Reviews (24)

An all time classic !
This movie is simply one of my favorite movies of all time. I did'nt realize it could be bought anywhere on Earth. I have been looking for it for years since tv stations stopped running it years ago. I hav'nt seen it in over 10 years and am ordering my copy now. I would suggest that anyone else who loves railroad movies do the same before it disappears from production. Hands down the best rail movie ever.Excellent.

This movie takes place in the Salem-Eugene area of Oregon during the great depression. It involves the sadistic engineer of the #19 named Shack (played by Ernest Borgnine) and the hobo who tries to ride his train (Lee Marvin). I was in Salem Oregon recently and was glad to finally see for myself the beautiful countryside first brought to me by this movie. A must have movie.

Great movie!
This is one of those good movies that don't need a lot of words to describe why it's great. "Lee Marvin vs. Ernest Borgnine on a train" should be enough. This is also one of those movies that cries out for a major DVD release, what with the rugged scenery, vivid action and great dialogue. As "A.No. 1" tells Cigarette in one of my all-time favorite lines: "You could be a meat eater, kid, and I mean people, not their garbage!" But while you're waiting for the DVD release (which, incidentally, I hear is to be timed to coincide with the freezing over of hell) snag this VHS release while you can. This film has only been released once on video and it's famous for being one of the hardest to find films of all time.

even some of us women love this flick.......
a lot of great acting here. ernie as the cruel train bull/enforcer. Lee Marvin as the old seasoned depression era Hobo. Keith Carridine as the young punk newbie. Simon Oakland as the rail yard cop who strays into the hobo's camp and is lucky to come back out. and the poor engine driver and Borgnine's flunkey who has to keep his eyes out for any bo's trying to board Shack's train. I love this picture because of the trains, the scenery and the music. Marty Robbins' "a man and a Train" seems to have been written for this film. It is a realistic and very graphic film for the years in which it was made. you feel for all the parties involved in this tale. The near miss with the other freight train is a nail biter for sure. Not for the bleeding hearts, but if you like any of these actors, trains and american history I recommend this film for a little eye opener on what our parents or grandparents might have seen or gone through in the depression days of the us of a...... A++++

Get the facts straight....
Too bad Shack IS NOT a conductor. He is a Bull, law enforcement of the railroad. And that's what Bulls did in those days. Keep hobos off.

Great movie. I wish they had it in DVD form too.

good hobo movie
this is an entertaining enough 'bo movie,with a nice gritty sense of realism initially,then a fairly exciting action end to it.i wont bother with going over the plot in too much detail,basically a hobo wants to ride a train,which the train conductor says specifically NO HOBOS.he has a sign and everything....well,not really.but it is a great hobo movie,see "hobos christmas" for how NOT to make a hobo movie.3 out of 5,hardly a classic but good fun all the same. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

"IF YOU SAW THEM, THEY WEREN'T APACHE,"
is arguably one of The Duke's best lines (Michael Herr referenced it in his Vietnam War best seller DISPATCHES, making it a prophecy). John Ford's cavalry trilogy is a great body of American film, all three works have their individual moments that distingush their own lasting perfection. FORT APACHE has the classic Ford/Wayne elements: action, dialogue, a great supporting cast both Ford and Wayne knew how to play (Ward Bond, Victor McLaglen). Henry Fonda is brilliant as the pompous, ego maniacal Colonel Thursday and Victor McLaglen's drunken buffonery is classic. FORT APACHE is a ride into film greatness.

A great American film
Director John Ford's first entry in his "cavalry trilogy" is this excellent film about life on a military outpost far from the glamorous theaters of the Indian Wars in the American west. The film is about character development of the officers and enlisted men on the post, family relationships and the class distinctions among the military social order. Henry Fonda dominates this film with a wonderful interpretation of a bitter, unhappy colonel who feels he has been shunted aside by an ungrateful military hierarchy to an isolated desert outpost to fight Apaches, an assignment he considers beneath him. John Wayne's Capt. Kirby York gives the film just the right balance between the two men who have very different viewpoints about fighting Apaches and respect for their fierce adversaries. The concerns of the wives of officers and enlisted men are also explored in the daily routine at Fort Apache and their fears are touchingly portrayed as their men march at dawn one morning to do battle with Cochise's warriors in an attempt to force the venerable chief to return to a reservation that is run by a corrupt, morally bankrupt Indian agent. The original black and white print is superb and is much better than the colorized version available on video. Richard Hageman's music is reflective and melancholy.

This Ford still works.
I'm out of my element with this film. I normally don't review black-and-white classics, because I'm too cynical to view the big studio releases of yesteryear with an open mind. All of them are contrived and somewhat sappy; I watch them and envision a cherubic Mickey Rooney looking on while eating chocolate chip cookies and drinking milk. "That's a swell show, Dad!"

But I like John Ford films. And I really like FORT APACHE, despite the movie being a stereotypical product of its time. Why, you ask (or mutter indifferently)? Because this film actually depicts some range for Henry Fonda and the Duke himself. Fonda plays a very unsympathetic role, while John Wayne steps out of character (for him) to play a compassionate second fiddle. And Ford's experiment works: the two actors pull off exceptional performances; their on-screen chemistry is riveting.

Tension--that's the motor that drives FORT APACHE. A new disciplined, disgruntled, by-the-book colonel (Fonda) arrives at a remote Arizona outpost; immediately, he is at odds with the fort's seasoned and weathered captain (Wayne). The captain, who possesses a deep respect for a band of Apache that has left the reservation, has the loyalty and affection of his men; the colonel is looked upon as an unwelcome intruder and resented as a martinet. The two officers wage a battle of wills that ultimately has Fonda using an unsuspecting Wayne as a ploy to draw the Apache back for a surprise attack--a strategy that produces deadly consequences.

This is good stuff, further enhanced by some outstanding supporting roles, including Ward Bond, Pedro Armendariz, and Victor McLaglen. We're even treated to a grown-up--yet still annoying--Shirley Temple. Kudos to John Ford for creating a good-looking film that successfully had Fonda and Wayne step outside their respective boxes. FORT APACHE, despite its "Aw, shucks" big studio smarm, is solid entertainment.
--D. Mikels

Four and a half stars, actually...
A truly excellent western, one of the all-time greats; the only reason it's not a full 5 stars is there are a few which are marginally better, such as "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" and "Shane".
Both Henry Fonda and John Wayne are cast against type here, and both prove what great actors they are. Fonda plays a stubborn, excessively proud army commander (loosely based on General George Armstrong Custer) furious at being sent to an outpost in Arizona to fight the Apache, complaining they're not even the "tough" Indians. Wayne is a looser, kinder man more adjusted to living in the middle of nowhere, beloved by his men, and holding much more respect for the Apache since he's dealt with them many times. Fonda insists on using the Apache's trust of Wayne against them, luring them into a trap to force them back onto the reservation. Wayne does his best to stop it, but the forces are already at work and there's little he can do. The ensuing massacre (remember, this tale is based on the exploits of Custer) leaves Wayne with the dilemma: tell the truth about Fonda, or go along with the typical "national-hero" myth that has developed around his death?
This is not your typical western. The cavalry aren't the bad guys (as they would be portrayed 40 years later in "Dances With Wolves"), but the Indians aren't exactly the bad guys, either. Their treatment on the reservation at the hands of a corrupt American government, providing them with scant food to survive but plenty of rotgut whiskey to demoralize and destroy them, is clearly presented. The Indians (portrayed here mostly by Mexican actors) are justifiably angry as their trust in "the great white father" is betrayed over and over. They are presented as intelligent strategists; they offer Fonda a legitimate chance to sit down and talk, but when they're betrayed yet again they go on the offense and, incredibly, they don't lose the fight. This was a western far ahead of its time, and since it was directed by the great John Ford it isn't just a moral tract: it's a beautifully-photographed and expertly-acted drama that pulls you in and teaches you something at the same time. Great stuff.

A wonderful movie
This was the greatest movie! Anyone would like it~! I would tell anyone/everyone to see it! You should add this great one to your westerns! ... Read more

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Based on the mid-'70s novel by Judith Rossner (whichitself was based on a true story), this film was supposed to be the one that established Diane Keaton's credibility as a "serious" actress--and yet she won the Oscar for the other film she did the same year, Annie Hall. Still, Looking for Mr. Goodbar is a solid and intriguingfilm, which offered the first substantial film roles to Richard Gere and Tom Berenger. Keaton is a repressed Catholic school teacher who works with deaf children. In the midst of the sexual revolution, she discovers her own appetite for carnal pleasure--but tries to keep it physical, avoiding emotional entanglement, until she meets Mr. Really Wrong. Keaton is solid but director Richard Brooks can't keep this from dragging. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (30)

Annie Hall Meets Mr. Goodbar
Released in 1977 and based on Judith Rossner's best-seller, "Looking for Mr. Goodbar" was touted as the star turn for Diane Keaton, but it was "Annie Hall" that swept her to the Academy podium that year. A Catholic teacher of deaf children, Keaton's portrayal of a sexually repressed woman looking for scores in all the wrong places is unsettling in an generally inaudacious - and brutal - film. But, the talent that she is, Keaton keeps our attention and is nearly upstaged by Tuesday Weld in an Oscar-nominated supporting role. "Goodbar" takes us to the darker side of casual sexal encounters and issues a warning that we ought not delve too deeply into the darkness without a light on in our brains. The film also marked the first substantial work of Richard Gere and Tom Berenger. But it remains Keaton who carries the film, and she does it splendidly and achieves the intended goal of making us squeamish about the dangerous underpinnings of sexual experimentation. The film's closing scene is harrowing and also achieves its own goal to send the viewer off with an unsoothed boding of doom, and it gives us no hope. Panned critically at the time, the film nonetheless is a showcase of Keaton's dramatic talents, something she'd had little chance to do until then. She alone makes the film worth watching.

Very dark seedy film
A very dark film and shocking for the time period 1977 actually it would qualify today as well. Diane Keaton stars as a sexually adventurous teacher from a strict catholic family who escapes the normality in her life by retreating into the sordid vacuous world of New York City's singles bars. She has an affair with her older college professor but that doesn't turn out good so she spends her nights doing cocaine and picking up random guys until one night she picks up the wrong cowboy. Tom Berenger plays a bar hopping drifter and is the final man she brings home. The ending is quite shocking & disturbing, the cinematography and use of light/sound. It would hold up to todays shock value easily. Keep in mind this movie came out in 1977. A story about an insecure woman constantly rebelling, misguided search for love & acceptance who could not come to grips with her estranged relationship with father. In a sense looking for a father figure. One of my favorite dark genre films.

Looking for trouble
"Looking for Mr.Goodbar" is a cautionary tale of the swinger lifestyle. It is set in the 70s, but it's just as prevalent today as it was then (more so with AIDS and other STDs). Diane Keaton plays Theresa, a school teacher for deaf kids by day, and by night she's a very promiscuous party girl. As time goes by, the night life interferes more and more with her teaching job. Eventually she decides to get out, but by then, it's too late. I liked the idea, but I thought the cast was all wrong (of course I have over twenty years of sterotypeing to try to get over). Diane Keaton may not have been the best actress to do this kind of role, after playing Kay Adams/Corleone or "Annie Hall", playing the "whore" dosn't seem right. Tuesday Weld dosn't have enough time to establish the sister as anything. Richard Kiley plays an adultourous professor, kind of a one note character. William Atherton is the red haring. Richard Gere is obviously at the beginning of his career, he isn't the typical Gere persona, he is acting more like John Travolta from "Saturday Night Feaver", he got on my nerves bad. The movie has an interesting concept, the dangers of casual sex and partying, but it is defeated by the ending. ... So what is this movie? It is a good idea with the wrong cast and the wrong ending.

Takes the viewer back to New York City in the 1970's
This movie was highly recommended to me, and now that I've seen it I can see why many consider it a memorable film. The suspense was brilliantly built up and Keaton's performance was worthy of the Golden Globe nomination it received.

The movie depicts many of the problems of being a liberated single female in the 70s. The main character, Theresa Dunn, moves out of her oppressive Catholic family home to find her place in the world. She becomes a compassionate teacher of deaf children during the day, and ventures out at night into the bar scene. Through Keaton's ability to capture the emotionally vulnerable Theresa, the viewer connects strongly to Theresa's journey to find the life she wants.

Richard Gere's performance is also worthy of note, as are the cinematic effects. Unfortunately the lighting in the film is too dark and this detracts from the overall impression of it, and it also makes it seem dated. The moral messages in the film are interesting and leave more questions than answers.

...and the pursuit of happiness
On its best level, "Mr. Goodbar" showed the audience how you can be an intelligent, cultured and sensitive person and yet become a tragic figure, a victim of circumstance.

The Keaton character realizes the entity of her own sexual frustration and takes to casual sex as a form of emotional therapy. When she decides it's time to get her act straight, she fails, fatally, to put her experience to fruition: not because it's morally too late for redemption and she must be punished, but simply out of bad luck.

I don't think Brooks had a 'this is what you're going to get if you stray from the straight and narrow' agenda. I have a feeling he was more interested in the intrinsic tragic potential of being human. ... Read more

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The beauty of the South American landscape and of Gael Garcia Bernal (Y Tu Mama Tambien, Bad Education) gives The Motorcycle Diaries a charisma that is decidedly apolitical. But this portrait of the young Che Guevara (later to become a militant revolutionary) is half buddy-movie, half social commentary--and while that may seem an unholy hybrid, under the guidance of Brazillian director Walter Salles (Central Station) the movie is quietly passionate. Guevara and his friend Alberto Granado (Rodrigo de la Serna, a lusty and engaging actor) set off from Buenos Aires, hoping to circumnavigate the continent on a leaky motorcycle. They end up travelling more by foot, hitchhiking, and raft, but their experience of the land and the people affects them profoundly. No movie could affect an audience the same way, but The Motorcycle Diaries gives a soulful glimpse of an awakening social conscience, and that's worth experiencing. --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (92)

An Eloquent Whitewash
I saw this really cool movie about Charles Manson when he was a boy, riding a bike, helping people he met along the way, volunteering at a leper colony, charming the ladies, flashing that winning smile, etc. The movie may have glossed over his bitter racism and his intense homophobia a little bit, and it did go out of its way to paint Mr. Manson in a positive light. Had you not known the name, you might have thought he went on to be some kind of heroic figure or great humanitarian...not a mass murderer who enjoyed and savored his victims' pain or a delusional megalomaniac who equated wholesale slaughter with revolution. Gee, this movie deserves an oscar.

Oh, wait, did I say "Manson?" Sorry, I meant "Guevarra." Not that it matters. Different name, same exact meaning.

The Motorcycle Diaries is about a man who personally oversaw and took pleasure in dozens of mass executions in Cuba and Latin America (and ordered hundreds more). It's about a man who once personally and without trial executed a hungry child for stealing food. About a man who led bands of armed thugs into peaceful, isolated villages and killed any male who refused to join his "revolutionary army." Che founded Cuba's "labor camp" system-the system that was eventually employed to incarcerate (and often execute) gays, political opponents, religious clerics and AIDS victims. He lobbied Khrushchev and Castro to launch a first-strike nuclear attack on the US from Cuba. The "passion" that drove this man was ultimately not a passion for justice, but just a passion for killing. The fact that he committed all these unspeakable atrocities ostensibly to effect social change makes no difference: after all, so did Charles Manson.

Don't take my word for any of this. You can judge Che from his own hateful words: "To send men to the firing squad, judicial proof is unnecessary. These procedures are an archaic bourgeois detail. This is a revolution! And a revolutionary must become a cold killing machine motivated by pure hate."

If that's not enough, how about another Che gem: "Hatred as an element of struggle; unbending hatred for the enemy, which pushes a human being beyond his natural limitations, making him into an effective, violent, selective, and cold-blooded killing machine - this is what our soldiers must become."

Thousands of men and women have gone on life-affirming road trips as young men and had madcap misadventures, learning about the world and about themselves in the process. So let's face it: the only thing that sets Che's odyssey apart is that Che subsequently went on to become a "cold-blooded killing machine." Others have taken similar journeys and have dedicated themselves to ending world hunger or healing the sick. Why not make a movie about them? But should a man capable of saying AND LIVING BY Che's hateful words be admired, memorialized in cinema and t-shirts, and held up as a role model for those seeking justice? No more than Charles Manson should.

Save your money and your time and your dignity. Respect the dead.Watch something else.

A telling testimony of how an experience can shape your life
After I watched this movie, it left me wanting to know more about the rest of the life of the main characters.I actually wanted to read the original book by Che Guevara and the books by Alberto Granado and added those books to my wishlist.

This movie portrayed Che Guevara in a positive way even though through further discovery, he also had a negative side.The good, bad and the ugly that complicated individuals sometimes own, never mind regular individuals.However, I have had an interest in any kind of media (books or movies) that show the experiences of peoples lives that are different from my own.It really provides and enlightening perspective of what makes people tick.

Like a lot of typical college students the summer of their graduation in America who travel to Europe, Asia, etc. to seek fun and adventure, this offers a similar journey of 2 friends who journey through Latin America ultimately to work in a leper colony.The journey and experience with the people from different nations and cultures ultimately shapes the lead characters future endeavors, including Che Guevara becoming a revolutionary in Cuba.It gives great insight how a single experience can change the destiny of one's life.

It also is a great testimony how 2 friends who start out having common goals and aspirations can all of a sudden go their different ways.I could really relate to this experience, as I have also found this to be true in my own life.I give kudos to the writers of this film who wrote a very layered piece which could relate to individuals on many levels and the actors were on point in their portrayals.Robert Redford is the executive producer on this film and made a wonderful choice in taking on this film.A true tribute to his development and experiences with the Sundance Film Institute.

The most important thing the movie reflects is truth and self-realization.The truth that 2 friends wil be parting ways and what path each one will choose.One comfortable and safe, the other difficult and challenging. It was a truly human film that made me reflect on the choices of my life and what my life would have been had I made different choices.A true coming of age movie.

Smell of gasoline in the air..And is Pleasant !
I am an Indian who has little to no knowledge of what is cuban revolution or Chi or anyone for that matter. Neither do I know a word of Spanish and havehardly any Latin American friends.

Time and again couple of my Indian friends recommended to watch this movie..my curiosity increased when an online group (R2I club) which i visit had a mention of the movie as a great movie. Rented the movie and was absolutely thankful for the recommendation

The movie is fun, very interesting, breadthtaking views, nice theme , excellent subtitles and a perfect blend of everything that made amovie one of my favorites in the recent times. Other than few very subtle ( exploitation by mining company) socialistic touch, which appears very genuine...it is just a great movie...

First thing after watching the movie...went to google and typed in "Che" Guevara .

Wow hold on buddy
What che did is no different than any other political leader did. I mean what is up with that Vietnam thing?
I don't support communism, but the guy was intelligent and sure is one of these people that should be remembered in histoy!!
Viva la Revolucion!!!....=) j.kindding!

An Important Film
The Motorcycle Diaries is an important film for everyone to watch.Despite being called socialist propaganda, I believe this film gets could help cure Americans' misunderstanding of Latin America.

(Disclaimer: the points of view presented in the following paragraph are not necessarily mine, but rather an exploration into the ideology behind Latin American socialist movements.It is only meant to help critics of this film understand why Guevara is respected in Latin America, why most American presidents, with the exception of Jimmy Carter, are regarded as imperialists.)

The movie, for one, explains the roots of socialist ideology in Latin America.It shows the true reasons why millions of students and peasants marched (and still march) in the streets of Latin American cities demanding social justice.While it is true that Guevara had a role in establishing the current Cuban regime, dismissing his ideological roots as "bloodthirsty" and "communist" only widens the political gap in the Western Hemisphere.For those who wonder why the Latin American youth still wears Che, Allende, SubComandante MArcos, and Lenin T-shirts, it is important to understand the circumstances in which Latin Americans grow up.The region remains dominated by corrupt, wealthy capitalists who steal from the poor. While Americans continue to believe that socialism is evil and authoritarian, and while many note that Guevara justified killing political enemies, it is also important to understand that Latin America has suffered under the influence of some American presidents, who, during the Cold WAr, supported authoritarian upper-class rule.Thirty thousand died, in secret, in Argentina's dirty war with the support of Secretary of State Kissinger.Hundreds of thousands died in wars in Central America, most of which resulted in elite military regimes supported by the United States.Thousands have died at the hands of paramilitaries in Colombia, who are given virtual amnesty by Bush's ally, President Uribe. Fidel Castro is a romantic and an infinitely abusive leader, but, to Latin America, he is nothiing like Che Guevara.Che symbolizes not communism in Cuba, but a vision of justice and Utopia in Latin America which has yet to be achieved.

It is important for Americans who want to understand Latin America to watch this film.It will help those who have grown up in a rich, fair society to understand the anger behing Latin American socialism. ... Read more

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Released at a time when psychic auras, near-death experiences, and Kirlian photography were all the rage among early New Age proponents, Resurrection achieves a spiritual depth rarely found in Hollywood movies. In one of her finest performances, Ellen Burstyn stars as Edna McCauley, a transplanted farm girl who develops healing powers following an accident that left her widowed and paralyzed. Returning to her Kansas homeland, she attracts awe and controversy, performing healings while deflecting any pretense of religion. That's a risky position in the Bible belt, and even Edna's new beau Cal (Sam Shepard) responds with zealous incredulity, fearing what he can't understand while others embrace Edna with unquestioning faith. Through it all, Edna remains calmly resolute as the conduit of an extraordinary gift.

Sensitively written by Lewis John Carlino (The Great Santini), Resurrection tenuously mixes spiritual significance with John Ford's homespun tradition, but for the most part it works: Burstyn superbly conveys Edna's heartfelt determination, and both she and stage veteran Eva LeGallienne (in a rare and final film performance, as Edna's grandma) deservedly earned Oscar nominations. The movie dares to suggest that miracles reside within everyone, and that pure grace will manifest itself in unexpected ways. To that end, Richard Farnsworth is warm and wise in a brief but perfect role; Burstyn's final scene with Roberts Blossom (as her disapproving father) is a heartbreaker; and the film ends with an act of compassion that brings the story full circle as an affirmation of life's greatest mysteries. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (36)

The Best Film I've Ever Seen Ellen Burstyn Do
Ellen plays a woman who suffers a near death experience and tragedy to find that she has developed the power to heal people. The scene where she climbs into the tragically stricken womans hospital bed to heal her and visually takes the womans deformity into her own body is nothing short of Oscar winning acting at the highest level.The film has a slow start, is typically dated in the costuming and sets, but Ellen shows the actors of today how to take a sow's ear and turn it into a silk purse.This movie is a fantastic choice to curl up with on a bad winter day and get lost in. I highly recommend it and I don't waste my time reviewing ANYTHING unless I truly believe in the product. Buy it.

ONE OF THE BEST EVER!
I taped this movie from TV, a long time ago. I thought it would be reshown, but it has not been, to my knowledge. Despite my e-mailing the networks, they seemed uninterested in showing it again, therefore my copy is in very poor condition; needing to be replaced, badly. I have been looking for it, on video for ages, either with no success, or an unusually high price tag attached, for some reason. I absolutely love this movie, as it has something for everyone. It is a very well written and acted drama, with both Ellen Burstyn and Sam Shepard "playing off" each other perfectly. The supporting cast is also as good as it gets. Not only does Ellen's character want to leave this "gift" behind, but Sam Shepard does not appreciate it, as he views it more a curse, than blessing; feeling it is something that will distroy, their already, struggling relationship. Even when he sees what the "gift" affords to people in need, it is beyond his grasp to accept. This is a hard-edged movie, but has such a soft undertone and so much feeling and love, plus the struggle by Ellen Burstyn, as she tries to reason why this gift has been given to her, as she feels totally unworthy, therefore she rages against it, trying to throw it away..then.. the final acceptance of something that is truly a gift from God and therefore, should not be questioned. Anyone who wants to be inspired by a truly wonderful movie that will leave you with that "feel good" feeling... this is the movie to do just that! I hope others will enjoy it, as much as I have.

An Outstanding Film
If you like Ellen Burstyn, or even if you don't and have a bit of an open mind, you'll love this film. It is a moving and sensitive portrayal of the painful journey of someone blessed/cursed with perception and abilities that we normally discount. Ellen Burstyn is magnificent, and the story is compelling.

Another Ellen Burstyn Classic
Anyone captivated by the 70's Ellen Burstyn ("The Last Picture Show," "The Exorcist," "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore," "Same Time Next Year") ought to have this gem as well. As Edna, she steps across the line between life and death but returns, now with the gift to heal. The why is asked, but Burstyn's portrayl of a not-so-perfect human who is given an extraordinary gift makes the why irrelevant. The genius, though, is that the gift - to be healed - can be given only to those who "accept" it (some people need their sickness, Edna explains, after one unsuccessful tent "healing"). "Ressurection" is clearly a Burstyn-driven vehicle, but she's nearly upstaged by French actress Eva LeGallienne as Edna's grandmother. Both women were justly Oscar-nominated, and both are stunning. The film's conclusion is classic. A terminally ill boy whose only fear is for the parents he will leave behind doesn't know he's been healed, and the freeze-frame on Burstyn ends the film with a dosage of "feel-good" for the viewer. A must-see!

bioenergy healing
From an insider at Universal Studios I learned that this screenplay portrayed an amalgam of a number of "healing" episodes into one. This reviewer, is also a healer even though not as powerful as the character depicted. The healing power related in this picture is also known as bioenergy and is not connected to any religious power. It is within all of us, if only we would let it emerge.The very basis or successful bioenergy is based solely on unconditional love for an even total stranger. The emphasis is on the unconditional reaching out to out to another person, who is ailing. Remember though that not everyone can be healed, especially those who use illness for attention.The portrayal by Ellen Burstyn in her actions is overwhelming in its accuracy and also the thoughts of the maniacal fundamentalist who believes that this gift is from the devil; it isn't. ... Read more

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A story line that truly deserves the A-list treatment, The Last Unicorn is memorable for its attempts to stay faithful to its origins, the Peter Beagle novel of the same name. The animation is vintage Rankin/Bass, and that's too bad; but there's an undeniable strength in this tale and telling. A unicorn (Mia Farrow)--she believes herself the last--searches for any others of her kind, while avoiding the malevolent Red Bull, the agent believed to have destroyed the rest of the herd. Along the way, she is mistaken, ignored, attacked, and obsessed about, finally finding help from a magician named Schmendrick (Alan Arkin) and a knight named Prince Lir (Jeff Bridges). A haunting film that pays homage to mythology and the people who love it. --Keith Simanton ... Read more

Reviews (419)

Still one of my MOST favorite movies!!!
My mother tells me that when I was little, I used to make her rent this movie every week. I still remember what the old cover looked like. I have to say that I bought a copy a few years ago and I still watch it every once and a while. I know all the songs by heart - I can still repeat my favorite lines - This is an incredible movie for all ages that I think everyone should watch to get a glimpse of that magic of the imagination that we tend to forget exists after we've grown up!

The plot of the movie is based on the book by Peter S. Beagle(read it if you like fantasy!), but I have to say that I like the movie better. Of course, the author did the screenplay, so that might explain why the movie is so good. It's about a unicorn searching the world for others of her immortal kind. On her journey, she meets humans who help her on her path, like Schmendrick(sp?) the bumbling magician who transforms her into a human woman to carry out her quest, Molly Grue the cynical outlaw, and Prince Lir who becomes a hero for her sake. But some of those she meets, like Mommy Fortuna the witch and King Haggard with his castle by the sea, will try to stop her from solving the mystery of her lost people. Will she be able to hold onto herself long enough overcome the ominous Red Bull who drove the other unicorns down all the roads long ago?

Again, I say that this is one of the movies that defined my childhood, one of the things that convinced me I wanted to be a writer and believe in the magic of imagination. This is a great movie for kids, but there's plenty there for an adult to appreciate as well. Buy it and watch it!!! It's worth it.

An exquisite film... not quite for everyone, I believe
I recall seeing this movie on TV when I was like 8-years-old and its beauty and meaning really affected me. Not again a film has touched me the way this did. I am not giving away what is about, only thoughts and images. The journey of the last unicorn that runs thru the world to find her lost kin and finds love instead... A clumsy but noble magician named Schemndrick... A sad woman who has lost almost everything... A bitter and lonely king searching for hapiness and his adopted son, who will turn to be a hero... A haunting world with wonderful landscapes... An overwhelming score by Jimmy Webb and America... Let's just say that if you like fantasy and still carry with you that good old inner child and also have a taste for melancholy, this film will stay with you. But, if you are into happy endings, better stay away.
Even at that early age I saw this picture, I had a sense of loss and sadness when it ended. I think that actually, it changed me forever. A part of the innocence was gone, in a good way. It deals with deep and mature matters, kind of heavy and serious for an animated flick, but I think it's good for a child to learn to think and awaken sensibility.
I am not sure to recommend it for little children, 3 to 5... I think it's too much for them. From 7 and on, they can appreciate it more, and better for a 10 year-old. There's some middle cursing also, like "hell" and "damn", so very concerned parents should avoid it until their little ones are a little grown up.
The cast is great. Christopher Lee shines. Mia Farrow, Alan Arkin and Jeff Bridges are also here and deliver powerful performances.
Read the book which this movie was based on, written by Peter S. Beagle -who made the screenplay too, thank God, for it is perfect.
An unforgettable, beautiful, charming, touching, thought-provoking, heart-squeezing movie that you can fall in love with.

AVOID
This is a very good film that has yet had a decent video release here in the US. This DVD release is a disaster.

This particular print has several major defects. First this movie suffers more than most when cutting it from widescreen to full screen. But the pan-and-scan job (the technique used to make a widescreen film fit on a regular television) was also totally botched leaving many scenes showing only half a face or character.

There is also many color problems. The print is biased to red. Dark scenes, of which there are many, show a red tint. Related to this is that the greens are subdued. Many objects that should be green show as blue.

The print is also grainy showing more video noise than normal.

The soundtrack is extremely harsh sounding making it dificult to listen to.

I'd recommend you seek out the widescreen version which has none of these problems.

The Last Unicorn
I have seen this movie over 100 times and I really believe it is one of the greatest films of our time. I loved it as a kid and I don't know that I fully understood it, because now as an adult I appreciate the heart that goes into this film. It is a beautiful love/life story about being true to who you are. I cry almost every time I watch this, it is definetly worth buying.

good movie bad singing
It a good movie, with a good plot. The characters were good and well drawn. the only problem was the singing, now the songs were good. But they got people who thought they could sing who couldn't. But other then that a good buy. ... Read more

Reviews (342)

Great Original Movie (and VHS); POOR DVD
Re-release of a previous review so those who read nearby reviews NOTE the difference between VHS (excellent) and DVD (POOR): Waited in great anticipation for the DVD release of this one. The Last of the Mohicans is a great movie enhanced with terrific music. The VHS widescreen version in THX is a wonderful piece of entertainment. Unfortunately, this Director's Expanded Edition has destroyed the flow and continuity of the original. In Director Michael Mann's attempt to supply us with his "definitive vision of the film" via his own editing, he has ignored the professional editors and provided us with a substandard version of what was a fine film. Several of the added clips have no musical sound track at all and come across as painfully awkward - making the viewer fully aware he/she is watching actors in front of a camera rather than immersing us in the action. There is even a series of scenes in the original (and VHS) that has a vocal music piece overlaid that has been completely omitted from the DVD. All in all, I was very disappointed in the DVD after having distinctive and memorable images etched in my mind from the original theater and VHS releases.

Enchanting!
I just recently viewed the movie for the first time during my U.S History class. Since then I have watched the movie five times in as many days. The movie is historically accurate for the most part when dealing with the war itself. The scenery was breathtakingly beautiful and the music chosen was neutral for the time period and accented the major events of the movie. The ability of the movie to convey the wordless love between Uncas(Eric Schweig) and Alice(Jodhi May) was absolutely amazing. The cast was well chosen, even if Madeleine Stowe(Cora Munro) had an on-again-off-again accent. Wes Studi(Magua) played the avenging Huron to perfection creating understanding of his wishes to kill Munro, but yet a frightful savage. As for Daniel Day-Lewis(Hawkeye) I don't feel I can say anything that hasn't been said before. The scene I found the most emotional was during the fight between Magua and Uncas, and then when Alice is making her decision. Great acting, historical accuracy, a wonderful soundtrack and breathtaking scenery made this movie overly enjoyable and emotional. I recommend it to most people, however those who have no desire to try and understand the history behind the movie or the subtle pieces that are expected to be picked up on probably shouldn't watch this movie. Also if you expect an exact replica of the book you won't find it in this movie. END

good but could have been better
My biggest complaint with this movie is that story was changed and not for the better. In the original novel, Cora(played by Madeline Stowe) was in love with Uncas(who is the last of the Mohican tribe) and Hawkeye was just some old guide, along for the ride. Also Cora's sister Alice is in love with Duncan, the English officer. In this movie there is a major turnaround. There is a love triangle-Duncan is in love with Cora who is in love with Hawkeye, who is young and attractive, and Alice has feelings for Uncas(and there is no character development for either one of them). I think perhaps the producers had a problem with an interracial angle although in this day and age you'd think Hollywood has gotten over it. I guess not. None the less, I liked the film-the story was still compelling enough, battle scenes were impressive and I loved the soundtrack(I own it, as a matter of fact).

Fabulous
The movie has the same title as James Fenimore Cooper's novel, but about the only elements that are the same would be the French and Indian War setting and the names of the characters. But don't be disappointed! This is one gripping movie.
There are many, many powerful scenes.

An Absolute Best!!
This is a wonderful movie, and I can't say enough about it.

I first seen this movie when I was in high school. I remember my boyfriend forcing me to see this film. I complained during the whole ride to the theater. But, after the first ten minutes I was hooked like a fish.

The haunting, visual landscapes are breathtaking, Daniel Day-Lewis is wonderful, and the secondary characters are very good. Essentially, this is a story of change. The Last Mohican represents a changing of lives and cultures. Additionally, the story of the French-Indian war is moving.

I cannot list a full synopsis of the movie because there are so many different back stories and themes. There is love, intrigue, deciet, family values, war, and death...and all of it is rolled into one.

Everything about this movie is fantastic and very moving. You need to see it for yourself to see what I am talking about. Or, you can listen to the some of the reviewer's recommendations that say this movie is boring and long.

I won't kid you there is some slow points, but this isn't an all out action flick.

Ultimately, this movie is for people who love real, moving movies. ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Charming & Adorable
I received all three Wallace and Gromit videos as a Christmas present a few years ago and I still love them. All of them are truly 5-stars but I feel that The Wrong Trousers is the ABSOLUTE best. The Wrong Trousers is the second episode in the trilogy of Wallace and Gromit films. The story centers around a clever inventor; Wallace and his genius-dog; Gromit. This, the second time around, our dynamic duo are experiencing financial troubles. When Wallace decides to let out a room to a sly penguin the story really gets going and does not wind-down to the very end with the grand finale. The Wrong Trousers is very clever and cute and the animation is simply amazing. This is a very delightful and enjoyable film that is great for the whole family. Kids and parents both will love it! A Grand Day Out, The Wrong Trousers and A Close Shave are all highly recommended.

wonderful!
first saw this on pbs, with a short film about how nick park animated this. fell in love with wallace and gromit, have all of their films. when not fascinated with the animation of the dear little clay characters, you'll be in stitches over the story, which borrows from the crime film genre with a sinister criminal, a harrowing train chase, and the robbery itself. the breakfast sequence could have been done by rube goldberg himself! i never tire of watching this and its companions, a close shave and a grand day out. all are highly recommended.

Cheeky British Humor For Children and Adults!
A delightful duo, Wallace and Grommit deliver plenty of laughs in these wonderful adventures. The producers spared no expense on the charming and detailed sets, and the voice of Peter Sallis (who also did the voice of Rat in the classic claymation series The Wind in the Willows) is perfect for the character of Wallace. A MUST SEE for the whole family. Wry British humor. Fantastic!

Just saw it today!!! Really good!
Since today was the last day of school before Winter Break, my science teacher wanted us to watch this movie. I was very amazed by all the effects. I didn't know you could do so much with claymation!!!! I would reccommend this to anybody whos anybody. Unforntually, I have only seen 20 minutes of this. We ran out of time at the end of class. Watch it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Best Viewed in Black and White!
Adjust your TV and you will see "Wrong Trousers" in black and white,and trust me it's got more Hitchcockian depth when you do this! ... Read more

Reviews (14)

The Best Peanuts Movie!!
I am the world's biggest Peanuts fan. I have plans so big I couldn't tell them. This is my favorite Peanuts movie. Charlie Brown tries to become a leader, and the annoying cheaters try to win. They even have a cat, named Brutus! In a few scenes Brutus goes after Woodstock(naturally). Lots of laughs and adventure as they go on a wild ride and into a cabin, and going across the lake. And those girls... They kept doing that crazy voting thing. They even voted on if they should take their raft off the land to continue the race! It's hilarious. Here's some dialogue I've chosen

Lucy: What kind of a place is this to be stuck in? We can't even plug our irons in!

Speaker: Campers will be up at o 500.
Franklin: What's "O 500"? Noon time?

Speaker: Race will start at 1800.
Sally: I wasn't even born in 1800!

Marice(in a sack race): Sir, I don't think I was meant to be a potato.

Snoopy is funny especially on the motorcycle, carrying Charlie Brown and him saying the classic line"Why can't I have a normal dog like everyone else?". Though the girls steal the funny lines. The whole gang takes place here in this likeable Peanuts adventure.

Charlie Brown Camp Comedy
I first saw this movie when I was 8 and have loves it ever since!Charlie Brown goes to camp in hope of becoming a leader.3 boys in one tent win every competition-by cheating!Charlie Brown becomes leader of the whole "Peanuts"gang in the last contest-a long river raft race!Packed with laughs and serious parts too,this movie will hold your attention from the start.I love it because it's good to see Charlie Brown do well for a change.The surprise ending is great,too!If you like "Peanuts"race to buy this video!

Three Cheers for Marcie!
This is one of the best feature-length peanuts video. It has a great story, outside of town, in some camp. The sad part comes when a storm causes trouble in the river and everybody gets separated. Specially Woodstock and Snoopy. Oh, I just love Snoopy's "Hey!". Marcie really steals the show with her "and I know my vote". A must have for Peanuts fans.

MY CHILDHOOD MEMORIES
I always enjoyed watching this movie. It is the best cartoon for children to watch. I am in my twenties and still enjoy it. I had to watch it after I saw a scary movie.

Gotta give it up for Charlie Brown
This was a fun movie. I used to enjoy watching this when it came on the Disney Channel. So nostaglic. I loved the Peanuts gang and everything to do with them. "Snoopy Come Home" and "A Boy Named Charlie Brown" were my person classics though, I loved those movies to death. These were my films back in my kiddie days. I will always love them and I will give them to my kids when I get older. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Produced for Turner Network Television and originally broadcast in the summer of 1999, The Hunley is a straightforward, engrossing historical drama focusing on a little-known chapter of the Civil War: the introduction of the submarine into American naval warfare off the shore of war-torn Charleston, South Carolina, in 1864. Writer-director John Gray had previously helmed the 1998 TV movie The Day Lincoln Was Shot, and he has a knack for capturing the Civil War era with a heightened sense of authenticity, allowing for the dramatic license of mainstream television. Armand Assante plays Lieutenant Dixon, a traumatized soldier and grieving widower with just the right mixture of bravado and nihilism to skipper the C.S.S. Hunley--essentially an iron boiler cobbled into a hand-powered submersible weapon--with a volunteer crew of nine men who propel the crude sub in an effort to break the Union's coastal blockade. Donald Sutherland is superbly cast as Dixon's Confederate commander, General Beauregard, and the film's best scenes are those between Assante and Sutherland, playing two weary warriors with one final chance for victory. Otherwise, this is a very conventional film made with integrity but no particular flair, faithfully adhering to historical fact while establishing a solid supporting cast. Assante is guilty of moderate overacting, but he compensates with enough charisma to make his ill-fated command dramatically involving. Most effective is the sense of sheer bravery in the pioneering effort to prove the Hunley as a viable tool of war; the final scene within the sub is both haunting and dramatically intense. (Historical note: The C.S.S. Hunley--named after the drowned captain of a previous test vessel--was discovered intact off the coast of Charleston in 1995; efforts were later made to raise and restore this relic of naval history.) --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (26)

Great telling of a little-known piece of naval history
The Hunley was the name of a human-powered experimental submersible developed and employed by the Confederacy during the American Civil War (or "War Between the States"). This movie does an excellent job of explaining the mechanics of the Hunley, but, more importantly, it delves into the minds and souls of men like those who may have actually manned her. As another reviewer aptly pointed out, this movie not only did that, but presented the southern sailors who manned the Hunley as brave men rather than as some kind of villains.

The cast is headed by Armand Assante, the captain of a crew that mans the Hunley, and Donald Sutherland who is the general in overall command of the project.

Be prepared for a look into the conflicted and tormented mind of Assante's character -- a consequence of the loss of his beloved wife. Assante works as a man driven, and, at that same time, as one who has nothing to lose. The supporting cast does a great job in moving character and story-line development along.

This is a far superior movie to another period made-for-TV movie, "Ironclads". "The Hunley" is better in its story development, drama, and acting. But, if you are a naval history buff, you should also give "Ironclads" a look.

As for "The Hunley"...5 stars, an excellent offering, especially for a made-for-TV movie.

Alan Holyoak

Civil War equivalent to Das Boot.
Turner Network Television once again brings us a true story of the Civil War, and like the previous efforts Gettysburg and Andersonville, this movie is a winner. When the subject of Civil War naval exploits is examined the battle between the Ironclads Merrimack and Monitor is the first thing that comes to mind, this film brings us another no less revolutionary story. Truth is indeed stranger (and more entertaining) than fiction, this is the story of the Confederate effort to build and deploy a submersible weapon of war to break the Union blockade of the South Carolina coast. The original name of this vessel was The David (as in David and Goliath) but after the training death of a young office named Hunley the sub was renamed. The opening scene of the training accident will put the hook in you, this is not a boring film. The special effects are very good, the studio built what looks to be a realistic copy of the Hunley, if you are claustrophobic this film will disturb you, even if you are not claustrophobic it will make you squimish. The technical description of the subs operating procedures (and it's torpedo) by Lt. Dixon are painfully easy to understand, the explaination of Union Naval tactics are very clear as well. There is some computer animation used in the special effects but most of what you see has a very realistic flavor to it, the Union shelling of Ft. Sumter and Charleston are good examples of that. Donald Sutherland portraying Gen. Beauregard has a sinister air about him until he explains his wife's death in childbirth "now there is a test for you" he says. Armand Assante does a fine job, you may notice some folks complaining about the accent, don't worry about it, it does not detract from the film, this may be his best work to date. I would have given 5 stars except for the "Hollywoodization" of the scene about the final plunge. Good combat scenes, drunken fist fighting, no sex, this would be about a PG-13 film I'd say. Seeing southern soldiers being cast as the "good guys" will remind sub movie affectionados of Das Boot. In this era of PC where Confederate battle flags are removed, Confederate monuments are vandalized and Southern heritage is viewed as akin to being a skinhead it is refreshing that TNT brought us this truly facinating and entertaining story. I would have bought it on DVD but it was only available on VHS cassette, which is of fine quality. Top notch production quality. Take it from me, I like historically accurate war films, this is one of them.

Great Film But Where's the DVD?
The story of the CSS H.L. Hunley is one of the most engrossing and yet unknown stories of the Civil War. It is fortunate, though, that this film can help revive interest in this remarkable story. Even if this story was entirely fictional, the movie would still stand up well. Great performances all around. This movie grabs you and dosen't let you go. What impresses me the most is that the film stays pretty close to the known facts. All in all, a well crafted film. It really will help you see the Confederate point of view in this war. They were wrong on slavery, but in the end you will cheer for the crew of the Hunley. Now what we need is a DVD with special features.

WOW!!!
Definitely a great Civil War movie and one of my personal favorites, the Hunley, brings to the screen the story of a confederate submarine, the CSS Hunley, and the desperate attempts made by the South to break the Federal blockade that threatened the CSA's very existence. The movie portrays Lieutenant Dixon (played superbly by Armand Assante) in great detail, both as a man and as an officer, and his efforts to succeed in his project of training the crew whose job will be to man the vessel. The movie successfully provides an important insight into one of the many figures of this military conflict. The Hunley is a movie about duty, honor, bravery, fear, and heroes who fought and died in the name of Freedom and above all, love- love of country. A great movie indeed!

An engrossing film
I started watching this film convinced that I would not like it -- it just did not sound like my kind of film. Within minutes I was totally engrossed. Based on a true story, it has an exciting plot and great acting. Highly recommended. ... Read more

Reviews (26)

The King of Elvis flicks
Even the stuffy New York Times praised Elvis Presley's performance in "King Creole," and why not? Everything clicks in this adaptation of Harold Robbins' novel, "A Stone for Danny Fisher." For once, Elvis has a good script, a terrific supporting cast, a first class director, and a role worthy of an actor which he shows himself to be while also singing an album's worth of outstanding songs. He's not the surly creep of "Jailhouse Rock," nor is he the bloated beach boy of most of his 60's movies. He's a good kid whose boredom with school and disappointment with his homelife leads him to explore life on the wrong side of the tracks where he encounters a switchblade flinging Vic Morrow, a sleazy Walter Matthau, and a beautiful but been around Carolyn Jones. Along the way, he also performs brilliant, knockout musical numbers like "New Orleans," "Trouble," "Dixieland Rock," and the amusing "Lover Doll" (no "Old MacDonald's Farm" in this movie). It all adds up to the King's best film, one of the few in which he wore his crown with honor.

Elvis Presley's personal favorite film role
"King Creole" from 1958,(the same year Elvis Presley was inducted into the U.S.Army),is a good drama with a few good musical numbers thrown in. Shot in glorious black&white and produced by Hal Wallis,who produced some of Mr. Presley's biggest hits("Loving You" from 1957,"Blue Hawaii" from 1961,"Girls!Girls! Girls!" from 1962) and directed by Michael Curtiz(the classic "Casablanca"),the story takes place in New Orleans and Elvis stars as Danny Fisher,a disillusioned high school drop out with designs on being a singer.Danny gets a job at the night club "King Creole". The picture features a fine supporting cast including the late,great Walter Matthau,very effective as a sleazy gangster,Carolyn Jones as the gangster's kept woman,Dean Jagger as Danny's father,Vic Morrow as a hoodlum and one of the gangster's henchman and Dolores Hart as Danny's girlfriend,(Ms. Hart after making several movies left acting and decided to become a nun in the mid '60's).Elvis's top ten hit single from this movie was "Hard Headed Woman".Also, "Trouble" was a well known number.Elvis Presley had said in interviews that of all the 30 odd pictures he had made Danny Fisher in "King Creole" was his personal favorite film role.And,Mr. Presley added that he hated most of the rest of the pictures he had made.

Actually 4 and 1/2 Stars, But...
I can't give that rating on Amazon. Anyway, as a lover of EP's music, and at the time only his music, I was so so so very hesitant to ever give a film of his the smallest chance, because of all the negative things I had heard. I didn't want a bad film to ruin the image that the music had created in my mind. So it was 35 years of just music, nothing else.
Then this past April 2004 I was able to make a "pilgrimage" to Memphis, specifically Graceland. While talking with an employee in one of the giftshops, she convinced me to give certain films a try, and King Creole was the one she recommended I start with. She was kind enough to also recommend a few that I must avoid at all costs, namely Girls, Girls, Girls.
If I could meet this Graceland employee again, I would thank her several times over. King Creole is a quality film that has an actual, and quasi-believable, plot. It has Elvis at his most handsome, and in black and white, that comes through even more. He gives a commendable performance, and his costars carry their weight in the film well also, esp the beautiful Carolyn Jones.
I would classify King Creole as a good overall film, and in the Elvis realm, I would consider it a great film. I think it is his best.

Reel Elvis
This is more like it. A great movie, well directed and acted by all concerned.

Elvis is fantasic. He looks great, looks enthused and is enjoying working with a great cast and crew. This is just the type of movie he should have been doing but, as is known, went on to make the likes of Girls, Girls, Girls and, God help us, Speedway.

The songs are good, the story is good, it looks like money was spent on it. What a pity his stint in the Army more or less ruined his movie career. This is highly recommended along with Flaming Star and Wild in the Country.

good elvis flick
I would rank this as one of the better elvis films along with "love me tender" and "jailhouse rock" also recommend "loving you" ... Read more

Reviews (31)

LOVE STORY WITH A CUTTING TWIST
Vanessa Paradis (Adelle) plays a sad 22 year old woman whose life has been strewn with failures and disappointments. In a single take lasting ten minutes, Paradis transforms before our eyes from an indifferent minx into a tearful plaintiff. That's terrific acting!

Adelle grew up believing sex is what life is all about, and so she never learned how to say "no" to any man or boy. Daniel Auteuil (Gabor) is an over 40 year old, tall, dark, contemplative knife throwing artiste who never smiles and has haunting eyes. After Adelle opens the film with a wryly amusing monologue on the failure of her life, an early scene places her perched in the middle of a bridge over the River Seine on a wintry night. Just as she is about to jump into the icy water, Gabor's voice comes out of the dark, "you don't really want to make this mistake." Adelle is annoyed at this intrusion, and she argues with Gabor about her intentions and his meddling. Gabor is a knife thower, he informs Adelle, and bridges are where he finds the best women candidates to serve as his targets for his dangerous art form. Adelle shrugs this off, accusing Gabor of trying to take sexual advantage of a desperate girl on a bridge. He indignantly dismisses her charge saying that he NEVER sleeps with his targets. "That's YOUR problem!" retorts Adelle. And so begins their relationship.

The black and white format lends drama to this often very funny movie. After they wind up in the icy water and in a hospital, Gabor virtually abducts Adelle into his act with the promise that they will be very lucky as a pair. Their odyssey takes the pair through Fellini-esque scenes of circuses, night clubs and a cruise ship as Gabor's act becomes increasingly dangerous . . . and sensual. Adelle continues to be distracted by "trying on, like new clothing" one young man after another while the duo travel from gig to gig in the south of France and Italy. But something profound develops between Adelle and Gabor. It climaxes in an impulsive knife throwing scene that is so well acted and filmed that we are presented with an erotic pas de deux between the couple that transcends pedestrian sex.

This film is a French fanatasy romance which is funny and erotic in a Hitchkokian way (e.g., Eva Marie Saint and Cary Grant train scenes in "North by Northwest"). What we don't see has a bigger impact on us than what is so skillfully placed before our eyes. The movie asks the question: can a beautiful young woman who has given up hope, live with a man twice her age whose art and life need her? There are many plot twists and turns brought to the viewer by exceptionally fine acting by French pop singing star Paradis, the self disciplined Auteuil, and excellent direction by Patrice Leconte ("The Hairdresser's Husband" and "Ridicule"). The subtitles are easy to read and the music is cleverly well selected. For example, we are haunted by Brenda Lee's far away, almost ironicly singing "I'm Sorry" (this in a French film) as Adelle and Gabor break up at one point. Very satisfying entertainment!

Im In Love...
I looooved this movie when it was in the theaters....not in too many theaters unfortunatly....tooo bad......this movie was really sexy without alot of the stupid pop culture ... that becomes old after 2 months or is trying too hard to be "cool"

If you like indie movies and movies from europe....you will probably like it....who hasent felt like jumping off a bridge at one time or another? :)
I can relate.....I liked all the sex scenes and the trip across europe was neat too, as well as the circus and knife throwing scenes.....I will probably rent it soon to see it again!
I also like that Vanessa Paradis is beautiful without being "perfect" like alot of american actresses and music stars are kind of pressed out of the same mold......imagine a popular actress or singer with a gap in her front teeth? wouldnt happen here in the usa.......

Not worth a single star
I curse, spit upon, and abhor this movie and its leading actress. She has no talent and appears listless in this film as adele. The only good on her cd Bliss was her long-standing boyfriend Johnny Depp's help in writing some songs and playing guitar with his outstanding talent. But I'm getting off this subject. The point is, she should never have tried her deformed hand at acting for her long neck is very distracting and takes away from the movie. The other actor's performances were fine, I am sure, but I would not know since her lisp was too prominent for me to pay atention to anything else.

Takes Your Breath Away
I don't even know where to begin writing about this movie. It follows young Adele, who thinks that her life is worthless and wants to kill herself by jumping off a bridge. Of corse, she dosen't (or else we wouldn't have much of a movie) and is confronted by a circus-knife-throwing man who says he can make her life better as she starts to plunge. This movie is all about how you control your own luck in life, or atleast that is what I felt the message was. It wasn't until I had finished the movie and gotten into bed that i realized that this THE most beautiful movie I have ever seen. It was just so light and and enjoyable, and made you smile inside. Beautiful is a word I have never used to describe a movie before. I always say "funny" or "cute" or "awful" or even "awsome". But never "beautiful" -until now. I have no idea why it's rated R. There was one profain word and nothing explicit (I mean NOTHING) in the whole film. I would even let a 10 year old watch it- just so they can see what a good movie is supposed to be like. Vanessa Paradis has proven to me with this that she is not just one of my favorite singers and models, but is a really great and serious actress. Everything I saw in this film impressed me. And please don't worry about having to read the subtitles! After 2 minutes, I promise you'll be so involved you won't notice or care. If you loved Chocolat, or Amelie, or anything like that, TRY THIS. (It's so inexpensive you might as well buy it. I couldn't find it in Blockbuster anyway.) Absolutley incredible! I don't know if I'll ever find another movie that can touch me this deeply.

la la love you don't mean maybe
A girl with hard luck in love meets up with a destitute knife thrower as she is about to jump off a bridge to her death. They base an act and latent romance on luck and telekinesis. He talks to her when she is about to go wrong outside of his presence and she answers back in perfect syncopation. She twirls on a wheel and he jams knives close to her skin near enough to maim or spiral her into ecstasy. She [blanks] every man who shows the slighest interest in her and he makes snide remarks and introduces new impossible tricks to his arsenal of sideshow cutlery. All in all the movie is a farce but very believable. Even the propped up rainbow is golden beneath. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Imaginatively rendered but slightly chilly, this 1951 Disney adaptation of the Lewis Carroll classic is also appropriately surreal. Alice (voiced by Kathryn Beaumont) has all the anticipated experiences: shrinking and growing, meeting the White Rabbit, having tea with the Mad Hatter, etc. Characterization is very strong, and the Disney team worked hard to bring screen personality to Carroll's eccentric creations. For a Disney film, however, it seems more the self-satisfied sum of its inventiveness than a truly engaging experience. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (148)

One of the best animated movies of all time
The story of the animated film is similar to that of the first book, but contains parts of the second book. Dozy Alice is so silly she follows trouble by chasing a talking rabbit down hs hole. At the bottom, she drinks an unknown substance which helps her get through a talking door into Wonderland. Here she meets the Dodo, TweedleDum and TweedleDee (who tell her the story of the Walrus and the Carpenter), the Talking flowers (watch out for the snobby Iris!), the Caterpillar and the Cheshire Cat. She even has un-birthday tea with the Mad Hatter and the March Hare. However, Alice gets caught up in a game of croquet with the Queen of Hearts, and later a trial. The whole thing becomes such a nightmare, Alice realises she's had a dream while she dozed off.

Firstly, I don't know why loads of people think this film is cheesy. I know Alice isn't for everyone, but when you look at the other films made based on Children's classics by Disney (eg- Jungle Book, Hunchback of Notre Dame), you'll see it's more faithful than those films to the original. However if you have read the books and haven't seen this film, some characters are missing (eg- Duchess, Mock Turtle, Knave of Hearts, White Knight). This may just think that Disney has ruined this classic forever. They haven't. It's the best adaption I've ever seen.

Although I actually have the PAL version, I suppose the movie is just the same over in North America. The best bits are the Walrus and the Carpenter, the garden of singing flowers and flamingo croquet. And the Mad Tea Party is still the funniest part of a Disney classic. So buy this movie. Wether it's a video tape or DVD.

(I also live near Carroll's birth place!)

Disney's 13th Animated Masterpiece!
Following the success of Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland is snother Disney gem, this colorful,classic animated feature tells the adventures of young Alice in a rather odd way since it doesn't really follow the book by Lewis Carroll, but still, makes a wonderful and entertaining film. Although it was not well-liked when it was first released, it is considered today another one of Disney's greatest masterpieces. The colorful characters will make you laugh from beginning to end. It is hard to say who is the wicked villain in this film, since they all play a role in making Alice's day in wonderland not very pleasent, starting from the Mad Hatter, the March Hare, the Chessire Cat and the Queen of Hearts, who just wants to see someone's head roll.

This new Masterpiece Edition DVD set brings Alice in Wonderland to a more deserved release than that previous Gold Collection, which brought very little bonus features. The masterpiece edition does bring many more bonuses, and one of my favorites is that "Virtual Wonderland Party", in which children can enjoy a little while in a fantastic tea pary. Really great! This DVD also has the greatest cover art, I love it. 5 stars!

Follow the white rabbit Neo - no sorry, I mean Alice
I just spent a couple of hours looking at this wonderful movie and the extra features. The aptly named Masterpiece Edition is worth every penny, and like The Matrix, should be included in any movie collection, whether you have a child to hide behind or not.

Beautifully adapted and animated from Lewis Carroll's highly imaginative, high-trippin' classic, the imagery and illustrated puns amaze and amuse, especially the little things like the rocking-horse fly, the bread-and-butter flies, the vultures, the pencil and hammer birds, the momeraths, and the bird in the tree (Queenie Leonard) yelling "Ser-pennnnnt !"

The animators drew each frame based on the portrayals by the actors voicing the parts, and the stand-outs are Kathryn Beaumont as Alice, Ed Wynn as the Mad Hatter, Verna Felton as the Queen of Hearts, Bill Thompson as the White Rabbit, and the very flexible and versatile J. Pat O'Malley as Tweedle Dum, Tweedle Dee, the Walrus AND the Carpenter, in one of the best scenes in the movie.

With fourteen songs, this is the most musical Disney around, but unfortunately, the songs are not very easy to sing along to, making me sound like William Hung every time I try to impress people with my thorough knowledge of the lyrics.

There are lots of interesting tidbits in the extras, such as the discarded Cheshire Cat song, and the fact that one of the songs was later re-worded for Peter Pan. There are other links between Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan, but you'll have to watch the extras to find out just what, cause I'm not telling.

For those who don't want to watch the previews at the beginning of the DVD, just press "Menu" and get plugged directly into Wonderland.

Amanda Richards, July 18, 2004

Disney-ized
One of my fav children's books gets Disney-ized. I find that this version is simply AMAZING! Yes, there are LOTS of drugged out images (ie..the caterpillar is smoking an opium pipe, she eats mushrooms to get bigger or smaller etc) but its a magical story and its told VERY well by the Disney guys. Not to be missed, grab it before its out of print.

It stinks!
This movie is nothing like the original book, skip it and watch the Hallmark version instead. ... Read more