Reviews (5)

Beware of the Werewolf Skin!
This is definately the BEST and SCARIEST Goosebumps video ever! The plot is simply amazing, the story is captivating, and it's just downright terrifying! The only thing wrong about it is, the acting could use a little work. Parents, DON'T let kids under 10 watch this movie! There is a scene where Alex, the main charachter, is talking to is teacher at night in the forest, and the teacher turns around all of a sudden, and he has fangs, a white face, and popping eyes. I'm 11 now, but I first saw it when I was about 8. It was kinda hard to sleep, believe me! Now to the plot. This city kid goes to his aunt's house. He wants to enter a contest to take the scariest picture. At first, nothing scary happens, but then, he learns the legend of the werewolves, and things pick up from there. Besides that teacher scene I talked about before, the scariest scene is when he's looking out his window and these werewolves pop up. Luckily, he gets a few pictures. Anyway, buy this movie now! It's great and you won't be dissapointed! SEE Ya!

All the Goosebumps videos.
I love the R. L. Stine movies. My son and I love to watch a good scary movie, but finding a good, clean movie that's not too gory and is suitable for a child to watch is quite the task. Thanks to R. L. Stine for bringing back movies that are like the ones I watched as a child. I just wish I could find all of the stories on video.

The Skinny on Werewolf Skin
This is definitely one of my favorite Goosebump videos. I've seen
this Goosebumps video about 1,000 times (at least a lot). One reason I liked this one was because in the episode there were two not so bright kids and one always repeated everything that the other guy said. This added some humor to the scary story. I also liked it because the video made you think that any of the characters could be werewolves. It is a surprise in the end when you find out who it really is. I'm not going to give any more away. Watch it and see for yourself. It's worth it!

Awesome
Werewolf skin is awesome. I like it so much. It's perfect for the whole entire family to watch. The special effects are great. At least good enough for this kind of a movie. Watch it. You'll like it a lot.

excellent
We, my family and I, thought the movie was awsome! Great movie for kids as well as adults. We've watched it so much the tape's almost worn out. ... Read more

Amazon.com

A rousing tribute to the original Star Trek's most popular episode, "Trials and Tribble-ations" is a triumph of clever plotting, technical achievement, and pure, unadulterated fun. Like "The Trouble with Tribbles" from 29 years earlier, this fifth-season episode is an instant classic, beginning when a surgically altered Klingon (Charlie Brill, reprising his role from "Tribbles") uses a Bajoran Orb of Time to travel back over 100 years to prevent his past-tense capture by Capt. James T. Kirk. Undercover time travelers Sisko, Dax, Odo, Worf, O'Brien, and Bashir track the Klingon's scheme on the Enterprise-A and the Tribble-infested space station K-7, turning this two-series hybrid into a nostalgic valentine, with DS9 characters digitally inserted into original "Tribbles" footage. With re-created sets, ships, and costumes, "T & T" mines hilarious gold from its Trek-savvy premise, including the mysteries of Klingon physiognomy, Starfleet snoops whose names are anagrams of "Mulder and Scully," and enough in-jokes to delight vigilant Trekkers everywhere. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (29)

The Best of DS9 ...
Episode 103 Trials and Tribble-ations is the best DS9 episode ever made....and more! The episode transcends DS9 blending arguably one of the best Star Trek "Original Series" episodes -- Trouble with Tribbles -- with charachters from DS9 and Next Generation.

The cinematography is superb as clips from the original episode are seamlessly integrated into this episode. And by "seamlessly integrated" I mean 2 things: technically speaking, and from a plot perspective.

This episode is at once nostalgic, original, filled with drama and humor (mostly Dax's comments, but comments by Sisko and others as well.) The fight scene is particularly well-done and stands as probably the best scene of the episode.

Oh, it's so good to see Kirk and Spock again, but it is all fresh and new and exciting in the context of this extremely well-done DS9 episode. This is a must-buy for not only DS9 fans, but also Next Generation and Original Series fans. Outstanding, and as entertaining as even the full-length movies.

One Of The Finest Hours Of Star Trek, Ever
Oh my, what a hoot! I commend the producers of "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" for this witty, wonderful homage to the original series that also shines in its own right as one of the finest "Star Trek" episodes ever made. This is an exquisite blend of new footage around scenes from the "Star Trek" episode "The Trouble With Tribbles". Charlie Brill is terrific as the disguised disgraced Klingon from "The Trouble With Tribbles". Here he tries to change history by sending the "Deep Space Nine" crew back in time, hoping to kill Captain Kirk. Michael Dorn ("Worf") is hilarious as he tries to explain to his befuddled comrades why the Klingons from Captain Koloth's battlecruiser more closely resemble humans than Klingons of Worf's time. And now I know who was responsible for the barroom brawl - and it wasn't really anyone from from the old USS Enterprise! Admittedly "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" was my favorite "Star Trek" series, yet I'm sure this hilarious episode will appeal to "Star Trek" fans of all stripes as well as others, like myself, who enjoy hilarious science fiction television.

A Nice Tribute To The Original Series
Over 30 years ago, the Original Star Trek series produced an episode that continues to be a favorite among fans even today. "The Trouble With Tribbles" was a silly episode with lots of humor.

30 years later, the producers of Star Trek : Deep Space Nine (the best series of the modern Trek era) created this wonderful episode..."Trials And Tribble-ations". Using footage from the original episode, the crew of the Defiant go back in time to save Kirk from a vengeful Klingon.

This episode has many fun moments. The best one is when Bashir, O'Brien and Odo don't recognize the human looking aliens as Klingons. "Those are Klingons?"

A great episode and a fiting tribute to the original. Definitely better than Voyager's tribute episode with Captain Sulu.

This time everybody knows the Tribbles I've seen...
Sooner of later what was happening in the movies with "Zelig" and "Forrest Gump" was going to make a move to the small screen, which is as good an explanation for the fun of Episode 103 of "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," "Trials and Tribble-ations" (Story by Ira Steven Behr & Hans Beimler & Robert Hewitt Wolfe, Teleplay by Ronald D. Moore & Rene Echevarria, "The Trouble With Tribbles" written by David Gerrold, Aired November 4, 1996). The "Defiant" return from Cardassian space with the Bajoran Orb of Time along with Arne Darvin (Charlie Brill), a Klingon who has been surgically altered to pass as human (gee, doesn't that sound familiar?). Darvin uses the Orb to send the "Defiant" and its crew back over a hundred years to Deep Space Station K-7 where the U.S.S. Enterprise, Captain James T. Kirk, commanding, is in orbit and suddenly we find ourselves in the classic original "Star Trek" episode, "The Trouble With Tribbles."

Darvin turns out to be the same spy that was caught by Kirk poisoning the grain shipment. Darvin wants to change history by killing Kirk, so Sikso, Dax, Bashir, and O'Brien dress up in period uniforms and search the Enterprise for Darvin. Meanwhile Odo and Worf, check out the space station. Granted, the interaction between the two casts consists more of cuts than using computers to insert the DS9 gang into the original "Star Trek" episode, but that does not take away from the fun, and there is a lot of fun to be had in this episode. The best moment is when O'Brien and Bashir join Odo and Worf at the station bar when the Klingons show up and start baiting Scotty and the Enterprise men. The other three all stare at the Klingons, then at Worf with his all those ridges on the top of his head, and then back at the Klingons with their smooth brows. But to their questions about what happened, all Worf will say is that Klingons do not talk about it with outsiders. This may well be the funniest moment in "Star Trek" history (my second choice would be Captain Picard's Shakespearean monologue when he is trying to win Lwaxana Troi back from an amorous Ferengi). Dax mooning over Kirk is not half bad either.

Clearly "Trials and Tribble-ations" is a unique crossover episode for the "Star Trek" universe, and fortunately there was no attempt to duplicate it with a similar project. Actually, since you can make the argument that not since "The Trouble With Tribbles" has there been a "Star Trek" episode that was so totally in the spirit of fun, that "Trials and Tribble-ations" is just the big cosmic wheel coming full circle.

Tribble Trouble
This was the first DS9 I ever saw, and it was wonderful. Sisko and his crew blended in wonderfully, althougth Odo's make-up probally wouldn't have been possible in 1967. This episode was funny, and the special effects(the effects where DS9 mixed with TOS) were great. I even found out how to annoy Worf("Is that lilac I smell"). I only have two complaints. George Takei(Sulu) wasn't in this episode. Then again, I'm not even sure he was in the original, and he was the star in the Voyager episode "Flashback". And second of all, Worf didn't tell us(actually Odo, O'Brein, and Bashir) how the Klingon change from brown humans to boney forehead aliens. Other than that, I love this episode. It's the only one from Deep Space 9 I saw, but already I think this the best DS9 episode I ever saw. I also recommend the orginal episode, "The Trouble with Tribbles. That is just as good as this one. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Queen of Chaos-Comedy Strikes Again!
Doris Day in another "sit-com" material comedy smash. "Please Don't Eat The Daisies" is the fluffy story of a much feared theatre critic (played by "Mr. Debonaire" David Niven) and his over-the-top household of excitement. Among his daily troubles are antics by his wife (Day), their four ill-mannered sons, a St. Bernard dog (why not a poodle or a beagle?), as well as their servants and actors whom he had given horrible reviews. -- The plot runs at a fast pace, with a few Doris Day tunes for the flavor (including the title song and the somewhat over-done "Que Sera Sera"). -- Despite the typical minor flaws most comedies happen to have, I find this film very entertaining and can recommend it especially as a choice for family viewing.

domestic comedy at it's funniest
Doris Day and David Niven make for an unforgettable screen team in the MGM/Euterpe production of PLEASE DON'T EAT THE DAISIES.

Larry and Kate McKay (Niven and Day) are the "proud" parents of four unruly sons and a nervous wreck of a sheepdog!

As Larry becomes a theatre critic (the most feared one), he comes under scrutiny from an old friend (Richard Haydn) and the advances of a volumptuous Broadway star whom he had critically crushed (Janis Paige).

Among the goings on, Day has enough time to sing a few tunes, including the Title Song, "Que Sera, Sera" and "Any Way The Wind Blows".

A funny and frisky family comedy.

Awful
Hideous film. The whole film is about poor Doris Day and her "challenges". What challenges? This film was not at all funny or engaging. Rent/buy it only if you're a Doris Day or (yawn!) David Niven fan. Fans of the great comic actress Patsy Kelly beware - she only has a small part and that role is wasted. What a shame, perhaps had Patsy Kelly been better utilized, this would have been a funny movie.

A family of six move to the country.
Doris Day is the mother of four rambunctous children (Charles Herbert, Stanley Livingston and Flip Mark). Her husband (David Niven) is a playwriter who has been hired by a newspaper as a play critic. Not everyone likes him now, but now that he is getting publicity he prefers to stay in the city. Doris Day's dream is to buy a house in the country. That is what they have been planning. They finally buy a big house in the country, but adjusting to country life is different for everyone. Kathryn Card ("I Love Lucy") has a small role. Doris sings "Que Sara Sara" which she first sang in "The Man Who Knew Too Much" (1956). The song was later used in the tv series The Doris Day Show. Please Don't Eat The Daisies became a tv series (1965-67) starring Pat Crowley and Mark Miller with Kim Tyler, Brian Nash, Jason Fithian and Jeff Fithian. Ellen Corby played the maid.

One of the Best Doris Comedies of all time.
This movie was made in the era of Beenie Boppers and Rock Hudson . This movie was a breath of fresh air after all of the other movies that were going on like Bikini Beach, Pajama Party and all of that stuff. This film starred Hollywood Classics. Doris Day & David Niven. This is about a family that lives in New York. The Mackay Family. Well they have 4 little boys that are considered the monsters. Lawrence MacKay (David Niven) is an aspiring PlayWright that was just put in charge as cheif columnist on Movie Review in their local Newspaper. Well Mrs. MacKay (Doris Day) is trying to keep her family together but it is kind of hard when you have 4 little boys that favorite activity is throwing paper bags filled with water out of the window hitting the paserbies on the sidewalk that goes past the apartment building that they live in. Well Mrs. Macakay finally convinces Lawrence that they need to movie out to the country. Well they do but Mr. Mackay has the urge to move out of the country. But Doris won't let him so he stays in a ritzy hotel in New York City close to his office during the week then he comes home on the weekend. Well he meets The beautiful and Seductive Miss Deborah Vaughn (Janis Page) whot tries to get him to movie in with her and have an affair. Well Doris saves the day and the movie ends happily ever after.

This movie features the following hit Doris Day Songs.

Don't Eat The Daisies
Anyway The Wind Blows
Kay Sara Sara

Great Movie. Makes a great movie for those nights. When you and your family are huddled around the Television. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

It appeared, at the end of the epochal 1931 horror movie Frankenstein, that the monster had perished in a burning windmill. But that was before the runaway success of the movie dictated a sequel. In Bride of Frankenstein, we see that the monster (once again played by Boris Karloff) survived the conflagration, as did his half-mad creator (Colin Clive). This remarkable sequel, universally considered superior to the original, reunites other key players from the first film: director James Whale (whose life would later be chronicled in Gods and Monsters) and, of course, the inimitable Dwight Frye, as Frankenstein's bent-over assistant. Whale brought campy humor to the project, yet Bride is also somehow haunting, due in part to Karloff's nuanced performance. The monster, on the loose in the European countryside, learns to talk, and his encounter with a blind hermit is both comic and touching. (The episode was later spoofed in Mel Brooks's Young Frankenstein.) A prologue depicts the author of Frankenstein, Mary Shelley, being urged to produce a sequel by her husband Percy and Lord Byron. She's played by Elsa Lanchester, who reappears in the climactic scene as the man-made bride of the monster. Her lightning-bolt hair and reptilian movements put her into the horror-movie pantheon, despite being onscreen for only a few moments. But in many ways the film is stolen by Ernest Thesiger, as the fey Dr. Pretorious, who toasts the darker possibilities of science: "To a new world of gods and monsters!" Absolutely. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (90)

A Classic Horror Sequel That Outdoes the Original
Even after nearly 70 years, few horror movies match the perfect juxtaposition of spooky ambiance and morbid hilarity that can be found in James Whale's THE BRIDE OF FRANEKENSTEIN. Superior to the first film--though that one is also a masterpiece--Whale's direction is brilliant throughout. Especially interesting is the scene where the "Bride" is created: The use of harsh lighting, odd camera angles, and abrupt cutaways creates an eerie and uncomfortable feeling that heightens the horror of the event depicted, and while watching it all unfold seamlessly, it easy to see why the film is considered the archetype for all mad-scientist horror flicks.

The acting is also quite superb. Ernest Thesiger (Doctor Pretorious) and Elsa Lanchester (The "Bride") both deliver wonderfully quirky over-the-top performances, but they don't upstage Karloff, who still imparts his portrayal of the monster with the same ambivalent mixture of pathos and loathing that helped make the first film so memorable. The performances alone make this film worth watching (again and again!), but add to it the gothic sets, the fine direction, and the outrageous mixture of horror and comedy, and you have a classic horror flick that has yet to be beaten.

Whale's best film, by far!

THIRTIES GEM
This caricature by some very knowing people is a macabre comedy classic....i.e., The Monster (Boris Karloff) is the only sympathetic character! James Whale, who had a good gothic sense of humour, directed, with Elsa Lanchester as Mary Shelley in the prologue, and then as the Bride. For many of us, the scene where she says "Eeeek!" in repulsion when she first sees her intended was so satisfyingly silly that she won our hearts forever! Inimitable Thesiger plays the weird doctor who convinces Frankenstein into making a mate for his monster. One of the silver screen's most fondly regarded horror stories, this excellent sequel to the 1931 FRANKENSTEIN offers an excellent blend of black humour and thrills, with all concerned in top form. Lanchester excels in her playing of the bride; she's also seen in the prologue as author Mary Shelley! The pastoral interlude with the blind hermit and the final, riotous creation scene are among the highlights of this truly classic film of which the lighting, photography, sets and direction could hardly be better.

Universal's definitive Frankenstein motion picture
Rarely is a sequel, particularly a horror sequel, better than its predecessor, but Bride of Frankenstein (1935) easily replaced the 1931 original classic as the definitive Universal Frankenstein movie. Director James Whale did not want to do another Frankenstein movie for the most admirable of reasons, and largely because of his feelings on the matter he brought to a life a sequel that sought perfection in every discernible way and provided a much deeper and more poignant look at the monster of Frankenstein's creation - the comedic exploitation of the monster did not begin on his watch. The addition of a full-scale musical score added depth and its own emotional layers to the drama, Karloff brought amazing pathos and humanity to the creature, and Elsa Lanchester, in a few short minutes, gave the world one of the truly eternal horror images and icons in the form of the Bride of Frankenstein's Monster (which is what the film should have been called).

Most of the principal cast members of the original Frankenstein movie reprise their roles here, including Colin Clive as Frankenstein and the inimitable Boris Karloff as the monster. Mae Clarke, however, was unavailable for health reasons, and a seventeen-year-old Valerie Hobson took on the role of Elizabeth, Frankenstein's fiancée. This is a noticeable change, as Hobson played Elizabeth in a strikingly different manner. As you may have guessed, Frankenstein's monster did not actually die in the big fire that ended the first motion picture. The windmill was built over a cistern (more like a great big underground pond, if you ask me), and the monster escapes the conflagration, not before killing a couple of people and scaring Minnie, this film's version of interminable comic relief, half to death. Dr. Frankenstein, for his part, also survives (although we already knew this thanks to the last-minute concluding scene of the first movie). He regrets his foolish attempts to play God, even though he still speaks with a mad zeal about the dreams he pursued so dangerously. Enter Dr. Praetorius (Ernest Thesiger), a former professor of Frankenstein's and the kind of evil genius our reformed young doctor should have become. Praetorius has been doing his own God-like experiments and now seeks to join his knowledge with that of Frankenstein to make not a man, but a woman. In the film's only borderline ridiculous moments, we see the products of Praetorius' work - the film work and special effects are brilliantly done, but the whole idea is just laughably silly. Still, you can't help liking old Praetorius because he is everything a mad scientist should be. Frankenstein has now become - well, (...) a cowardly man who seems incapable of acting on his own accord. Luckily, Dr. Praetorius knows how to deal with a man such as Frankenstein, and he eventually succeeds in getting the good doctor back in the lab for one final experiment.

As for Frankenstein's monster, we finally get to see the humanity of the character emerge. Seeking friendship, he is met only with fear, screams, and malice. He does manage to find a friend in the countryside, however - the sound of violin music takes him to the home of a blind hermit. In one of the most touching scenes in cinema history, the blind man takes the monster in, thanks God for finally sending him a friend to assuage his loneliness, and shines the full light of humanity, all too briefly, on the lonely creature. Naturally, this time of happiness does not last long, but the monster does develop the ability to speak before he is separated forever from his friend. He ends up crossing paths with Dr. Praetorius, who quickly sells him on the idea of a mate, setting the stage for another pyrotechnic creation scene that gives us the unforgettable Bride of Frankenstein.

The cinematography, musical score, and basically everything else are well-nigh perfect in this film; despite the ridiculous editing demands of the censors, Bride of Frankenstein achieves the pinnacle of monster movie success. Still, it bothers me that these films have defined Frankenstein's monster as a creature much different than the literary monster of Mary Shelley's creation. The first film completely stood Shelley's story on its head, missing the point entirely. How ironic it is for Bride of Frankenstein to feature a prologue featuring the character of Mary Shelley herself, in company with her companion Percy Bysse Shelley and the flamboyant Lord Byron, explaining the meaning of her work and then introducing yet another bastardization of the real Mary Shelley's literary masterpiece. The original monster, as envisioned by Shelley, was not the creature at all; it was Dr. Frankenstein, not so much because he played God but because he abandoned his monstrous creation and left him alone to fend for himself. Bride of Frankenstein rights some of this wrong by showing the depth of humanity in the monster, but it cannot undo the wrongs already done the character. In the context of the cinema, he will forever be a "monster," a shadow of his true literary self, forced to suffer at the hands of man while the true villain of the story fails to even attempt to redeem himself or to suffer the harsh yet noble fate that he so rightfully earned in Shelley's original story.

A Alltime Classic
theres 1 thing i dont like and its the title
The Bride of Frankenstein.... but it aint hte bride of frankenstein because frankenstein is suppose to be the scientist or whatever u call him
if the title was
The Bride of Frankenstein's Monster then it'd tell the whole thing on what its about

But still its 1 of my fav horror films of all time!

James Whale's new world of gods and monsters
From a cultural standpoint the 1931 Universal film version of "Frankenstein" that introduced Boris Karloff as the Monster is an important film because it ended up replacing Mary Shelley's novel in the popular consciousness. The great sin by the novel's Dr. Frankenstein was not the creation of the creature but abandoning it once it was alive, but in James Whales' film it is clearly the act of creation that is the abomination. This idea ends up being quite ironic given that the authoress herself appears in the prologue to the 1935 sequel, "The Bride of Frankenstein," which is actually the better film.

Mary Shelley (Elsa Lanchester), Percy Shelley (Douglas Walton), and Lord Byron (Gavin Gordon) are sitting around on a dark and stormy night and having apparently narrated the events of the first film, Mary tells her audience that the collapse of the windmill was not the end of the story and that both Dr. Frankenstein and the monster have both survived. The doctor has learned the error of his ways and wants to stop tampering with the forces of life, but his wife, Elizabeth (Valerie Hobson) is kidnapped by Dr. Pretorius (Ernest Thesiger), an even madder mad scientist if ever there was one. Alone Frankenstein created a man; together they will create a mate for the monster, a bride (also played by Lanchester in an unforgettable performance that owes much to the traditions of German expressionist film).

The sequel is a better film mainly because the production is much more polished and Colin Clive has come back from the edge in terms of both his character and his performance. However, while the film works perfectly well on its own it has been reinterpreted in light of Whale's homosexuality, which became part of the cultural landscape with the 1998 biopic "Gods and Monsters." Critics like Gary Morris are not alone in now seeing "Bride of Frankenstein" as a bold gay parable, especially given that Thesiger was also openly gay in the Hollywood of the 1930s and that his performance is pure high camp. However, you can enjoy the film perfectly without working out the idea that the monster and his bride have a pair of male parents.

It is important to see both of Whales' "Frankenstein" films and to appreciate the important differences between the two works. To do so you only have to look at a pair of memorable scenes. In the 1931 film this would be the scene where the monster comes across little Maria (Marilyn Harris), throwing daisies in the lake and he accidentally drowns her as they play together. In the 1935 sequel the key scene is when the monster comes upon the hermit (O.P. Heggie) living alone in quiet solitude and finds a friend. Both scenes represent the apotheosis of pathos in their respective films, but they also indicate great irony of how the more human the monster becomes, the wider the gulf that is created between him and humanity.

Even as a master metaphor of current age the saga of the Frankenstein monster remains a very human story as well, and it draws its enormous narrative power from both. The performance by Karloff, who is now able to speak a few words (most notably, "I love dead"), creates a pathos for the monster that is unmatched in all the Frankenstein films made since. Much more than the original and despite the title, "The Bride of Frankenstein" is Boris Karloff's film. ... Read more

Description

With his pregnant girlfriend in jail, Diquan is running out of choices. He can either deal guns for cash, or turn informer and cut a deal to get her out. The trouble starts when he decides to do both. Now all the firepower in the projects is pointing in Diquan's direction - but he's ready. He's strapped. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

strapped
A very underated movie at the time an easy one to miss but put simply a must have for your hood collection up there with belly,new jack city and new jersey drive.ohh and a great soundtrack(just get it)you wont be dissapointed.great story good acting what more can i say.

STRAPPED Review!
Forest Whitaker made his directorial debut with this gritty urban tale about a young black male forced to walk both sides of the law. Working as both an informant for an ATF official and as an arms dealer himself, DiQuan Mitchell (played brilliantly by Bokeem Woodbine) is hoping to earn enough money to move out of the projects and gather up enough evidence to get his pregnant crack-dealing girlfriend released from prison. Partnering up with his childhood friend, Bamboo (Onyx's Fredro Starr in one of his first roles), the two try to make their own moves, cutting out Bamboo's original business partner, a white middle-class weapons whole saler named Benny. This erupts into problems on the streets which result in a murder and a number of betrayals in the process.

"Strapped" plays pretty solidly for a made-for-HBO film. First-time director Whitaker uses a documentary-like atmosphere along with an underutilized cast of actors which includes a number of well-known rappers such as Busta Rhymes and Kool Moe Dee to tell an amazing story. The movie carries a very strong anti-gun message. Spike Lee's "Clockers" which followed some months later adopted some of the same themes.

A Sleeper Hit!!
Forest Whtaker's directorial debut, Strapped is a gritty action packed drama of a young black man conflicted in his feeling of being loyal to his own or representin' his Housing Projects code of Silence when it comes to crime. Newcomer Bokeem Woodbine does a good job in his acting debut as DiQuan Mitchell, The Teen with the conflicted feelings. Rap Star Fredro Starr is excellent as the Gun Selling,Take no shorts Character,Bamboo.Excellent Movie with a surprising Climax!! A Must See!! Michael Biehn is also surprisingly good as Police Officer McCrane. Kia Goodwin,Jermaine Hopkins,Willie Stiggers Jr. and Rappers Kool Moe Dee, Monie Love,Busta Rhymes,Das EFX & YoYo also star in this flick. Kudos also to the Actor who played "Ben",the supposedly family Man who uses his FFL license to purchase guns by mail, then in turn sells them to the Kids of the Brooklyn Housing Projects... A Must see for fans of Urban filmed & shot Drama!!STARS!!

Hardcore
Great flick! The story was sharp, the acting was great, and the soundtrack was awesome. Is the soundtrack available? ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Who Wants to be the Boss?
Avery Bullard, the president of a big furnishing house drops dead on the street. One of his vice-presidents (Louis Calhern) observes this incident, which nearly sends him into raptures from his window. He sells his stock-holdings immediately because he hopes their price will fall - he has the intention to buy them back at a lower price. The news that the body of his boss has not yet been identified gives him a further advantage over his competitors for the top-position: Time-honored Walter Pidgeon, goaded by his ambitious wife, hot-tempered Paul Douglas, probably the next canditate for a cardiac infarction, and eager-beaver Fredric March, who hopes that his subservience will finally be rewarded. As soon as March learns of Bullard's death he makes all the arrangements for the funeral. He is an expert obituary writer, and feels at home in public relations too. He refuses to close the factory even for one day - Pidgeon is incensed at his irreverence - and plans to publish the balance-sheet instead: the stock-price should raise, a plan that does not make Calhern happy.

There is yet another candidate for the head of firm: William Holden, and you can see with half and eye that he is the most qualified of them all: a designing engineer so committed to his task that he rather refuses to attend an important conference than interrupt the development of a promising manufacturing process. He is happily married to June Allyson and likes to play baseball with his son. Pidgeon is willing to endorse him, but Calhern and Douglas are resigned to vote for March, who knows their little secrets: Calhern's illegal speculation, Douglas' affair with his secretary (Shelley Winters)...And there is the human factor: Barbara Stanwyck, the principal shareholder, loved Bullard for 10 years, always hoping he would marry her. Now she is on the verge of suicide. If she sells her stock-holdings it means the ruin of the firm, and one anonymous phone-caller advised her to sell...March and Holden fight for her vote: March promises to cut spending in order to pay the stock-holders their full share. Holden, on the other hand, wants to suspend the disbursement and invest in new technologies and fabricate quality furniture. He reveals that the workers in the factory are ashamed to turn out quick-selling but damaged goods. Who will get Stanwyck's vote? Who would get yours?

EXECUTIVE SUITE is an "important" film. It's seriousness is even emphasized by the lack of a soundtrack - but it couldn't prevent the coming of the throw-away society. The film combines the enjoyably ruthless comic-strip dialogue of series like DALLAS with the coy morals of the fifties - and the result is hilarious. I was not bored for a minute. The acting is very good, you will see many familiar faces, and if you enjoyed it you will also like WOMAN'S WORLD (1954), which has the same story, but this time the wives of the competitors are those who plot and scheme.

Refreshingly unique drama
Considering how much the business of business consumes of America's daily life, it's surprising that there haven't been more films like this one. The great John Houseman helped to put together this project and it's a superb study of a crisis in the life of a corporation, and the ambitions, ideals and practical necessities guiding the enterprise. The cast is fabulously good except for some scenery-chewing by Barbara Stanwyck. It's set in the 50's but anybody who's ever worked for a modern company will recognize plenty.

A great movie that still feels relevant
I have to disagree with the one reviewer here who said he faults the movie for being "too ordinary". That is actually why I like it so much. It feels very true to life. Some of the exchanges early on reminded me of executive meetings I have seen in real life. The VP sales is talking about his golf game with a client. The VP Engineering is being pulled aside to confer with his development engineers on an urgent matter. The VP Finance is rambling on about quotas and margin curves. Yes, some of it is boring, but the lack of over dramatization is what makes it so good. What is at stake in this power game is not the fate of the world-its the fate of a furniture making factory. In one scene, William Holden even talks with his wife about if its worth even fighting the good fight for the company. She urges him to strike out on his own-form his own design company. He ponders this and then decides that he will do that only if he feels there is no way not to be able to do what he wants at the company he is with after investing his energy in it for so long. I have had this same discussion with some of my friends who were thinking of leaving their companies to strike out on their own.
The final scene is great, if a little contrived.

Very Nice Boardroom Drama....
I have watched this excellent picture many times...and never tire of seeing it. I've always found the final scene to be quite gripping. There's nothing super heavy or extra special about this flick. Just really good acting by a great cast. And an above-average script. You will find yourself getting caught up in the story...and enjoying it! Fredric March is exceptionally good here.

A Great Cast and a Great Director are Not Enough
I'm going to swim against the stream of the other reviewiers. EXECUTIVE SUITE proves that a great film must have more than a great cast and a great director. At the beginning of the film, the president of a major furniture manufacturing company dies suddenly. All the junior officers are caught in a power struggle seeking to find a successor among themselves. The movie plays like a soap-opera, only with better acting.

If you think about it, ask yourself why we watch movies? Because they take us to places we normally can't go and allow us to meet people we normally never would. In EXECUTIVE SUITE we meet normal business people experiencing normal business problems (not normally of this magnitude, of course). It's just not very exciting. The film is well made and mostly well acted (except for Stanwyck, who overplays her role), but just a little too ordinary. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

great stuff but a crappily made
Belushi and Aykroyd are amazing no complaints about the skits except maybe some more.

The videotape itself is really crappy though. It plays in EP. In my opinion all factory made, store bought videos should be in SP. I have the video about 5 years and I have trouble playing it now. It plays like a video you've had for ten years that was taped in EP off of TV

SNL the funny years
Yes, this is what SNL should be. All you people who think SNL has been consistently funny the last 10 years (they've had their moments, but they are few and far between): buy, rent, borrow or steal these videos. Now. You will learn the truth. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Inspired more by Disney's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea than the Jules Verne novels it purports to be based upon (1896's Clipper of the Clouds and 1904's Master of the World), this American International Pictures production is a mildly diverting period fantasy adventure, buoyed mainly by leads Vincent Price and Charles Bronson. Nineteenth-century government agent Strock (Bronson) hires Prudence (Henry Hull), a munitions maker and balloon enthusiast, to help investigate the source of a mysterious voice that emanated from Pennsylvania's Great Eyrie. With Prudence's daughter Dorothy (Mary Webster) and her fiancé Philip (David Frankham), the pair flies over the mountain, only to be shot down and taken captive by Robur (Price). Using his colossal airship Albatross, Robur plans to end world warfare by decimating any country that refuses to lay down its arms. Despite solid efforts by Price and Bronson (who reportedly disliked each other), a thoughtful script by fantasy author Richard Matheson, and a lively score by Les Baxter, Master never takes flight. Miniature effects by Tim Baar, Wah Chang, and Gene Warren (a.k.a. Projects Unlimited, which created creatures for "The Outer Limits") are hobbled by AIP's infamously low budget, and B-movie vet William Whitney's direction is painfully lethargic. Lacking the necessary super-sized scope and star power of other Verne adaptations, including 1958's Around the World in Eighty Days and 1959's Journey to the Center of the Earth, Master is for AIP and Price completists only. MGM's digitally transferred full-frame print looks fabulous and includes the original theatrical trailer. --Paul Gaita ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Vincent Price is the master
This film could be classified as a fantasy adventure with horror elements when you factor in Robur's wish to end all war. His method? He'll simply fly over oceans and seas in his airship Albitraus and bomb war ships until all war has stopped. Vincent plays Robur in this mad-cap film that begins with a history of aviation. Henry Hull is cast as a cynical judge and the great Charles Bronson is cast as a mysterious passenger who appears to be Robur's accompolice... but looks can be deceiving. Mary Webster and David Frankham play the other "prisoners". David's character isn't likable and you'd wish that Vincent or Charles would throw him off the Albitraus!! The film is sort of an in the air version of James Mason's "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" with it's stop all war message.

Unusual, but likeable movie
The plot of this movie is a bit unusual, but I found it likeable because of the actors, such as Vincent Price, Henry Hull, and David Frankham. Charles Bronson also stars, but is probably miscast here. The scenery and music are also well done.

Worth catching, but probably not seeking.
Disappointing and tepid acting seems to be the most stand-out quality in this film. Bronson, playing the hero Strock, obviously gives the part some effort. But his effort falls far short, coming off cold and unemotive. Contrary to the legendary collaboration of Price and Bronson in "House of Wax," Bronson's part might have been better served by a cardboard cutout. The film's hammy and dispassionate special effects certainly make one believe that that option may have been considered. Most film-makers of the period were far more creative with their few resources, and even if the effects were a little corny, they were at least charming. The effects in this movie are parallel only to your local middle-school's performance of "Oklahoma!"

Vincent Price saves the film from ruin, however, by delivering one of the most convincing and provoking performances of his career. Working with a decent script, Price plays perfectly Robur, an idealistic and madly brilliant conqueror, giving the viewer a perfect portrait of deeply-concealed rage and good-intention masked with vitriol and salted with madness. The character of Robur is somewhat metamorphic, and Price conforms to the part on demand. Demonic, honorable, diabolical, repetent -- Price shows all sides of Robur in perfect color.

Fans of Vincent Price and Jules Verne will love this film, and I would highly recommend it to them. Everyone else, however, might consider watching this one only if the oppurtunity presents itself on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Its no "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea........................
This movie is awful. The only good thing about it is Vincent Price, but even with his masterful presence the movie sinks well before the actual airship does. Jules Verne must have run out of ideas by the time he wrote this, simply because it borrows heavily from 20,000 Leagues (minus the good stuff, I might add). Charles Bronson is at his worst here delivering such an emotionless performance. How he ever became a star with this on his record is beyond me. How did these people keep a straight face while filming this waste of talent? The special effects hurt the film very badly, to. The airship is such a ridiculous looking machine that you can never get past gawking at it so that you can even try to take the film seriously! Avoid this movie at all costs, or suffer the fate of the Albatross crew you will!!!!!!!!!!!

Honestly, this film gets no stars at all.

Solid Jules Verne Adventure
Vincent Price brings dignity and class to the role of the "mad" idealist Robur, the Conquerer, would-be MASTER of the WORLD. From his airborne 19th century wonder-warship, The Albatross, Robur intends to rid the world of war by literally destroying all armies of any nation that refuses to comply with his demand for total disamament. Viewers of "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" will recognize similarities in plot and even in the role of Robur to the more renowned Captain Nemo. Charles Bronson plays government agent Strock whose job it is to bring Robur and his warship-for-peace down. There really is no comparison between the Walt Disney epic and this film other than theme. Disney produced a masterpiece. This is, nonetheless, a good solid Jules Verne action sci-fi/adventure with reputable special effects which permit Vincent Price to essay a role that is favorably comparable to James Mason's driven commander of The Nautilus. In my estimate, "Master of the World" is good viewing for just about anyone who has not yet been jaded by the modern FX men. For families, it is a very good piece of entertainment that does not devolve into a mindless display of violence and pyrotechnics. It's a good flick, and Price's role as anti-hero Robur is worth watching... ... Read more

Description

Setting: Northern California in the 1890's. Brothers set out to capture a mountain lion destroying their cattle. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Haunting Nightmare
TRACK OF THE CAT is an obscure yet brilliant allegorical tale of a snowbound family whose distorted views on patrimony and perceived lascivious behavior, all shaped by the conniving matriarchal Beulah Bondi, come to a resounding climax after being set into motion by the perceived appearance of a mountain lion. Directed by William "Wild Bill" Wellman the word "perceived" literally describes the haunting images and ambiguous and double-edged dialogue that unfolds. Brothers Robert Mitchum and William Hopper pursue the unseen cat across treacherous snow covered mountainous terrain. Wellman filmed these scenes on location on Mount Rainier. Waiting in the cabin for their return are Tab Hunter (their younger brother), Teresa Wright (their sister), Diana Lynn (in pursuit of Hunter's love) and their parents (Philip Tonge and Bondi). Filmed in WarnerColor director Wellman had cinematographer William H. Clothier essentially film the images in a bleached out and colorless "black & white" effect where everything is shot against a white background. The exteriors of blinding white snow are counterbalanced by the interiors of the cabin whose walls and ceiling are painted bleach white. In contrast, the trees, horses, furniture and actors (all dressed in dark and/or white attire) all appear black against Clothier's white cinematic canvas. The effect is unsettling, unnerving and unforgettable if you have ever seen this film. The result is that of a nightmarish and haunting tale that eludes the viewer's sense of morality in a superficial and dreamlike world of black and white where black and white are constantly being juxtaposed redefining what is apparent just for the moment. The VHS copy is in Dolby Surround stereo. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A classic work of the times
This is one movie I recommend to everyone. It captures a period of WWII and simplifies good and bad. It's about the ordinary citizen making a small effort that will make a difference. My first exposure to Franchot Tone, whose intriguing character opposite Anne Baxter and Von Stroheim keeps you glued to the screen.

Billy Wilder's best of Action/Thriller/Suspense WWII
Here's one of Billy Wilder's earlier works which has his magic touch - by far the best director Hollywood ever produced; an action-packed WWII thriller.
With a complete story, actors, scenery, photography, and drama and his intangible ability to draw you into the story without knowing it - and ring's every emotional nerve you have. A genuine genius at storytelling and beautiful workmanship to look at.
Franchot Tone, one of the cruelly underrated finest actors and the breathtaking Ann Baxter will tear you apart.
Superb supporting cast of Eric Von Stroheim (sp), and Akhim Tamiroff (sp) et al, all make this thriller spin together seemlessly. A genuine suspense mystery with the threat of action everywhere. One of my favorites.
The stunning and exceptionally talented very young Ann Baxter is delicious and excellent, as also in the Fighting Sullivans and The Razors Edge (an oscar). Gawd she was lovely.
Don't miss this. You'll also get a taste of Billy Wilder's unique artist's hand which are in all his works.

Billy Wilder spy story about the defeat of Rommel in Africa
I had always thought that the British army under the leadership of Field Marshall Bernard Montgomery had defeated Erwin Rommel's Afrika Corps at the Battle of El Alamein, but "Five Graves to Cairo" comes up with a more entertaining explanation. Franchot Tone plays Corporal John J. Bramble, a British soldier posing as a German agent, who is aided and abetted by a young French girl, Mouche (Anne Baxter), and gets his hands on secret information that enables the British to win the crucial battle. Of course, as soon as you see Erich von Stroheim strutting his Teutonic stuff as Rommel ("five graves" is the code name for his secret battle plan), you know we are in for entertainment rather than current events. It really seems like von Stroheim is acting in a completely different film from Tone and the rest of the cast, but that is just von Stroheim. Akim Tamiroff provides local flavor as Farid, while Peter van Eyck gets to play the fanatical Nazi Lieutenant Schwegler. Lajos Bior's play "Hotel Imperial" is turned by the script written by producer Charles Brackett and director Billy Wilder into this melodrama, replete with a fatal encounter for one of the cast with a German firing squad. "Five Graves to Cairo" was a technically proficient film as evidence by its three Oscar nominations for black and white art direction (interior), cinematography and film editing. However, it is also somewhat noteworthy that this 1943 film was one of the first produced during the war that had no pretentions towards propaganda. There is no notion of what the Nazis believe, just that they are the bad guys and need to be defeated.

A classic Wilder
I treasure this film as one of the best films in my library. A classic Wilder, with witty script, terrific performances, but also a heart pounding and heart moving film. What more can we ask?

Witty World War II spy thriller that pleases
I actually give this film 3 1/2 stars. Fine direction by Billy Wilder and a witty script make this a most entertaining World War II spy film. Fine performances from Franchot Tone,Anne Baxter et al, and a marvelous one from Erich von Stroheim as a strutting, arrogant Rommel. Classic line: Rommel: "We'll take that fat cigar out of his (Churchill's) mouth and make him say HEIL". ... Read more

Reviews (3)

the next voice you hear
this is a great midnight movie (especially when it rains) since one of the highlights of the movie is the "rain sequence" when god demonstrates his power. A definite feel good movie, abit dated, but reminds us all that the "family" (whatever that means to each individual) whether it's a gay couple, a widow and her pet doggie, or a single mom with 3 kids, is what we basically all have and should cherish the moments and work through our fears (movie time is during the beginning of the cold war). I enjoyed it and liked it in black and white (pretty good acting too).

STRONG FAITH FROM YESTERYEAR
An average working man and his family discover, along with the rest of world, where true peace of mind comes from. To add to the story, God contacts us via radio. In 1950 when this film was released, television was still attempting to establish itself into the American home. This great film was directed by William Wellman, who also directed the classic 1927 movie "Wings". It stars James Whitmore (veteran actor, seen in recent years in the Miracle Gro commercials), Nancy Davis (Nancy Reagan, Ronald Reagan's wife) and Tom D'Andrea (Gillis from TV's "Life of Riley".)

Fear vs. Faith
I first saw this film when I was about 10 years old on television. I never forgot it or the impact it had on me at the time. I remember it being suspenseful, even scary. I did not see it again until I was an adult. It still has impact. The movie actually raised questions of faith and fear. I am a counselor in a rehab for adolescent males and have used the movie in a spirituality group. It really made for an excellent discussion. A good film that holds it own however you view it: spiritual, fantasy, or suspense. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This thematic video, featuring the best game-show parodies presented by Saturday Night Live, concentrates mostly on the later years, with regulars Mike Myers, Dana Carvey, Phil Hartman, Chris Rock, Adam Sandler, Julia Sweeny, and Chris Farley dominating the proceedings. And though some of the skits have their moments, such as when guest host Joe Pesci menaces seriously out-of-place contestant Chris Rock on "Bensonhurst Dating Game," an inevitable feeling of sameness can creep in. Perhaps that's mostly forgivable, as the individual sketches were not written or acted to be seen one after another. Besides regular cast members, guest hosts were regularly put to work in game-show skits, with varying degrees of comedic success--Garth Brooks (in drag in a misbegotten parody titled "Old French Whore"), Jerry Seinfeld, Tom Hanks, and Quentin Tarantino. Gilda Radner and Bill Murray appear all too briefly in a snippet of a sketch from the early years, but seeing Steve Martin, Dan Aykroyd, Laraine Newman, and Chevy Chase in "Jeopardy 1999" from the show's first season is a treat. For a fan of 1990s vintage Saturday Night Live, this tape does have its winning moments, but it may be best watched in small doses. --Robert J. McNamara ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Where's the Jeopardy?!!!!!
All right, I have always loved SNL, and especially the Celebrity Jeopardy's. There was only a single CJ episode at the end of the tape! I feel that with the exception of the guess the word game, the tape should be wiped clean of the waste on it now and filled with stuff that...gasp!...people actually want to see! My ideal: I must agree with another [person] when I say a tape full of Celebrity Jeopardy. Do not waste your money on this, simply tape skits off the air if it means that much to you.

Well it wasn't bad
Overall it was just an average video. The title is somewhat deceiving since not all the skits were game shows. What was disappointing was in some sections they didn't show all of the game shows they were parodying.

Varies wildly from hysterically funny to downright awful.
As you might expect, this "Saturday Night Live" tape is a lot like the show. Some of the skits are fantastic while others fall flat on their face.

The tape both starts and ends on a high note. The first skit is one that skewers our characterizations of French prostitutes. Garth Brooks (whom I didn't recognize at first) is in drag and is very funny. The final skit is the classic "Celebrity Jeopardy" episode where the contestants are supposed to be Tom Cruise, Adam Sandler (played FLAWLESSLY by Jimmy Fallon) and Sean Connery. Will Ferrell, playing Alex Trebek of course, delivers some of his best dry humor ever.

Regarding the rest of the tape, it's interesting to note that the best clips are those that shouldn't even be included...skits that have nothing to do with game shows. The best of the bunch is a mock promo advertising a new show coming to NBC called "Princess & The Homeboy". Tim Meadows is completely outrageous as G-Dog. It's some of the edgiest stuff that the writers of SNL ever came up with.

It's true that most of these SNL tapes don't seem to be chock full of the best that the show has had to offer. However, at least this one is able to provide a fair share of laughs and is worth a rental or a purchase at a cheap price.

Great Collectoin of SNL sketches
I definately recommend you buying this collectoin of SNL Game Show Parodies. It features some of the greatest SNL sketches ever. One is Dysfunctional Family Feud, which features Chris Farley at his greatest. Also, you'll enjoy Jackie Roger Jr.'s $100,000 Jackpot Wad, which features Billy Crystal as Sammy Davis, Jr. Pay attention to Rajeevs face when Saammy gives the clue for asparagus. And David Spade gives a great performance in Geek, Dweeb, or Spazz. The only thing that I think hould've been included is the rest of the Stand Up and Win sketch. Overall, this really is a great video.

Pretty Good Video!
The is a pretty good video. The only bad thing about it is that there is not enough good games shows. Some of them are very, very stupid. But all in all, it's a good video. ... Read more

Description

In the second chapter of the Matrix trilogy, Neo (Keanu Reeves), Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) and Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) continue to lead the revolt against the Machine Army.In their quest to save the human race from extinction, they gain greater insight into the construct of The Matrix and Neo's pivotal role in the fate of mankind. ... Read more

Reviews (1449)

Only the third film can make it good
Warning - Spoilers ahead . . .

When I first saw the film, well, I didn't like it too much. It seemed to be over-packed with CGI Fight scenes and a storyline that didn't really mean anything. While Zion is under attack, Neo, Trinity, and Morpheus must find the keymaster to unlock the doors to the mainframe and end the war, thus freeing Zion.

This entire storyline, to me, seemed contrived, making the fight scenes seem meeningless, their overzealous and sometimes long running effects just becoming tiresome.

But, then I got it. Weeks after seeing it, it finally clicked.

They symbolism of these films is much deeper than the average action-movie viewer is usually given. Yes -- the entire "The One-Saves the world" storyline is meaningless, and that's the point. While paying too much attention to events within the computer-generated fantasy world of the Matrix, the real world, and Zion, fall into greater danger.

We are introduced to two 'french' characters, programs, which exist simply to experience life. While they are among the long list of villians in this piece, they are also the key to the story. They describe the situation in as much in the film, seeing our heroes as mere puppets in a meaningless plot, which, in fact, they are.

While are main characters are engaged in a meaningless task, struggling to achieve goal after goal in a virtual world, events of the real world are dire, and, just perhaps, if more attention were paid to the real-world events, perhaps the situation would not be so dire.

It is not until Neo discovers that his existance as 'the one' is simply another level of control set in place by the machines, that the entire struggle within the virtual world of the Matrix has no real meaning, only then does the truth come to light, just in time for this second chapter to come to a close.

Think about it, how many people do you know who obsess on politics, or sports, or their favorite television show, or even the Matrix itself? We engage in meaningless struggles to achieve goals that, in the end, really have no meaning but to feed our own ego.

A very profound statement to be made by an action film, that is, if the third and final installment draws this observation out.

As I see it, the value of this second episode is entirely dependent upon the content of the third chapter, but the potential is much greater than most people give it credit for.

Thank you for your time.

Spectacularly average
"The Matrix" (1999) delivered an engaging mix of Eastern religion, martial arts and digital cool, all wrapped in a story which was as well-written as it was well-told. "Reloaded" gives us more mysticism, though it's less interesting; more fights, though they're less convincing; and more digital trickery, but without a strong narrative to hang it off. The result is a film which feels like a two-hour philosophy lecture you occasionally spice up with a surreptitious burst on your Gameboy. The film's digitized set pieces - Neo's fight with a legion of Agents Smith, and the much-anticipated freeway sequence - are admittedly thrilling, but they try too hard. When will directors realize that the instant characters start looking like Nintendo sprites, the audience completely disengages? There's no spirit in this movie, no heart, and despite the alleged threat to a pretty invulnerable looking Zion, it doesn't feel like anything's really at stake. Neo's climactic meeting with The Architect should have been the film's most compelling moment. The chilling performance from Aussie uber-director Helmut Bakaitis means it almost is, but the dense dialogue and distracting TV screens ensure you'll probably miss the point - ergo, you'll need to see the film again, which guarantees the kind of repeat business on which boxoffice bonanzas are built. But this was never going to be anything but a billion-dollar hit, so I'm surprised the Wachowskis played it so safe. Why stake the film's appeal on some ultimately vacuous and surprisingly transparent digital imagery, when they had the chance to give a captive audience something audaciously original? It's not like they don't have the talent. I went home after seeing this and watched the first film again on DVD - it's so much better it hurts. The strength of the first film and the weakness of the second come down the same thing: the power of the premise. The idea of an illusionary universe and one man's messianic enlightenment is endlessly appealing (and as old as Hinduism). The philosophy of causation, on the other hand, is dense, complex and ultimately paradoxical - and for those reasons terminally boring. That doesn't mean it isn't worth exploring. It just means that the local Cineplex is probably not the best place to have the conversation.

Excellent movie
The fight scenes were great; the graphics were amazing... the dancing was a bit fluffy (is that all they do down there... well, but, hey, what else is there to do?)... worthy of being the Matrix 2 (but, of course, not even close to beating #1).

Say What?
If you disengage your brain you might enjoy Elrond of Rivendale by case attacking Neo in his Priest's get up, but by the time, you are skirting dangerous toward brain burnout! I have watched it several times, thinking maybe it was the mood I was in, but nope. Matrix was a mind-blowing one-trick-pony that just did not stretch into to a second movie well. There are a lot of interesting scenes, but Neo aka up up and away, just brought a giggle out in me. The LONG action sequences make you want to go okay, enough! Less is More is NOT the banner of this movie! After Neo b**** slap's Elrond and his brother Elrond and his other brother Elrond 100 times it just redefines redundant. Then Neo reaching in to pull out the magic bullet...oh, please...sigh...and the religious overtones are so pretensious.

It was good to see Anthony Zerbe a long under rated talent get a nice spot. The effect are good, just overdone ad nauseoum. Elrond take the ship to into the West quickly!

Surpasses Reloaded but falls quite short of the original...
I absolutely loved the original Matrix. I still do. It got me thinking about things I'd never considered all that seriously, such as the potential negative implications of artificial intelligence and ultra-sophisticated technology. I was also drawn to the philosophical issues it raised, and I was motivated to learn more about the ideas presented in the story. For me, no other film has held such strong intellectual appeal. I've watched the DVD an embarrassing number of times. I've never grown tired of it.

When I learned that two more Matrix films were in the works, I was overjoyed. Unfortunately, my joy came to an abrupt halt when I saw Reloaded. I fully admit that my high expectations contributed to my disappointment, but that certainly doesn't account for all of it. Among other things, Reloaded is so top-heavy with bombast and claptrap that I actually stopped caring about the characters and had no further interest in what might happen. I definitely don't enjoy these kinds of feelings.

I wanted so much to like Reloaded that I actually saw it several times hoping I'd missed a crucial element, or that it would grow on me, or *something*. But it continued to leave such a bad taste in my mouth that I had no desire to see Revolutions.

As luck would have it, however, I recently had an opportunity to rent Revolutions for practically nothing -- so out of curiosity, I went for it. I'm glad I did, because it helped redeem the overall trilogy for me, although not as much as I would have liked. The only expectation I brought to Revolutions was that it couldn't possibly be worse than Reloaded. Luckily it isn't, but it still can't touch the original.

One of the other reviewers has mentioned that an indefinable "something" is missing from Revolutions. Well, I can identify at least three things that are absent from this film: a plot, convincing dialog, and decent acting (with one exception, which I'll get to momentarily). I also discovered that Revolutions essentially has no human stars, despite the presence of Reeves, Fishburne, Moss, et al. The only true stars of this film are its special effects.

Granted, the effects are spectacular. The battle for Zion is a feat of CGI splendor -- although I would have appreciated it more had it been shorter. It's almost like the Wachowskis are trying to compensate for the film's shortcomings by clobbering the audience with protracted high-tech eye candy.

I was relieved that there aren't many hand-to-hand (or should I say foot-to-head?) combat scenes in Revolutions. There are only so many ways to kick a bad guy in the face, and I got more than my fill of such things in Reloaded.

Of the fight sequences that *are* in Revolutions, I found the super-duper burly brawl between Smith and Neo -- in the rain, no less -- to be cartoonish and silly. It was almost as bad as the "Trinity crashes through a window and repeatedly shoots at an agent while falling about a million stories toward the pavement" sequence in Reloaded.

Revolutions also continued the nonsensical double-talk so prevalent in Reloaded. I'm sure it's meant to sound profound, but to me, it only sounds foolish. "Why are you here?" "Because I choose to be." "What are you going to do?" "What I need to do." "What's going to happen?" "What's meant to happen." (Where's a wall that I can smash my head into?) Both Reloaded and Revolutions perfected the art of answering questions without answering them.

And what's with all of the endless squabbling in Zion, which started in Reloaded and continues in Revolutions? You'd think that people who have so much at stake would learn to work together more harmoniously and effectively. Instead, they engage sniping, whining, cursing, yelling, tantrums, petty jealousies, and head-butting. This became so tedious that I stopped caring whether or not Zion and its residents would survive.

Be that as it may, I consider Revolutions to be a worthy diversion if taken at face value. Any meaningful philosophical underpinnings vanished for me after the original Matrix. I approached Revolutions with the intent of trying not to think too much and just going wherever it wanted to take me. On that level, I feel it succeeds.

The one character I thoroughly enjoyed throughout all three films is Agent Smith. In Revolutions, I love the way Hugo Weaving pulls out all the stops and chews the scenery with such diabolical glee. In contrast, the other characters are merely boring. In some places, they're boring and irritating.

As other reviewers have noted, Revolutions ends in a way that leaves a back door open for a fourth Matrix film. Well, I have something to say to the Brothers Wachowski about that, starting with some hokey dialog that they, themselves wrote: "Everything that has a beginning has an end." (Naaah...really?) For me, the Matrix ended after the first film. That's where it should have stopped. Please don't make it worse by grinding out a fourth installment. Let it end now.

Meanwhile, since "cookies need love like everything else does," I'll be doing my part. I love cookies. ... Read more

Reviews (127)

Whom the Bells Told
Disney brings the Victor Hugo's classic tale into a spectacular and touching animated wonder. Gentle and deformed bell ringer Quasimodo (voiced by Tom Hulce) lives a solitary life on the top of majestic Notre Dame. When Quasimodo befriends gypsy beauty Esmeralda (voiced by Demi Moore), he embarks on an adventure to protect his true friend from the harsh authority of his master Frollo. "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" is a powerful, star-studded and stunning masterpiece. The movie appeals to both kids and adults, but some content may be too strong for younger audiences. The story is well-paced and uplifting. The voice cast also includes Kevin Kline and Jason Alexander. The animation, music score and detailed backgrounds are quite amazing.

"The Hunchback of Notre Dame" is a surprisingly good DVD. This animated tale is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen format. The DVD contains a detailed video transfer with bright colors. Both 5.1 Dolby Digital and DTS sound are remarkable with stunning clarity. The animated menus are simple but certainly appealing. Its supplemental material features the pleasant Making of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" featurette, an audio commentary with directors Kirk Wise and Gary Tousdale, and the Topsy Turvy Underground game. Like so many Disney DVDs, it also contains forced commercials and trailers. With its fine DVD presentation, "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" scores a "B".

A Disney Must See
This is the first video I've owned that I've had to replace because I literally wore it out by watching it too often. "Hunchback" is a wonderful adaptation of Hugo's novel. Of course it has the Disney touch. This movie has everything - from intense drama to hilarious scenes that make me laugh just thinking about them. The animation is fantastic and the story is engaging. You'll hear the voices of Kevin Kline, Demi Moore, Jason Alexander, David Ogden Stires and Tom Hulce. The music is by the award winning duo of Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz and it is captivating from the biggest show stopping numbers down to the almost subliminial latin liturgical chants in the backgrounds of some songs. As Disney videos go this one can be considered pretty intense at times with perhaps the most well developed and complicated villan of any Disney film. Watch it first before you let the very youngest kids see it just in case. You'll want to see it twice anyway. It's lots of fun for most kids and just about everyone else. If you liked Aladdin or Beauty and the Beast you'll most likely love Hunchback of Notre Dame. END

Not too good.
I saw this movie when I was maybe seven I suppose. It was downright disturbing. I mean they tie up Quasimodo, throw rotten fruit at him at him, they show Quasimodo's Mum being killed while trying to seek refuge in a chruch, we see the evil guy nearly drowning baby Quasimodo in a well, a house is set on fire with children inside, there is predjudice against gypsies, there is a song about Hell (I didn't fully comprehend the message they were trying to get accross at that part, I'm pretty certain it was Hell though), they nearly burn Esmeralda at the stake and a whole bunch of other really WEIRD stuff goes on. It's a big royal mess from beginning to end. I understand bad thing shappen in the world but this movie was intended for children and I don't recommend it for small children or anyone else for that matter. In a few short words, it creeped me out and I didn't see a point to it.

WOW.
THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTORE DAME WAS THE BEST. I M GETTING IT ON VHS,I WATCHED IT HALF AND IT WAS ASWME. LOVE IT. COOOOOOLOE.WALT DISNYS MASTERPIECE.WOW.JUST WOW.

Probably the most detailed Disney film ever made.
This is a really cool Disney flick because it is the least cartoonish. Everything about it is detailed, more so than some of the Pixar films. The animation is very intriquite and miraculously precise in bringing the Gothic city of Paris to life. The voice casting is very star studded and well done. The music is very good as well, and the score is very moody and probably the most dramatic of all the Disney films. It isn't the best but it is definately "the most". ... Read more

Reviews (31)

Beautiful, Magical Animated Story
If this is the film featuring the voice of the lovely Didi Conn as Raggedy Ann, then it is the children's masterpiece i was thinking of. i remember seeing this movie MANY times as a child, and it was always a joy to watch. The music is heartfelt and sincere, not an ounce of pretense. This movie should DEFINITELY be made available again, not just on VHS but DVD as well. This treasure for children of ALL ages (girls AND boys) deserves as much, if not more.

A New Generation deserves this enchanting musical!
I loved watching this movie as a child and would love for my own children to share my memories of Babette, the Pirate King, the camel and Rageddy Ann and Andy among others. In this Disney dominated era it would be nice for my kids to have something "new" to watch.

Nearly 20 years later...
...I can still quote this movie.

This was the most fantastic movie I'd ever seen as a little girl. My mother and I saw it about 5 times in the theater, and I haven't heard anything about it since. Guess what I'm buying for Mother's Day?

This should be on DVD!

raggedy ann
this movie is great it is hard to find...i hope to see it again .

Ahead of it's time, a work of animation art...
I can only hope that the wonderful people who created this beautifully animated movie will get it out of archives, clean it up and re-release it someday in the future to theaters and DVD before I'm too old and my VHS copy finally stops working. It far reaches any expectations of any Disney movie from the same time era. I compare it to sleepers such as "Iron Giant". It truly deserves recognition. I was dazzled by it as a child in the theater, and at 33 years old, I am still amazed how good it is. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

MGM's bold idea to remake George Cukor's Oscar-winning upperclass romantic farce, The Philadelphia Story, into a star-studded, Technicolor musical with Cole Porter tunes somehow works splendidly and remains an underrated gem. Even the plot and character names--and some bits of dialogue--all remain the same as the original. Crooning Bing Crosby replaces Cary Grant as the wealthy ex-husband trying to win back his soon-to-be-remarried ex-wife, spoiled ice queen Tracy Lord (Grace Kelly, stunning and aloof in her last film role, originated in the earlier comedy by Katherine Hepburn). Unlike Grant, however, Crosby has jazz great Louis Armstrong, playing himself, in his corner for quixotic persuasion. Frank Sinatra (cocky in James Stewart's former role) and Celeste Holm add support as the nosy reporters covering, and subsequently complicating, the upcoming wedding. Sure, High Society lacks the original's witty satire, sarcasm, and character complexity; but it's assuredly paced and wonderfully acted, and contains enough romantic chemistry to keep the plot engaging. And then there's the music. Unlike the grandiose production numbers of many '40s and '50s musicals, High Society's musical sequences are considerably low-key and intimate, focusing on Porter's lyrical content, and the style in which it's delivered by the charismatic performers. Armstrong kicks the film off in telling style: he sings the title track, a calypso tune outlining the plot like a Greek chorus, not as an elaborately choreographed song-and-dance number, but instead stuffed claustrophobically in the back of a limousine with his jazz band. Other musical standouts include Sinatra and Crosby playfully tossing barbs during "Well, Did You Evah?"; Crosby and Armstrong teaming up for an energetic clash of styles in "Now You Has Jazz"; the two soaring, archetypal ballads by the leads--Crosby's "I Love You, Samantha" and Sinatra's superior "You're Sensational"; and, finally, the satirical Sinatra/Holm duet, "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?," the closest High Society ever comes to social or class commentary. --Dave McCoy ... Read more

Reviews (36)

Bubbly Musical Remake of Hepburn Classic!
'High Society', MGM's musical remake of Philip Barry's classic 'The Philadelphia Story', is a frothy, high-spirited joy! While it lacks the inestimable star power of Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant, and Jimmy Stewart, in replacing the male leads with the greatest crooners of all time, Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra, and offering Hollywood's Princess, Grace Kelly, in her last film role, MGM was NOT dropping the marquee value by much! Add to the mix the legendary Louis Armstrong, and one of Cole Porter's last great film scores (including the lushly romantic 'True Love'), and you have all the ingredients for a delightful movie experience!

Changing the film's locale from Philadelphia to Newport, the class distinction subplot of the story becomes, at best, a minor plot point, but it does provide the 'hook' of the Newport Jazz Festival to bring in Armstrong, and to add songwriting as a hobby of millionaire C.K. Dexter-Haven (Crosby). His ex, Tracy Samantha Lord (called 'Sam' in this version, so Cole Porter could recycle his tune 'Goodbye, Amanda', as 'Goodbye Samantha'), and played by the luminous Kelly, is remarrying, to boring, wooden George Kittredge (played woodenly by John Lund). An 'Enquirer'-type scandal sheet, 'The Spy', blackmails the family into allowing a writer and photographer (Sinatra and Celeste Holm) to cover the nuptials (in an improvement on the original story, where Cary Grant 'sells out' the Lords in an attempt to disrupt the wedding).

From this point on, the film follows the original version fairly closely, adding songs to 'spice up' the proceedings. Sinatra and Holm take potshots at the idle rich with 'Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?'; Crosby tosses off a sweet ditty for Sam's little sister ('Little One'), and attempts, with Armstrong, to explain contemporary music ('Now You Has Jazz'); Sinatra, smitten with Kelly, expresses his feelings ('You're Sensational' and 'Can I Make Love To You?'); Crosby and Kelly, in a flashback, recall their honeymoon ('True Love', which became a hit single, earning both stars a gold record). The film highlight is, understandably, the fabulous and funny duet between Crosby and Sinatra, 'Well, Did You Evah?' (rich with sly comments on Crosby's famous fortune, and Sinatra's 'new' style of crooning). The number is nearly always featured in MGM musical retrospectives, and is a show-stopper!

As all the pieces fall into place for a 'beautiful' wedding, (which concludes both versions of the story), Louis Armstrong provides a final coda that is both charming and a reminder that Hollywood just doesn't make 'em like this any more!

'High Society' may not be in the stratosphere of 'The Philadephia Story', but it certainly has a well-deserved place in the cosmos of its own! This one's a keeper!

A GREAT "SOCIETY" MUSICAL
MGM's idea to remake "The Philadelphia Story" as a musical, with Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, and Frank Sinatra in the lead roles may sound perfectly ridiculous. But the idea was intriguing, and so 1956 audiences went to see this new film, "High Society"... and MGM had hit the nail right on the head. The audience loved it, and we still love it today.

"The Philadelphia Story" is still "The Philadelphia Story" (okay, so it's moved to Connecticut), with much of the original script intact and reformed to compensate the film's fine musical numbers. But for those who have seen neither "Story" or "Society", the storyline is as follows:

Millionaire charmer C.K. Dexter-Haven (Crosby) is trying to woo back his uppity ex-wife, Tracy Lord (Kelly), despite the fact that she's already engaged to be married to George Kittridge, the following afternoon. When Tracy's family is blackmailed by an unscrupulous editor who threatens to do an expose' on Mr. Lord's philandering, Tracy agrees to host a photographer and reporter from the editor's magazine. Enter sweet-and-cynical reporter Liz Imbrie (Celeste Holm), and brash-and-smirking reporter Macaulay "Mike" Connor (Sinatra). Tracy has every intention of taking the two "spies" for a ride, not anticipating the ride she's about to be taken on... with the help of Mike and a bucket of champagne. By the time the wedding march is about to begin, who will walk down the aisle with Tracy... George, Dexter... or Mike?

While a bit softer ("fluffier" to use Mr. Maltin's words) than the original, this version is actually a lot of the time more fun to watch, with new colorful takes on the story's characters: Crosby milks charm and elegance from his sophisticated easygoing role. Kelly is a pertfect post-Katharine Hepburn Tracy. Sinatra is Sinatra through and through in his cynical but goodhearted role as Mike. Celeste Holm is a lot of fun as the sarcastic but romantic Liz, and the whole cast including John Lund, Louis Calhern, and even ol' "Satchmo" himself, Louis Armstrong, in a cameo as himself, playing at the much-hyped Newport Jazz Festival (and eventually at Tracy's wedding).

"High Society"'s musical score is a lot of fun, too: Armstrong's scratchy singing of the title tune, Sinatra and Holm sing the funny number, "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?", Crosby and Kelly duet with a charming rendition of "True Love", and the Crosby-Sinatra gemstone "Well, Did You Evah?", sung over a magnum of champagne... any wonder this film won the Oscar for musical scoring?

"High Society" is definitely a great movie musical, a great and witty successor to "The Philadelphia Story", and funny enough for the whole family to have a real "swingin' time." My, it's yar.

Dreadful!
This movie may stand on its own, but unfortunately it is painful to watch for anyone who knows The Philadelphia Story. Bing Crosby is too old, is unbelievable and is miscast. Frank Sinatra is passable, but pales in comparison to Jimmy Stewart in the original. Celeste Holm is fine when she is singing, but she seems unduly matronly and lacks the charm and spark of Ruth Hussey, also from the original. Then there is the problem of Grace Kelley. She is convincing as a rich ice princess, but ( in this film, at least) she posseses none of the charm, aristocratic strength, or appeal that Katherine Hepburn gave to the original Tracy Lord.

Whereas the original was quick and dynamic, the pacing of this one is slow and ponderous. The side trip to Newport and commentary on "the end of a way of life" adds nothing to the film. And Louis Armstrong's appearance, while perhaps noteworthy in its day, now seems embarrasingly buffoonish. One has the sense that the directors and producers are trying to create a joke at Armstrong's expense by placing him in a mileau where they clearly find him out of place.

As a kid, I liked this movie when I saw it on tv. Now, however, I see it and cringe. Truth be told, I can't even sit through it all. Bad, bad, bad!

High Sociey
Absolutely one of the best movies of its ilk of all time! Great fun, light, fabulous to look at, super catchy songs, and the best collection of great actors! I LOVE High Society!!!!

Grace is Great!
If you're "holed up" for a long weekend (of rain, as it turns out this Memorial Day), and haven't seen it, "High Society" is a great diversion, almost as good as a Memorial Day barbecue, and maybe better.

I raaaally liked the original Philadelphia Story, being a huge Katharine Hepburn fan, but I must say, Grace Kelly is just fantastic in this role and to me, even better than Kate. Probably because, Grace is Tracy, the central character in the story.

Otherwise, except for the sets, including the great collection of 50's classic cars, Newport mansions, women's dresses, and the dancing, this is a lesser film than the originial.

But it's worth watching for Grace Kelly alone. I didn't realize she was such a talented comedienne. The movie gets better as it goes along, stick with it. Grace Kelly makes the best tipsy, goofy, adorable woman I've ever seen! ---Wow. This alone is worth the price of a DVD.

My feeling is, and this is not being a Kelly fan at all before, that the U.S. should have done something to prevent her from moving to Monaco. I was too young to follow that story as it happened, but it seems a crying shame for America's entertainment and film industry and us people. She's got something that, say, Gwyneth Paltrow tries for but doesn't have to the same degree. I now understand why people made such a big fuss about her, and this movie will help you do the same.

If you don't like musicals, which I don't, you can fast forward through the frankly mediocre, ill-timed, and happily not-too-frequent musical numbers. (Sorry, I beg to differ with the other reviewers.) Even Louis Armstrong is forgettable in this. Not every movie's a musical, for Godsake. (Besides, Grace doesn't sing!!!) Except, the most enjoyable singing in the movie, to me, was Grace Kelly's drunk amateur singing! It was terrific!

The great Sinatra and also Bing Crosby (whom I admit to not liking either as an actor or a ba ba ba boom singer), don't get very good songs to sing in this movie, compared to the timeless and great songs Frank got in Pal Joey, say. They should develop a button that skips through singing in 50's and 60's musicals! Some of these films woulda been fine without the singin' and with the same performers anyway.

As I said, if you're in the mood for watching a great female performer, WATCH THIS, folks! Grace is TIMELESS in this film. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Boy meets girl, and boy loses girl--no more and no less than that--in this romantic story of young, upwardly mobile African Americans navigating through Chicago club culture to the perilous shores of a relationship. The film was surprisingly popular at a couple of key film festivals in 1997, but there isn't anything particularly noteworthy about it aside from its rare emphasis on a love affair between black urbanites. Larenz Tate and Nia Long are fine in the leads (Tate makes a convincingly self-centered boy-man), and director Theodore Witcher aims for his small target and hits it squarely. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (76)

Acting with style.............
This movie had reminded me of watching the old black and white movies with my dad. More true to life characters looking for love, being in love, and loosing it. Old story fresh view. Larenz Tate was so Cary Grant in style as the character may have been in a clumsey situation, but the actor kept him from looking silly and like a cardboard cut out.
Nia Long has always been a favorite of mine she is sweet even whe she is tough, almost like a Kathrine Hepburn.
This is one of his best work and showing that he is better than always playing an angry black man.

Great movie an great performance bye all.....BUY THIS MOVIE!!!

When Harry Met Sally: Urban Style
Love Jones is a film worth upholding. It is a beautiful love story full of realistic characters. It is one of the few black films in the last twenty years that deplicts blacks like we truly are: intelligent, cultural and just as obsessed with being in love as anyone else.

Larenz Tate plays Darius. Being an author myself I could relate fully to his character. While struggling with his upcoming book he meets Nina played by Nia Long. Nina is a photographer who's struggling just as much as he is, but her feet appear to be on the ground more firmly than Darius'. Darius and Nina begin a passionate love affair that is cut short when Darius' friends and Nina's ex get too involved. This is the perfect example of how a relationship can suffer due to too many " outside " opinions. Darius and Nina realize they cannot focus on their careers because their hearts and minds are on each other. Nina returns to the spot they first met: the sultry poetry and blues club where Darius first spied her. Nina delivers a touching poem in Darius' honor unaware that he is around. The two pick up where they left off and declare their love for one another.

This film is touching without being as mushy as some romance movies. Larenz and Nia have wonderful chemistry despite the fact that Long is five years older than Tate. The supporting characters include the wonderful Isiah Washington and MTV's Bill Bellemy. If you keep your eyes open you'll see Khalil Kain playing another delightful supporting role as Nina's ex.
I am a big Larenz Tate fan and I've liked Nia Long since her days on " Guiding Light ". The two have both grown tremendously as actors and they prove it in this film. I wish there could be a sequel. I'll keep my fingers crossed. If you haven't seen this movie you've been cheated out of one hell of a love story. It's a modern " starcrossed lovers " romance suited for all ages and professions.

O.K.
I watched this movie about four times before I could begin to like it. It's still not one of my favorites but it does showcase admirable performances by both Larenz Tate and Nia Long.

Not Bad At All
It was great to see Chicago look so beautiful in this well told love story. I hope we get more movies like Love Jones. The DVD is a wonderful edition to my collection.

great love story
i felt as fof that it has happen to me as the characters played on throughout the story. I felt i was well written and the ending was great. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

A married man, left alone during a hot summer, fantasizes madly about the impossibly gorgeous woman living in the upstairs apartment. When the woman is Marilyn Monroe, such fantasies are the stuff of epics, and The Seven Year Itch is a memorable laugh machine. Tom Ewell, repeating his role from George Axelrod's Broadway hit, plays the itchy protagonist, whose vivid imagination gets the better of him. When Monroe finally comes downstairs and becomes friends (confiding, among other things, that she keeps her undies in the icebox in this hot weather), imagination meets reality in a merciless attack on the male libido. Ewell's crack timing is matched by Monroe's zesty comic flair, and the scene in which her white dress is blown skyward by a passing subway train has entered the encyclopedia of great movie images. Director Billy Wilder adapted the play with Axelrod; if the film is not one of Wilder's signature works (Some Like It Hot and The Apartment would soon follow), it is nevertheless a smoothly crafted comedy. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (40)

classic sex farce
THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH provided for Marilyn Monroe the chance to play in an accomplished sex comedy, and gave the world a singular Marilyn moment: the now-classic subway grate scene.

Richard Sherman (Tom Ewell in his original Broadway role) has just farewelled his wife and young son for the annual summer exodus from New York. Far from having nothing to do, Sherman fantasises all day and night about the never-named girl (Marilyn Monroe) who has just moved into the apartment above his.

Evelyn Keyes (GONE WITH THE WIND) gives a comically-knowing performance as Sherman's wife, while Marilyn is delightful in her brilliant rapport with Ewell.

George Axelrod's long-running Broadway play was the basis of the film, but the all-powerful censorship board saw too many "vulgarities" in the play (where Sherman actually has an affair with the upstairs girl). In the film it is only toyed with. Walter Matthau was originally considered for the Sherman role, but Ewell fills the role of the everyman so perfectly that it is almost impossible to think of the film without him.

The DVD includes the "Backstory" making-of featurette, deleted scenes, restoration comparisons, trailer and gallery.

THE ULTIMATE MARILYN.....
This is the ultimate Monroe film. The one where she stands over a subway grating on a hot summer night to feel the rush of cool air from the trains passing beneath---the rush of air blowing the skirt of her sexy white halter dress up around her. But there's a movie that goes with this legendary image and it's a classic. Based on the adult Broadway play, "Itch" was watered down for the screen and stars Tom Ewell as the frustrated married man and Monroe as the Girl Upstairs. One hot New York summer, a man sends his wife and small son away for the summer---as all New York men do this time of the year according to Ewells' narration. He's left alone in their apartment to struggle with his vices---cigarettes and booze---when all of a sudden the Girl moves in sub-letting the apartment upstairs. She's a TV model and commercial actress and delightfully portrayed by Monroe. The homely and dumpy Ewell begins having steamy sex fantasies visualizing himself as a powerful lover irrestible to women. Monroe wants to be neighborly so she keeps inviting herself down to his flat frustrating the hopelessly timid Ewell. She doesn't realize her effect on him but he's got an air condtioner and it's hot upstairs. She's completely guileless. Monroe is perfect as the Girl and Ewell personifies the Everyman confronted with temptation when left to his own devices. Monroe is breathtaking in Technicolor and her performance speaks volumes about her comic potential. The subway grating scene caps her legend as a sex symbol but when you watch her performance here you see she was so much more than that.

The Seven Year Itch- One of the top ten Comedies ever
Nobody should die without seeing this masterpiece comedy at least 1 time.

There is no doubt that this film was influential to many other great comedy films. Ideas like the main character thinking out loud and narrating the movie was used in Ferris Bueller. Ideas like using the main characters fantasies for a laugh was used in the movie A christmas story. Ofcourse this films discussion of sexual tension between males and females has been used many times in movies like American Pie. Ofcourse by todays standards The seven year itch is a classy film compared to films like American Pie. The Seven year itch did it all and influenced some of the greatest comedies of my generation(80's to present).

casting=5 stars
ending=4.5 stars
Directing=5 stars
plot & storyline=5 stars
replay value=5 stars

OVERALL= 4.9 TOTAL STARS

DVD FEATURES: The Seven year itch has awesome DVD features. The AMC backstory explains how Tom Ewell was picked as the starring role, how the censors almost ruined the movie, and Joe Dimmagios reaction to his wife Marilyn Monroes controversial subway scene. Also included is 2 deleted scenes, restoration comparisons and previews for other Marilyn films...

The growing height of Marilyn's career
Too bad Marilyn Monroe didn't have kids, to carry on the legacy maybe, because she was something. This movie sure proves it. I think this movie shows Marilyn acting more comortably in front of the screen and I think this is when she began to become a Hollywood superstar. Everyone wanted to be like her. I think this movie is really funny and entertaining and is worth a rent, but GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES {1953} IS MY VERY FAVE, THAT'S HER SECOND OR THIRD MAYJOR HIT, THAT ONE PARTICULAR SPARKED HER CAREER AS WELL AS THE SEVENYEARITCH. SEE IT, YOU WON'T BE DISAPOINTED!

charming, funny and witty. a classic
ah ha, yes the famous sub-way scene. i don't know if the male viewers of america know how much that scene upset Marilyn Monroe because that is what American men and woman thought of her after this film. The 7 year itch is about more than that sub-way scene, so let's drop the obsession with it please. that aside, this is an excellent movie, one of the best comedies ever. tom ewell is hysterical, as is marilyn. a must see. a true classic. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Audrey Hepburn was never more sleek and glamorous than in this delightful romantic caper costarring Peter O'Toole and directed by William Wyler. She's the chic daughter of a renowned art collector and covert forger (the always eccentric Hugh Griffith) who's deposited his best work, a famous statue, in a Paris museum. Trouble is, technology can now detect such forgery, so Hepburn plots to steal the statue with the help of O'Toole, an amateur thief and covert inspector. Of course, neither of them knows the whole truth about the other. They make an utterly charming couple, with O'Toole stealing the show in an uncharacteristically lighthearted turn. --Bill Desowitz ... Read more

Reviews (41)

"..OH, PA-PAHHH...SELLING A FAKE MASTERPIECE IS A 'CRIME'! "
This delightful comedy has all the delicate sparkle of a newly-opened bottle of French Champagne. Forget "My Fair Lady," forget "Breakfast At Tiffany's,"...1966's "HOW TO STEAL A MILLION" is Audrey Hepburn's best film from the 1960's. One of the last great romantic comedies of style to be filmed before the anti- establishment films of the late '60's prevailed, "How To Steal A Million" combines the elements of visual elegance (opulence even, look at the purple velvet bannisters and carpet on the golden staircase in Audrey Hepburn's Paris chateau) with sophisticated dry wit; a beautiful, romantic score with a "kooky" twist on the "French farce." Beautiful scenery, sublime chaos, near-Hitchcockian-intrigue, zippy car chases in quirky autos, and Audrey Hepburn's wacky fashions make for one of the best combinations the screen has seen so far. Ironically, the best twist in this story is that the "MILLION" Audrey Hepburn's and Peter O'Toole's characters are trying to "STEAL" is not what they 'actually' ARE stealing (on purpose). To figure that one out...watch AND ENJOY this MAGNIFICENT movie! "Oh, Pa-Pahhhh! ..."

Fantastic Movie :)
I love this movie. It has everything: romance, comedy, quirkiness and a kissing-in-a-closet scene! Audrey Hepburn was as adorable and entertaining as ever, and this was the first time that I'd ever seen a Peter O'Toole movie and he was fabulous! He's extremely funny and pretty darn spunky! You could just instantly fall in love with him, the second you saw those bewildered round blue eyes peering over the top of the "Van Gogh" painting. I didn't find this movie boring for an instant and I loved watching them steal back the "Cellini" sculpture, using, amongst other things, a bucket, a magnet and a boomerang! I think that this is now my favourite Audrey Hepburn movie. They make an extremely likable couple and their exploits in "How To Steal A Million" are engaging and engrossing.

I give 5 stars to everything I review...Don't I?
I love Breakfast at Tiffany's, but this has to be my absolute favorite Audrey Hepburn film!!! It will be released in December 2004 on DVD!!! Very good plot...cool cool cool....beautiful actress...yeah yeah yeah.....what more could you ask for???...It is a long wait, maybe you should order the video cassette used......!

You don't think I'd steal something that didn't belong to me
Charles Bonnet, Nicole Bonnet's incorrigible father, makes a living forging long-lost masterpieces and then selling them at auctions or to private collectors, such as American business magnate David Leland. Bonnet's quite a character and is an artist, albeit a forger, living the moment, but also being the artist. When he paints a Van Gogh, he IS Van Gogh. Nicole is exasperated, worried that he'll be caught and sent to prison. Charles' flippant response is "The trouble is, you're so honest." So when he authorizes the loan of the prize of his collection, the Cellini Venus, a copy of it sculpted by her grandfather which her grandmother posed for, Nicole thinks her father has flipped his wig. It is worth a million dollars--hence the title.

What Nicole dreads the most occurs when the museum announces that one Professor Bauer will be conducting tests to determine the statue's authenticity. To that end, Nicole enlists the aid of Simon Dermott, a burglar she caught in her father's house trying to steal a Van Gogh (fake, of course), to steal her father's sculpture to save him from being jailed for fraud. She doesn't tell him the real reasons, of course. Dermott thinks it's a crazy idea, given the high-tech security devices and the numerous police detail milling around the museum, but combined by Nicole's persistence and her charm, finally gives in. But just what does he hope to accomplish with a toy boomerang?

The actual heist and scenes in the museum are worth waiting for, as that's where the exciting parts are. The cramped quarters in the broom closet underlines the tension of two people scared that they'll be caught, although it furthers the budding romantic storyline. And Dermott's ingenuity is well demonstrated. As he says, "wait for normal human reaction." A particular comical touch comes in the form of a portly museum guard who has a large mustache and quite a fondness for the bottle. Oh, and that alarm is pretty annoying, so beware!

Audrey's Givenchy fashions become ridiculously funny, such as the pillbox hat and large-rimmed sunglasses in her opening scene, and even becomes a point of parody when Dermott remarks at Nicole dressed as a cleaning woman, "It Givenchy a night off." As it turned out, one night turned into thirteen years, as Givenchy was pressed back to work for Bloodline.

The last comedy Audrey acted in, How To Steal A Million, originally titled Venus Rising, was the third and last film Audrey did for William Wyler, after Roman Holiday and The Children's Hour. It was also the first time Hepburn acted with a leading man closer to her own age since Anthony Perkins in Green Mansions, Peter O'Toole being three years her junior. Her wide expressive eyes and that winning smile are put to good use here. And she does have a great line: "You don't think I'd steal something that didn't belong to me?"

Hugh Griffith is fun to watch as the rascally Charles Bonnet, with the same bulging eyes, funny hair, and goatee. O'Toole (Simon) is also an asset, suave, calm, clever, and quick with one-liners. So is Eli Wallach (Leland), an excitable and impulsive millionaire with his sights on the Venus. And Jacques Marin, who is the befuddled senior museum guard, previously appeared with Ms. Hepburn in Charade, as the chief of police.

Panned when it first came out, I'm not sure why this doesn't hold out even today. Hepburn herself acted in it because she felt indebted to Wyler, who made her what she became, but at least she had fun with O'Toole, as the two were gigglers and many takes had to be required, especially in the broom cupboard scene. It's an enjoyable and frantic caper film, a genre popularized by Topkapi six years ago.

Who Knew I'd Fal, For Someone old Enough To Be My Father?
After watching this movie I was struck by how gorgeous Peter O'Toole's blues are. He's funny and sweet and sarcastic, as well as wealthy and intelligent, in other words, any straight woman's dream. The plot is sweet and quick and very tongue in cheeck. Audrey's at her best and "gives givenchy a break" "in one of the scenes, a genuinely hilarious one that I won't describe lest I ruin the plot. And remember - boomerangs and empty whisky bottles are a lot more useful than you might think them. ... Read more

Reviews (22)

GREAT FILM WITH A HOLLYWOOD ENDING
I call this a "Hollywood ending" not in the sense that it is a happy ening, but one which seems to be contrived to follow the production code of the day which stated that all wrongdoers must be brought to justice. Bette Davis, in one of her great performances, is killed off by Gale Sondergaard who herself is arrested by the police at the end. I really don't know if this ending is in the novel but it does not ring right with me. After all, Leslie Crosby was cleared of the crime and could have gone on living even with the torture memory of the lover she murdered in cold blood although I doubt if she would have remained faithful to wimpy Herbart Marshall for long. Gail Sondergaard, the dragon lady wife of the knocked off husband, just seems to be unable to get enough revenge. The 10 grand she got for selling the incriminating letter to Bette apparently was not enough to satisfy her. I especially liked the scene where Leslie tells her husband how much she still loves her vengefully slain adulterer.

Getting Away with Murder
Who else could get away with murder and still get the approval of the audience but Bette Davis? Based on Somerset Maugham's story, THE LETTER relates the murder of a rubber-plantation owner (Herbert Marshall) in Malaya by his wife (Bette Davis). It is interesting how Davis approaches this part. She gives a brilliant study of a cold yet proper woman who intoxicates her society friends and authorities through a pretense of female sexual virtue. She deliriously illustrates the passion of a woman who would kill a man for attempting to leave her and in doing so entices the audience on her behalf. Davis is so brilliant at conveying such a cold woman who my in effect really need the warmth and passion of a desperate soul, that even she may not realize her actions are a desperate attempt to realize her own desires. Is her behavior a pretense or not? This was very erotic stuff for its time. This film was nominated for 8 Academy Awards. Carl Jules Weyl's Art Designs combined with Tony Gaudio's Cinematography made a very provocative setting for the images. However the only fault I found with this film was Max Steiner's score. Max Steiner is one of my favorite film composers but I found his score too full of that heavy-handed Warner Bros. sound and not sensitive to the nature of the main character or the film.

seven well-deserved Oscar nominations
"The Letter" is a superb adapation of the Somerset Maugham tale set in Malaysia. Bette Davis is at the top of her form in her role as a deceitful, anguished wife caught up in an illicit love affair. Her pleasant, steady, unexciting husband, a rubber plantation manager, is played exceptionally well by Herbert Marshall. James Stephenson, in the role of her defense attorney, turns in an admirably understated yet vital performance.

William Wyler's masterful direction, employing exotic settings and mysterious minor characters, make this spellbinding tale of passion and murder a can't-miss for all Davis fans.

"The Letter" deserves the highest recommendation!

Exciting exotic thriller from the colonial age
Pistol shots bang through the starlit night in the malayan jungle and rubber planter Robert Crosbie (Herbert Marshall) is stupefied to learn that his own wife, Leslie Crosbie (Bette Davis) has bumped off his best friend, Jeff Hammond. "He tried to rape me, so I shot him" she tells her husband - and we know from the start that she is lying. Hammond's body is riddled with bullets, her magazine empty. Some shots were fired when he was already lying on the ground.

While her credulous husband coddles her, she gives her lawyer, Howard Joyce (James Stephenson) her version of the story - only interrupted by crocodile tears and a simulated fainting-fit. Joyce is really considerate: he even commends her on her courage. So good is her mood when she regales the police with a dinner that she is surprised to learn that she could face a murder charge. Robert, haggard from lack of sleep tries to convince himself that everything is O.K: "She shot the man like a rabid dog". But Hammond was so dashing, charming, a real ladies man - hard to believe that he was capable of such a thing...

Robert has every reason to be worried: Joyce is informed by his asian counsellor that a certain letter exists: written by Leslie on the last day of Hammond's life, inviting him to come and see her...This letter is in the hands of his eurasian widow (Gale Sondergaard) who runs a gambling house. Leslie's smiling self-confidence dissolves under Joyce's interrogation. She denies everything, she rages, but her lawyer is not dumb: "I dont't want to hear more from you than is necessary to save your head". He feels nothing but contempt for the woman who implores him to get her the letter, but he feels compassion for her husband. The price for the letter is 10.000 Pounds - the exact amount of Robert's bank deposit - and Mrs. Hammond made it a condition that she should bring the money personally. Leslie tries to hide behind a veil, but it doesn't help her: after letting her wait for nearly one hour in an opium-den, the widow demands to see her face - and throws the letter before her feet with disdain. A male jury acquits the virtuous lady of her indictment, but there is more trouble brewing: Her husband wants to leave for Sumatra, become independent and buy his own plantation. He does not realize that his money is gone...

This exciting thriller contains one of Bette Davis' most famous performances. Herbert Marshall is equally brilliant in the role of her gullible husband, especially in the final scenes. He must have been the most often cuckolded husband on screen: Greta Garbo deceived him in THE PAINTED VEIL, and Marlene Dietrich in BLONDE VENUS and the delightful, underrated ANGEL. Perhaps he was beyond help, because he did not learn from his faults: His next film was THE LITTLE FOXES where he played Bette's victim again.

Sondergaard looks spectacular, but is psychologically wrong: Men usually fall in love with little Miss Butterfly - not with the empress of China. Bette Davis was universally praised. A very intelligent actress, she was on the right track: She wears glasses, she concentrates on her embroidery with great patience - needle-work and sex-appeal don't exclude each other, but there must have been a reason why her lover became tired of her...I think that she lacked the boldness to steep herself completely in Leslie Crosbie's true character. This type of woman ("One is getting so lazy here, the boys do everything" she says) has survived until recently in South Africa: she has no goal, no funcion, and my guess is that she was growing fat...Leslie Crosbie was porridge - and Bette plays her like caviar! W. Somerset Maugham, like Agatha Christie, is very good to read to this day: They were not dishonest authors, just one-sided: they nurture a nostalgia for the "glorious" age of colonialism, which existed only for a small part of mankind.

A great deal
It is a real crime story. Only at the end of this story you experience what happened in this special night. It is hard to feel how this nice beautiful woman can be a murderer.I was surprised that a lawyer does such a great deal (with that letter) to save the life of his client who is guilty. At the end you are in doubt if it is a fair end or not. The book is interesting to read. ... Read more