows Best"), and later his mother (Patricia Neal). Klaatu explains his mission on Earth - to bring about the end of nuclear-arms proliferation - to an Einstein-like mathematician, who agrees to help. The mathematician suggests convincing industry and world leaders to meet to hear the message by having Klaatu perform a show of strength. This is the event behind the movie title when Klaatu stops everything that relies on electricity to operate (though sparing hospitals, in-flight airplanes, etc.) Klaatu confides his plan to Patricia Neal, who helps him. Later, when they are being chased, Klaatu gives the robot-command codewords to Patricia Neal as a safeguard in the event of Klaatu's capture. As is somewhat predictable, the army again shoots first and asks questions later, so Patricia Neal does indeed need to issue commands to the robot, who might otherwise destroy the world. The robot recovers the dead body of Klaatu from a jail cell and returns him to the spaceship where he undergoes a sort of resurrection. Klaatu is able to give his anti-aggression message to mankind. The movie was directed by Robert Wise, who went on to "Run Silent, Run Deep", "West Side Story", "The Sound of Music" and "The Andromeda Strain". Score by Bernard Hermann, famous from a long list of Alfred Hitchcock movies, but also for "Citizen Kane" and "The Magnificent Ambersons" prior to "The Day The Earth Stood Still". The reasonably-priced DVD has the restored black-and-white full-screen movie; a good "making of" documentary; a commentary with director Robert wise and Nicholas Meyer; some "Movie-Tone News" clips from 1951 having to do with a peace treaty, the Korean war, a beauty contest, and an honorary promotional award given to Klaatu (but a different actor in the suit); a restoration comparison; still gallery including the script; and some other goodies. Highly recommended. Klaatu's message is still valid. ... Read more | |
| 63. Space Camp Director: Harry Winer | |
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Amazom.com Reviews (38)
"Spacecamp" takes itself much more seriously than most fantasies, especially in terms of the details regarding a shuttle that is not really ready for launch, which makes it easier to just sit back and go along for the ride. Of course NASA would not allow kids to sit on the shuttle for a live engine test and certainly they would not have picked this group of misfits to receive the honor. But if that is what you what to focus on when watching this movie then you just do not understand thermal curtain failure or remember what it was like to be a kid and do what grown ups do. The movie also features an excellent musical score by John Williams
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| 64. Sabrina (Commemorative Edition) Director: Billy Wilder | |
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Reviews (75)
I love the story of Sabrina...
Sabrina's sent to a cooking school in Paris, which not only prepares her for a vocation, but to help her get over her crush over David Larrabee (William Holden), the dashing playboy who spent short periods at many colleges and even shorter periods with his three wives (consecutive, of course). Ironic, considering that Holden had a crush on Hepburn, which led to a brief affair, and for him, a torch he carried through the rest of his life. The advice she gets is "don't reach for the moon." The thing is, she's the last of the romantics, "l'amour toujours" as described by Linus Larrabee, the business brains behind the multimillion Larrabee holdings, which include land and water, copper, construction, and now, a new kind of plastic that's resilient and tastes sweet(!!) After two years in Paris, she is a vision of beauty, chic, with a new haircut, and transformed, yet still the romantic, as she vows to be in the world and of the world, and "never ever run away from life, or from love either." Linus plans to marry David off to Elizabeth Tyson, whose father owns the second largest sugar cane in Puerto Rico, the ceremonial part of a $20 million merger with Tyson. This is put in jeopardy with Sabrina's return, and David, who previously ignored her, is bedazzled. Yet Sabrina, who's reluctantly wooed by Linus to salvage the deal, finds out there's more to him than just the "cold businessman...with ice in his veins, ticker tape coming from his heart." She finds out he's nice and quite human. "Remember, it's the 20th century" is a reminder that the Victorian days of knowing one's place is gone. Fairchild sees life as a limousine: "there's a front seat, there's a back seat, and a window inbetween." He later says "Nobody poor was called democratic for marrying someone rich." Mother and Father Larrabee believe that, as they are scandalized at David's affections towards Sabrina, and see her in terms of class status. Other great scenes include the cooking school, but the party scene when Sabrina appears in her bare-shouldered white dress and becomes the belle of the ball dancing with David, shows her at her most radiant and resplendent. Humphrey Bogart is great as Linus, scheduled, sensible, loyal, observant, honest, and yet with a softer side. John Williams is perfect as Tom Fairchild. And Jenny the maid is played by Nancy Kulp, best known as Ms. Hathaway in the Beverly Hillbillies TV series. But Francis X. Bushman as old Mr. Larrabee has some funny moments with a penchant for martinis and cigars (whenever his wife's not around). Hepburn would be reunited with director Billy Wilder in Love In The Afternoon. However, Sabrina also sees birth of a long-time association between Audrey and a certain Hubert de Givenchy, who did her costumes for many of her films. No Oscar for Hepburn, though she was nominated, but this film got me on my Hepburn kick back in the 90's, and is especially wonderful for those living "la vie en rose" as Sabrina does. To conclude, forget the 1995 remake--watch the original instead.
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| 65. Monte Walsh Director: Simon Wincer | |
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Description Reviews (21)
Monte Walsh is introduced in Antelope Junction, Wyoming territory in 1892. It is a comfortable, familiar surrounding, which suits Monte well, with no hint of modernization. Monte is leaving to winter on the range and while he is gone, an eastern corporation, Consolidated Cattle, is changing the cowboy lifestyle in the Wyoming territory. Consolidated has been buying all the land surrounding Antelope Junction, and fencing it in. This is unknown in the territory, putting a stop to free-ranging cattle. Consolidated has also allowed a railroad to build on the land with a railhead to help load horses, which the cowboys are not happy with. It is a new replacement that stops the cowboys from doing the job they love, moving stock from one place to another. Monte and his best friend Chet get a job with Consolidated, who now is the only employer of cowboys in the area. The theme continues as Monte and his fellow cowboys battle a train, the dreaded new development in their environment, whose engineers have done them wrong. The cowboys win the battle, but everyone fears they have lost the war against impending technology. Meanwhile Monte has fallen in love with Martine, the whore with a heart of gold, but cannot force himself to leave his life as a cowboy to enter a world that he does not know as a family man. Chet decides to do just that and marries a widow who owns a hardware store. He begins to run the store and becomes involved with town life, leaving his old ways behind. After having the theme of the movie forced upon the viewer, the style changes and symbolism is used to represent the battle against the new way of life. Consolidated is used as a symbol of impending technology, as they lay off cowboys to help increase the corporation's return on their investment. One cowboy turns to crime since he did not know how else to make a living in the new world. The rogue cowboy kills Chet in a holdup and Monte hunts him down to avenge Chet's death, symbolizing how the past must take care of what technology has caused. Monte is wounded by the outlaw, but continues on to kill the cowboy gone wrong. The wounding symbolizes what has been done to Monte and the other cowboys by the changing times, but the cowboy way continues on to fix what has gone wrong. Monte does not return to Antelope Junction for seven years. He has decided to ride to Canada, down to Texas and back, living the cowboy life as the world leaves him behind. He arrives to find a horseless carriage driven by the former accountant and new ranch manager of Consolidated. The old meets the new as they both meet in the road and neither refuse to yield their ground. Finally Monte moves aside for the new invention to go through. After discovering that while he was gone, things have changed in Antelope Junction, he decides to leave again. It is not shown what he plans to do, or where he plans to go, but it is hopeful he finds a new place where the old cowboy lifestyle has not diminished, but appreciated. I would give this movie three stars out of five. The theme can sometimes be overbearing, sometimes with the subtleties of a sledgehammer. However, the viewer can feel sympathy for Monte and make parallels into modern times. It serves as a documentary about those who embrace new technology and those who choose to stay behind.
Director: Simon Wincer Tom Selleck .... Monte Walsh This is the story of Monte Walsh, last of the cowboys. "If I was starvin' I wouldn't rustle," says Monte. But, "This is the twentieth century" it was explained to him, and cowboyin' for a livin' is on its way out. Monte is in love with a little French girl, a "Lady of the Evening" who has tuberculosis, often fatal in those days. Offered a job in a Wild West Show, under a pseudonym, he refuses. "I ain't spittin' on my whole life," says Monte. This is a wonderful movie, with a deep sense of realism. It's about the age-old story of men outliving their vocation, which happens just about every generation to some group. One of the best films I've ever seen. Joseph (Joe) Pierre
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| 66. White Chicks | |
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| 67. The First Wives Club Director: Hugh Wilson | |
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Amazon.com essential video Reviews (64)
Stars: Goldie Hawn, Bette Midler, Diane Keaton, Stockard Channing, Maggie Smith, Dan Hedaya, Sarah Jessica Parker, Victor Garber, Stephen Collins, Elizabeth Berkley Released in 2001 College friends lose track of each other after graduation until one of them, Cynthia Swann Griffin, played by Stockard Channing, commits suicide after her husband leaves her for a younger woman. Elise, Brenda, and Annie, played by Goldie Hawn, Bette Midler, and Diane Keaton respectively, reunite at the funeral and find that their lives are not as great as they may seem on the surface. The three have a fun filled lunch and discover their middle-aged husbands have dumped them all for younger women. They decide that it is time to quite being mad and unhappy and start getting even. They support each other in this endeavor and find they have strengths they have forgotten about. Elsie, an actress with financial means to back this endeavor is fun and paired with Brenda and Annie make their ex-husband's and soon to be ex-husband's lives miserable. Elsie who is having to split her assets with her soon to be ex-husband as well as pay alimony decides to sell all of their assets to Annie for a dollar. Annie then auctions it off to build enough reserves to buy her soon to be ex-husband's partners out of their share of an advertising firm. The three women find the self-confidence they lost over the years and decide to help other women in similar situations find their strengths and lost self-confidence. Watching these three great actresses get their revenge is entertaining and added bonus is the witty, bitter character Gunilla Garson Goldberg played by Maggie Smith, who has been made wealthy by her several ex-husbands. First Wives Club is a movie that is fun to watch again and again.
Still, this is a funny movie, with a decent heart, a pat but semi-satisfying ending, and a really great cast: Stockard Channing, Sarah Jessica Parker, Elizabeth Berkeley, Dan Hedaya, Balki from Perfect Strangers, the dad from Seventh Heaven, and Maggie Smith all make appearances. You probably shouldn't buy it, but you could do a lot worse than this flipping through channels on cable.
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| 68. Adventures of Young Indiana Jones, Chapter 11 - Oganga, The Giver and Taker of Life Director: Mike Newell, Sydney Macartney, Bille August, Nicolas Roeg, Carl Schultz, Terry Jones, Robert Young (III), Gavin Millar, Jim O'Brien, René Manzor, Joe Johnston, Vic Armstrong, Gillies MacKinnon, Dick Maas, Peter MacDonald, Deepa Mehta, Simon Wincer, David Hare | |
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Reviews (7)
The action is limited to the first five or so minutes, where Lieutenant De Fonz (aka Indy) disobeys his superior and tells the troops to advance instead of retreat. This results in victory, and a promotion to Captain, but also the Major holding a grudge. Naturally, Indy and the Major are then teamed up on a mission to retrieve some weapons. The opening battle sequence was even more graphic then "Trenches of Hell", and when Indy grabs the machine gun and mows done countless men, we see just how far he's come (or fallen) in less than a year. I love this one for all the character developement Indy undergoes, especially in relation to the previous videos. It's good to keep in mind that it's now December of 1916, and just last February all Indy cared about was the prom, and driving a cool car to said event. More has happened to Indy in ten months than happens in real peoples' entire lives. That's where he is at the start of "Oganga". By the end he's changed even more, due to all the slow death he's had to witness. "Onganga" is great just for the fact that Indy is more human in this than he's ever been. He gets feverish, delusionary, and downright depressed. He seems like a real 17-year-old who's in way over his head. This isn't your typical Indy. While it's good to see Indy's interaction with Schweitzer, and how it changes his outlook on life, I can't help but note that Harrison Ford's Indy seems to have forgotten the whole thing. He's back to killing with nonchalance, and even glee. Perhaps the Young Indy writers should have tried to be more consistent with the already established future. But at least they are consistent within the series, because in the next video ("Hawkmen") Indy changes his approach to the war by joining the secret service. Kudos to Sean Patrick Flanery, he's a great Indy, especially in this one.
George Lucas used some of the best writers, directors and acting talent available to him and filmed the series on location around the world. As a result, despite being made for television, they are gems. Ordinarily, I hate it when movies are used to send a message, but the messages in the series generally flow naturally from the plots without being overly heavy-handed. In this installment, Indy is an officer serving in the Belgian army in Africa during the Great War who is sent on an important and dangerous mission. In the process, he learns much about leadership, European colonialism, death, and ultimately what is important in life. The series skillfully interweaves real-life people into the plot, and in this installment Indy meets Albert Schweitzer. Parents should be advised that, while uplifting, this is a war movie and that death, from both battle and disease, is integral to the plot.
I have always wanted to be a director and these movies have already taught me alot about the types of movies people like. I have used these and other George Lucas and Steven Spielberg films to use as exaples. Right now my friends and I are working on a film. We hope to have it completed by Jr. High.
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| 69. Witness for the Prosecution Director: Billy Wilder | |
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Amazon.com essential video Reviews (46)
This plot of this film, which was based on a play by Agatha Christie, is your basic courtroom drama: a series of witnesses testify about the murder of a wealthy widow. Tyrone Power plays the young man accused of the murder, Marlene Dietrich gives an amazing performance as the key witness in the case, and Charles Laughton plays the lawyer determined to unravel the mystery. This film has some terrific, very surprising, twists and turns, so to say any more about the plot would give too much away! Anyhow, this film is really suspenseful, captivating, and memorable. It's a true classic by the brilliant director Billy Wilder, and has been imitated countless times since its release. But no imitation has come close to the original, which is why this film is a must-see. Highly recommended!
Err ... not likely. So, try as he might to be a good patient, Sir Wilfrid needs only little encouragement to accept the case of handsome drifter and small-time inventor Leonard Vole (Tyrone Power), accused of murdering his rich benefactress Emily French (Norma Varden). Of course, the very circumstances that most disturb the famous barrister's colleagues Mayhew and Brogan-Moore (Henry Daniell and John Williams) - Mrs. French's infatuation with Vole, his visit to her on the night of the murder, the lack of an alternative suspect and his inheritance under her new will - just make the matter more interesting in Sir Wilfrid's eyes. Most problematic, however, is Vole's alibi, which depends entirely on the testimony of his German wife Christine (Marlene Dietrich), an actress he had met when stationed with the RAF in WWII-ravaged Hamburg. Troubling, insofar, isn't only that Christine is her husband's sole alibi witness and that - Sir Wilfrid explains - a devoted wife's testimony doesn't carry much weight anyway. The real problem is that Christine isn't the loving, desperate wife one might expect: far from that, she is cool, calculating and surprisingly self-controlled; so much so that, worried because he cannot figure out her game, Sir Wilfrid decides not let her testify at all, rather than risk damaging his case. That, however, seems to have been one of his illustrious career's few major miscalculations - because now he and his client suddenly have to face Christine as a witness for the prosecution. And her testimony on the stand is only one of several surprises she has in store. "Witness for the Prosecution" is based on a concept Agatha Christie first realized as a four-person short story (published in the 1933 collection "The Hound of Death") and subsequently adapted into what she herself would later call her best play, which opened in London in 1953 and in 1954 on Broadway, where it won the N.Y. Drama Critics' Circle citation as Best Foreign Play. Throughout the adaptations the storyline was fleshed out more and more, the focus shifted from the work of solicitor Mayherne (whose name changed to Mayhew) to that of QC Sir Wilfrid Robarts, and the screenplay ingeniously added Miss Plimsoll's character, utilizing the proven on-screen chemistry of real-life spouses Laughton and Lanchester, for whom this was an astonishing eleventh collaboration, and whose banter bristles with director/co-screenwriter Billy Wilder's dry wit and the fireworks of the couple's pricelessly deadpan delivery, timing and genuine joy in performing together. Perhaps most importantly, the story's ending changed: not entirely, but enough to give it a different and, albeit very dramatic, less cynical slant than the short story's original conclusion. - To those of us who have grown up with Christie's works, those of her idol Conan Doyle and on a steady diet of Perry Mason, Rumpole of the Bailey and the many subsequent other fictional attorneys, the plot twists of "Witness for the Prosecution" (including its ending) may not come as a major surprise. At the moment of the movie's release, however, the ending was a much-guarded secret; viewers were encouraged not to reveal it both in the movie's trailer and at the beginning of the film itself; and even the Royal Family was sworn to silence before a private showing. Similarly, features such as the skillful, methodical unveiling of a seemingly upstanding, disinterested witness's hidden bias in cross-examination have long become standard fare in both real and fictional courtrooms, and any mystery fan worth their salt has heard more than one celluloid attorney yell at a cornered witness: "Were you lying then or are you lying now?" (Not recommended in real-life trial practice, incidentally.) Yet, in these and other respects it was "Witness for the Prosecution" which laid the groundwork for many a courtroom drama to come; and herein lies much of its ongoing importance. Moreover, this is simply an outstandingly-acted film; not only by Laughton, Lanchester and a perfectly-cast Marlene Dietrich but by every single actor, also including Torin Thatcher (prosecutor Mr. Myers), Francis Compton (the presiding Judge) and, most noteably, Una O'Connor (Mrs. French's disgruntled housekeeper). This is true even if Tyrone Power's emotional outbursts in court may be bewildering to today's viewers - and even if one wonders why an American-born star was acceptable for an Englishman's role without even having to bother trying to put on an English accent in the first place, whereas Dietrich and other non-native English speakers of the period, like Greta Garbo and Ingrid Bergman, were routinely cast as foreigners. (Yes, yes, I know. Redford and "Out of Africa" come to mind more recently, too, but that's a can of worms I won't open here.) "Witness for the Prosecution" won a Golden Globe for Elsa Lanchester, but unfortunately none of its six Oscar nominations (which undeservedly didn't even include Marlene Dietrich), taking second seat to the year's big winner "Bridge on the River Kwai" in the Best Picture, Best Director (David Lean), Best Actor (Alec Guinness) and Best Editing categories, and to "Sayonara" for Best Supporting Acress (Miyoshi Umeki) and Best Sound. No matter: with the noirish note resulting from its use of multiple levels of ambiguity - in noticeable contrast to Christie's Poirot and Miss Marple mysteries - it fits seamlessly next to such Billy Wilder masterpieces as "Sunset Boulevard" and "Double Indemnity;" and it has long since become a true courtroom classic.
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| 70. Goosebumps - Haunted Mask 2 Director: Brian R.R. Hebb, Timothy Bond, David Winning, Craig Pryce, Randy Bradshaw, Ron Oliver | |
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Description Reviews (6)
At the last minute though, Steve encounters a stranger wearing Carly Beth's old mask, a mysterious man who leads him to a boarded up novelty shop. Steve slips in through the back door and steals a creepy mask he finds in the basement. What he doesn't realise is that the mask he stole is just as evil as Carly Beth's old mask. The worst of it though, is that Carly Beth's old mask is alive - and it's using both Steve and the shopkeeper (Colin Fox) to get her back. "The Haunted Mask II" is even better than the original! Like most episodes of the childrens TV-series "Goosebumps," the acting and the script is a little cheesy. You just have to understand it's a show for children. I remeber when "The Haunted Mask II" came out on video on September 5, 1997 - it was a big hit. The whole town was excited about it. Okay, overall, "The Haunted Mask II" is great video. It's worth every penny spent if you enjoyed the first in the series, "The Haunted Mask." BUY IT OR RENT IT TODAY! ... Read more | |
| 71. Ewoks - The Battle for Endor Director: Ken Wheat, Jim Wheat | |
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I still have nightmares about that evil Terak though! :) I can't wait 'til this comes out on DVD! Go buy it if you want your children to see nice, family safe movies. Heck, buy it for yourself -- this movie is a real treat, with really cute characters, like Teek (one of my favorite film creatures of all time) and Wicket, the lovable furry little Ewok. I've never understood why my fellow Star Wars fans hate the Ewoks...maybe I just haven't outgrown them quite yet. Anyways, get this movie, or rent it, if you can find it; it will provide plenty of thrills, chills, and tears -- not to mention loads of laughs. "Ewoks: The Battle for Endor" delivers enough of everything to satisfy all kinds of movie buffs. (And for an extra bonus, what better film to hear Wilford Brimley use a *questionable* four-letter word!)
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| 72. The Curse of the Cat People Director: Robert Wise, Gunther von Fritsch | |
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Is it Divine intervention? Or is it all in Amy's imagination? 'The Curse of the Cat People' is a touching and ethereal film. Great directing, well-built suspense, chilling atmosphere, wonderful script, great acting (especially from the young girl), and unforgettable and haunting visuals (Irena caroling in the distance, Amy at Sleepy Hollow, etc.) This film has nothing to do with cats, or cat people. It never specifies the "mental delusion" Irena Reed had in the first film. The title is very misleading. Great movie.
While this is a tenuous sequel to "Cat People", the 1942 tale of sexual awakening/fear, the only real connection it has to that movie is the lurid title and a few characters. Occuring some years after the events of the first film, "Curse of the Cat People" finds introverted young Amy (played with wide eyed perfection by Ann Carter) discovering that the fantasy world she inhabits does not meet the approval of her parents (Kent Smith and Jane Randolph from the first movie) because she spends too much time alone and, in fact, that it sometimes clashes with the real world - as when she attempts to deliver birthday party invitations via a magic tree rather than a post box. Relations with her concerned (and, I think, narrow minded) father do not improve when Amy makes a new "imaginary" friend of his dead first wife (the otherworldly Simone Simon, killed in the first movie). She also befriends an aged former actress (Julia Dean) while simultaneously gaining the resentment of the old lady's smoldering, alienated daughter (Elizabeth Russell). This is not a horror film in any sense (except for the horrible title, of course), but more a magical realist coming of age story. A sense of suspense and wonder permeates the film, thanks to producer Val Lewton's celebrated use of light and shadow and the brisk direction of Robert Wise (his directorial debut if I'm not mistaken) and Gunther von Fritsch. Not a horror movie, I repeat, but without doubt one of the best films about the wonders and terrors of childhood ever produced.
Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University of Perpignan ... Read more | |
| 73. Adventures of Young Indiana Jones, Chapter 13 - Adventures in the Secret Service Director: Mike Newell, Sydney Macartney, Bille August, Nicolas Roeg, Carl Schultz, Terry Jones, Robert Young (III), Gavin Millar, Jim O'Brien, René Manzor, Joe Johnston, Vic Armstrong, Gillies MacKinnon, Dick Maas, Peter MacDonald, Deepa Mehta, Simon Wincer, David Hare | |
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The movie starts out with Indy helping 2 Austrian brothers get to Austria through the German barricades. This first half of the movie is good and has a lot of suspense. But once they get to Austria and Indy is re-assigned to Russia, the plot falls apart. It gets very confusing, and character development is underdone. There is some guy that is chasing Indy throughout the first half of the movie, and we never know who he really is. And then suddenly Indy is friends with some people in Russia, and we don't know how they came to be friends. It sort of clears up at the end when the Bolsheviks march through the streets of St. Petersburg, but even then, it is still confusing. Other than that, it is a good movie, and the portrayal of spying here is magnificently accurate. If you're a fan of Indiana Jones, this is worth seeing, but if you're not, you should probably think before seeing this movie.
I've seen pretty much most of the Young Indiana Jones series and have quiet a few recorded off TV from it's TV run (it's amazing that my tapes still work after 11 years) and personally, I like the Russian one. Oh yeah, I remember seeing in one comment that said that all of Indy's Russian friends were Bolsheviks. In fact only two of them are. If one would read the novelization of this episode, it would explain it more clearly (and it explains why Indy is friends with them). But even in the episode, it shows their differences. The two that are Bolsheviks are Sergei and Irina, the couple that loves each other. The girl that falls for Indy is Rosa and her political philosophy goes toward a democratic socialist government, simular to what many countries in Europe have today (and yes, socialists and communists are different), the man studying to be a priest is Dmitri and would support a Czarist goverment since the clergy was important back in that former government and would not support the Bolsheviks since they support atheism. And the last friend, Boris, is an Anarchist (who doesn't support government at all). The reason I like this episode is because it shows me that Bolsheviks aren't evil creatures of doom. That they are in fact human with hopes and dreams. Yes, we tend to demonize communists, but that's because the idea was corrupted by human failings and became a dicatorship. And the first episode on this tape. Eh. It's not my favorite, but it's interesting though.
There are more great moments of humor in the first half, along with lots of running around, and it's all very entertaining. Indy is somewhat grumpy the whole time, which, come to think of it, made him more similar to the older Indy played by Ford. The second half finds him reassigned to Russia, which is weird in itself, but the bizzare thing was that Indy moves in with a bunch of Bosheviks, and becomes very good friends with them. How he managed this, and why, isn't addressed, since we're just plopped into the middle of his stint in Petrograd. The fact that the Bolsheviks, knowing full well that Indy is a capitalist American working for the French secret service (some secret), allow him to join their midsts is hard to believe. One girl even falls in love with him. Indy dislikes desk work, and so did I. It was rather boring, watching him mull around the stacks of paper looking like they meant something to him, but we never understand what. He never really did anything in this half, except fail at just about everything he was supposed to be doing. The ending was the worst ending yet, and left me wondering just what we were supposed to make of Indy's politics. The second half is good for two things, 1: showing that Indy still has a whole lot of growing up to do, and 2: that his birthday is in July (some trivia if you ever need it). But the first half was great, so the video is worth it.
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| 74. Life as a House Director: Irwin Winkler | |
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Description Reviews (182)
Wonderful, engaging performances by Kevin Kline, Kirsten Scott-Thomas and Hayden Christensen make it an enjoyable experience despite the overcrowded, mediocre screenplay, which often resorts to cheap and unnecessary tricks and clichés to tug on our emotions. An early scene involving George (Kline's character) and a compassionate nurse is one example. Another involves an awkward subplot with an angry neighbor and a building inspector. Like many things that happen in Life as a House, it adds nothing to the story, and detracts from the characterizations and struggles of the main players. And the final scene! Well, please. Don't get me started. Still, despite the flaws, the movie is sweet and enjoyable. After all is said and done, a good movie that might have been great with a better screenplay.
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| 75. Adventures of Young Indiana Jones, Chapter 15 - Daredevils of the Desert Director: Mike Newell, Sydney Macartney, Bille August, Nicolas Roeg, Carl Schultz, Terry Jones, Robert Young (III), Gavin Millar, Jim O'Brien, René Manzor, Joe Johnston, Vic Armstrong, Gillies MacKinnon, Dick Maas, Peter MacDonald, Deepa Mehta, Simon Wincer, David Hare | |
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| 76. The Lost Weekend Director: Billy Wilder | |
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Amazon.com essential video Reviews (28)
Billy Wilder's film adaptation of the novel by Charles Jackson does a fine job of detailing what happens to someone in the grips of alcoholism: the desparate need, the hallucinations, the blackouts, etc. Ray Milland delivers one of the finest screen performances as Don, giving the impression that you are living every moment with Don, suffering his hallucinations and withdrawal, and thirsting for alcohol. This performance also earned him the Best Actor Academy Award. Jane Wyman is wonderful as Don's girlfriend Helen, who wants to see him through this terrible ordeal. Phillip Terry also gives a strong performance as Don's brother Wick, who wants to help Don by being the strong one, but always caves in, feeding Don's dependency. For anyone who has read the book, certain aspects from the story have been removed and altered, but this in no way detracts from this portrait of a man in the throes of alcoholism. It's still a very potent and powerful film dealing with an almost taboo subject at the time. Highly recommended.
The film began with Don pretend to pack his luggage with a bottle tied to a string hanging outside his window.Don's life and fate changed. Don Birnam has writer's block, he is also a alcoholic. He is aware but unable to kick it.He even trade his typewriter for drinks. He been through a lot in a few days and forced to face up to his problem. Luckily he has love and support from his brother and girlfriend. Ray Milland gave a splendid performance which totally deserved his oscar.He showed Don's fear, depression and all his emotions so vividly. His role is pathetic and psychologically realistic. This film has a superb script with detailed description of nightmares images and visions. Breakthrough during that era. One of the memorable scene is when Don went to a musical play with actors drinking and he see 'Bottles dancing' instead. Although this film is black and white I find it amazingly well made and many contemporary movies couldn't hold a candle. I'm always fascinated by old classic film from 1940 to 1970. Although I belong to new generation I love the feeling and sincerity of old movies. I find this film psychoanalytic,truthful,compelling and a vintage classic! One of the best film ever made.
Ray Milland (an actor who starred in several schlockfests at the end of his career, such as "Frogs") plays Don Birnam, a painfully insecure writer who just can't make his life work. Birnam quickly learned that the soothing balm of alcohol took the edge off his various phobias, but he just as quickly learned that drinking took the edge off his talent, too. For years, Birnam never wandered far from the neighborhood bar or the liquor store, secure in the knowledge that a bottle of rye was always within reach. His brother Wick not only financially supports his boozy sibling; he also covers for him when the drinking causes problems. Of course, Don doesn't care much about his brother one way or the other as long as he gets his shot of whisky when he needs it. Another problem for Don appears in the form of Helen St. James (played by an enormously cute Jane Wyman), a successful writer at Time magazine who accidentally met Don at the opera one night and has since latched on to him despite his chronic alcoholism. When Birnam isn't trying to outwit Wick or Helen, he's down at the local bar spouting alcoholic witticisms to Nat the bartender (played wonderfully by Howard Da Silva) and flirting with a beautiful barfly named Gloria. We learn most of the story through a flashback sequence told by Birnam as he ties on yet another massive drunk. The film starts with a nervous Don packing for a weekend trip with brother Wick, where the two siblings hope to get out of New York City for a nice change of pace. Of course, Don doesn't want to go because he's not sure he can survive without ready access to booze. In fact, during this opening sequence we see Don hiding a bottle of whisky from his brother by hanging it from a piece of string outside his window. In order to start drinking, Birnam convinces Wick and Helen to go to a concert, a little piece of trickery that is only the beginning of the devious schemes hatched by Don throughout the film. Thus begins a downward spiral over the course of a four-day weekend, as Don resorts to outright theft, robbery, and beggary in order to secure just one more drink. This bender comes with a high price, though: Don suffers excruciating blackouts, nearly gets himself arrested, and ends up in the alky ward at the city asylum. The capper is Birnam's bout with the DTs in his apartment, an incident that reduces him to a shattered, screaming wreck. "The Lost Weekend" is a memorable experience. Only a person who has never had a problem with alcohol would criticize some of Birnam's philosophical musings about drinking. There is a great bit of dialogue where Birnam tells Nat why he drinks, about how alcohol makes a person feel as though he or she is a great artist on top of the world. Believe me, this is how an alcoholic feels when they tie one on, at least in the early euphoric stages of the addiction. Birnam's enthrallment for rituals of drinking is also dead on; such as his fascination about the rings the shot glass leaves on the bar and the propensity to "see" liquor in the most mundane circumstances (look for the dancing raincoats with the rye bottle in the pocket). An alcoholic does not merely work at his trade part-time; the process of drinking is a full-time job built on a series of elaborate rituals that reinforce this nefarious addiction. "The Lost Weekend" captures the intricacies of alcoholism in a way few films ever have. Unfortunately, the movie lost some of its power due to some hokey effects and a conclusion that had me throwing my hands up in disbelief. The DVD release is quite good for a film nearly sixty years old. There is a trailer and cast biographies included here, as well as a short bio for director Billy Wilder. The transfer looks pretty good, although I thought I saw a few scenes where certain parts of the picture looked a tad blurry. "The Lost Weekend" won four Oscars: Best Actor for Ray Milland, Best Picture, Best Screenplay, and Best Director for Billy Wilder. As far as I can see, this movie deserves its accolades. If you haven't seen "The Lost Weekend," you are definitely missing out on a great film loaded with grim atmosphere, great dialogue, eerie background music, and excellent performances. ... Read more | |
| 77. Woodstock Director: Michael Wadleigh | |
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Not having been alive in the 60s, I only know what I've read and been told by those older than myself, but I'd guess that the first assessment is a bit idealistic, while the second is unfair, and that the truth is "somewhere in between," to fall back on the cliche. What the film does successfully document, I gather, is what it felt like to be young and hippie and excited about music and social protest and all the things Woodstock at least appeared, at the time, to represent. The feeling is what's embodied in the filmic techniques, the scenes chosen, and the performances themselves, and this makes Woodstock a successful documentary. The 60s were many things, and no film could capture all of them. Actually, in spite of the fact that it allows itself to get very much caught up in the excitement, I think the film has its moments of ironic distance and sobering reality, such as the port-a-san scene (particularly the extended shot of the average joe cleaning the things). For a good counterpoint, I recommend the Isle of Wight festival film, which captures the darker, more selfish side of the hippie generation.
Despite the mud and the squalor, this is an extraordinarily beautiful film, with the screen often breaking up into two or three segments. (Note on the closing credits the name of Martin Scorsese on the production team.) It's well worth contrasting this movie with the DVD of the 1970 Isle of Wight festival. Only a year separates the two concerts, but the late 1960s idealism of Woodstock gets replaced by prototype British vandalism. The Who perform at both concerts, and make an equally good account of themselves. Daltrey's emotional delivery of 'See Me, Feel Me' helps to explain why 'Tommy' became such a phenomenon in America. Hendrix also performed at both, but his meandering solo at Woodstock was not of the highest standard. The other highlight of the show was Santana, a Latino band only just beginning to establish themselves in California at the time. As others have noted, the drum solo by Mike Shrieve is impressive for one so young. As with the Who, Santana's album sales will have multiplied as a result of their Woodstock performance. It's interesting how many great acts weren't at Woodstock -- e.g. Joni Mitchell (despite her song about the concert!), the Doors, Bob Dylan or the Stones. The first two clearly realised how important these festivals were in the breaking of artists into markets, and so they appear on the Isle of Wight DVD. For most of my life, Woodstock has been a set of static images, largely taken from the cover of the album. But as this film reveals, there is so much more imagery than pictures of beautiful women bathing in the lake. Quite apart from all the idealism of passing whisky bottles and reefers around, of sliding in the mud, the film shows the flip side: of people queuing in the mud to phone home, of helicopters rescuing the sick, of helpers cleaning toilets, and of barefoot stragglers looking for a pair of shoes amid a post-concert site that looks more of a wasteland than the trenches of the First World War. Enjoy it in all its glory and all its grime.
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| 78. Easter Parade Director: Charles Walters | |
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This film offers a love triangle with Peter Lawford also being attracted to Garland but he doesn't get far as she is very much in love with Hewes (Astaire). The musical numbers are outstanding thanks to the incomparable Irving Berlin, Garland, and Astaire. Ann Miller (playing Nadine, Astaire's former partner) also does a fantastic job with her dance number while singing "Shakin' The Blues Away." Indeed, it's hard to decide which numbers are the best; they're all so well done and beautifully filmed! "Steppin' Out With My Baby" and the title song are particularly strong numbers; so is "We're A Couple Of Swells," a vaudeville-type number that Garland liked very much. The choreography is excellent. The dancing is superlative and they must have really put a lot of effort into a dance routine with Garland and Astaire early on in the film where she dances almost every step wrong! I recommend this movie for lovers of classic musicals, Garland fans, Astaire fans, Miller fans as well as aficionados of great quality films. Get this movie for your collection today and you'll never regret it! A BUY! GRIN
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| 79. Star Trek - The Next Generation, Episode 102: Darmok Director: Larry Shaw, David Carson, Gabrielle Beaumont, Timothy Bond, Kim Manners, LeVar Burton, Richard Compton, Jonathan West, Marvin V. Rush, Michael Vejar, Robert Becker, Chip Chalmers, Peter Lauritson, Joseph L. Scanlan, Alexander Singer, Robert Iscove, Gates McFadden, Winrich Kolbe, Robert Wiemer, Robert Legato | |
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Amazon.com Don't be put off by the premise. "Darmok" is one of the best episodes of TNG. It's action-packed and holds its own next to "The Best of Both Worlds, Part I," "Time's Arrow," and "Descent." Thanks to Joe Menosky's brilliant teleplay and Paul Winfield's solid acting, this uphill battle in futility shows what probably would happen when two truly alien races attempt to communicate. There is genuine desperation in Dathon's (Winfield) eyes when he attempts to explain "Darmok and Jalad at Tenagra" for what seems like the millionth time. Watching Picard struggle to understand is downright painful, as is the inevitable confrontation that follows. The viewer comes to care what happens to the Tamarians. We want to know this alien race; but at the same time, we also know we'll probably never comprehend them. In series television, it's almost unheard of for a show to depart from canon. TNG takes a huge chance with "Darmok" and the end result is worth watching again and again. --Kayla Riggney Reviews (15)
Episode 102 presents a culture in which this sort of idiom is carried to the extreme. The words are getting through, but the meaning is not. The struggle of the two captains, the alien and Picard, to bridge the gap is brilliant and fascinating. This is my favorite Star Trek episode of all time, of all generations. Magnificent.
Highly recommended.
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| 80. Goosebumps - Welcome to Dead House Director: Brian R.R. Hebb, Timothy Bond, David Winning, Craig Pryce, Randy Bradshaw, Ron Oliver | |
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The story stems around a shady real estatesalesman... whom offers a can't refuse deal to a unsuspecting familyfrom 'out of town'. Unknown to the family, Dark Falls was the victimof some type of hazardous chemical spill a while back, causing theexisting residents to become 'living dead'. Unfortunately for these'living dead' corpses, they are dependent on 'the living' fornourishment. Thus, they use this one piece of real estate property -AKA Dead House - as 'bait' to unsuspecting family's in order tofeed. Without disclosing the whole storyline, I must say the thingwith the dog at the end adds a nice touch...
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