Amazon.com

A wimpy remake of an already anemic movie (the 1947 Rita Hayworth vehicle Down to Earth), this glitzy musical from 1980 improbably stars Olivia Newton-John as a heavenly muse sent here to help open a roller-derby disco. Gene Kelly is mixed up in this well-meaning but goofy effort to fuse nostalgia with late-'70s glitter-ball trendiness, and he looks just plain silly. Directed by Robert Greenwald, the film doesn't even work as decent kitsch.--Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (149)

Merely the Ultimate Musical
I've watched "Xanadu" probably about fifty or sixty times - or more. I've worn out two VHS videos, and am now, even while typing this, watching my Xanadu DVD. I can't believe that anyone would call this undiscovered wonder of the world "wimpy" or "anemic". This movie deserves its current status as a cult classic.

The Stars. I'll have more to say about Gene Kelly later. Olivia Newton John, still on the top of her conversion from Country Western to Pop Rock, never sounded or looked better. Her ability to seemingly switch back and forth on a moments notice from her old image of sweetness and nice to her new image of almost a dominatrix was great. Her combination of any boy's fantasies with a girl you could take home was wonderful. Mike Beck does a good job as "Sonny" - the modern-day version of Danny McGuire, although, in comparison to Kelly and Olivia, he looks kind of flat. But who could hold a candle to that caliber of actor or actress?

The scenes. The scene where Danny dances with Kira and ends up with her in his arms ("Whenever You're Away from Me"), followed by a similar scene with Sonny and Kira minutes later in the movie ("Suddenly"), only help to reinforce the Deja-Vu like sense of wonder that permeates this entire film. We are treated to this sense of deja-vu over and over again. The scene where the Big Band era meets the rock-and-roll era still gives me a thrill. Olivia Newton John's singing blends virtually perfectly with Electric Light Orchestra's symphonic sound, but heavy rock influence.

The musical numbers. Done by Electric Light Orchestra and Olivia Newton John, they include the pop hits "Xanadu" and "Magic", as well as: "I'm Alive", "All Over The World", "Dancin' Round and Round", "Suspended in Time", "Whenever You're Away from Me", "Don't Walk Away" and "Suddenly". Imagine, if you can, a blending of the best of the 30's and 40's Big Bands with the best of the 70's and 80's rock and disco. Now imagine it on the same stage - blended almost perfectly. That =is= what happens in this movie.

The dancing. What can anyone say about Gene Kelly that hasn't been said already? Watching Gene trip the light fantastic with Olivia was worth the price of admission all by itself. This was, I believe, Gene Kelly's last movie, and it is a fitting send-off to his long career. It was kind of fun to see him as a clarinet player and construction company boss. He doesn't look the least bit "silly" - it's easy to see where he could have been Kira's love interest back in the 40's. It was appropriate to see Gene's character called "Danny McGuire" as that was actually the name of one of Gene's characters in another movie.

In addition, to cap off this film, Don Bluth did the animation for a wonderful sequence ("Don't Walk Away") where Kira and Sonny are transformed into fish and birds. This provides a perfect sense of surreal to Sonny's and Kira's developing love.

This movie means more than its outer shell of "a muse is sent from 'heaven' to help with the creation of a disco roller derby". It means it's OK to have dreams - because a dream is a wish your heart makes. The emphasis, told in various ways, that you should always follow your dreams, is a message that needs to be emphasised today. Both Danny's dream of opening a new club, and Sonny's dream to do something more than his boring job of painting recreations of album covers are fused together by Kira (or should I say "Terpsichore"? :-) into a single dream that they, with her help, make a reality. Do a search on the Greek Muses and you'll find a lot of the inspiration for this movie.

If there really is a real Xanadu, I would love to go there. If there never really was a real Xanadu, there should be. This still ranks as one of the most underappreciated musicals ever. Get it. You will not be disappointed.

The movie bites big time - but the music is awesome!
Xanadu is a hard film to review, because, as a movie, it is a terrible piece of dreck. As a music video it works just fine and even succeeds immensely at times.

Originally conceived as a disco movie, the producers decided to cash in on the popularity - at the time - of roller skating, so they made the movie - at the last minute - a roller disco film. Throw in Olivia Newton John and Gene Kelly and you've got: DISASTER!

The plot of the film is so transparently thin that it falls apart several times throughout. The dialogue is so agonizingly bad that even Gene Kelly (a man not known for his acting but his dancing) must have been embarrassed by it.

As the male romantic lead, a little known actor by the name of uh, just a minute I'll think of it.....was cast on the heels of his turn in the highly successful fantasy gang film: The Warriors. Michael Beck (the actor's name) can't act, can't sing, and can't dance...... so he was cast in the lead of a musical? Huh?

Newton John plays a Muse (of the old Greek mythology variety) who comes to life off of a wall painting - why we just don't know. She decides to glom onto Michael Beck's character (an architect who wants to create the most fabulous nightclub ever - Xanadu). And that, folks, is the plot of the movie. Oh, that, and apparently John's Muse was once the inspiration for Gene Kelly's character back in WWII. Huh?

Anyway, if it weren't for the producers wisely employing Electric Light Orchestra, The Tubes, and Newton-John, then this would have been insufferably bad. As it is, the movie has some really fantastic moments of musical fun. There's an interesting mixture of styles when The Tubes performs with a pseudo-swing band from the 1940's. Then there are Newton-John's songs throughout, which were orchestrated by ELO. The title song is possibly the most fun because it is where Newton-John met her former husband Matt Lattanzi (he was a dancer in the sequence). However the sequence employs the whole roller disco thing (not terribly effectively) and feels forced and just looks terrible!

However, as I said earlier - Xanadu works as an extended music video - something that was not in true existence at the time - it would happen about a year later on MTV.

Xanadu was made in the very late 1970's and released in 1980 and just happened to hit theatrers when disco was becoming reviled and New Wave was the latest sensation. Also by 1980 roller disco was VERY passe. Xanadu laid a big old egg (although I've read that it did fairly well at the box office on Newton-John's Grease fame and general popularity alone).

Get the DVD and select the song chapters and you'll have a great time watching this. Don't bother actually watching the film.

Love the movie, but DVD transfer quality is so-so.
I really enjoyed this as a kid (10 yrs old when it was in theatres). I even have the LP soundtrack somewhere. So I was excited to buy the DVD. On the nostalgia level, it doesn't disappoint. Great scenes with Gene Kelly, Olivia Newton John, and the real star of the movie -- the Pan Pacific Auditorium in LA, an art deco landmark that burned down years ago. But technically, I think Universal did a lazy job. The sound is wimpy and muddy, which is disappointing. These awesome ELO songs should jump out of speakers, not struggle out of them. The picture quality is also substandard: it looks like a 3d generation videotape (except with the ability to freezeframe). If you're like me, you'll hold your nose and buy this, because it's the only game in town. It's unlikely that Universal will go back and remaster this for another DVD release (but who knows?). Overall, it was a great late-night, flashback DVD to watch, and I'll definitely watch it again, as time goes by. One final thing: don't expect toooo much from the DVD extras. Other than the film trailer, all you get are static text bios to flip through.

A CULT CLASSIC and an EXCELLENT SOUNDTRACK
When this big budget Olivia Newton-John vehicle hit the silver screen, it actually did make money at the box office. However, because of the high expectaions of the film's star, Olivia Newton-John's performance in "Grease", it was called a bomb, which, financially it wasn't. It also became one of the top selling videos in 1981 in days when Vhs and Betamax both ruled the markets! The soundtrack went #1 and has 5 hit songs spun off of it, and it later gained a bigger following when it hit the movie channels! Critics hate this movie, but I don't care! I LOVE IT! Olivia Newton-John is so gorgeous and sings some great tunes as well as dances it up with Gene Kelley(in his final movie role). Michael Beck, however, falls flat on his face, showing no charisma and terrible acting chops. But Olivia and Gene pick up the slack, thankfully, and the end result is a very glitzy, campy,yet dazzling old fashioned musical tinged with 80's songs by Olivia, E.L.O. and The Tubes.Light on plot, heavy on song and dnace and special effects, Xanadu is fun for the entire family. Just don't expect anything more than to be entertained and you'll love it!

Roller-Disco epic from the 70's! Outrageous!
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You have to wonder what they were thinking when they decided to re-make the Rita Hayworth film "Down to Earth" as a roller-disco musical epic starring Olivia Newton John.

It's interesting, but when you realize that the running time of this film itself lasts longer than the actual fad of roller-disco did, you have to wonder why they bothered!

Gene Kelly seems lost in a musical nightmare, and the production numbers seem to scare him silly. It's as if he wonders how he got on the soundstage at all.

The music is cute, the production numbers are a perfect example of 70's excess, and the story is ridiculous.

All in all, I think it's a guilty pleasure to watch. Just don't tell anyone you enjoyed it, because they'll probably make fun of you.

A perfect double-feature evening would be to watch this along with "Can't Stop the Music" starring the Village People. (Read my review on that one!)

To quote Olivia Newton John: "Xanaduuuuuuu, Xanaduuuu-uuu-uuu!" ... Read more

Amazon.com

This controversial, 1984 made-for-television movie gave Farrah Fawcett her first true showcase as an actress. Playing an abused wife who kills her monstrous husband (Paul Le Mat), Fawcett demonstrates a facility with the moral ambiguities of the story, which concerns the painful but fascinating questions of where justice lies. Fine support from Richard Masur and Grace Zabriskie, and the assured direction is by Robert Greenwald (Xanadu. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Farrah can act? Who knew...
This movie is historically significant since it was one of the first movies to portray domestic violence in a realistic fasion; where situations often turn into a "kill or be killed" scenarios.
It is also one the few films (few? I think the only film) where you can actually see Farrah, "I'm now as loony as a bedbug", Fawcett display her acting abilities. In fact, the whole cast does a pretty good job.
The Burning Bed is actually one of the few "men bad, women good" movies that tries to be honest in its portrayals of people in abusive relationships.

This movie will open your eyes.
In health class, I watched the Burning Bed to learn about spouse abuse. I learned so much with this touching story and I've never been a big fan of Farrah Fawcett until now. Her acting was incredibly moving and I give her a lot of respect to take on this tough role. Go see this movie and it really makes you think about this abuse and the many other women who still experience it.

Farrah's Best!
If Farrah didn't receive an award for this movie, she was seriously robbed! She must have researched the subject of wife abuse thoroughly right down to the humiliation seen on her face and the sheer terror that whatever she said could possible cause yet another smack. Superb acting!

Good,but it was the usual "men bad,women good "movie
This movie was good,but it was the usual,run-of-the-mill "men bad,women good" movie.Like "Enough",the acting was good,but the storyline was just another "abusive husband" thing...

GREAT~~~~
This movie was GREAT. The book was alot Better then the movie was.~~~ ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Shattered Spirits
This film depicts substance abuse, domestic violence, co-dependancy in the family. Very powerful, very accurate.

Tough Love, straight up!
"Shattered Spirits" is the best movie I've ever seen in a High School Health Class.

Martin Sheen stars as an alcholic father, while M.I.F. Hall-of-Famer Melinda Dillon desperately tries to hold the family together in the wake of dad's inebriated rampages.

The film is pretty good (if vaguely TV-movie-ish), particularly when Martin Sheen tells his son that he's going into a bar to meet a buddy, and comes out six hours later! Was the "buddy" named Jack Daniels?

However, I did resent watching the movie a bit--I sat next to the class cutie, and we'd struck up a nice little in-class friendship. So for three days, the lights were off and we weren't allowed to talk. Thanks a lot!

Even so, it definitely opened up an important discussion about alcoholism. I have a weakness for Newcastle Brown Ale, but I try to remember the lesson in moderation that Martin Sheen taught me.

This will sneak up on you!
This film was first shown on TV at the boomtime of recovery when Betty Ford was pushing for recovery for families affected by addiction. The story portrays a middleclass family hiding dad's (Sheen's) alcoholism and sliding down the slope of denial. The reactions of the family to crises and the roles they each fall into are so accurately done that the viewer can get way into his/her own alcoholic upbringing and pain before they are aware of it.
I have shown this at several gatherings and it never fails to shake some people up seriously. Kids are especially vulnerable in their teen years. But entire families can get very agitated during the viewing.
So I would recommend that anyone showing or viewing this film be prepared to deal with some extreme reactioons for several days afterwards. Don't just show this and send your guests home. Instead have a discussion and a followup trip to a meeting of Alateen, Al-Anon or AA.
BUT SHOW IT!

Shattered Spirits
This was an excellent movie. The acting was superb & the Directing was great! I hope that it helped many people to see & understand what ANY addictive behavior can do to everyone; families, friends, & themselves. Just a footnote--I hope people enjoyed seeing my cat in this movie as it was filmed just across the street from our home in Simi Valley. :) Also, I would love to have an AFFORDABLE copy of this great film. Thank You :o)

Very Accurate and cathartic for Alcoholic Families
The story is full of those disturbing yet common events which plague families struggling with Alcoholism. The folks who consulted on this film (Claudia Black for one - Authoer of some of the best recovery books for kids) did a great job of keeping the alcoholic insanity just high enough to really affect anyone who grew up with an alcoholic parent. The scenes are well constructed and the outcome is not sugar coated. ONE WARNING...don't just show this to a group or a friend or a bunch of kids thinking they'll like it. There will need to be some help and comfort offered. Some people will discover their own alcoholic and/or abusive past for the first time During the showing. Find out where there are Al-Anon, Alateen, and AA meetings BEFORE you show the film. But SHOW IT! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Steve (Russell Crowe) and Monica (Salma Hayek) make a dreadful couple. Something about Monica, a teacher, turns Steve, a photographer, into an insensitive jerk. Steve's behavior makes Monica clingy and hysterical. When the romantic "dramedy" Breaking Up opens, Steve and Monica are doing just that--breaking up. But every time they break up, one of them breaks down and calls the other to suggest, "Let's get together for dinner and talk." By now, they're so hot for each other that they tumble right into bed. As Monica puts it, "As the relationship has deteriorated, we f*** like monkeys!" Breaking Up is a very real portrait of an addictive love affair that strikes a decidedly familiar chord. How many of us have been through unhealthy relationships like this one?Crowe and Hayek are so credible that the movie is most compelling to watch. Their good times are achingly sweet. (When Crowe proposes marriage to Hayek in the back of a taxi, the heart of every female viewer is guaranteed to melt.) But can the good times make up for the bad? Using a mixture of filming techniques--montages, monologues, on-street interviews, plus straight-out dramatic scenes--director Robert Greenwald (The Burning Bed), and Pulitzer Prize-winning screenwriter Michael Cristofer (The Shadow Box), create a provocative, intimate, and erotic anatomy of the quintessential destructive relationship. --Laura Mirsky ... Read more

Reviews (31)

Not a lot of story, but the scenery is great!
If you love either Salma Hayek or Russell Crowe, buy this film.

It didn't win any awards, because it's a "B" movie, but I've paid for and watched a lot worse. Crowe and Hayek worked hard at being a couple in love and it's fun to watch. It's almost as if they were on opposing roller coasters, one at the top while the other was at the bottom.

Good movie but they should have kept the original VHS cover
have you seen the original VHS cover? it screams sexy! When they converted the movie to DVD they made it seem sad. just go to the VHS version and take a look. There's a shot of sexy salma lying on a bed talking on the phone in a tight top giving you come hither looks! Also a nice romantic shot of the couple. the front cover text reads
When the sex is great.
When the passion is intense.
When the love is strong.
It's time for...
Breaking Up

now that's sexy!

The DVD on the other hand is sad, sad, melancholy. two forlorn lovers. they have that same shot on the VHS version, but it's on the back on the box, not the front cover. They completely removed all the text. Also on the disk itself they show them arguing. this is sexy Salma. I don't want to see a picture of her arguing on the disk!(there is some of that in the movie, but there is also a lot of making out!) They kept a slightly different shot of them on the inside cover, but it's not exactly the same powerful shot used on the VHS cover. Also they say something like
"Rich in both comic asides and emotional fisticuffs, Crowe and Hayek are perfectly matched"
matched? fisticuffs?! what happened to the sexy stuff?
I have noticed they are getting rid of a lot of the sex appeal in movies that used to be acceptable and commonplace when they convert a movie to DVD now(2004). politically correct.
just show their heads. They frown on showing anything too sexy now. Unlike prior to the mid 90s when it was ok to show sex appeal.
But the DVD picture quality is great, so that is a fantastic improvement over VHS . Good movie.

Salma Hayek is simply gorgeous!!!
This movie is so lame on so many different levels I cannot begin to write about them without taking a deep breath for the long journey ahead. I'll go a little ways, then turn back. First off, there is no genuine chemistry between the two lead actors, although they try very hard to mask this fact, and nearly succeed in a few scenes. What this film lacks it tries to make up for with numerous sexual situations, most of which seem staged, not passionate and unpredictable. Okay, but there are two especially memorable scenes: the first is set at a coffee shop and it has a well thought out back and forth tracking shot that comes off nicely; the second is a surreal moment when Russell Crowe's character is imagining Salma Hayek's character having amazing fantasy sex with her new male interest. But after those scenes fade the movie spirals downward through forced melodrama. But Salma Hayek looks stunningly beautiful, so that's how I made it to the end.

Not goo enough to buy
I really like Russell Crowe and Salma Heyek in this movie, but it was just too boring to buy. I definately thought the ending was the best part though.........because the movie was over. If I could I woudl SO ask for my money back. Although the movies offers some steamy hallucenations, it's not worth the time and effort to watch movie. Trust me, DO NOT BUY THIS MOVIE!... Rent it from blockbuster or something.....

Wish there was no dialogue with this...
Russell Crowe is yummy, but what is up with his accent? This is a movie to be enjoyed with the sound off, because the dialogue is very painful to hear. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

True To Life
Only recently got to see this movie - was drawn by the cast of stars, and really enjoyed the movie overall. Painted a very true to life portrayal of a couple that everyone envied, who couldn't keep their hands off eachother when they dated in high school and how after time and kids, the spark in their marriage is threatened. Jeff Daniels is always fun, and Susan Sarandon is one of my favorite actresses. This is good movie.

Sometimes A Movie Comes Along That Surprises You!
Isn't it funny how sometimes a film can mirror your life. I came across this movie on the Encore channel this weekend and tuned in because of the title. I stayed with it because Don Johnson looked so great, at his peak I would say. I finished it because of the story, touching, telling and true to life.

Finally: a great film as it was meant to be seen
Wiley and Sandra Boon (Johnson and Sarandon) were high school sweet hearts, the ones who were admired and loved by everyone, the perfect couple. Some years and three children after, Wiley realizes how bored and sad he is because of what his life has become: boring and sad. At least that's what he thinks. He decides to leave the house to find himself, we could say that what he finds out is that that life was the one that he longed for, but that's simplistic as hell. So, while he is out there thinking how it was that he fell out of love, his best buddy Sam (Jeff Daniels) has finally found the one girl he's looked for all his life -or is she?. This 1988 film starred Don Johnson in the best work of his career (so far) and Susan Sarandon in some kind of post-Springsteen characters story (theirs was the idyllic marriage, they were the king and queen of high school) and they are now trapped in the routine of marriage. Bruce Springsteen wrote in one of his songs that heroes are the ones who raise children and make families happy, so, here it is, a great, well acted, better written heroic story that will show you what married life really is.

Totally believable movie
I just saw this movie and was blown away by the story line. The best acting I have ever seen, Don Johnson is perfect in this role and I was never a fan before. Great, gotta see flick.....

$1.50 is about what it's worth!
Don Johnson is biting mad at his wife, but for no apparent reason. Elizabeth Perkins seems to be in love with Jeff Daniels, but won't marry him, again for no understandable reason. And Susan Sarandon wears these horrible, really large frame glasses. Yikes! These are good actors, but they are lost in an incoherent script. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

The 60's as a Saturday morning cartoon.
You can't blame Vincent D'Onofrio or Janeane Garofalo for giving this one the good ol' Kent State College try. However, when you're working with a script from the Acme Screenplay Co. that portrays Abbie Hoffman as the Roadrunner and the U.S. Government as Wile E. Coyote, your credibility goes sailing right over that cliff. D'Onofrio, who can be brilliant with the right script or director ("Full Metal Jacket", "The Whole Wide World") might want to shop around for a new agent. He projects obvious enthusiasm for the character, but the lack of attention to other details of the production provides little support for his earnestness. Garofalo is convincingly down to earth as Anita Hoffman, but ultimately isn't given much to do beyond the cliche Concerned Wife routines. Like the theatrical release "Panther" and the TV miniseries "The 60's", "Steal This Movie" is yet one more case of slapping a melange of tired 60's tunes onto a soundtrack for "atmosphere", with little else added that would sucessfully evoke the era of radical politics in America. Meep! Meep!

Abbie---we need you now more than ever
I received this movie for a birthday present, and having read previous biographies of the late yippie (from his brother Jack..et al) I knew the basic chronology of Abbie's life, but seeing a film (however dramatized) gave it a new dimension which had previously lacked in the most sympathetic books.

Watching this film as the Bush administration (who ignored the lessons of Vietnam altogether) declares war on the world reignited the passions of a very burt-out grad student. It may take forever, and the activist themselves may stumble along the way but change is possible. As opposed to the 'time limited' mass media presentation of social change, this transformation is a much slower ongoing process that current generations will not neccessarily be able to see).

The only thing I had a problem with was the movie presented abbie as a great understander of all social movements, when previous books admit that he did not originally comprehend the importance of the feminist and GLBT movements. Eventually realizing their importance, and the necessity of understanding sexism, Abbie (like many other lefties of his generation) had entered with his own internalized biases about what was political and what constituted valid social change.

Overall, however this was a great movie and I encourage ANYBODY involved in social justice work today to pick up a copy of this release for themselves and fellow activists. The end courtroom scene is especially timeless in it's celebration of revolution/indictment of discrimination and the fundamental nature of the US society.

I'm saving 5 stars for DESIRE!!
Vinny was great as Abby...the movie itself was o.k....like I said before....VD saves many of these.... if you want bigger reviews, read the others....mine are quick....worth seeing of course.

"STEAL THIS MOVIE"
Well-made biographical film on the left-wing activist Abbie Hoffman. Vincent D'Onofrio turns in an outstanding performance as the troubled Hoffman and Janeane Garofalo delivers one of her finest as his first wife. The supporting cast, including Jeanne Tripplehorn, is also very impressive and maintains interest even when the film begins to falter about midway through. The filmmakers decided to cram so many incidents into the film, that after a while it becomes a series of "Abbie does something unamerican and gets beat up by 'the law'...again" episodes which cause more unintended giggles than sympathy. Real emotional involvement begins to waver at this point as well. Also, whilst Hoffman and his cohorts speak believably and realistically about their plights against the war, racism, sexism, etc.; the conventional thinkers in the film are the same generic stereotypes you'd find in any commercial Hollywood film. Although a tad preachy, STEAL THIS MOVIE gets its points across loud and clear and it's good to know that someone as dedicated to their cause as Hoffman can still inspire younger, less focused individuals through literature and film.

Inspiring, Discouraging, Human
Not a history of the 60's or anything else--a story about an unforgettable person. And the story unfolds showing us a very human Abbie Hoffman. This movie depicts Hoffman's experience of many, many events, each of which deserved a movie of their own. Many Hoffman's confront us through the screen: Hoffman the Fool, Hoffman the Revolutionary, Hoffman the Fugitive, Hoffman the want-to-be father, and Hoffman the Bipolar.

We see the story through a series of recollections by Hoffman's friends and family, through the eyes of a journalist. "Is Hoffman paranoid," he wonders as the movie begins--a question that never quite gets answered, even though the United States Government _was_ out to get him.

In this biography, we also see an ugly dissection of governmental policies. We see oppression, suppression of dissent, blatant violation of rights, and the resilience of that oppressive system. Although many of the things Hoffman fought for were achieved, we still read of protesters beaten and gassed in Seattle and Los Angeles. The police still assault those who protest for non-mainstream causes. The System has not changed, only the faces of the activists. Although we're not drafting our boys and sending them to die in tropical jungles, we're helping third world governments to defoliate their forests in a "War on Drugs" that regularly claims innocent lives, both at home and abroad.

After the farce of the 2000 elections, what would Abbie have done? He'd be there at each Bush appearance, playing the fool, pranking this pretender to the White House! Where is he now that we _really_ need him? Where is his successor?

(If you'd like to dialogue about this movie or this review, click on the "about me" link above & drop me an email. Thanks!) ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Speaking evil of "Hear no Evil"
This move isn't horrible, it isn't the worst movie I have ever seen but it left me feeling flat. While some would compare this to the classic "Wait Until Dark" it never comes close to the quality of that film.

The plot centers around the rarest coin in the world. Everyone wants it except for Marlee Matlin, inevitably, it ends up in her possession. This movie has the typical cop on the take, unknown reporter trying to make a name for himself, good guy drawn in by the damsel in distress, and best friend of the heroine along to show that this whole business is dangerous.

The characters are not well developed, and none really earned any sympathy from me. The bad guys were laughably bad (albeit with a taste for opera) and thuggy. even the main characters seemed to never be committed wholeheartedly to the events around them.

The ending might have been a real shocker to those who did not follow the movie closely at the beginning, but to the rest of us it was just marking time waiting for the closing credits to roll.

A Classic
Amazing... The ending was a complete and total surprise. It's a classic. Everyone acts good. The plot is quite unpredictable, and I like that in movies... See this movie, and it's well-rounded performance will not disappoint you.

Nail-biting suspence!!!!!
This movie was really good. I liked the way the protagonist of this movie tries to figure out what they want from her, and how she can stop them. All throughout this movie I was wondering what was going to happen to the main character, and I was on the edge of my seat. It had so much suspence, and if you view this movie, you will see it for yourself the way it never lets up and delievers heart-stopping performances by all the actors. This was just a really good movie!!!! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great Comedy/Drama!!
This is a great comedy/drama about 2 lady truckers struggling to make a go of it against all odds.It's a must see!! ... Read more

Reviews (14)

The 60's as a Saturday morning cartoon.
You can't blame Vincent D'Onofrio or Janeane Garofalo for giving this one the good ol' Kent State College try. However, when you're working with a script from the Acme Screenplay Co. that portrays Abbie Hoffman as the Roadrunner and the U.S. Government as Wile E. Coyote, your credibility goes sailing right over that cliff. D'Onofrio, who can be brilliant with the right script or director ("Full Metal Jacket", "The Whole Wide World") might want to shop around for a new agent. He projects obvious enthusiasm for the character, but the lack of attention to other details of the production provides little support for his earnestness. Garofalo is convincingly down to earth as Anita Hoffman, but ultimately isn't given much to do beyond the cliche Concerned Wife routines. Like the theatrical release "Panther" and the TV miniseries "The 60's", "Steal This Movie" is yet one more case of slapping a melange of tired 60's tunes onto a soundtrack for "atmosphere", with little else added that would sucessfully evoke the era of radical politics in America. Meep! Meep!

Abbie---we need you now more than ever
I received this movie for a birthday present, and having read previous biographies of the late yippie (from his brother Jack..et al) I knew the basic chronology of Abbie's life, but seeing a film (however dramatized) gave it a new dimension which had previously lacked in the most sympathetic books.

Watching this film as the Bush administration (who ignored the lessons of Vietnam altogether) declares war on the world reignited the passions of a very burt-out grad student. It may take forever, and the activist themselves may stumble along the way but change is possible. As opposed to the 'time limited' mass media presentation of social change, this transformation is a much slower ongoing process that current generations will not neccessarily be able to see).

The only thing I had a problem with was the movie presented abbie as a great understander of all social movements, when previous books admit that he did not originally comprehend the importance of the feminist and GLBT movements. Eventually realizing their importance, and the necessity of understanding sexism, Abbie (like many other lefties of his generation) had entered with his own internalized biases about what was political and what constituted valid social change.

Overall, however this was a great movie and I encourage ANYBODY involved in social justice work today to pick up a copy of this release for themselves and fellow activists. The end courtroom scene is especially timeless in it's celebration of revolution/indictment of discrimination and the fundamental nature of the US society.

I'm saving 5 stars for DESIRE!!
Vinny was great as Abby...the movie itself was o.k....like I said before....VD saves many of these.... if you want bigger reviews, read the others....mine are quick....worth seeing of course.

"STEAL THIS MOVIE"
Well-made biographical film on the left-wing activist Abbie Hoffman. Vincent D'Onofrio turns in an outstanding performance as the troubled Hoffman and Janeane Garofalo delivers one of her finest as his first wife. The supporting cast, including Jeanne Tripplehorn, is also very impressive and maintains interest even when the film begins to falter about midway through. The filmmakers decided to cram so many incidents into the film, that after a while it becomes a series of "Abbie does something unamerican and gets beat up by 'the law'...again" episodes which cause more unintended giggles than sympathy. Real emotional involvement begins to waver at this point as well. Also, whilst Hoffman and his cohorts speak believably and realistically about their plights against the war, racism, sexism, etc.; the conventional thinkers in the film are the same generic stereotypes you'd find in any commercial Hollywood film. Although a tad preachy, STEAL THIS MOVIE gets its points across loud and clear and it's good to know that someone as dedicated to their cause as Hoffman can still inspire younger, less focused individuals through literature and film.

Inspiring, Discouraging, Human
Not a history of the 60's or anything else--a story about an unforgettable person. And the story unfolds showing us a very human Abbie Hoffman. This movie depicts Hoffman's experience of many, many events, each of which deserved a movie of their own. Many Hoffman's confront us through the screen: Hoffman the Fool, Hoffman the Revolutionary, Hoffman the Fugitive, Hoffman the want-to-be father, and Hoffman the Bipolar.

We see the story through a series of recollections by Hoffman's friends and family, through the eyes of a journalist. "Is Hoffman paranoid," he wonders as the movie begins--a question that never quite gets answered, even though the United States Government _was_ out to get him.

In this biography, we also see an ugly dissection of governmental policies. We see oppression, suppression of dissent, blatant violation of rights, and the resilience of that oppressive system. Although many of the things Hoffman fought for were achieved, we still read of protesters beaten and gassed in Seattle and Los Angeles. The police still assault those who protest for non-mainstream causes. The System has not changed, only the faces of the activists. Although we're not drafting our boys and sending them to die in tropical jungles, we're helping third world governments to defoliate their forests in a "War on Drugs" that regularly claims innocent lives, both at home and abroad.

After the farce of the 2000 elections, what would Abbie have done? He'd be there at each Bush appearance, playing the fool, pranking this pretender to the White House! Where is he now that we _really_ need him? Where is his successor?

(If you'd like to dialogue about this movie or this review, click on the "about me" link above & drop me an email. Thanks!) ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Shattered Spirits
This film depicts substance abuse, domestic violence, co-dependancy in the family. Very powerful, very accurate.

Tough Love, straight up!
"Shattered Spirits" is the best movie I've ever seen in a High School Health Class.

Martin Sheen stars as an alcholic father, while M.I.F. Hall-of-Famer Melinda Dillon desperately tries to hold the family together in the wake of dad's inebriated rampages.

The film is pretty good (if vaguely TV-movie-ish), particularly when Martin Sheen tells his son that he's going into a bar to meet a buddy, and comes out six hours later! Was the "buddy" named Jack Daniels?

However, I did resent watching the movie a bit--I sat next to the class cutie, and we'd struck up a nice little in-class friendship. So for three days, the lights were off and we weren't allowed to talk. Thanks a lot!

Even so, it definitely opened up an important discussion about alcoholism. I have a weakness for Newcastle Brown Ale, but I try to remember the lesson in moderation that Martin Sheen taught me.

This will sneak up on you!
This film was first shown on TV at the boomtime of recovery when Betty Ford was pushing for recovery for families affected by addiction. The story portrays a middleclass family hiding dad's (Sheen's) alcoholism and sliding down the slope of denial. The reactions of the family to crises and the roles they each fall into are so accurately done that the viewer can get way into his/her own alcoholic upbringing and pain before they are aware of it.
I have shown this at several gatherings and it never fails to shake some people up seriously. Kids are especially vulnerable in their teen years. But entire families can get very agitated during the viewing.
So I would recommend that anyone showing or viewing this film be prepared to deal with some extreme reactioons for several days afterwards. Don't just show this and send your guests home. Instead have a discussion and a followup trip to a meeting of Alateen, Al-Anon or AA.
BUT SHOW IT!

Shattered Spirits
This was an excellent movie. The acting was superb & the Directing was great! I hope that it helped many people to see & understand what ANY addictive behavior can do to everyone; families, friends, & themselves. Just a footnote--I hope people enjoyed seeing my cat in this movie as it was filmed just across the street from our home in Simi Valley. :) Also, I would love to have an AFFORDABLE copy of this great film. Thank You :o)

Very Accurate and cathartic for Alcoholic Families
The story is full of those disturbing yet common events which plague families struggling with Alcoholism. The folks who consulted on this film (Claudia Black for one - Authoer of some of the best recovery books for kids) did a great job of keeping the alcoholic insanity just high enough to really affect anyone who grew up with an alcoholic parent. The scenes are well constructed and the outcome is not sugar coated. ONE WARNING...don't just show this to a group or a friend or a bunch of kids thinking they'll like it. There will need to be some help and comfort offered. Some people will discover their own alcoholic and/or abusive past for the first time During the showing. Find out where there are Al-Anon, Alateen, and AA meetings BEFORE you show the film. But SHOW IT! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Shattered Spirits
This film depicts substance abuse, domestic violence, co-dependancy in the family. Very powerful, very accurate.

Tough Love, straight up!
"Shattered Spirits" is the best movie I've ever seen in a High School Health Class.

Martin Sheen stars as an alcholic father, while M.I.F. Hall-of-Famer Melinda Dillon desperately tries to hold the family together in the wake of dad's inebriated rampages.

The film is pretty good (if vaguely TV-movie-ish), particularly when Martin Sheen tells his son that he's going into a bar to meet a buddy, and comes out six hours later! Was the "buddy" named Jack Daniels?

However, I did resent watching the movie a bit--I sat next to the class cutie, and we'd struck up a nice little in-class friendship. So for three days, the lights were off and we weren't allowed to talk. Thanks a lot!

Even so, it definitely opened up an important discussion about alcoholism. I have a weakness for Newcastle Brown Ale, but I try to remember the lesson in moderation that Martin Sheen taught me.

This will sneak up on you!
This film was first shown on TV at the boomtime of recovery when Betty Ford was pushing for recovery for families affected by addiction. The story portrays a middleclass family hiding dad's (Sheen's) alcoholism and sliding down the slope of denial. The reactions of the family to crises and the roles they each fall into are so accurately done that the viewer can get way into his/her own alcoholic upbringing and pain before they are aware of it.
I have shown this at several gatherings and it never fails to shake some people up seriously. Kids are especially vulnerable in their teen years. But entire families can get very agitated during the viewing.
So I would recommend that anyone showing or viewing this film be prepared to deal with some extreme reactioons for several days afterwards. Don't just show this and send your guests home. Instead have a discussion and a followup trip to a meeting of Alateen, Al-Anon or AA.
BUT SHOW IT!

Shattered Spirits
This was an excellent movie. The acting was superb & the Directing was great! I hope that it helped many people to see & understand what ANY addictive behavior can do to everyone; families, friends, & themselves. Just a footnote--I hope people enjoyed seeing my cat in this movie as it was filmed just across the street from our home in Simi Valley. :) Also, I would love to have an AFFORDABLE copy of this great film. Thank You :o)

Very Accurate and cathartic for Alcoholic Families
The story is full of those disturbing yet common events which plague families struggling with Alcoholism. The folks who consulted on this film (Claudia Black for one - Authoer of some of the best recovery books for kids) did a great job of keeping the alcoholic insanity just high enough to really affect anyone who grew up with an alcoholic parent. The scenes are well constructed and the outcome is not sugar coated. ONE WARNING...don't just show this to a group or a friend or a bunch of kids thinking they'll like it. There will need to be some help and comfort offered. Some people will discover their own alcoholic and/or abusive past for the first time During the showing. Find out where there are Al-Anon, Alateen, and AA meetings BEFORE you show the film. But SHOW IT! ... Read more