Amazon.com essential video

Tina Turner, that dynamic diva of pop/soul/R&B from the '60s to the '90s, sings like a woman whose life story is every bit as rough and tough as her voice. And What's Love Got to Do With It, based on her autobiographical account (inI, Tina, written with Kurt Loder) of her years under the iron fist of her abusive husband and musical partner/Svengali Ike, is further proof of what we've always known about Tina: She's what you call a survivor. The movie is sort of the Disney version of Tina Turner's story--a glossy but thoroughly enjoyable, old-fashioned showbiz biopic with laughs, tears, great music, and outrageous (but faithful) period decor, costumes, makeup, and hairstyles. Our Heroine triumphs not only over the rigorous demands of her career in the music business, but finally manages to bust out of her troubled, violent marriage as well and become her own person. This is a movie that'll have you shouting at the top of your lungs: "You go, girl!"--Jim Emerson ... Read more

Reviews (34)

A TRIUMPHANT STORY OF A REAL LIFE SURVIVOR....
This is an incredible, highly energized film about the life of rock and roll diva, Tina Turner, and her stormy relationship with her controlling and physically abusive husband, Ike Turner. Award calibre performances are turned in by Angela Bassett, as Tina, and Laurence Fishburne, as Ike. They are both absolutely riveting.

Ms. Bassett plays Tina with all the earthy charm and sexual magnetism of the real life Tina Turner. Laurence Fishburne gives an amazingly effective performance as Ike, at once both repellent and charismatic. The movie focuses on their relationship, one which sowed the seeds for the Tina Turner we know today.

What started out as a match made in heaven, quickly soured as Tina naturally took the lead musically in their Ike and Tina Turner Revue. When it became clear that Tina was the one for which the fans were clamoring, Ike did not take lightly to being second banana, and their relationship became one of domestic discord and abuse, with Ike easing into the role of abusive husband with relative ease.

When Tina finally had had enough, she divorced Ike, taking nothing from the marriage except her children and her show business name, the name she earned. From there, she went on to rebuild her life and career, becoming the world reknowned rock and roll diva she is today. Ike, a substance abuser, ended up in prison for narcotics possession and fell into relative obscurity, little more than a footnote in rock and roll history.

This is a film well worth watching, with great performances and great music. Look for the live stage performance by the real life Tina Turner at the end of the film. That alone is worth the price of this video.

Intense and Extremely Well Performed
Celebrity bio-pics are very hit or miss, but once in a great while a really good one comes along--and WHAT'S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT is one of them. Based on the autobiography of Tina Turner, the film offers a glossy but intense portrait of her rapid rise to stardom under the sponsorship of husband-manager Ike Turner--a relationship that quickly turned dark and became increasingly abusive as Tina's fame began to outstrip Ike's own.

Although the film is a bit on the obvious side, it is well-crafted and the two leads offer powerhouse performances. Angela Bassett is simply astonishing as Tina Turner; where most other actresses might have simply imitated, Bassett accomplishes the impossible: she makes you believe that she is Tina Turner, capturing both Tina's famous on-stage performing style (the concert scenes are really exciting) and giving a completely believable interpretation of her off-stage personality as well. The script offers Laurence Fishburne little more than a one-dimensional role, but he plays it brilliantly from start to finish, and both are well supported by the overall cast.

There is certainly a great deal more to the lives of both Ike and Tina Turner than this film conveys--but what it does show it presents with considerable power and conviction, and by the time Tina finally hits back at Ike you'll be roaring for her to hit him again--and again--and again--and eager to see her finally triumph entirely on her own. Recommended.

ANGELA IS WONDERFUL !
Even though Dorothy Dandridge & Whoopi Goldberg have the most incredible performances by any actresses Angela's personification as Tina made me forget that she wasnt Tina. I was enchanted so much that even though Angela has no resemblance to Tina my mind couldnt tell otherwise. Angela is definitely my Queen. She has made such an impact and has widened the doors for the African American actresses. Even though the Academy failed to properly recognize her, we the fans would forever cherish her amazing performance as PROUD MARY. You go GIRL.

All that I can say is...
WOW! I have seen this movie hundred's of times and I never get sick of it. Angela Bassett does an excellent job potraying Tina Turner, from the costumes, the singing, to the emotions, it was all wonderful. Laurence Fishbourne is FANTASTIC as Ike Turner, he embodies the real Ike Turner's personality so well. It's a conspiricy that NEITHER Angela B. Or Laurence F. recieved an oscar for their roles in this movie because they both gave excellent performances. Vanessa Bellcalloway also gives a suprisingly good performance.
I dont feel the need to go into detail because I think most people know the movie is about Tina Turner's life and how Ike was horrible to her and abused her THIS MOVIE WILL MAKE YOU laugh at Ike's ignorant and at the same time wanna smack him for how mean he is. You will cheer for Tina, when she finally gets away from that man. BUY IT NOW!

Angela Bassett Deserved the Oscar, not Halle Berry
That is my sentiment. When Angela Bassett exploded on the silver screen as the irrepressible Tina Turner and was nominated for an Oscar....I was certain she would win. However, she didn't. Instead, Halle Berry earned the distinction of the being the first woman of African descent to win the Best Actress Award...and for a performance that doesn't come anywhere close to Bassett's. In fact, many Oscar winner's performances pale to Bassett's and people still remember Bassett's showstopper and didn't even remember whom she lost the award to.

Based on Tina Turner's autobiography, it "chronicled" Tina's rise to stardom as Ike Turner's partner. The relationship, already tumultous from the start, turned for the worst when Tina's fame pulled ahead of Ike's. Tina finally left the relationship and started from scratch, becoming the successful solo artist that she is today.

Ike is very much maligned in this movie, understandable since it is told from Tina's point of view. In any case, Laurence Fishburne delivered a tour-de-force performance that rivals Bassett's.

As for Bassett herself, I agree with reviewers that she did not imitated, or even looked much like Tina. To imitate someone only shows you are NOT that person. In any case, Bassett did an incredible job of endearing herself to the audience into believing that she IS Tina Turner. So successful was she that when the real Tina showed up in a concert clip at the end of the movie, it seems a bit of a comedown...because we have already attached to and identified with Angela; and invested a good portion of our emotions toward her.

Some reviewers seem to take umbrage with the fact that Tina's Black husband is the villain of the piece while benevolent White men "saved" Tina in the end.

Got news for you, despite what PC and feminism like to make you believe, heterosexual white men are not the only oppressors of the world. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Hey tygerkitten...
It sounds like you and I had the same teen years! The soundtrack to "Times Square" blew my head open in about '83 & then I saw this movie on Night Flight in '84 & immediately bought the album. Yes, this must come out on DVD. OK, the storyline is predictable, but Hazel's impassioned performances make this a standout in the "sad rock story" genre. And the music is just wonderful - and still relevant dammit!

I want this on DVD!!!
The things I want most that I can't have right now are for this and a movie called "the Quiet Earth" to be released on DVD, and for the soundtrack of an obscure punk rock movie called "Times Square" to come out on CD. This movie changed my life. I loved it, no matter what someone seeing it for the first time today would think of it, I loved it when I first saw it and I still love it. Hazel O'Connor was outstanding.

Living in the shadow of the mushroom tower
It's 1982 and I'm a teenager stuck in a small town in Southeast Missouri. Then, one fateful night, I saw 'BREAKING GLASS' on a show called Night Flight. This movie, along with 'SMITHEREENS','THE FABULOUS STAINS', and 'LIQUID SKY' completely lead me into the world of art and music I am surrounded by today. I am begging for this movie to be released on DVD in the United States.I know it may only be a silly low budget movie to some, but, it truly reflects everything I treasure about my youth and I can not praise it enough.

Star '80
An interesting, but dramatically flat time capsule of the English "No Wave" scene that followed the first explosion of Punk. Real-life aspiring rock star Hazel O'Connor displays a certain amount of on-screen charisma and gives a credible performance playing, er, an aspiring rock star in 1980 London. The energetic cast features Phil Daniels (star of "Quadrophenia", released the previous year) and "Brazil" star Jonathan Pryce. Unfortunately, the script humorlessly trots out every predictable music-biz cliche, and the film suffers for it. O'Connor performs a couple catchy tunes, but the relentless assault of her music (vocally reminiscent of Nina Hagen or Lene Lovich) may start to grate on you if you aren't a fan of that frenetic, "herky-jerky" early 80's sound. Like the Clash's "Rude Boy" (also released the same year), most of the political context of the film has not dated well and has lost any impact it may have had at the time. Ultimately, the movie just takes itself too seriously for its own good. For pure entertainment value, there are several other similar "female punk" films of the era that I would recommend before this one, such as "The Fabulous Stains", "Starstruck" or "Smithereens". Early Punk/New Wave diehards may experience a slight nostalgic twinge (guilty!) but still find the story curiously uninvolving.

DVD Please
One of the best movies I have seen about 80's England. Please, please, please release this movie on U.S. DVD. ... Read more

Amazon.com

You know how it goes. You hear about what a sensation someone likeJosephine Baker was in her prime (in her case, the 1920s and '30s), how she pushed boundaries in such delicate areas as race and sex, how she boththrilled and scandalized Paris with her exotic dancing and personalbehavior. You have all these loose strands of legend and random fact, yourcuriosity is running high, and then you hear that a feature film is being made about the very subject. You watch, andthen wonder: what was the big deal about Josephine Baker? The problem withthis 1991 TV movie is the same as with a number of HBO films from the 1980s and early '90s: it isn't particularly well written, the production looks rushed, and the entire point is obscured in a whirl of biographicalmaterial that doesn't sufficiently develop into insightful, organic unity. WhatThe Josephine Baker Story does do, however, is provide a referencepoint from which to begin an appreciation of Baker's life. A poor,African American girl from St. Louis, Baker found fame and wealth in Europe as a dancer whose partially nude, unbridled performances invoked wit, sexual liberation, and passion--without, somehow, seeming vulgar orobscene. As Baker, Lynn Whitfield gets into the uninhibited spirit of things,free with her body and enthusiastic about re-creating many of hercharacter's performances (yes, the famed Banana Dance is a highlight). Thefilm superficially suggests that Baker was celebrated as an expressiveartist, a healthy force of nature rather than a lewd exhibitionist, but itdoesn't go far enough down that road to tell us why she matters. Somewhatbetter is the script's contrasting emphasis on Baker's celebrity overseasand her second-class status as a black woman in America. In the end, thefilm's real accomplishment is underscoring how racism truly determines thecourse of an individual's life, and the way Baker understood that both from the vantage point of a refugee and a victim. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Probably wouldn't have worked with kiwi fruit
THE JOSEPHINE BAKER STORY is a fast-forward, 2-hour plus life synopsis of the celebrated black entertainer from 1917, when she was eleven and running from murderous racial violence in St. Louis, to her death in 1975 in Paris. Lynn Whitfield stars in this HBO production.

The film manages to catch the key points of her life: early vaudeville gigs in the U.S. as a very young girl, notoriety as an exotic dancer in 1920's Paris, rise to major world stardom in the late 20's/early 30's, disastrous return to the U.S. entertainment circuit in the late 30's, French Resistance war hero, a near-fatality from peritonitis, entertainer of U.S. troops in North Africa, post-war civil rights champion back in the U.S., loving mother of a dozen, adopted, multi-racial children on her French estate, financial destitution in the late 60's, and resurrection in the 70's with the help of Prince and Princess Rainier of Monaco.

Since TJBS covers so many decades and events in such short a time, much is lost: the marriage to her first and third husbands (Willie Wells and Jean Lion respectively), her brief film career, her stint as a Red Cross nurse after the Nazi occupation of Belgium, her many legal imbroglios, her late-life relationship with American artist Robert Brady, and her presence in the 1963 Washington D.C. civil rights march led by Martin Luther King. Sometimes the viewer feels shortchanged, as when the scene shifts from late 30's New York to wartime France to 1942 North Africa in the blink of an eye. (Don't go to the kitchen for that pastrami sandwich and beer - you may miss something.)

The gorgeous Whitfield is sparkling as Josephine, who's always driven to rise above her skin color, and, during different periods of her life, either manipulated or manipulative, selfish or generous, and insensitive or loving. And HBO doesn't shrink from depicting Baker's most notorious and exotic routine, the Jungle Banana Dance, in which she performs naked except for a girdle of bananas around her loins. We're talking full-frontal, topless, nudity here (which scores high in my book, Male Pig that I am).

Perhaps the best feature of the movie is its emphasis on Baker's relationship, from 1926 to 1936, with the Sicilian Pepito Abatino (Ruben Blades), who styled himself a "count" and served as Josephine's lover and manager. If the script is to be believed, it was his persistent effort and canniness that transformed Josephine from a simple cabaret dancer to world class star by pushing her to diversify her talent. In any case, the majority of the Web bios of Baker that I've read don't give Abatino the credit he's apparently due, much less even mention him at all.

David Dukes is excellent as jazz bandleader Jo Boullion, Josephine's fourth husband, who separated from her in 1957 after ten years of marriage, ostensibly due to her extravagant lifestyle and penchant for adopting every homeless child that she stumbled across.

Despite its occasional unevenness, THE JOSEPHINE BAKER STORY is both excellent entertainment and an instructive piece about a scintillating entertainer virtually forgotten by large chunks of the American public.

A magnificent film
This film is fantastic. I have scene this film many times,Yet I never get tired of it.Lynn Whitfield as Ms. Baker is phenomenal, she deserved more than just an Emmy for her protrayal. This movie captures the intricate and eccentric sides of Josephine Baker.

Beautiful Cinamatic masterpiece
There are very few times that a movie can hold a flame to the life of the actual person that is intended to be portrayed but this movie does just that. It gives the ultimate respect and dignity that an artist of this calibur truly deserves. Her life is artfully displayed through from her turbulant rise to fame to her rocky downfall. It is a movie that can be enjoyed on all too many levels and should be marked as an ethereal masterpiece.

a must see
ms.baker broke ground and was an incredible entertainer.it's a shame that she had to make a living overseas but the film shows the ignorance and racist vibes that she had to encounter.lynn whitfield not only does a great job in the lead but she looks good as well.this is history.

Heartwrenching erotic saga
I found "The Josephine Baker Story" to be a very good video biography of the famous yet infamous Josephine Baker. This film brought this erotic icon to the suface for all to see and love. Lynn Whitfield gave a five star performance, and her vivid portrayal of the star indulges ones curiousity about Ms. Baker, this movie is definitely a keeper if I ever did see one. ... Read more

Reviews (46)

great cast in a fun film about a 70s-band reunion
This movie is quite entertaining. It has a great cast and none of the performers are wasted: Stephen Rea is the sweet guy who wants the band to take advantage of a reunion and achieve the success that internal bickering and problems cost them years ago; Billy Connolly is a hoot as the band's pragmatic roadie; Bill Nighy captures dim-witted preening lead singer Ray without making him unsympathetic; Timothy Spall brings laughs as the drummer still living in the past ('If women are from Venus and men are from Mars, drummers are from Pluto'); Jimmy Nail is the guitarist with grudges, regrets and a nice voice; and Juliet Aubrey is engaging as the woman who was a fan/runner and steps in as manager for the group. Though the two younger supporting roles aren't given much to do, that leaves more screen time for the adult characters, each of whom is three-dimensional, sympathetic and interesting. Billy Connolly's voiceovers are well-written and fun, and while not every joke works, there are many one-liners that you will make you laugh the next day.

You can see bits of your favorite 70s bands paid tribute, from Pink Floyd to Deep Purple, with insight and affection and the songs, written by veterans of Foreigner and Squeeze, are quite good. The film is very funny for the first half and then takes a few missteps as the drama quotient is elevated, but it finds its way again before the close. All in all, a lot of fun from a fine cast and talented crew, just the ticket for music fans with a sense of humor.

DVD features include: English, Spanish or Portuguese sound and English, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Korean or Thai subtitles; a short making-of featurette; a trailer; and filmographies for director Gibson and some of the cast members.

Nostalgia Has Never Been So Humourous!
This movie is tremendous for uplifting the Spirits.

To begin, the soundtrack is unbelievable. Mick Jones (Foreigner) and Chris Difford (Squeeze) penned the songs, making Strange Fruit the best thing that ever hit today's music scene.

Unfortunately, Strange Fruit are a strictly fictitional band of the late 1960's to early 1970's. To complicate matters, they were never a hit to begin with, due to drug use and inner fighting. One wonders what might have been, while listening to their fanatastic music play throughout.

The Fruit draw inspiration from The Rolling Stones, Deep Purple, David Bowie, and The Who.

Each member of Fruit are quite memorable.

Stephen Rea stars as down-and-dead-broke Tony Costello, who is asked by a festival promoter to reunite his band for a reunion tour, with hopes of reaping monetary benefits. Costello haply approaches ex-roadie Karen Knowles, played by Juliet Aubrey, to help him rekindle the flame of a dream long past.

Juliet gathers up the bitter rhythm guitarist Jimmy Nail (Les Wickes), blundering Timothy Spall (David 'Beano' Baggot), and the extravagantly glamouresque lead singer Ray Simms (Bill Nighy). Tumbling in is another ex-roadie, the hippy-toker-jokester Hughie (Billy Connolly), who never let the flame burn out.

As Juliet searches for the last member of their motley band, the elusive lead guitarist-songwriter Brian Lovell (played by the brooding Bruce Robinson), the reunited members squabble, just like old times, fighting over long lost memories.

The band is then given the chance to do a small Dutch tour, to prepare for their promised festival. With young Hendrix-like Luke Shand (Hans Matheson) taking the place of Lovell, the crew hits the road. The sparks fly as their memories flame forward, threatening to burn their unfinished goals...

Be prepared to laugh, sing, cheer, and cry, as these memorable characters etch themselves into your hearts...

"And the flame still burns
It's there in my soul for that unfinished goal
And the flame still burns
From a glimmer and then, it lights up again
In my life"

A surprisingly good film
We rented this on impulse because it had Billy Connolly. The description reminded us of This Is Spinal Tap (which we love) and we greatly enjoyed the movie. Bill Nighy's clueless Ray was really wonderful and Stephen Rea as keyboardist Tony Costello was enjoyable to watch but the scene-stealer was Timothy Spall's Bilbo Baggot, the drummer. I just about fell off my seat when he finds out that his most vivid memory of touring is when the Fruit played the Hollywood Bowl--only to hear they never played there. And Billy Connolly is always a treat to watch, whatever he does.

I`m Not Too Crazy About It
This british movie about a 70`s rock band named "Strange Fruit" that makes a comeback isn`t funny enough to be a sucessful comedy neither deep enough to qualify as a drama. It`s a competent, at times moving picture, not too memorable but mildly enjoyable. The acting is fine, but the plot, that focuses the band members effort to became famous again, isn`t very absorbing or grabbing.
What we end up having here is a little movie about the music business, showing how those who had sucess in their youth react when they aren`t so stellar today and have to deal with their aging process. Mildly interesting, even if it`s another movie to watch once and be done with it. I`m not sorry I watched it, but I don`t feel the need to watch it again.

Still Crazy
wow! much too short, quite inspiring, and altogether wonderful! don't miss it, and stick with it to the very end of the titles. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Enthralling Mystery
Last night I started watching this DVD and my wife soon put down her Harry Potter book because this movie drew her into the suspense. It pulls peoples attention into it because of the fine acting by Alec Baldwin and Demi Moore and a great storyline. The rest of the supporting cast are good as well.

The story is a fresh one, a juror is first courted then tormented by a hit man for the mob. Alec Baldwin is quite adept at being scary when he wants to be and charming as well. Demi is by no means a helpless beauty. She shows herself to be artistic, intelligent, and resourceful as well.

When first threatened she succumbs to the demands of "The Teacher", but when he murders her closest friend, she sets a course for revenge. If the mob can't help her she will enlist the assistance of her friends in South America. One gets a pretty good idea of how a womans inner strength can prevail over the worst evil.

The DVD includes extras and has excellent picture and sound quality. Anyone that enjoys suspense movies like "Witness", "The Client", and "Narrow Margin", or TV series like "The Sopranos" should like this movie. If you like this you might also enjoy Alec Baldwin in "The Shadow".

I love 'The Juror'!
Demi Moore is great as a Bohemian single mom and struggling artist living alone with her 12-year-old son (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) in a converted barn in a country suburb of New York. When she becomes a juror in a murder case against a major Mafia boss, her peaceful life is turned upside down by a sociopathic hitman's (Alec Baldwin) obsession with her. Though she knows the mob boss is guilty, she is bullied into providing a verdict of 'not guilty' under threat of her son being killed. I see that some reviewers are 'yawning' that this story has been done before, but Moore and Baldwin give such fantastic performances that it seems like the first time anything of its kind has been done. The actors accomplish making their characters appear very real. Demi seems like she could be a woman who used to live on your block or who you once worked with, and Baldwin is like the living nightmare psycho you hope you'll never meet! Anne Heche is good as Demi's best friend, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt is believable as the typical sweet kid of someone you might know. It is also a scenic, beautiful movie. Filmed partially in upstate New York in what looks like late May/early June, and in Central America, there's plenty of nice scenery. I think this picture is well worth owning and watching again and again.

LADY JUSTICE TRICKED AGAIN
If you didn't read the novel by George Dawes Green upon which this movie is based, you missed a lot of extra stuff that may have helped with the seemingly implausible points of the plot. A whole subplot involving the Teacher's lover and a has-been PI stimulated a lot of what is overlooked in the film version. But I think overall director Brian Gibson did a commendable job in translating this to the screen.
Demi Moore gives one of her best performances as the trapped mother; she is strong, yet vulnerable; determined and wise. Alec Baldwin is good at playing sleazeballs, but he tempers this with a sense of sensitivity he rarely displays; Anne Heche in an early role does well in the role of Juliette, although in the book Juliette's character is more fleshed out; James Gandolfino in a pre-Sopranos role is outstanding as Baldwin's henchman, who ends up siding with Moore; and Tony Lo Bianco in a brief role as the mafia don, is perfect in his sleazy shell.
THE JUROR is a manipulative movie, but done with enough style and finesse, to be a very entertaining thriller.

I liked it!
Ahh the mafia. Lock a few up, the rest hunt you down. The movie was entertaining, probably mainly because of Alec. He's gorgous, and his character is cold, evil, scary, and determined. Bad mix. The saddest part was when he killed the blonde doctor friend. I mean come on. How sick can you be.

Suspenseful but ordinary
Without Demi Moore and Alec Baldwin, this script never would have made it to film. It is a run-of-the-mill story about a single mother (Demi Moore) who is being pressured by an organized crime figure (Alec Baldwin) to vote "not guilty" on a high profile trial. The mob's leverage is her love for her son. Yawn. But Moore and Baldwin turn in fine performances: Moore as the defiant, intelligent, and terrified Annie, and Baldwin as her sociopath handler. Baldwin is so convincingly creepy and so demented in his take on everything that the audience fears intensely for Annie's survival.

This film contains some honestly terrifying sequences. Unfortunately, the ending is weak, and you're left with few memorable scenes. While this film was definitely a good escape for a couple of hours, you might want to question whether it is worth purchasing to see more than once. ... Read more

Reviews (47)

They're Baaaack....
Poltergeist 2 is of course the sequel to 1982's Poltergeist written by Steven Spielbeg and directed by Tobe McGuire. Although not as chilling it's worth a glance.
After the horrible events of the first film, the Freelings have moved from Cuesta Verde to Florida to live with Diane Freeeling's (Jobeth WIlliams) mother (late Geraldine Fitzgerald). Everything seems to go well until the grandmother, who is a clairevoyant as well as Diane and grand-daughtr Carol Anne, dies. Then the spirits start to have fun.
Communicating with Carol Anne( late Heather O'Rourke) through a toy phone, a demon from "the other side" known as Kane (late Julian Kane) tries to lure her over to the other dimension. Now its up to the Freelings, hilarious Tangina Barrons(Zelda Rubenstien), and Indian spirit guide Taylor( late Will Sampson) to keep Carol Anne away from the tortures spirits.
Much of this film's problems is a drawn out script and fewer scares than the first one claimed. A big problem is that JoBeth Williams, who was by far the best perfofmer in the original, is not in this movie a lot and Craig T. Nelson, who is actually funny, repalces her in many scenes and seems to be trying too hard to make the audience laugh. In the scenes JoBeth Williams actually appears in, she's under-used. Also ghost phsychitrist Beatrice Straight is missing which meeses the whole movie up for me. Also the late Dominique Dunne's dissapearanc is not explained.
After all of this the film is completely saved by Julian Kane whose stirring performance will scare anybody.
Although Poltergeist 2 seems more like an epilogue than a sequel, it is worth watching.Not as good as the original, but it holds it's own. And a word to the wise : DON'T WATCH THE THIRD POLTERGEIST FILM!

Scarrier than the first one but disappointing !
I will say that compared to the first Poltergeist, that this second volume could have been more interesting.Sequels are still a problem and rarely, they finally look better than the original.The story of Poltergeist 2 is not very believable indeed. It talks about a preacher and a cavern...(I won't tell the story) while the first episode was about a removed cemetery... They can't just create a new story without relation with the original one, but they do !!Anyway, I personally like the nasty old guy and the plot is in my opinion scarrier than the first film if the direction and the script had been better. Unfortunately, it's not the case.The FX (at the end especially) are quite disappointing.I will add that it is a boring movie ! A pity, some ideas were good !

Not as Good as Poltergeist!
Poltergeist was an amazing movie, Very good and very spooky and though this sequel had it's moments including the good acting by the late Julian Beck who gave a very scary performance as the evil preacher Kane but as a movie it wasn't anywhere near as good as the excellent Poltergeist and this movie had some scenes that were really bad, especially the scene with Craig T. Nelson's character and the barf creature. BTW: That's what what Craig T. Nelson called the creature in a doccumentary on E about the Poltergeist movies

Incredibly disappointing!
Let me start by saying that the original Poltergeist is one of my top ten favorite movies of all time. It's certainly the best ghost flick ever made ( with fred astaire's ghost story coming in a strong second ). I didn't get around to seeing this sequel until my teenage years in the late 1980's, when it popped out on video. I never made it through the entire film, as it lost my interest roughly halfway through. Fast forward to October 2003 - I'm a little older now and have found that my tastes have changed somewhat... so I decided to give this one another shot. It's just as miserable now upon the second viewing as it was back when I was sixteen. Spielberg is sorely missed, with his intensity, creativity and story-telling abilities. I'm completely dumbfounded how anyone could find this shoddy excuse for a sequel even remotely spooky. Everything about Poltergeist 2 is cheesy.. and that's disappointing, because I really wanted to enjoy this one as much as it's predecessor. Almost everyone from the original cast returns, yet they all seemed to experience amnesia and completely forgot that they had the ability to act. The special fx were kooky and completely overdone. The scene with the father becoming possessed ( one of the very few that had promise ) was absolutely ruined, due to the director's need to hammer home the point by bringing ridiculous looking ghosts up from the front lawn, all moaning and grumbling. In short, the entire production reminded me of one of those overpriced haunted houses at the mall, where a bunch of overweight, middle aged men dress up in cheap monster costumes and jump out and shout "BOO!" as you walk by. In a word.. yawn.

If there was one redeeming quality about this movie, it would have to be Kane, the old preacher. As amazing as it may sound, he almost single-handedly made this piece of garbage worth watching.. at least, during the short time that he was on the screen. Unfortunately, his admirable performance wasn't nearly enough to save this disaster. Bottom line.. save your hard earned cash and purchase the original... this one simply isn't worth your time.

best poltergeist movie
this movie is the best of the poltergeist trilogy. i know a lot of people hate it, but it's very the best. first of all, heather o'rourke is my hero. i like poltergeist 1 and 3, but in the 2, we saw heather in the entire movie. the special effect is amazing. it's a must for every single horror movie film. the best sequel ever. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Very powerful - Seek justice not vengeance
This is a true story of one of the most honored men in the past century. Simon Weisenthal set out his life after surviving the death concentration camps to catch the criminals in charge. His dedication demonstrates the power of human will to triumph evil.

May we never forget about the Holocaust was his goal. I pray to keep it that way and say: Never Again.

Though not directly in the film,
from a contemporary political perspective, one can only realize the necessity of a Jewish state (Israel), which was formed from the ashes of the Holocaust, to protect its own people throughout the world from such a tragedy.

I highly recommend this video. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Probably wouldn't have worked with kiwi fruit
THE JOSEPHINE BAKER STORY is a fast-forward, 2-hour plus life synopsis of the celebrated black entertainer from 1917, when she was eleven and running from murderous racial violence in St. Louis, to her death in 1975 in Paris. Lynn Whitfield stars in this HBO production.

The film manages to catch the key points of her life: early vaudeville gigs in the U.S. as a very young girl, notoriety as an exotic dancer in 1920's Paris, rise to major world stardom in the late 20's/early 30's, disastrous return to the U.S. entertainment circuit in the late 30's, French Resistance war hero, a near-fatality from peritonitis, entertainer of U.S. troops in North Africa, post-war civil rights champion back in the U.S., loving mother of a dozen, adopted, multi-racial children on her French estate, financial destitution in the late 60's, and resurrection in the 70's with the help of Prince and Princess Rainier of Monaco.

Since TJBS covers so many decades and events in such short a time, much is lost: the marriage to her first and third husbands (Willie Wells and Jean Lion respectively), her brief film career, her stint as a Red Cross nurse after the Nazi occupation of Belgium, her many legal imbroglios, her late-life relationship with American artist Robert Brady, and her presence in the 1963 Washington D.C. civil rights march led by Martin Luther King. Sometimes the viewer feels shortchanged, as when the scene shifts from late 30's New York to wartime France to 1942 North Africa in the blink of an eye. (Don't go to the kitchen for that pastrami sandwich and beer - you may miss something.)

The gorgeous Whitfield is sparkling as Josephine, who's always driven to rise above her skin color, and, during different periods of her life, either manipulated or manipulative, selfish or generous, and insensitive or loving. And HBO doesn't shrink from depicting Baker's most notorious and exotic routine, the Jungle Banana Dance, in which she performs naked except for a girdle of bananas around her loins. We're talking full-frontal, topless, nudity here (which scores high in my book, Male Pig that I am).

Perhaps the best feature of the movie is its emphasis on Baker's relationship, from 1926 to 1936, with the Sicilian Pepito Abatino (Ruben Blades), who styled himself a "count" and served as Josephine's lover and manager. If the script is to be believed, it was his persistent effort and canniness that transformed Josephine from a simple cabaret dancer to world class star by pushing her to diversify her talent. In any case, the majority of the Web bios of Baker that I've read don't give Abatino the credit he's apparently due, much less even mention him at all.

David Dukes is excellent as jazz bandleader Jo Boullion, Josephine's fourth husband, who separated from her in 1957 after ten years of marriage, ostensibly due to her extravagant lifestyle and penchant for adopting every homeless child that she stumbled across.

Despite its occasional unevenness, THE JOSEPHINE BAKER STORY is both excellent entertainment and an instructive piece about a scintillating entertainer virtually forgotten by large chunks of the American public.

A magnificent film
This film is fantastic. I have scene this film many times,Yet I never get tired of it.Lynn Whitfield as Ms. Baker is phenomenal, she deserved more than just an Emmy for her protrayal. This movie captures the intricate and eccentric sides of Josephine Baker.

Beautiful Cinamatic masterpiece
There are very few times that a movie can hold a flame to the life of the actual person that is intended to be portrayed but this movie does just that. It gives the ultimate respect and dignity that an artist of this calibur truly deserves. Her life is artfully displayed through from her turbulant rise to fame to her rocky downfall. It is a movie that can be enjoyed on all too many levels and should be marked as an ethereal masterpiece.

a must see
ms.baker broke ground and was an incredible entertainer.it's a shame that she had to make a living overseas but the film shows the ignorance and racist vibes that she had to encounter.lynn whitfield not only does a great job in the lead but she looks good as well.this is history.

Heartwrenching erotic saga
I found "The Josephine Baker Story" to be a very good video biography of the famous yet infamous Josephine Baker. This film brought this erotic icon to the suface for all to see and love. Lynn Whitfield gave a five star performance, and her vivid portrayal of the star indulges ones curiousity about Ms. Baker, this movie is definitely a keeper if I ever did see one. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Enthralling Mystery
Last night I started watching this DVD and my wife soon put down her Harry Potter book because this movie drew her into the suspense. It pulls peoples attention into it because of the fine acting by Alec Baldwin and Demi Moore and a great storyline. The rest of the supporting cast are good as well.

The story is a fresh one, a juror is first courted then tormented by a hit man for the mob. Alec Baldwin is quite adept at being scary when he wants to be and charming as well. Demi is by no means a helpless beauty. She shows herself to be artistic, intelligent, and resourceful as well.

When first threatened she succumbs to the demands of "The Teacher", but when he murders her closest friend, she sets a course for revenge. If the mob can't help her she will enlist the assistance of her friends in South America. One gets a pretty good idea of how a womans inner strength can prevail over the worst evil.

The DVD includes extras and has excellent picture and sound quality. Anyone that enjoys suspense movies like "Witness", "The Client", and "Narrow Margin", or TV series like "The Sopranos" should like this movie. If you like this you might also enjoy Alec Baldwin in "The Shadow".

I love 'The Juror'!
Demi Moore is great as a Bohemian single mom and struggling artist living alone with her 12-year-old son (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) in a converted barn in a country suburb of New York. When she becomes a juror in a murder case against a major Mafia boss, her peaceful life is turned upside down by a sociopathic hitman's (Alec Baldwin) obsession with her. Though she knows the mob boss is guilty, she is bullied into providing a verdict of 'not guilty' under threat of her son being killed. I see that some reviewers are 'yawning' that this story has been done before, but Moore and Baldwin give such fantastic performances that it seems like the first time anything of its kind has been done. The actors accomplish making their characters appear very real. Demi seems like she could be a woman who used to live on your block or who you once worked with, and Baldwin is like the living nightmare psycho you hope you'll never meet! Anne Heche is good as Demi's best friend, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt is believable as the typical sweet kid of someone you might know. It is also a scenic, beautiful movie. Filmed partially in upstate New York in what looks like late May/early June, and in Central America, there's plenty of nice scenery. I think this picture is well worth owning and watching again and again.

LADY JUSTICE TRICKED AGAIN
If you didn't read the novel by George Dawes Green upon which this movie is based, you missed a lot of extra stuff that may have helped with the seemingly implausible points of the plot. A whole subplot involving the Teacher's lover and a has-been PI stimulated a lot of what is overlooked in the film version. But I think overall director Brian Gibson did a commendable job in translating this to the screen.
Demi Moore gives one of her best performances as the trapped mother; she is strong, yet vulnerable; determined and wise. Alec Baldwin is good at playing sleazeballs, but he tempers this with a sense of sensitivity he rarely displays; Anne Heche in an early role does well in the role of Juliette, although in the book Juliette's character is more fleshed out; James Gandolfino in a pre-Sopranos role is outstanding as Baldwin's henchman, who ends up siding with Moore; and Tony Lo Bianco in a brief role as the mafia don, is perfect in his sleazy shell.
THE JUROR is a manipulative movie, but done with enough style and finesse, to be a very entertaining thriller.

I liked it!
Ahh the mafia. Lock a few up, the rest hunt you down. The movie was entertaining, probably mainly because of Alec. He's gorgous, and his character is cold, evil, scary, and determined. Bad mix. The saddest part was when he killed the blonde doctor friend. I mean come on. How sick can you be.

Suspenseful but ordinary
Without Demi Moore and Alec Baldwin, this script never would have made it to film. It is a run-of-the-mill story about a single mother (Demi Moore) who is being pressured by an organized crime figure (Alec Baldwin) to vote "not guilty" on a high profile trial. The mob's leverage is her love for her son. Yawn. But Moore and Baldwin turn in fine performances: Moore as the defiant, intelligent, and terrified Annie, and Baldwin as her sociopath handler. Baldwin is so convincingly creepy and so demented in his take on everything that the audience fears intensely for Annie's survival.

This film contains some honestly terrifying sequences. Unfortunately, the ending is weak, and you're left with few memorable scenes. While this film was definitely a good escape for a couple of hours, you might want to question whether it is worth purchasing to see more than once. ... Read more

Reviews (46)

great cast in a fun film about a 70s-band reunion
This movie is quite entertaining. It has a great cast and none of the performers are wasted: Stephen Rea is the sweet guy who wants the band to take advantage of a reunion and achieve the success that internal bickering and problems cost them years ago; Billy Connolly is a hoot as the band's pragmatic roadie; Bill Nighy captures dim-witted preening lead singer Ray without making him unsympathetic; Timothy Spall brings laughs as the drummer still living in the past ('If women are from Venus and men are from Mars, drummers are from Pluto'); Jimmy Nail is the guitarist with grudges, regrets and a nice voice; and Juliet Aubrey is engaging as the woman who was a fan/runner and steps in as manager for the group. Though the two younger supporting roles aren't given much to do, that leaves more screen time for the adult characters, each of whom is three-dimensional, sympathetic and interesting. Billy Connolly's voiceovers are well-written and fun, and while not every joke works, there are many one-liners that you will make you laugh the next day.

You can see bits of your favorite 70s bands paid tribute, from Pink Floyd to Deep Purple, with insight and affection and the songs, written by veterans of Foreigner and Squeeze, are quite good. The film is very funny for the first half and then takes a few missteps as the drama quotient is elevated, but it finds its way again before the close. All in all, a lot of fun from a fine cast and talented crew, just the ticket for music fans with a sense of humor.

DVD features include: English, Spanish or Portuguese sound and English, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Korean or Thai subtitles; a short making-of featurette; a trailer; and filmographies for director Gibson and some of the cast members.

Nostalgia Has Never Been So Humourous!
This movie is tremendous for uplifting the Spirits.

To begin, the soundtrack is unbelievable. Mick Jones (Foreigner) and Chris Difford (Squeeze) penned the songs, making Strange Fruit the best thing that ever hit today's music scene.

Unfortunately, Strange Fruit are a strictly fictitional band of the late 1960's to early 1970's. To complicate matters, they were never a hit to begin with, due to drug use and inner fighting. One wonders what might have been, while listening to their fanatastic music play throughout.

The Fruit draw inspiration from The Rolling Stones, Deep Purple, David Bowie, and The Who.

Each member of Fruit are quite memorable.

Stephen Rea stars as down-and-dead-broke Tony Costello, who is asked by a festival promoter to reunite his band for a reunion tour, with hopes of reaping monetary benefits. Costello haply approaches ex-roadie Karen Knowles, played by Juliet Aubrey, to help him rekindle the flame of a dream long past.

Juliet gathers up the bitter rhythm guitarist Jimmy Nail (Les Wickes), blundering Timothy Spall (David 'Beano' Baggot), and the extravagantly glamouresque lead singer Ray Simms (Bill Nighy). Tumbling in is another ex-roadie, the hippy-toker-jokester Hughie (Billy Connolly), who never let the flame burn out.

As Juliet searches for the last member of their motley band, the elusive lead guitarist-songwriter Brian Lovell (played by the brooding Bruce Robinson), the reunited members squabble, just like old times, fighting over long lost memories.

The band is then given the chance to do a small Dutch tour, to prepare for their promised festival. With young Hendrix-like Luke Shand (Hans Matheson) taking the place of Lovell, the crew hits the road. The sparks fly as their memories flame forward, threatening to burn their unfinished goals...

Be prepared to laugh, sing, cheer, and cry, as these memorable characters etch themselves into your hearts...

"And the flame still burns
It's there in my soul for that unfinished goal
And the flame still burns
From a glimmer and then, it lights up again
In my life"

A surprisingly good film
We rented this on impulse because it had Billy Connolly. The description reminded us of This Is Spinal Tap (which we love) and we greatly enjoyed the movie. Bill Nighy's clueless Ray was really wonderful and Stephen Rea as keyboardist Tony Costello was enjoyable to watch but the scene-stealer was Timothy Spall's Bilbo Baggot, the drummer. I just about fell off my seat when he finds out that his most vivid memory of touring is when the Fruit played the Hollywood Bowl--only to hear they never played there. And Billy Connolly is always a treat to watch, whatever he does.

I`m Not Too Crazy About It
This british movie about a 70`s rock band named "Strange Fruit" that makes a comeback isn`t funny enough to be a sucessful comedy neither deep enough to qualify as a drama. It`s a competent, at times moving picture, not too memorable but mildly enjoyable. The acting is fine, but the plot, that focuses the band members effort to became famous again, isn`t very absorbing or grabbing.
What we end up having here is a little movie about the music business, showing how those who had sucess in their youth react when they aren`t so stellar today and have to deal with their aging process. Mildly interesting, even if it`s another movie to watch once and be done with it. I`m not sorry I watched it, but I don`t feel the need to watch it again.

Still Crazy
wow! much too short, quite inspiring, and altogether wonderful! don't miss it, and stick with it to the very end of the titles. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Enthralling Mystery
Last night I started watching this DVD and my wife soon put down her Harry Potter book because this movie drew her into the suspense. It pulls peoples attention into it because of the fine acting by Alec Baldwin and Demi Moore and a great storyline. The rest of the supporting cast are good as well.

The story is a fresh one, a juror is first courted then tormented by a hit man for the mob. Alec Baldwin is quite adept at being scary when he wants to be and charming as well. Demi is by no means a helpless beauty. She shows herself to be artistic, intelligent, and resourceful as well.

When first threatened she succumbs to the demands of "The Teacher", but when he murders her closest friend, she sets a course for revenge. If the mob can't help her she will enlist the assistance of her friends in South America. One gets a pretty good idea of how a womans inner strength can prevail over the worst evil.

The DVD includes extras and has excellent picture and sound quality. Anyone that enjoys suspense movies like "Witness", "The Client", and "Narrow Margin", or TV series like "The Sopranos" should like this movie. If you like this you might also enjoy Alec Baldwin in "The Shadow".

I love 'The Juror'!
Demi Moore is great as a Bohemian single mom and struggling artist living alone with her 12-year-old son (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) in a converted barn in a country suburb of New York. When she becomes a juror in a murder case against a major Mafia boss, her peaceful life is turned upside down by a sociopathic hitman's (Alec Baldwin) obsession with her. Though she knows the mob boss is guilty, she is bullied into providing a verdict of 'not guilty' under threat of her son being killed. I see that some reviewers are 'yawning' that this story has been done before, but Moore and Baldwin give such fantastic performances that it seems like the first time anything of its kind has been done. The actors accomplish making their characters appear very real. Demi seems like she could be a woman who used to live on your block or who you once worked with, and Baldwin is like the living nightmare psycho you hope you'll never meet! Anne Heche is good as Demi's best friend, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt is believable as the typical sweet kid of someone you might know. It is also a scenic, beautiful movie. Filmed partially in upstate New York in what looks like late May/early June, and in Central America, there's plenty of nice scenery. I think this picture is well worth owning and watching again and again.

LADY JUSTICE TRICKED AGAIN
If you didn't read the novel by George Dawes Green upon which this movie is based, you missed a lot of extra stuff that may have helped with the seemingly implausible points of the plot. A whole subplot involving the Teacher's lover and a has-been PI stimulated a lot of what is overlooked in the film version. But I think overall director Brian Gibson did a commendable job in translating this to the screen.
Demi Moore gives one of her best performances as the trapped mother; she is strong, yet vulnerable; determined and wise. Alec Baldwin is good at playing sleazeballs, but he tempers this with a sense of sensitivity he rarely displays; Anne Heche in an early role does well in the role of Juliette, although in the book Juliette's character is more fleshed out; James Gandolfino in a pre-Sopranos role is outstanding as Baldwin's henchman, who ends up siding with Moore; and Tony Lo Bianco in a brief role as the mafia don, is perfect in his sleazy shell.
THE JUROR is a manipulative movie, but done with enough style and finesse, to be a very entertaining thriller.

I liked it!
Ahh the mafia. Lock a few up, the rest hunt you down. The movie was entertaining, probably mainly because of Alec. He's gorgous, and his character is cold, evil, scary, and determined. Bad mix. The saddest part was when he killed the blonde doctor friend. I mean come on. How sick can you be.

Suspenseful but ordinary
Without Demi Moore and Alec Baldwin, this script never would have made it to film. It is a run-of-the-mill story about a single mother (Demi Moore) who is being pressured by an organized crime figure (Alec Baldwin) to vote "not guilty" on a high profile trial. The mob's leverage is her love for her son. Yawn. But Moore and Baldwin turn in fine performances: Moore as the defiant, intelligent, and terrified Annie, and Baldwin as her sociopath handler. Baldwin is so convincingly creepy and so demented in his take on everything that the audience fears intensely for Annie's survival.

This film contains some honestly terrifying sequences. Unfortunately, the ending is weak, and you're left with few memorable scenes. While this film was definitely a good escape for a couple of hours, you might want to question whether it is worth purchasing to see more than once. ... Read more