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Meg Ryan emerges bloodied but unbowed from this botched comedy by Lawrence Kasdan (The Big Chill). Ryan plays a woman whose fiancé (Timothy Hutton) leaves her for a Parisian beauty. She jets over to the City of Lights to fight for her man, but an incapacitating fear of flying forces her to seek help from a fellow passenger, a French thief played by Kevin Kline, who then tutors her in the ways of getting her beau back. Kasdan seems incapable of pacing the story, let alone getting a firm grip on its comic tone and intentions. The production sputters and regroups and stalls repeatedly, forcing Ryan, particularly, to find the boundaries of her own screwball performance. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (108)

Perfect name for a nearly perfect movie
Meg Ryan's character is afraid to fly, so she can't join her Canadian fiancee (played by Timothy Hutton) in Paris for a convention. But when he telephones to say he has met a "goddess" and is reconsidering their relationship, she forces herself onto the plane, where she meets the oh-so-gallic Luc (Kevin Kline). She doesn't know it yet, but she and Luc have some unfinished business.

"French Kiss" is a perfect title for this Continental tease of a comedy that combines elements of romance, screwball comedy, and a touch of international intrigue. Ryan and Kline seemed perfectly cast even if he is a good deal older than she. It isn't a magnificent movie, but it's quite a good one and much better than the critics would have us believe. A welcome souffle for any fans of Ryan, Kline, or for romantics anywhere.

Best Romantic Fantasy Film Ever!
This is a review I wrote in 2002 - all I have to say is that it STILL hasn't lost it's appeal to me. Still watch it - although the DVD version is much more durable than the VHS version. So, still no French Kiss 2? Hmph!

This is the only movie I've bought that I've had to replace due to wear and tear. I was curious to see what other people thought of my "favorite" movie and heartened to see that I'm not the only French Kiss addict in the world! I was appalled at the hollywood reviews of this fine, romantic comedy. From the opening scene where Meg Ryan is in a fear of flying desensitization training course to its very happy ending, this movie entertains enormously both with its incredibly romantic storyline and the hilarious bantering between Kate and Luc. I admit that I can do "lines" from this movie. Both Kevin Kline and Meg Ryan are in top form. I think that they sizzle together as a romantic couple! Am I the only one who wants to see them reunited in another movie (ala Tom Hanks?)?

One to fall in love with
Great chemistry...You'll love the unpredictible situations...One of my favorites...If you've ever been dumped for another "goddess"this one is great to curl up on the couch with the love that you found...A++++++++++++++

It's been awhile since I've seen it but...
From what I recall it deserves a five star rating. I watched this in French class and I remember thinking oh boy another sucktastic school movie and was pleasently suprised.

At first I doodled, but you can't help but be pulled into the story and the delightful Meg Ryan. I soon was completely involved with storyline and loved every minute of it, and I for once didn't even mind the pretictable ending.

A movie that is worth renting, watching, and then purchasing. Enjoy.

Predictably adorable
In my never ending endeavor to evaluate all the adorable movie stars (I'm sorry, I can't help myself) I've seen yet another Meg Ryan movie and I must say I'm beginning to be smitten. She is just so darn cute. And ageless. And perky. And actually a wee bit sexy when she gets in the right mood. And anyway since the movie takes place mostly in France (the stomping ground of my partially misspent youth) the scenery is nostalgic, the title is cute, and believe me, the food is delicious.

But what carries this movie is a beguiling performance by Kevin Kline and his very oo, la, la French accent. I also liked the concierge who takes Meg's 100-Franc note (worth about twenty bucks) as his God-given concierge right with nothing more than a belated, merci you vile American touriste.

Okay, I have to confess. I have a love/hate relationship with Meg. I just want to take her home and tuck her into bed, but all she cares about is being cute on screen and teasing me.

Director Lawrence Kasdan (Body Heat 1981, Anne Tyler's The Accidental Tourist 1989, writing credits with George Lucas sagas, etc.) has a few jokes with the nearly all female theater audience and their drag-along beaux. (Actually this video is currently being viewed on the couch across the nation by Roseanne Barr and John Goodman look-alikes with Roseanne making sarcastic remarks about Meg's eyeshadow and scrawny physique while Goodman chortles with squinty eyes as he anticipates the action to come après le flick.) I especially liked the vast vineyard (Meg is drooling) that Kevin DOES NOT HAVE due to his wild and crazy ways (he says, but shows it to her anyway). I mean, RESOURCES are what a real woman wants in a man, dodo brain. What are you doing, playing hard to get?

Anyway, as all romance movie fans know, boy meets girl (cute), boy and girl cannot get it on just yet for 1001 wacky reasons, and finally boy gets girl or actually girl gets boy, and boy turns out to be worth getting as he naturally comes up with beaucoup des ressources of a very special kind. Etc.

See this for Kevin Kline, an underrated actor who has a lot of fun behind the five o'clock shadows and the French pastry while proving he can Can Can with the best of them. ... Read more

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Days of Wine and Roses is one film not to watch if you are melancholic by nature, as this tale of middle-class alcoholism rings very true. Jack Lemmon and Lee Remick are the besotted couple who find that life is not always fun when viewed through rosé-colored glasses. He's the San Francisco business executive who marries Remick and seduces her into a cocktail culture that soon overpowers them both. It is not a pretty picture when their life shatters around them, but this film is extremely compelling for their performances. It is matched only by Billy Wilder's Lost Weekend and the more explicit Leaving Las Vegas. This was nominated for five Academy Awards and won for the title song by Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer. Filmed by Blake Edwards in 1962, it is based on a Playhouse 90 television production from 1958, starring Cliff Robertson and Piper Laurie. --Rochelle O'Gorman ... Read more

Reviews (27)

HEARTBREAKING
"Days of Wine and Roses" ranks right up there with "Lost Weekend," "Leaving Las Vegas" and "I'll Cry Tomorrow" as the most powerful cinematic portrayals of the destructiveness of alcoholism. Jack Lemmon gives one of his most honest and powerful performances as a man who lures his young bride into a life of alcohol induced pleasure and, ultimately, pain and suffering. Lee Remick is equally marvelous as his helpless wife who's own addiction proves more overwhelming than her husbands. A very personal and intimate film that will prove most unsettling to anyone who's known, first hand, the horrors brought on by alcohol abuse. Fantastic but, be warned, very depressing.

Drink It Up
I grew up laughing out loud, as film director Blake Edwards teamed with the likes of Peter Sellers, in the Pink Panther movies, and Dudley Moore in 10. These comedies went straight for the funny bone. The slapstick stuff was just outrageous. While I have seen the likes of some of his latter films, including SOB and Victor/Victoria, they weren't as "classic" as those I mentioned before. Up until the 2004 Oscar Ceremony, I had no idea that Edwards even did any dramatic films. The fact that The Days Of Wine And Roses starred one of my all time favorite actors, the late great Jack Lemmon, just made me want to finally see the movie all the more.

The film is a disturbing adaptation of J.P. Miller's Playhouse 90 story. Joe Clay, (Lemmon) is a San Francisco public relations man who likes to hoist a few and have a good time. When he meets secretary Kirsten Arnesen (Lee Remick), who doesn't drink, he is taken be her, and after a short time they marry. After a few more months, Kirsten is able to put away as much liquor as her husband. As the years pass, Joe loses one job after another and his wife neglects their child until he begins to realize that both of them are alcoholics. soon the couple moves into her father's (Charles Bickford) nursery to dry out, but following a couple of weeks "on the wagon", they go on a total drinking binge. Joe nearly destroys a greenhouse in a fanatic search for a drink and ends up in hospital ward. Former alcoholic Jim Hungerford (Jack Klugman) tries to help them both...

Edwards offers an unflinching look at alcoholism. I remember seiing The Lost Weekend (also featuring an alcoholic) in film school, and being amazed, I felt the same way after I saw this movie. Lemmon and Remick are very good together. The film avoids any cliche about the subject and can make you feel for the couple, while at the same time being repulsed by some of their behavior at the same time--not an easy task. Anyone expecting a laugh riot from the director need not apply or want to. Edwards comedies are funny--most of them anyway--it's nice to know that his was willing to tackle a tough issue.

The DVD boasts a fine audio commentary by from Edwards. He is very easy going and informative about the production. You also get to see a vintage interview with Jack Lemmon, in which, he also discusses the film. The theatrical trailer tops off the bonus material.

To those viewers, who want to see Lemmon in one of his best dramatic roles, watch this. I still can't believe it took me this long to see this movie--I'm very glad I did

LAUGH AND RUN AWAY
When this movie first came out, I was much too young to appreciate the veracity and power. Blake Edwards helms an extremely powerful, if tragic, tale of alcoholism and how it affects the marriage of two middle class individuals.
Jack Lemmon proves what a tremendously versatile actor he was, and he gives a performance that is honest, brutal and unbelievably brilliant. His scenes in the greenhouse and in the drying out unit are some of the best acting caught on celluloid. Lee Remick, the late and underrated beauty, matches Lemmon's performance which is even more devastating as her plunge into alcohol is at Lemmon's urging, and she's the one who can't go without a drink. Remick is mesmerizing in the motel scene where she forces Lemmon to drink with her again.
Wonderful support comes from Charles Bickford as Remick's father and Jack Klugman as Lemmon's AA friend. Of course, the score by Henry Mancini is one of the best.
This is a must see for anyone who wants to see powerful acting and an unforgettable movie.

A Message For All Young People About The Dangers Of Alcohol
The Days of Wine & Roses has equal impact today, as it did more than 40 years ago. It tells the story of alcoholisim as seen through the eyes of a "normal", white, middle class couple. The sickness creeps up on the viewer gradually until it's almost unbearable to watch. This is yet another fine example of the marvelous tempo all Billy Wilder movies posessed. Sunset Blvd had it in Spades. But The Days of Wine and Roses is perhaps the only Wilder movie, so completely void of humor.

Lemmon and Remmick are compelling as is the fine supporting cast. This is a great movie to covey the message about the dangers of drinking to young people. As a side note, I attended high school and was quite freindly with one J. D. Miller's sons. Unfortunatly the lessons of the story were not learned by his offspring. Then again, that was almost 40 years ago. Maybe there's a happy ending in there somewhere.

Skip the DVD version
A classic, no doubt about it. But if you're buying the DVD version for anything but the widescreen effect, forget it. The "extras" consist of two versions of a self-congratulatory trailer (Jack Lemmon breaking character to expound on what a bold movie they'd made.) Meanwhile, the much-touted "interview" with Lemmon is a corny promotional device apparently aimed at local TV stations, with the actor, seen talking on the phone, rattling off answers to trite pre-scripted questions, giving the impression that he was actually having a phone interview with local TV personalities whose own images were later edited into the split-screen featurette.And the less said about director Blake Edwards' "commentary", the better.After explaining that he's not much good "at this kind of thing," Edwards proceeds to prove it in spades by confessing he hasn't seen the movie in 40 years, professing to be surprised when he realizes (10 minutes in!) that the film wasn't shot in color, then actually wonders aloud how audiences will be able to understand the plot if he keeps talking throughout the movie. Sad! ... Read more

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After building up the duo's popularity through popular recordings and several performances on Saturday Night Live, John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd--as "legendary" Chicago blues brothers Jake and Elwood Blues--took their act to the big screen in this action-packed hit from 1980. As Jake and Elwood struggle to reunite their old band and save the Chicago orphanage where they were raised, they wreak enough good-natured havoc to attract the entire Cook County police force. The result is a big-budget stunt-fest on a scale rarely attempted before or since, including extended car chases that result in the wanton destruction of shopping malls and more police cars than you can count. Along the way there's plenty of music to punctuate the action, including performances by Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Cab Calloway, and James Brown that are guaranteed to knock you out. As played with deadpan wit by Belushi and Aykroyd, the Blues Brothers are "on a mission from God," and that gives them a kind of reckless glee that keeps the movie from losing its comedic appeal. Otherwise this might have been just a bloated marathon of mayhem that quickly wears out its welcome (which is how some critics described this film and its 1998 sequel). Keep an eye out for Steven Spielberg as the city clerk who stamps some crucial paperwork near the end of the film.--Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (141)

Helloooo Boys!......
This review refers to the Universal Widescreen(Digitally THX Mastered) VHS edition of "The Blues Brothers".....

Saturday Night Live Alum together with a Who's Who list of the greatest Rhythm and Blues artists ever assembled in one film, make for one very entertaining, funny, action packed musical.The hard part of this review is keeping myself from revealing every funny line, and all the classic scenes that came from this film(and also all the great cameo performances you'll spot throughout the story).For those too young to remember this classic comedy, or if you haven't seen it for a while let me just refresh your memory(just a little).....

Jake "Joliet" Blues(the late great John Belushi)has just been released from prison. Brother Elwood Blues(Dan Aykroyd) picks him up and they're off to fullfill a promise to visit "The Penguin". Sister Mary Stigmata(Kathleen Freeman), the head nun at the Catholic Orphanage where they grew up informs them that the Orphanage will have to close down unless she can come up with the Five Thousand Dollars neccessary to pay the property taxes.No problem for "The Blues Brothers", they'll have the money she needs by tommorrow. But NO! NO! NO!, she does not want their filthy bank robbery money, and they are not to return until they can "redeem themselves"!

While on a visit to church, where you'll find James Brown as The Reverend Cleophus James leading the congregation in song, Jake literally "sees the light!".They'll just put "The Blues Band" back together for one big night and raise the money for "The Penguin" and the Orphanage. Getting the band back together is easier said than done though.Along the way, we are treated to some musical performances by these great names..Aretha Franklin, Cab Calloway, Ray Charles and even Chaka Khan. The hysterical action also heats up as they make enemies all along the way. They are being chased by the cops,the Nazis(led by one very funny Henry Gibson), and a very angry ex-girlfriend(Carrie Fisher) who has a thing for Flame Throwers. They leave a path a destruction in their wake that is unsurpassed in chase scenes.

It's a riotous romp, directed by John Landis(Animal House/Trading Places), that will leave you wanting more..and luckily...there's a sequel! "Blues Brothers 2000", which has the terrific addition of John Goodman to the cast.This VHS tape is terrific. Not only does it have a great picture in the original widescreen image(1.85:1), but the sound is digitally mastered, and is excellent in the stereo surround. There are even a couple of bonus features on this edition. There is the "Making Of" the sequel, talking with all the stars about coming back to do it again, and after the credits, you'll find the "making of" for the original, which clues you in on lots of little trivia details.

If you're looking for something really funny, something with a great music, a great script, and one that will be a terrific addition to your classic comedy collection, look no further, you've found it! And don't forget to look for all the great cameos along the way..(I think I restrained myself pretty well from giving them away... don't you?)
Have a great time with this one and maybe you too will "see the light".......Laurie

...it's dark and we're wearing sunglasses
This DVD is the Director's Cut of the film. That means 17 minutes of extra footage is included making the film a good 17 minutes too long. The added material just makes the pacing falter and so, ironically, the VHS release displays a better film. But, with that gripe out of the way, this is one fun film.

Jake and Elwood Blues are the creation of Saturday Night Live veterans Dan Aykroyd and the late John Belushi. They took the first step to the big screen amongst the countless other Saturday Night Live and SCTV characters (The CONEHEADS, WAYNE'S WORLD, ONE NIGHT AT THE ROXBURY, SUPERSTAR, THE LADIES MAN, STUART SAVES HIS FAMILY and STRANGE BREW amongst them.) And THE BLUES BROTHERS is the film to compare all of these too. That is bad news for them because this is an entertaining musical comedy. Filmed with the gritty look of a drama, the musical is indeed a surprise but with Jake and Elwood as 'musicians', what else can you expect.

The storyline follows the brothers as they try to raise money to save an orphanage. This means putting the band back together. As they piece it all back together, they encounter more colorful characters looking to block their success. John Candy, Charles Napier and Carrie Fisher take their hunt seriously. They also encounter assistance by Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Ray Charles, Cab Calloway and Frank Oz amongst them. There are even small appearances by Paul "Pee Wee Herman" Reubens as a waiter and Steven Spielberg as a clerk in the finale. Now, this is Aykroyd and Belushi's film as they nonchalantly ignore life-changing catastrophes. Director John Landis brings these huge occurrences to the screen like a master. You can just feel the fun put into this production.

The greatest charm in the film is the musical numbers. Wherever the boys go, people just seem to break out into infectious song. You'll find yourself tapping along. With the exception of the 'restored' material, this is a nice DVD with a good video transfer and audio transfer that'll put your receiver to the test. Also a recent making-of documentary is included. If you get a chance to join Jake and Elwood, I recommend it.
They're on a mission from God.

I feel good and you will too!
Here is one of the few movies in my lifetime that qualifies as a "feel good" flick, one where I left so fulfilled I actually missed the characters, story and fun when the movie is over, wanting it all back again. Fortunately, through the miracle of tape and DVD, you and I can both do that!

This production was the linchpin event for the Saturday Night Live characters that wore black suits and sunglasses before the equally fashion-challenged "Men In Black" showed up. Along with "Animal House", this flick reminds me what a great comedy career John Belushi would have had in cinema had he lived more safely (as long as he stayed away from bombs like "1941").

Back to the film...this is loaded with great music, music from many 20th Century ages, music that makes you want to hum, tap your toe, dance, delight, smile, kiss your girlfriend and say hello to God. The plot -- something about getting money for an orphanage -- is superfluous but the movie has memorable scenes and characterizations equal to the equally uninhibited "It's A Mad, Mad, Mad World" from 1963.

A hyperactive musical street scene coming out of a music store -- led by the late Ray Charles doing a great blues tune -- is a typical venue in this film. Another time, Aretha Franklin takes a break from her waitress job to sing threateningly to Jake and Elmore. Still another time, Cab Calloway entertains kids so the brothers can get their cash to Chicago. In another scene, the Blues Brothers band does it up good in a honky tonk but drinks too much beer and ends up in a police-car-RV chase with some good old boys known as...the Good Old Boys!

This movie destroyed about 200 cars in and around Chicago and has one of the funniest car crash scenes and accompanying lines in American film history. The line is: "We're in a truck!" Watch the movie to get the joy from it. You'll laugh out loud and enjoy it almost as much as those Nazis driving off the end of the incomplete freeway overpass in Chicago!

If you want to experience mayhem disguised as two hours of uninhibited escapism filled with great fun, a thousand car chases and car crashes, lowlifes, ex-convicts and rednecks, and some of the best choreographed music sequences ever, buy, rent or borrow this DVD today and get set to ENJOY YOURSELF!

Unique and historical achievement
Unique, wonderful, hilarious.

"The Blues Brothers" holds up even better than one might have hoped. And that's a beautiful thing for one of the most unique movies ever made. Conceived, as Belushi once put it, as a show case for African-American music, the movie is exactly that and so much more.

I was moved to watch the "Shake Your Tail Feather" scene due to Ray Charles' recent death. The performance is so wonderful, so full of life; we have lost a true national treasure. But his amazing performance for the movie will live on forever. The soundtrack's 5.1 remix (including the reintegration of old footage cut from a preview at the Picwood Theater in LA. According to Landis, in the DVD's liner notes, the movie distributors complained no white people would see the movie!) is simply amazing. Even on my bargain set, it is crisp, pure and clean and is probably my candidate for best sound DVD ever. Landis again demonstrates his technical mastery, understanding of technology and choice of brilliant helpmates.

As the same Landis once put it, "Where else can a white kid see Cab Calloway, John Lee Hooker and James Brown in the same two hours?" He left out Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin as well as studio legends Steve "The Colonel" Cropper (who almost single-handed reintroduced cocaine to Hollywood, the number of people who began their addictions under his tutelage is frightening but no names here; you'll have to look it up yourself); and bass legend "Duck" Dunn, one of the greatest bassists of all times (sorry, Duck, my man, even you have to bow, with every other bassist, to Geddy Lee). Normally invisible, we get to see and here the Blues Brothers' amazing band. These studio legends get there fifteen minutes, often to hilarious effect. Willie "Too-Bit" Hall, the drummer even shows really comic talent, as does Dunn and "Mr. Fabulous," the horn man.

The movie also preserves the now destroyed Maxwell Street, one of the great centers of African-American music and R&B and one of the seedbeds of rock n roll. This is the only place anyone can see Maxwell Street in its prime. In a sense the movie is also a historical document, preserving those people and places who have left us.

The plot is almost irrelevant, beside the almost hysterical comedy and stunning musical performances (Calloway and Franklin never did BETTER jobs on their two signature classics), but there is a story there. The cameos are hilarious as well, from Carrie Fischer (who has said she quit coke because Belushi, on set, one day pointed at her and said, "You're becoming just like me." On that note, Robin Williams also says his visit to Belushi on his ultimate night helped him give up the Life that took his friend) and the Keystone Nazis the Boys have to avoid in their quest to save their childhood home, a dilapidate orphanage on Chicago's South side. The "Flight of the Pinto" scene is not to be missed. And be sure to listen for the tell-tale mating call of a most un-endangered species, "hut-hut-hut."
A movie for the ages. It also highlights the bitter tragedy of Belushi's self-destruction. One can only imagine what a sobered and cleaned-up Belushi could do when he did this movie whilst doing 4 grams of coke a day, dropping acid, downers, booze, marijuana (all of this is in Boobward's sensationalist "biography" of Belushi called "Wired"). Unlike other famous drug addicts and alcoholic (Monroe, Presley, Dean) Belushi's fortunately has been taken as a warning sign of Hollywood excess and hasn't lead to his apotheosis.

Despite his tragic end, the movie is one of the few that, no matter my troubles I can put this movie in the DVD player and know I will be smiling in mere minutes. As I smile now, writing this.

Every American teenager should see this simply for the musical numbers alone. The word classic is misused as often as the word "hero" these days, but it's not misused here. What could have been the umpteenth bad iteration of "Animal House" instead attained the temporary immortality of the true classic. Belushi's been gone for more than twenty years now, but the brilliant John, the hilarious John, the gifted performer John Belushi will live on forever.

And, wherever you are John that has to make you smile.

One-of-a-Kind Musical
The musical was so out of favor by 1980 that had Universal advertised "Blues Brothers" for what it was it would have done even more poorly at the box-office than it did. But time has righted that wrong and Dan Ackroyd and John Belushi's wacky star turn has taken it's place beside the other great examples of this unique American film art. It's too long, the colossal car chase near the end is a bore, and it's based on the mistaken notion that church property in America is taxed (something Canadian Ackroyd, the main scriptwriter, apparently assumed and nobody else caught). But there are so many other wonderful moments of singing and dancing and left-field comedy that everything else is forgiven and then some. Directed by the erratic John Landis, who's main signature as a director is some of the best photography in the history of the American movies. ... Read more

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Mel Brooks scored his first commercial hit with this raucous Western spoof starring the late Cleavon Little as the newly hired (and conspicuously black) sheriff of Rock Ridge. Sheriff Bart teams up with deputy Jim (Gene Wilder) to foil the railroad-building scheme of the nefarious Hedley Lamarr (Harvey Korman). The simple plot is just an excuse for a steady stream of gags, many of them unabashedly tasteless, that Brooks and his wacky cast pull off with side-splitting success. The humor is so juvenile and crude that you just have to surrender to it; highlights abound, from the lunkheaded Alex Karras as the ox-riding Mongo to Madeline Kahn's uproarious send-up of Marlene Dietrich as saloon songstress Lili Von Shtupp. Adding to the comedic excess is the infamous campfire scene involving a bunch of hungry cowboys, heaping servings of baked beans and, well, you get the idea. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (207)

The Quintessential Comedy Movie
I love this movie! From the opening scene, where Cleavon Little sings the negro work song, "I Get a Kick Outta You", ala Nat King Cole, and he is corrected by the white men shoing him how to sing "Camptown Ladies", to the absurd surrealist ending (when was the last time you've seen a movie burst out of the movie, this is beautiful comedy.

Sight gags flying by at the speed of light, you will have to watch it hundreds of times to get them all, one liners that would make the Marx Brothers proud ("Bart, I heard you was hung." "You heard right!) This is absurdist comedy at is best (A toll booth on the William J LaPetomaine Freeway). The Mel Brooks choreography is wonderful when Lili Von Schtup sings "I'm Tired." When was the last time you saw German Soldiers tango with their rifles. This movie is filled frame to frame with humor, and no one gets away not insulted (Okay, we'll take the Irish too!)

The cast was perfection, either just over the top, or way over the top Harvey Korman is hilarious as the nefarious Hedley Lamarr. Cleavon Little is fantastic as he makes fun of his own stereotypes, it is absolutely one of the funniest movies ever made by humans on the planet earth.

Until a Special Edition comes along ...
... this will have to do. But that ain't all bad.

Politically incorrect and loving it, "Blazing Saddles" holds up as a comedy nearly 30 years after its release, and maybe even has gotten funnier as Americans get more uptight. Heaven help us if we lose our ability to laugh at the outrageous.

And while the bathroom humor (and the campfire scene) gets all the notice, there are some very subtle jokes in the film, such as the "laurel and hardy handshake" and "Thank you, Van."

As for extras ... there's not much. A trailer, both widescreen and cropped versions, and an monologue by Mel Brooks that plays over the first half of the movie. It's not scene-specific, but it's worth listening to. For instance, Gene Wilder wasn't even supposed to be in the movie. To find out who was, and why Wilder got the part ... listen to the interview.

This film cries out for a special edition. A scene-specific commentary by Brooks and co-writers Andrew Bergman and Richard Pryor. A making-of documentary. The scenes that were edited into the TV version of the movie (like the diving scene and the governor's visit to the fake Rock Ridge)...

Tasteless But Funny
Plays like an ennactment of one of those tasteless joke books set to a Western theme. Not for everyone. Even fans of this sort of thing have to be in a certain mood.

The funniest western ever made
Cleavon Little plays a black railroad worker condemend to death for assaulting his white foreman. At the last minute he is reprieved by the governor who has the devious idea of making him sheriff of Rock Ridge, a town the governor wants destroyed so they can run the railroad through the area, he thinks a black sheriff will finish the town off. When Little arrives in Rock Ridge he is nearly lynched by the outratged inhabitants but manages to outwit them. Safe in the sheriff's office, he finds the town drunk (Gene Wilder) just waking up in the cells, and they strike up a friendship. Together they set about the task of winning over the folk of Rock Ridge ("simple, wholesome, country folk - you know, morons" as Wilder says), and trying to save the town from destruction. This blissfuly funny film is packed with hilarious episodes. There's the wonderful scene where Little, asked to sing a negro song, obliges with 'I get a kick out of you', the scene where he arrives in Rock Ridge, there's Madelein Khan's hilarious Marlene Dietrich impersonation, the wonderful scene where Little and Wilder infiltrate the baddies' gang disguised as Klu Klux Klan members, and my favourite scene of all, the bit where the townsfolk, asked to give some land to the minority groups who are to help them build the fake town, reply "All right, we'll give some land to the niggers and the chinks, but we DON'T want the irish!" The film is utterly delightful, with hilarious performances from all concerned. There's just one thing that I wonder about. Cleavon Little is such a wonderful comic actor, not to mention being drop-dead gorgeous as well, why has so little been seen of him since this film was made? Never mind, if you're only going to be famous for one film, this is a great one to be remembered for.

Even the "Making-of" was recycled!
Five stars for the movie itself as well as the presentation. The movie looks and sounds great.

BUT--- as noted by many, the "30th Anniversary Edition" supplements are basically a hack job. This is easily one of the most influential comedies of all-time, it deserved to really be given the Special Edition treatment.

The "Commentary" is not a traditional commentary at all; not only is it simply the audio from a 55 minute interview with Brooks, it was issued on the previous dvd. This has been mentioned by many reviewers.

What hasn't been as well-reported is that even the half-hour retrospective doc has been recycled. The "Back in the Saddle" program, which is admittedly a decent if unspectacular show, was previously issued on the 2001 VHS edition! Basically, this featurette was issued on the 27th Anniversary video cassette release. Yes, this is the first time it has appeared on dvd, but still a rather lazy choice.

The "Additional Scenes" are, somewhat annoyingly, not accessible scene-by scene. They play as one approx. 10-minute piece. These scenes were added to the TV broadcast version. It's nice to have them, though most of them are shown in the "Back in the Saddle" featurette.

The only other significant supplement is the "Black Bart" pilot episode. This 24-minute show is a real curiousity, a great archival piece even though the show itself is excruciatingly BAD. Still, its interesting viewing, and very easy on the eyes. This show, quite simply, looks amazing! Very well preserved.

There are a couple other bits, like the trailer and an excerpt from a Madeline Kahn documentary (only about 4 minutes or so).

Really, all things considered, Warner really dropped the ball on the supplementals for this edition. The movie itself looks fantastic and the new 5.1 mix isn't anything special but it sounds better than the old disc. The movie is what really counts, and in that area the presentation can hardly be faulted. But in the end, they didn't actually produce any NEW supplemental material for this set. ... Read more

Reviews (99)

much better than i expected!
A film by Mike Nichols

I wasn't initially excited or interested in seeing this movie, but after being repeatedly told that it is a really good and really funny movie, I rented it. Good decision. I was surprised by just how good this movie really is and even more surprised by how much I ended up liking it.

Armand Goldman (Robin Williams) is the owner of a gay nightclub where his partner, Albert (Nathan Lane) is the star of the show. Armand's son Val (Dan Futterman) comes to town and tells his father that he is getting married. Val is marrying a young woman named Barb Keeley (Calista Flockhart). This would not cause any problems except that her father is the ultra-conservative senator Kevin Keeley (Gene Hackman). Senator Keeley is the co-founder on a group expounding a highly conservative morality and this would present some conflict in the relationship. What really causes conflict is that Barb and her parents are driving down to Florida and will be having a dinner with Val's family. He tells Armand that the entire house must be re-decorated to look less gay and that Albert can't be there because there is no way to hide his gayness (Albert is so overtly gay that there is no possible behavior modification that would work. Albert is who he is). The movie has Val trying to hide who his father is, and we do see Armand uncomfortable with that, but he also loves his son and wants everything to work out for Val. Senator Keeley and family finally does arrive and naturally there is still some evasion until something happens and there is no longer any way to hide the truth.

This movie is funny all the way through. Albert is so incredibly flamboyant, but lovable, and it is a joy to watch him onscreen doing his thing. I can't think of any problems that I had with the cast, everyone was spot on. Obviously this movie is supportive of a homosexual lifestyle, so if that is the sort of thing that bothers you, this movie is not for you. The Birdcage shoots barbs at the conservative moral ideals, but it does so in a very funny manner. It is over the top, flamboyant, and all around funny and it is worth your time to give The Birdcage a chance. It also features a scene stealing Hank Azaria as the housekeeper Agador.

Yet Another Great Gay Comedy
"The Birdcage" is a great comedy release of 1996. It stars Robin Williams, Nathan Lane, Calista Flockhart, Gene Hackman, Dianne Wiest, and others. Before its release, few other movies explores gay issues or themes, having such box-office success (remember, this is before "Will And Grace" started). Therefore, this earns the cast and crew tremendous respect for their daring efforts. The plot writing is brilliant! Its great, unique humor keeps audiences interested from beginning to end. As many surprises arise, the dramatic vibes always arise at the perfect time, namely the scene when one of the fathers, Armand, refuses to speak to his son, Val, for a while because of demands to make him more "straight looking". In the meantime, the story of Val's fiance's family traveling hundreds of miles to meet the future in-laws adds to the humorous and interesting movie experience. However, her father is an ultra-conservative politician. Therefore, to gain his approval, Armand must portray a heterosexual, and his long-time boyfriend and Val's other father, Albert, must pretend to not exist. Throughout this struggle, numerous emotional breakdowns occur that will capture the audience's heart. The drag show performances add to the movie's excitement, offering an artistic and deeper look into the characters. Every characters' personalities add their own certain movie vibe.

Every actor offers their own sense of humor through this movie, which proves that the chemistry between the actors and the movie is perfect. Nathan Lane capitalizes the comedy sense. His flamboyant portrayal of Albert stands out throughout the whole movie. Robin Williams expresses his comedic and his dramatic side perfectly in his role of Armand. His studying of his character's lifestyle is obvious. Gene Hackman, Dianne Wiest, Calista Flockhart, Dan Futterman, and all other actors performed their roles equally wonderfully.

"The Birdcage" is a great movie for those looking for a great comedy and/or a great gay pride theme. This will surely entertain many audiences. Such movie quality is only one characteristic that makes it destined to become a classic in the following years.

Great Film: Fun, Funny and Touching
This is one of my favorites... Nathan Lane is -- pardon the expression -- "screaming-ly" funny as Albert, half of the gay couple whose son returns home from college to announce his engagement to the daughter of ultra-conservative Senator Keeley (fabulously fleshed out by Gene Hackman, whose comedic timing and delivery is superb!). Robin Williams low-key characterization of Armand is the perfect foil for Lane's "to the hilt" performance. Diane Wiest shines as the Senator's dutiful political wife, while Hank Azaria is Armand's and Albert's "hot" Guatemalan house-man/showgirl wanna-be. Nichol's great directing, a fabulous script and the inspired casting make a terrifically entertaining film. It's just so much fun to watch!--- Love it!

Good comedy about "gayety"

Robin Williams and Gene Hackman team up to give us rollicking comedy. Hackman plays a a radical right-wing Republican senator whose daughter is about to marry the son of a homosexual Robin Williams) who has a flaming live in partner. The humor revolves around the gay couple trying to act straight while hosting dinner for the senator and his wife. Williams' gay partner does a female impersonation for the benefit of the dinner.

The press is caught up in the plot when, as the National Inquirer reporter says, "those vultures" of the national media show up with their TV cameras.

The ensuing scenes, when the despicable conservative senator escapes the press in drag, thus justifying the stereotypical right-wing idiot. Hackman plays his part flawlessly, and it is a funny movie.

One unintended Hollywood message is the problems caused by trying to raise normal kids with a same-sex couple as "parents", usually deftly ignored under the present situation, with gays pushing for same-sex marriage on a nationwide campaign.

Joseph (Joe) Pierre

One of my all-time favorites!
Nathan Lane + Hank Azaria + Robin Williams + Gene Hackman + Dianne Wiest = Hilarious Comedy. Nathan Lane and Hank Azaria especially stole the show for me. Lane's screaming and Azaria's accent make this a must see.

Dan Futterman does get on my nerves a bit in this movie. It's his attitude towards Nathan Lane's character. It's a bit demanding and very ungrateful. Other than that, this movie is as good as they come.

I highly recommend this. ... Read more

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Arthurian mythology and modern day decay seem perfect complements to each other in this Terry Gilliam drama/comedy/fantasy. Shock jock Jack Lucas (Jeff Bridges) makes an off-handed radio remark that causes a man to go on a killing spree, leaving Lucas unhinged with guilt. Lucas's later, chance meeting with Parry (Robin Williams), a homeless man suffering from dementia, gets him involved in the unlikely quest for the Holy Grail. The rickety, and patently unrealistic stand that insanity is just a wonderful place to be, and that the homeless are all errant knights, wears awfully thin, but there are numerous moments of sad grace and violent beauty in this film. The screenplay by Richard LaGravenese launched his successful career and his smart wordplay helped garner Mercedes Ruehl an Oscar as Lucas's girlfriend. --Keith Simanton ... Read more

Reviews (52)

A profound experience
The Fisher King is a representational movie. It makes use of Arthurian legend, and parallels the legend of the Fisher King with the lives of the two main protagonists - Parry (Robin Williams) and Jack (Jeff Bridges). Symbolism and metaphorical techniques are utilisied extensively throughout the film, which makes it an extremely visual experience to watch. However, the symbolism extends beyond the visual plane, to a very psychological one. For example, Parry's creation of a fantastical world full of 'little fat people' and the 'Red Knight', is very much representative of his own mental condition; the fantasy world, minus the Red Knight, represents Parry's acceptance/ignorance of his mental trauma. At the same time the Red Knight is symbolic of the pain and suffering as caused by the trauma itself.
Whenever Parry shows glimpes of sanity (lucid speech, dating, feeling love again, etc.), the Red Knight always appears in his life. While the Red Knight is at bay Parry is not catatonic or overwrought by his trauma. To overcome/accept the trauma of seeing his wife murdered before his eyes, ultimately Parry has to confront the Red Knight and vanguish him. However, he lacks the insight and strength to do this on his own. Enter Jack - who ultimately feels responsible for Parry's condition! Jack is the equivalent of the fool or simpleton from the story of the Fisher King. Jack's intent is one of redemption, while he is absorbed into Parry's world. Eventually Jack begins to understand Parry's need for the Holy Grail, which represents Acceptance of Loss. If Parry is able to possess the Holy Grail, then he shall be able to vanguish Insanity as represented by the Red Knight.
While there are elements of fantasy and Arthurian legend woven into this story, there is also a theme of Christianity. Originally Jack is driven by a need to regain the former glory of his life when he was a successful talkback radio host. He wants that life back and believes that by helping Parry, he will overcome his guilt, and thus be able to resume his former life. Jack feels a false resolution in his life when he regains his former life. However, ultimately, when Jack agrees to undertake the quest for the Holy Grail, only then do his motives become self-less. He helps Parry because he wants to, not because he needs to drive away his own guilt - this is very much part of the Christian Doctrine.
On the whole, The Fisher King is an intricate weaving of comedy, drama and tragedy. The direction by Gilliam is faultless, his attention to detail evident especially in the Chinese Restaurant scene, where he borrows from Chinese film-making techniques, using the vertical black bar wipe technique.
This is the type of movie which, on a superficial level, is only somewhat satisfying. However, it is on the psychological level where its real impact is felt - tragic, hopeful and uplifting. It is not the type of movie to watch if you are expecting to be entertained!

"I am the janitor of God."
With lines like that strewn throughout this odd but extremely likable film it is easy to see why Robin Williams was nominated for the Academy Award for his manic, yet heartfelt work here. The Original Screenplay was also nominated, and I cannot stress how "original" it is. The dialogue is unpredictable and outrageous at times but never strays too far from emotional honesty. There are poignant scenes as well as scenes where Robin Williams it let loose to let his comedic mania shine. While that would surely be enough for most fans, there is also the wild card actress Mercedes Ruehl, who won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her endearing performance. Not to mention she is very sexy here as well (nudge, nudge). Jeff Bridges and Amanda Plummer round out the eccentric foursome of talented actors to make this a must-see film for those who enjoy a little originality within their movie-going experience.

there are so many things to love about this movie
this is one of my all time favorites, for so many reasons. Robin Williams gives an amazing performance. Mercedes Ruehl has many of the best lines in the film-an awesome actress. i could watch Michael Jeter singing to Amanda Plummer a million times and never grow tired of it-he steals the whole movie with this one scene! so much of the dialogue is touchingly funny and sweet.i also love the music used in the movie.this is a great film,with great performances; i love it.

Saundra's favorite
I've seen A LOT of movies but this one is my favorite of all time. Starts out slow but makes up for it later. The story pulls you in and the character studies are so well done that you can relate fully to what might be going on in their heads. Mercedes Ruehl is the best thing in this movie and so deserving of her Academy Award. Jeff Bridges is brilliant (as usual) and Robin Williams is also outstanding. Every scene is full of visual clues to boggle the mind, and thought provoking circumstances and dialogue to keep you interested in what will happen next. Fantastic camera angles also pepper the film. I especially like the view of Jack with a cinder block tied to his shoe when preparing to drown himself. Parry and the Red Knight scenes are thrilling and involve the viewer in the knightmare that had become his life. Again, my favorite movie of all time.

One of my top 5 movies
Somehow I managed to miss The Fisher King in its first run theatre edition. My wife and I went to see a different film several years ago and it was surprisingly playing as a double-feature, and to this day I was so struck by this film that I can't remember what the other film was we originally went to see. The Fisher King is a remarkable achievement and tremendously uplifting. It expresses one of the universe's great truths: a being is only as valuable as he can help others. The point where a person feels he cannot help or is a detriment to others is where he begins to die. Jeff Bridge's character can only redeem himself and his life when he proves to himself that he can actually help Robbin Williams' character. While it might be argued that the film is too pat or simplistic in dealing with the issues of insanity -- that's not the message of the film. It's not meant to be a documentary statement. It is an artistic statement and delivers a very important message for our modern culture, that the ability and willingness to help those around you is what makes self-respect possible. If you have an excessively cynical nature you will probably have little time for this film. At the same time, this is a film that would be the best thing for you to watch at least 3 or 4 times back to back until you get the message. I rate The Fisher King as one of my top 5 favorite films of all time and recommend it highly. ... Read more

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Woody Allen was going through his off-screen scandal with Mia Farrow when Manhattan Murder Mystery was produced, so Diane Keaton was brought in to fill the role intended for Farrow. The reunion of Keaton and Allen only improves this already enjoyable Allen comedy, since they're so comfortable with each other's neuroses that they're delightfully convincing as a married couple who suspect their neighbor of murdering his wife. Actually, it's Keaton who obsesses about the possible foul play; Woody just wants them to mind their own business. But pretty soon they've recruited their friends (Alan Alda, Anjelica Huston) as amateur sleuths, and the movie turns into a Nancy Drew mystery for sophisticated Manhattanites. With a typical abundance of Woody Allen witticism and some memorable comic suspense, this engaging throwback to vintage Hollywood mysteries is guaranteed to please even the most noncommittal Woody Allen fans, and the Allen-Keaton chemistry is, as always, a genuine pleasure. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (35)

Comfortable Comedy
This is Woody Allen doing screwball comedy for the contemporary film viewer. The familiar Allen schtick of neurotic tension, fearfulness, and anxiety, the effective Allen-Keaton chemistry, the lovely New York settings, and a cast of great supporting players make this an easy watch.

Sure, the humor veers into slapstick, but the characters are so rich and multi-layered and the script is so dense and fast moving that one forgives some of the broadness. The references to film noir and classic detective yarns embellish the pleasing story. The interplay between Allen and Keaton allows the history of their fictional marriage to be evident, with all its warmth, frustrations, doubts, and reliability. The distractions that Huston's and Alda's characters provide to each heightens the fun. The comic apsects of the movie don't stop it from having some genuine surprises. Although not the finest film in the world or even Allen's best, I have watched this many, many times and plan to enjoy it for a long while more.

My All-Time Fave Woody Allen film
while i've enjoyed allen's previous films (annie hall, husbands & wives, purple rose of cairo), this one is the best! allen and keaton, along with alan alda and anjelica huston (chic and witty as always)pull this story off so well, i begin to think this can only happen in a place like NYC.

Great throwback to the days of whine and neurosis
I absolutely loved this film. I laughed. I jumped. I laughed some more.

This script had been laying around for quite some time, and when Allen decided to resurrect it, I'm SO glad he got Diane Keaton to join him for the filming. Their chemistry is still there, and so is Allen's wonderful neurotic schtick. The elevator scene is priceless. I also greatly enjoyed the tape-player skit with Allen's inimitable bumbling.

I think the film hiccups a bit when it abruptly switches to a film-noir ending. Mind you, I enjoyed the ending, especially the Welles homage, but I think this decidedly dark ending causes the whole vehicle to lose momentum.

All in all this great fun with plenty of zany suspense and the fabulous interplay of Allen and Keaton.

A PLEASANT DIVERSION
Allen's a nebbish old man who wants to mind his (quickly deteriorating love-) life with an unagreeable wife.

Sensing this stale mate, the wife played by Diane Keaton, is out for some excitement. Which she gets, in a big way, when a neighbor dies. Just the evening after the two couples had a casual evening coffee.

Suspicions ensue. Old flames pop up. Relationships intertwine and flare. Clues unravel. Marital discord and sensitive chords are struck. All with vintage Allen humor, part neurotic, part drunk on its wit.

The cinematography is handsome, literally here, as candid steady cams are employed, giving the film its constantly roving hand-held look. I personally find this cloying after a while.

The murder itself is mildly suspenseful, but that's barely the point with a W-Allen movie. The twists are intelligent enough and managed to hold my attention for the duration of the movie.

All in all, despite the slightly cop-out denouement, it is generally quite an amusing experience. Recommended rental.

Wonderful mix of Murder, Mistery and Comedy
Diane Keaton and Woody Allen make quick friends with an older couple. After the woman dies of a heart attack, Diane Keaton starts investigating on her own thinking that it was not a heart attack afterall. Woody on the other end does not believe in this murder idea and thinks his wife is getting too excited for no reason.

The movie mixes great suspense and comedy. The skepticism of woody allen and the wild (but maybe not so wild) imagination of diane keaton make for highly entertaining dialogues. The new york atmosphere of the movie is quite lovely too. The story moves fast and as Diane Keaton discovers more and more clues you find yourself seating on the edge of your seat wondering what next is going to happen.

This movie is wonderfull all the way to the end that parodies the ending of an old movie classic. ... Read more

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Robert Redford and Sydney Pollack continued their longtime collaboration (the actor and director have worked together on Jeremiah Johnson, The Way We Were, The Electric Horseman, and Out of Africa, among other films) with this taut spy drama. Redford plays a reader for U.S. intelligence who becomes a hunted man after he is not among the victims of a mass murder of his colleagues. Faye Dunaway does solid work as the frightened and mystified woman whom he forces to conceal him, and Max von Sydow is appropriately cool as a professional assassin. That same, sustained tone of danger and expectation that made Pollack's The Firm so much fun can be found in this 1975 thriller, albeit with an appropriate dose of post-Watergate paranoia. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (44)

This movie is very intelligent
I liked the plot and the technical twists and turns of this thriller. Robert Redford plays a cia employee who reads books to find possible codes. He finds patterns and trys to break them or alert the Cia to there existence. He comes across something that causes his whole office or team to be wiped out leaving him as the only survivor, because he was out to lunch. How he goes about trying to survive is very intelligent and entertaining. There is a dry romance between he and Dunaway. He is on the run and time is not on hand so there scenes are quick and to the point. I liked the dialogue it was also dry and to the point. It sometimes took a few minutes for it to sink in. A highly intelligent film with good entertainment value. Worth watching.

4 Stars For "Condor"--One for the DVD!
Wire-rimmed glasses and a slight stubble of beard isn't enough to make Robert Redford completely convincing as a bookish CIA researcher, though he gives a terrific "movie star" performance (partially the result of co screenwriter David Rayfiel being brought in to customize some of Redford's dialouge).

Also, Director Sydney Pollack ("Tootsie") doesn't seem to have the feel for suspense-thriller pulp (the way someone like Peckinpah had), so "Three Days of the Condor" is a little too monotone and flat at times to be a completely successful representative of the genre.

No matter.

"Three Days of The Condor" had all the timing in the world going for it.

Released in 1975, just on the heels of Watergate and in the midst of the Church Committee hearings on CIA excesses, "Condor" became the only box office success of Paramount Pictures "Conspiracy Trilogy" (the others being "The Conversation" and Parallax View").

It's also worth noting the cinematography (done by the great Owen Roizman) is spectacular...the rainy Manhattan streets never looked so beautifully moody....and the score by Dave Grusin avoids all the usual thriller movie stabs and sting.

The transfer quality of the DVD is superb, but the special features are non existent (all that's included is the original theatrical trailer--hardly a "special feature" in today's DVD world).

"Three Days of the Condor" remains essentially a stylish artifact of mid-70's paranoia, and viewed today, in light of recent events, contains some really bizarre echoes.

The invisible government! Where?
Whenever I see this movie I always hear Roger Daltry's voice singing, 'can you see the real me?' Which is what a less loquacious Robert Redford tries to do after what may be one of the top ten movie opening scenes of all time, 70's, 80's, 90's or beyond.

Earlier reviews have fairly well constructed and described the plot but what's interesting is the unbelievability of it. Sydney Pollack keeps the heat on and the emotional cul de sacs plentiful as Redford tries to whittle down not so much the who killed all his coworkers but the why.

I believe alongside "Bullit," "French Connection," "Body Heat" and a few others, this is an essential movie both for it's time and our time. In light of Vietnam and Watergate, we just didn't blindly trust Uncle Sam anymore and were frequently reminded of the protest idiom, 'love your country; fear your government.' And for a captivating two hours, Redford is 'everyperson' ever profiled, searched, audited, traffic stopped, drafted and perhaps far worse. We didn't have to read George Orwell to know big brother was and is watching.

Cliff Robertson, a gifted actor denied his peak years because of pseudo-administration influence (do you remember 'Flowers for Algernon/Charley?), ironically plays the government role, as you would expect, brilliantly, and Max Von Sydow, is as always, superlative. I agree with some of the criticism of Faye Dunaway. She did better in other roles than she did here. It could have been Meryl Streep or Glenn Close as well, possibly better.

Essential movie if you want to know what you're talking about. Larry Scantlebury. 5 Stars.

Dated and Often Bizarre Thriller Amusing only to Old People
Like probably most people who were born well after Watergate broke, I became interested in seeing this film after seeing it lumped in numerous times with other paranoid conspiracy thrillers of the era, most notably Coppola's The Conversation and Pakula's The Parallax View. Those are two outstanding films, and Pollack's effort doesn't hold a candle to either. This movie is a disaster. Despite a dynamite opening act and a somewhat intriguing conclusion, together with a modicum of timeliness and poignancy with regard to real-world goings-on at the CIA, the vast majority of the film is spent slogging through dated fight choreography, awkward sex scenes, and some of the most atrocious dialogue ever committed to the silver screen. Faye Dunaway is particularly off-putting in a muted and emotionally confusing performance as a photographer who always blathers on about metaphorical pictures she keeps hidden away and only lets some people see.

Only Cliff Robertson and Max von Sydow escape unscathed from this silly, dated picture, resisting Redford's overacting and turning in fine performances (although Robertson's hair is perhaps the film's greatest mystery). To make matters worse, the soundtrack sounds like pornography, a perfectly awful mix of xylophone and smooth jazz.

For a much better time, please consider The Parallax View. If you have your heart set on Pollack, just watch The Firm, and you'll get the paranoia, the chasing and spying, and the pretty male lead, while what you sacrifice in political overtone you will gain in character development. I really thought I had something special when I took this home to watch it; it began with such promise. Truly it does not compare to the emotional wallop of Gene Hackman's Harry Caul, nor the mind-blowing psychadelic tension of Pakula's government coverups. Of this trio of would-be master Seventies spy storytellers, Sidney Pollack is the odd man out.

GREAT FILM, UNIMPRESIVE POLITICAL VIEWS
Robert Redford made a clunker called "The Way We Were" with Barbra Streisand that desperately tried to explain, apologize for, justify, glorify and approve of being an American Communist during McCarthyism, but just plain fails. He made the 1973 classic "Three Days of the Condor" (1973), with Cliff Robertson and Faye Dunnaway. He plays a CIA reader, a kind of pre-Tom Clancy research guy, a benign fellow among other benign CIA fellows, all of whom are murdered in a fuzzily explained hit by bad CIA fellows. After escaping, Redford tries to get to the bottom of it. Since he is a genius he has the intellectual tools to outwit his chasers. This is the film's highlight, revolving around the sexual tension between Redford and the redoubtable Faye, who he "kidnaps" in order to have a place to hide out, her apartment. The movie goes off the deep when the whole conspiracy turns out to be about the CIA's covert operations in the Middle East, where the U.S. apparently is planning the invasion (that never actually occurred) to take over OPEC. The message is that The Company murders innocents, the U.S. is a warmongering empire, and tool of capitalist greed. It is Redford's answer to Guatemala, Iran and Chile, where the people killed were generally Communists. Redford would rather show the CIA killing Chinese- and African-Americans and other non-threats.

STEVEN TRAVERS
AUTHOR OF "BARRY BONDS: BASEBALL'S SUPERMAN"
STWRITES@AOL.COM ... Read more

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Jerry Lewis's 1963Jekyll and Hyde variation has always been tagged by two popular assumptions: one is that it is his best work as a comic filmmaker, and the other is that Lewis's Mr. Hyde equivalent--the slick, ultra-arrogant, good-looking womanizer Buddy Love--actually lampoons the director's former partner, Dean Martin. Well, The Nutty Professor certainly is Lewis's best film. But all one has to do is watch it to realize the motivation behind Buddy Love is more confessional: he's really much more like Lewis's darker, narcissistic side, while the shlubby scientist (also played by Lewis) from whom Love springs is closer to the star's screen image. You can watch all this psychodrama yourself and have a lot of good laughs at the same time with this unusual film, which still surpasses Eddie Murphy's recent remake--though not necessarily by a wide gap.--Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (30)

What a ride!
Professor Julius Kelp (played by Jerry Lewis) is a brilliant, if nerdy, chemistry professor at a small college. Tired of being mistreated by larger men and disregarded by beautiful women, he decides that he can use his knowledge of chemistry to improve himself. His experiment goes awry when an experimental formula turns this meek and mild dweeb into a bold, abusive and startlingly handsome lounge lizard--Buddy Love. When the formula shows an alarming tendency to destabilize at awkward moments, Kelp must try to keep his split personalities separate, as the object of his dreams, the delectable Stella Purdy (Stella Stevens), seems within his grasp. However, Miss Purdy's experience with the vain Buddy convinces her that he may not be her dream man after all, and that a better man might be a gentle chemistry professor!

This is one of my favorite movies. Yes, there's no serious social commentary here, and the comedy is rather low, but what a ride! This movie is clean, and can be watched by the whole family (which I appreciate). The humor is quite quirky, which makes this movie fun to watch over and over again. This is another movie that I recommend for all families.

Innovative Dr. Jeckell and Mr.Hyde Spoof
This Classic film shows the incredible comedic range of Jerry Lewis as a goofy buck tooth professor with an exagerated low self esteem. He finds that one of his gorgeous students Miss Purdy played well by Stella Stevens takes some sort of interest to him. As the professor he stumbles on a potion that can change his genetics into an overly arrogant good looking man who lacks the one thing that would win Purdy over. Sensitivity. The characters name Buddy Love is said by some to have been based on former rat pack partner Dean Martin. Buddy Loves character was an inspiration for comedian Andrew Dice Clay as Dice has said, "Your not here because your Not attracted to me. And you can see I dig you pretty well myself." Eddie Murphys remake although good could never over shadow this classic comedy. Lewis as Professor Kelp at the prom with his goofy dance steps is hilarious. This movie is timeless and I highly reccomend it to everyone. This movies 1963 release gives you some sense of the simple wholesome lifestyle of the early sixties. As a male I can't help but fall for Stella Stevens every time. Jerry Lewis proves in this movie he's a comic genius!

One of Lewis's richest films
This is one of Lewis's richest films, one in which technical perfection meets considerable thematic depth. Professor Kelp is a soul whose few contacts with the sensible world lead to complications; people mock him because of his inability to accomplish concrete actions. Suddenly troubled by sensible beauty (S. Stevens), Kelp feels the need to have a body that will enable him to satisfy his desire. This body (Buddy Love), in direct contrast to Kelp, is comfortable only when pursuing entirely material endeavors; Love is especially at ease at the Purple Pit, an echo of Plato's cave in the way it manufactures illusions and crude dreams. Kelp's embodiment is not complete, as soul and body soon start to interact (when Buddy speaks like Kelp and vice-versa). The merging of both is foreshadowed by three clues: a) Buddy avenges Kelp by humiliating the head of the University; b) as the prom night begins, Kelp uncharacteristically starts to dance, led by instinct alone; c) Buddy's more decent behavior when he performs for the students, a bit later. A performance which is interrupted by the ultimate transformation and Kelp's ensuing confession. The film's conclusion is far from a happy ending: despite Kelp's vow to accept himself as he is, he now moulds his appearance and demeanor after Buddy Love's and has been corrupted by Buddy's fascination with artificiality. The fact that Kelp would return two years later in 'The Family Jewels' as a photographer - i.e. as a reproducer of the sensible world - is revealing. A major work from an underrated artist.

Jerry Lewis Almost Under control
THE NUTTY PROFESSOR is about an eccentric chemistry professor who discovers a liquid concoction which can transform him into a suave character in the style and manner of Dean Martin. For a Jerry Lewis film the antics are somewhat tame. Lewis plays the professor and Stella Stevens is his adoring student. The supporting cast includes Del Moore, Kathleen Freeman and Howard Morris.

The movie is saved by the acting and outstanding good looks of Miss Stevens. The Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde theme makes a decent story and the film also benfits from Jerry Lewis behaving almost as if he is under control.

GREAT!
i'm a 19 year old woman, and I have to say that I like this original Nutty Professor better then the remake one with "Eddie Murphy" Jerry Lewis does a wonderful job has the Professor, this movie has a very good story and great acting, it is so amazing how many good movies there were back then, anyone who hasn't see it yet should =-) ... Read more

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Based on the acclaimed book by neurologist Oliver Sacks, director Penny Marshall's hit 1990 drama stars Robin Williams as Dr. Malcolm Sayer. Sayer is a neurologist who discovers that the drug L-Dopa can be used to "unlock" patients in a mental hospital from the mysterious sleeping sickness that has left them utterly immobilized.Leonard (Robert De Niro) is one such patient who awakens after being in a comatose state for 30 years, leaving Sayer to guide Leonard in adjusting to the world around him. Penelope Ann Miller costars as the daughter of another patient, with whom Leonard falls tenuously in love. Earning Oscar nominations for best picture, actor, and screenplay, this moving fact-based drama was a hit with critics and audiences alike. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (41)

DeNiro, Williams in a poignant human drama
Undeniably one of the industry's most underrated directors, Penny Marshall attained lofty heights in 1990 with this poignant and true drama about one doctor's (Robin Williams, in a brilliant dramatic performance) awakening his own soul to the risk of love while literally awakening patients in a New York chronic care hospital in the late 1960's. Based on Dr. Oliver W. Sacks' novel of the same time and based on his professional experience, "Awakenings" is one doctor's triumph in identifying (by accident) the correct chemical balance in the drug L-Dopa to bring sufferers of a sleeping sickness that totally immobilizes them to life. As Leonard, Robert DeNiro is the shiniest of the wonder drug's triumphs, and DeNiro glimmers in one of the most compelling and humane performances of his magnificent career. But the miracle begins to wane all too soon, and both Dr. Sayer and Leonard painfully prepare for the day when Leonard and his fellow sufferers lapse again into their immobilized state. The film's scenes that lead to that devastation are real, honest and painfully moving and don't insult us with phony sentimentality. But in the process, Leonard instills in his and his fellow patients' caregivers a sense of humanity for their suffering, and Dr. Sayer manages to find the courage to risk loving something other than his work. In a supporting role as the object of Leonard's rediscovered love, Penelope Ann Miller is tremendous. It is little wonder the film was a favorite with multiple Oscar nominations, and DeNiro and Williams are at their best here. But it is director Marshall's vision of the fragility of human life and love and the power of that which is the focus of her film, and her vision is powerfully moving and humbling.

TOUCHING DRAMA WITH SUPERB PERFORMANCES.
"Awakenings" is one of those movies that will touch most of the people due to the situations that the film shows. The movie is based on a book written by real-life neurologist Oliver Sacks, represented in the movie as Dr. Malcolm Sayer, played by Robin Williams. This is the story of a group of catatonic people living in the '60s, and the struggle of Dr. Sayer to save these people.

It's really a shame that diseases like this can destroy the ability to fulfill the hopes and desires of the human beings, and "Awakenings" superbly captures on-screen the pain and suffer of the relatives of the affected people that can't fully enjoy their physical abilities.

"Awakenings" displays excellent performances from Robin Williams, in one of his finest performances, and the magnificent Robert De Niro as well. However, the movie wouldn't had the same impact if the supporting cast wouldn't delivered such fine performances as they did on "Awakenings", everybody on this movie contributed to print a remarkable realism to the movie.

"Awakenings" is a film that will provoke several feelings, will provide clean entertainment and will make people reflect about the value of life, because the human life could be limited or finished at any time.

Miracle in New York--a Miracle from Hollywood
I don't know how this wonderful movie ever got made. It's not a feel good movie. It's got Robert DeNiro but he's not playing a tough guy. It's got Robin Williams but he's not being funny. But I'm glad that whoever pushed for it did so. And I'm glad Hollywood relented. AWAKENINGS is a quietly powerful movie of enormous depth and passion. Anyone who has seen the movie has been affected by it.

Based on Oliver Sack's book, AWAKENINGS recounts the story of a miracle that occurred in a New York hospital during the mid-1960s. Bucking the system and believing in his theory, Williams' character brings back a dozen patients who appear catatonic--DeNiro being one of them. Through massive applications of the drug L-Dopa, the patients revive and take sheer joy out of just simple tasks. Although the sad ending has been given away by others, I feel the film remains a positive story. It is about human endurance and also about the joys we some times take for granted.

De Niro And Williams at there best!!
Robert De Niro and Robin Williams both did a great job in this movie. Robin Williams plays the role of a doctor, a very shy doctor at that! De Niro plays a patient with sleeping sickness who hasnt said a word or done anything on his own is 30 years.

Robin Williams dedicates his time to finding a cure or at least something to help these patients like somewhat of a normal life. I dont want to ruin the movie for those who havent seen it some Im gonna stop there.

But Robert De Niro does an excellent job with his role in this movie. He his famous for his roles in The Godfather Part II, Taxi Driver, The Deer Hunter, Heat, Raging Bull, Goodfellas, The Untouchables, and Casino. In all of these movies he plays either a gangster or a bad@$$ of some sort. So seeing this movie really shows the acting ability that he has.

I dont usually watch movies like this but I had De Niro in it so I had to watch it. And coming from someone who loves Gangster Movies; this is one of Robert De Niro's best performances and I recommend this movie to everyone, this is a must see!!!

Williams & DeNiro are Great!
Robert DeNiro in a totally different role as a boy who awakens from a coma, after many years, as a man! Williams as the doctor who tries desperately to revive other patients like DeNiro and then act as a father and mentor to each. Then later Williams tries everything humanly possible to keep his patients from relapsing to their former coma state.

The scene where DeNiro wakes up for the first time and puts his arms out with a big smile is one of my favorite movie scenes of all-time. This was probably Robin Williams best role ever! ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Melanie Griffith had a fling with stardom in this Mike Nichols comedy about an executive secretary (Griffith) who can't get her deserved shot at upward mobility in the brokerage industry. Hardly taken seriously by male bosses, things aren't really any better for her once she starts working for a female exec (Sigourney Weaver, never more delightful), a narcissist with a boy-toy banker (Harrison Ford) and a tendency to steal the best ideas from her underlings. When Weaver's character is laid up with a broken leg, Griffith poses as a replacement wheeler-dealer, flirting with Ford and working on a new client who doesn't suspect the deception. Nichols brings a lot of snap and sass to Kevin Wade's smart script about chafing against class restrictions and perceptions. Sundry scenes are played quite charmingly, especially those of Griffith and Ford's mutual pickup in a bar and Joan Cusack's championing of Griffith's crusade. Nominated for Best Picture, Director, Actress (Griffith), and two Supporting Actress awards (Weaver, Cusack); Carly Simon's song "Let the River Run" won the Oscar. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (54)

One of the best pictures of 1988; a true feel-good movie.
By now, "Working Girl" is an 80's classic. There was something about the film then, and it remains attractive to this day. Melanie Griffith plays Tess McGill, a hard-working secretary who is full of ideas and suggestions. When she begins work under classy Catherine Parker (Sigourney Weaver), she makes a plan to help a mega-million-dollar company. Parker turns down the idea, and breaks her leg skiing. Tess seizes the opportunity to market her idea (as well as take over Parker's office, wardrobe, and house) and teams up with playboy investment banker Jack Trainer (Harrison Ford). Together, they're gonna go the top ... or else get fired trying. Mike Nichols paints a beautiful portrait of life in the Big Apple. The casting is flawless, and the script is both very entertaining and quite funny. On top of that, Rob Mounsey dishes out a very good score and Carly Simon's music won an Academy Award. Nominated for six Academy Awards, "Working Girl" is one comedy of hope that you won't want to miss.

Who's afraid of Sigourney Weaver?
Working girl Tess McGill (Melanie Griffith, sporting some serious hair) is continuously being mistaken for a "coffee, tea or me?" kind of person when in fact she works hard, reads widely and studies nights to get ahead in the business world. But the sexist, class-conscious business world just won't take her seriously. Finally she hooks up with Katherine Parker (Sigourney Weaver), a successful but vulturous deal-maker with an elevated opinion of herself who knows how to use people. They set up a mentor relationship with Tess getting the coffee and Katherine spouting the words of wisdom. When Tess comes up with a good business idea, Katherine steals it.

Enter soon after Jack Trainer (Harrison Ford) and we have our triangle. Katherine has broken her leg skiing and Tess has to fill in for her. When Tess discovers that Katherine has ripped off her idea, she decides to assume Katherine's accouterments, including her lavish apartment, her wardrobe, her hairstyle, and as it turns out, her boyfriend. Will she succeed, and will she find true love and happiness with the leading man? Inquiring minds want to know.

Director Mike Nichols, auteur of a number of film land successes of more than average sophistication, including Postcards from the Edge (1990), The Graduate (1967), Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf (1966), etc. with help from screen writer Kevin Wade and Melanie herself, manages to create enough sympathy for Tess that we want her to win. Sigourney Weaver does such a fine job of being a kind of sociopathic villainess that we want her to lose. Guess what happens?

While this is not on the same level as the three Mike Nichols flicks mentioned above, either in terms of cinematic significance or craftsmanship, it is clever and witty at times, and the story is one that most American women will find easy to identify with. And of course the winner gets Harrison Ford, displaying his usual bodice-busting charm. Only problem (aside from some smarmy pandering to a chick flick audience) is that the chemistry between Melanie Griffith and Harrison Ford is lacking.

See this for Mike Nichols whose direction here can be described as just a working guy trying to make a buck and not doing a bad job of it.

Don't miss this one...
In my opinion, the main drawback of the film was that Melanie Griffith gave a performance that was too breathy, and sometimes it was annoying to hear her speak. This is not to say that her acting wasn't good - she was able to bring the right amount of spunk and vulnerability to her role.

Harrison Ford is wonderful here, witty and charming - this is not a role you usually see him in. And Sigourney Weaver is delightfully wicked. There are many moving moments in the film, as well as humorous on