Amazon.com

One of the major breakout stars to come out of the first years ofSaturday Night Live was not one of the original Not Ready for Prime TimePlayers, but was instead born from a bit of clay and the creative mind of WalterWilliams.

The 18 shorts that comprise The Best of Saturday Night Live: The Mr. BillCollection exemplify the humor and outrageousness that we have come toexpect from Mr. Bill, Spot, Mr. Hands, and of course, Sluggo. The plots, andbudget, may have been simple and at some times poorly executed, but they remaina catalyst of laughter and bring back memories of staying up late just to seewhat troubles would cause Bill to utter his famous phrase: "Ohh, nooo!!!" We aretreated to classic Mr. Bill exploits, such as "Mr. Bill's Christmas Special,""Mr. Bill Goes to New York," and the inappropriately named "Mr. Bill StrikesBack," as well as a bonus "Public Service Announcement" relating to highwayeducation.

Although the quality of the film is not always the best, the humor remainsintact. In 50 minutes, The Best of Saturday Night Live: The Mr. BillCollection illustrates how he was one of the show's brightest stars, all thewhile keeping his unkempt, independent charm. --Zachary Lively ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Not as fun as when I was ten
I think if they had included the studio audience laugh track, it would be more fun to watch (kind of creepy without it). The later shorts do include the laugh track, which must have come from the SNL broadcasts.

so what
can't rewind a one minute film? Who cares? You DVD nerds are the worst.
The menu is cute.

Classic hilarity, abominable DVD
The "Mr. Bill" short films are as bizarrely endearing as ever, but the DVD is a disaster. (Note that all the earlier reviews are for the VHS tape.)

Here's the rub: ***ALL*** scanning and skipping functions are disabled throughout the entire disc! Want to go to the next film? Don't press the skip button; it won't work. You have to go back to the tedious menu and arrow your way slowly to the episode you want. Want to back up or fast forward a little in the film you're watching? Sorry, but there's no way AT ALL to do that.

This disc is a cruel joke and should be withdrawn. It cannot be recommended at all as issued, though I found it impossible to give poor Mr. Bill only one star....

Classic and hilarious
You may feel bad laughing at the sufferings of the benevolent, upbeat Mr. Bill, but you can't help it. This is as funny as anything ever seen on SNL. Although the video is less than an hour long, it packs more laughs than some of the best comedy movies. I highly, highly recommend this.

If you like Mr. Bill (or the Pizza Head commercials) get it!
This Mr. Bill video is very funny I believe. And what makes it so great, of course, is how "cheap" it's done. No one but Mr. Hands ever moves, and Mr. Bill just has to "stand" for anything Mr. Hands does to him, or anything Sluggo, a guy who hates Mr. Bill, tells Mr. Hands to do to him. Hilarious I believe! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

we come from france
I was fortunate enough to see this in the wrong order. Let me explain, i saw the movie first and then saw this. The movie was ok but when i saw this after it blew it away. It is very very funny. The ones w/ steve martin are the best. Suggested for a fan of the movie or snl remember, this was when the show was groundbreaking. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

It was funny!
1988 was a great year for SNL, and it really shows in this great collection! ... Read more

Amazon.com

In what may be the angriest portrait of Cuba ever made, director Leon Ichaso (Crossover Dreams) charts the journey of one young man from patriot to disillusioned dropout to angry rebel. Gustavo (RenéLavan) is an idealistic young Marxist scholar who dreams of attending the University of Prague. When he falls for an earthy dancer with a more pragmatic view of her homeland, who plans to escape to Florida, his ideals are systematically chipped away in the face of poverty, repression, corruption, and police brutality until it all becomes too much for him to bear. A far cry from the more romantic work of Tomás Guti&eacuterrez Alea (Strawberry and Chocolate), this film speaks volumes about a generation of exiles burning with anger and hate for Castro and his regime. It's also manipulative and heavy-handed, with Gustavo less a hero than a straw figure poised for a fall, and it's far less revealing than such self-critical Cuban features as Portrait of Teresa and Memories of Underdevelopment. But its vivid and passionate feelings of betrayal can hardly be dismissed. Ichaso shot portions of the film in Cuba and smuggled the footage out, but Santo Domingo doubles for Havana through the bulk of the feature. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (52)

Bitter Sugar is Excellent!
This movie is excellent to watch and is based on a true account that happened in Cuba a few years ago. It really sheds light on how awful, oppressive, and manipulative the Cuban government is, and also you can also see the underground struggle for personal freedom and democracy that many of the Cuban people share but can't outwardly express. This movie is a very powerful film.

Brilliant Film and Hanuntigly Devastating
This is an incredible film that was made on a very small budget. I believe some if not all the actors worked for free. If you are from Cuba you know how realistically real and scary this movie is. Leon Ichaso, the film's director hit the nail on the head on this movie because everything in it is exactly how it is and is all true. I left Cuba when I was four but I have since gone back to visit a few relatives that I have there and I can tell you that it is devastating to walk thru the streets and see all the filth,hunger and desperation of its people. This film hit me too close to home and I was moved to tears when I first saw it. To this day everytime I watch it I can't help the tears from rolling down my face. I'm glad that this brilliant movie has been made available on DVD so that more people can see it and take a closer look at the way desperate people live in a country that was once beautiful now torn apart by the harsh and cruel not to mention unhumane regime of Fidel Castro. The film was shot in black and white which makes it all the more real since it would be foolish to do a movie that takes place in Cuba in color since there isn't any. All of the actors did an excellent job with their roles. I wish this film would've of reached a bigger audience when release in 1996 but since it was a low budget film it was only seen by most people living in Miami where the majority of its population is cuban. If you care about what really goen on Cuba today and the struggles that the people over there go thru to break free from under its fascist regime you should see it. I have it in my movie collection and is one of my favorites but I can't watch it too often because it hurts too much. Overall is an excellent movie, I was dissapointed that it was not even considered for an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign film. This movie deserved not only the Oscar but praise and recognition worldwide.

Great movie
I though the movie was stimulating. I creamed in my pants a couple times.

A fifth star for having the guts to make this movie.
Made in beautiful black and white plus an infinite range of greys, this is a "Romeo and Juliet" in modern world story with Capuletos and Montescos being the People vs Big Brother Castro.

It's not Casablanca but it could be a classic if the academia one day took off their mask and recognized its quality.

As for the reviewer below, this is not propaganda from Miami. This is about people who want to be free and people -like you- who want others to be slaves. And listen up: there is no blockade, millions of sex-searching tourists with no conscience seek the island every year leaving their money at hotels where Cubans are not allowed to enter and the tips to the prostitutes.
Cuba is a slave country, you are in your right to like it, but at least admit it.

When you have nothing, why not do nothing together?
This visually stunning, slap-in-your-face film is ultimately painful to watch. You have to admire revolutionaires that for nationalism & personal conviction are willing to put up with so little so much of the time. Watching those young people applauding at the outdoor Castro speech rallies makes you wonder what other options they had. They either wanted to be there & feed their anti-Yankee imperialism beliefs or felt that they would be questioned for staying away. Or perhaps there was nothing better or more interesting to do than attend that outdoor group experience. When you have nothing, why not do nothing together & show solidarity en-masse.

The fresh music & performances heard in the movie, esp. the afro cuban (more afro than cuban, interestingly enough) is a delight to hear and enjoy the proto-African flavored dances that both black & white execute in this film.

When my uncle was last permitted to vacation in Miami--before Clinton made it difficult for the frequent immigration & visits of Cuban nationals--he was often questioned as to why he kept returning to Cuba after his yearly visits to Miami. He was well read in Marxist authors & it showed when he spoke. His Miami relatives questioned him as to why if things were so scare as he claimed they were, though not so scarce that he would repeatedly return to Cuba visit after visit during the 90s, why didn't the remaining Cubans with nary a roast chicken to eat even on Sunday, not rise up & rectify things. His reponse was: we don't rise up because all the brave & decisive Cubans have left & migrated to the USA or other ports of haven.

Or maybe the brave Cubans are still in Cuba holding onto what little remains of a native Cuban culture & identity there still is instead of wanting the wild abandon & comfort & endless summer after a hard day at the offices or local Walmarts of Miami, USA. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

John goodman, one of the first members of the Five time club
There is a reason John Goodman keeps getting invited back to host SNL... that reason is he is hillarious! I got this video and can tell you I have watched it many times and still to this day get lots of laughs out of it! I only hope they do a more recent video soon with some up to date John Goodman hosting on it! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Michael Jordan is The Ultimate Man.
This video is ultimate. Ultimate in the fact that it's ultimate comedy, and ultimate in the fact that it features The Ultimate Man, Michael Jordan. So put two and two together--or in this case, put ultimate and ultimate together, and what do you get? The answer's very simple--ultimate. Order this video now. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Blues Brothers, Gidget Goes to Shock Therapy and More!
Loved the video, two episodes of "The Best of SNL" combined on one tape ... Read more

Amazon.com

Roger Ebert tagged Sugar Hill as one of the best of 1994. Leon Ichaso's film is not an action flick; no, this stylish drama wants to be a small gangster epic. Call it Roemello's Way: a thoughtful drug lord (Wesley Snipes) wants to get out of his business but takes forever to do so. A Shakespearean tragedy slowly--far too slowly--evolves. While it has a definite street-smart sense, no new ground is covered. Snipes is worth watching, though, and Clarence Williams III (seen far too seldom on screen) is terrific as his doomed father. --Doug Thomas ... Read more

Reviews (8)

great acting!
Athough I have viewed this movie a couple of times on tv, when
I watched it on DVD it seemed like a whole different movie. The
background music was fantastic (horns, sax, etc.). All actors
portrayed their roles quiet well.

Could've Been Better, But Still Great
From Covenant Avenue to St. Nick-Harlem, once
the mecca that African-Americans lived, breathed and
thrived in, has become a pocket of infestation, a neigh-
borhood in hell, a timeshare in Vietnam. There's a war,
children, a war of values, of ethics, of lives, of genera-
tions and, ultimately, the spoils are simply blood, mate-
rial goods and empty futures. Wesley Snipes stars in the
new film Sugar Hill, which follows Roemello, a mid-
level drug kingpin, through the course of what seems to
be a week. Roemello is tired, but why he is exhausted is
never made clear. The film, directed by Leon Ichaso,
takes an unflinching look at both yesterday's addicts
(Roemello's parents) and today's (Roemello's brother
and partner Ray N athan) .The central theme is whether
or not Roemello will choose the true love of his girl-
friend Melissa, played with a defiant presence of char-
acter by Theresa Randle, or his surrogate father Gus,
mafia lord, supplier and the man who attempted to kill
Roemello's now-decrepit father. A battle over territory
ensues between Roemello and a competitor brought in
by Gus.
Roemello's father, played by Clarence Williams III
(who will be overlooked for an Oscar due the film's
release date), dealt drugs, supplied his wife's habit
(which leads to her death) , and lives in a walking death
of memories, regrets and heroin when the film opens.
Ray Nathan, played by Michael Wright, is the clingy,
needy older brother who relies on his Georgetown-
educated brother to balance his street insanity with
calculation and diplomacy. We then begin to see that all
Roemello is, all he has trusted, has abandoned him. Seen
this way we can finally understand why he's looking to
distance himself from his past. But the past is a curious,
vengeful, entangling animal tha t stalks all of Roemello' s
attempts to leave behind a vicious life for...? Well,
Roemello is never quite clear about where he'll go.
Sugar Hill is not one film, but several, and not one
story, but a legion of tales that fold into one another and
entangle tentacles of power, greed, lust, loyalty and
even family values. Two criticisms of this film are, one,
Roemello's character is made peripheral to the business
he actually controls. In a sense, we only see his hands
dirtied twice by murder. One is understandable, though
unjust, while the second is both unjust and inevitable.
Roemello, for all that his character embodies as an anti-
hero, becomes heroic as a drug dealer. His sense of
honor, supposedly gained through experience, makes
his moral caliber above those he deals with, and this is
where the film falters. How can the audience relate to
a good man who commits such a vile act as the extermi-
nation of his own people, his own father through
providing drugs? Is this a good man? Secondly, the film
also falters in that we, the audience, see the shadowed
results of murders-some not even shown. The audi-
ence can't visually connect to the crimes of the film
actually being committed by those we're supposed to
feel something for. In fact, a split occurs between the
good-bad guys and the bad-bad guys. Too many loop-
holes of justification and reverse condemnation perme-
ate the film. Are we, as an audience, so often spoon-fed
pabulum entertainment that we can't handle a mature
film where the characters redeem themselves not into
angels, but at least into something better than what
they were before? Do we need the hero going off into
the sunset so badly that we're willing to justify murder,
drug dealing and racial supplication just to feel good?
Make no mistake, Sugar Hill, even with it's intermit-
tently hard-soft hitting, is a film that needs to be seen, that
needs to beunderstood, and whose complexity and shades
of grey needs to be revealed and delved into. I highly
recommend it and feel strongly about the film, but I do
resent the soft-shoeing around the total impact that could
have been made. It's rated R, we're all adults, so let's live
in reality.

A cross between The Godfather and Jason's Lyric
I really liked Sugar Hill. If you've seen The Godfather series and Jason's Lyric, you'll be quick to recognize similarities. (I do realize Jason's Lyric came out after this movie.)

It's a story of two brothers being pushed into the drug/crime world by fate. One of them wants to leave the world behind, and the other doesn't want to let him go... and they've got to watch out for everyone on the street..

Definitely worth watching if you haven't seen it yet!

SONS OF THE FATHER
OK, OK so it's a story that has been told many times before --- good kid becomes a bad guy due to circumstances beyond his control but who, when he regains control as a successful adult, wants to become a good guy again.

But must inherit the wind.

So what? Just as an opera changes according to the players and a symphony is different every time it's played this is a story that is poignant despite its retelling --- especially if it is well mounted. And this one is.

Wesley Snipes is excellent as the drug-dealing son trying to throw off his past and his present in a troubling search that goes back to the future; Michael Wright provides a quirky performance as the older brother who suspects that he lives only as a reflection of his younger, stronger, smarter sibling.

Both perform a shadow play in the flickering light cast by their drug-addicted father, Clarence Williams III. Williams turns in an astonishing performance that, by itself, makes watching the movie worthwhile.

A controlled but authentic performance by mob boss Abe Vigoda is the grimy pallet upon which this tragedy is played out.

At a seminal point in the movie Snipes kills a man after telling him "I'm not like my brother." Yet he is --- but he is not. This ambiguity gives depth and dimension to a fairly pedestrian story line --- and sets the movie apart from the genre.

Superb direction by Leon Ichaso (Crossover Dreams, Bitter Sugar), an arresting ensemble cast, and a melancholy score makes this one of the best-overlooked movies of the early 90's.

The Critics Are Partly Wrong.
After reading how the critics panned this movie I wonder if they watched it. The movie has a very dark yet thoughtful feel to it. If we understand that critics rarely have talent as actors or screenwriters we can see how this nice movie could be so underrated by them. Wesley Snipes plays his role with a warm compassion for those around him. Michael Wright does overact quite a bit but he probably had a few years to go to become a good actor. Clarence Williams III was superb as the father. Theresa Randle is very good as the girlfriend. I almost fell in love with her myself. She seemed like the perfect woman. The rest of the movie is straight gangster done by a black cast except for Abe Vigoda who played his part excellently.

The opening scene and the scene about the mother and father is very good and sets up the whole movie. Especially the scene with the father and the thugs on the roof, which is fantastic. We understand so much about Roem's motives from that scene that we appreciate his later life and his rage toward the things which affect him later.

I usually don't like movies which are from the nineties but this one stands out. It is worth watching. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

1985 was one of the best season's ever for S.N.L. !
I have no idea why Lorne Michaels decided to dismiss every cast member from this season except Dennis Miller and Jon Lovits. Maybe the ratings weren't what was to be expected or maybe he missed the raw talent that made the show (Saturday Night Live) what it is. Still, Damon Wayans, Lovits, and Miller are all naturals and all made their debuts on this season of SNL. Pros such as Randy Quaid, Anthony Michael Hall, Robert Downey Jr., and Joan Cusack are all remarkable and prove that comedy is where they belong. Ron Reagan Jr. and Tom Hanks star in incredibly well done parodies on Back to the Future and Jerry Seinfeld, and one of the greatest monologues in the history of the show is delivered by the great Peewee Herman on this outstanding best of 1985 tape. Don't miss out!

great stuff
When I watch this video, I get flashbacks of my life during that time. The tape features Tom Hanks when he was just another actor in silly movies, PeeWee Herman, Penn and Teller, and the president's son (no, not Dubya!).
Cameos of audience members, a "Back to the Future" spoof, a yuppie-slamming commercial parody, a Hall and Oates impersonation, etc., all show that 1985 was (and is) the most totally "eighties" year.

My only complaint is that Sam Kinnison made numerous appearences on SNL during this season, but none of those were included on this tape. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

what a show!!!
This was the best show to ever hit tv. It had the best producers and writers. Miami Vice is a legend. It cann't be said enough about Don Johnson and Phillp Michael Thomas as they teamed up to make this amazing tv series. To bad it only runned for few years.It could of been a big hit in the big screen. Thanks for the memory for everyone that was part of Miami Vice.

Sex & The City----male version
As pure action adventure, this suffers somewhat---it's WAY too slow compared with some other VICE episodes.... But its fun is not there---this is basically the teststrone version of the current hit cable show, SEX AND THE CITY, where a bunch of women have sexual/romantic adventures in the Big Apple every week. Here, it's vice cops Sonny Crockett and Ricardo Tubbs, traveling out of sunny South Florida to catch a NYC-based drug cartel, but, along the way finding themselves trying to score---Tubbs with his old flame, played by Pam Grier (long before Quentin Tarantino utiliezed her talents), who's undercover---quite literaly---with a Manhattan gangster; and Crockett, who does it with a mystery woman who gave him the eye in a bar. Oh, yeah, there are the obligitory gunfights, including one set in the plaza of the World Trade Center....

Miami Vice-AWESOME
I just recently purchased this Miami Vice-Prodigal Son Video. It was AWESOME AND INCREDIBLE Experience that I relived. I am remmbering how wonderful, suspenseful and highly charged series this was. I was captivated all over again. This was the 80's but a good series is timeless not matter how old it is. Good Directing, Acting and good plot series this was. No Cop or Suspenseful Drama show can even compare to the Miami Vice Series even today. I was a fan in the 80's in still will always be a Fan. I wish there were more videos regarding this series. Please go get the Video you will enjoy not only the music but the plots the twist the action and drama will keep you in suspense. I Love MIAMI VICE- The Series/The Movies. PLEASE whomever has the ability to GET the entire series in Video/DVD please do. You will be truly blessing a loyal group of fans and also gain new fans. It you want my opinion BUY THE VIDEOS and MUSIC. ENJOY THE EXPERIENCE!!

The Start Of The 2nd Season
A nice, effective start of the 2nd season of Vice, and the action picks up where the 1st season had ended. This episode goes back a little to show us some of where Tubbs had been in before he came down to Miami. Crockett proves he can handle The Big Apple. Look for KISS singer Gene Simmons in a small part of a drug dealer who directs Sonny and Rico to head to NYC.

Columbian drug busts are "sniffed out " by Sonny and Rico
Miami Vice :The Prodigal Son. 1985 ,94 mins Dir, Paul Michael Glaser, Starr, Don Johnson, Phillip Michael Thomas, Saundra Santiago and Edward James Olmos. Score by Jan Hammer . One year TV holdback Extract courtesy of the VHS copy. Crockett and Tubbs (Miami Cops ) are assigned to a mission in Bogota , Colombia; a third world country whose exports are illegal, and where a 2 billion dollar industry is run by a couple of crazed indians. However, when it is discovered that the contraband from their carefully planned ambush has mysteriously failed to arrive at the police lock up . Crockett and Tubbs find themselves in the high-tech world of New York City. Definitely good action packed fun. It is not surprising however that this full lenghth feature film was held back for TV release . The plot is regretably drawn-out and forgotten in the endless soap styled romances between Sonny and Rico's chick flings. The score and cinematography are the highpoints.I especially found the ambient lighting effective for a show such as Miami Vice and all credit goes to Director of Photography James A. Contner. The well chosen sountrack features the likes of Ex- Eagle Glen Frey , Roxy Music, Bob Seeger and The Silverbulletband, Phil Collins and Virtuoso Jan Hammer who is famous for his work with Stanley Clarke, Al Di Meola and Jeff Beck Ex- Yardbird ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Please rethink the format for the DVD release!
This is a fun blues video to watch. Buddy Guy is playing well and the selection of material is good. A purist may be disappointed that the backup band is led by G.E. Smith of SNL, but he and his band do an enthusiastic and excellent job.

The only complaint that I have about this VHS tape is that it is another example of the twisted production values that are often brought to these "authentic blues hero concert tapes". Nearly every time Buddy Guy gets deep into a solo, the director/editor decides to cut away to an interview segment. I like the interview segments, but I am not so shallow that I wouldn't watch them if they appeared at the end of the concert, or even between songs. Come on! Most people who buy this VHS tape probably play the guitar and want to watch Buddy's fingers during each and every solo.

I do hope they release this concert on DVD some day, and that if they do, they rethink the format. The interviews would make for a nice additional menu choice.

The good news is that the concert was also released on a CD without the songs being chopped up this way. So buy both of them and you can really dig how great Buddy Guy can be in concert and was for this particular gig.

A LITTLE BLUES HISTORY
Buddy Guy plays very good on this video, as well the Saturday Night Live Band. What stands out in this film is the footage of the old Chicago Blues Clubs that have been closed down and their present day look. Buddy gives informative background on the old days, his perspective on the Blues and the role he's had. Playing in a small club you get limited camera angles, so I saw better footage of Buddy Guy at the Muddy Waters tribute on PBS. It's still worth the purchase though because he's playing more straight Blues, keeping the "Hendrix Style" to a minimum.

Buddy is the REAL DEAL
I have been to Buddy Guy's Legends nightclub in Chicago and this video captures Buddy at his best jammin with GE Smith and the SNL band in Legend's itself...excellent direction with interviews with Buddy telling about the early days of the Chicago Blues scene...sound is excellent and I truly enjoyed watching Buddy and GE trade blues guitars licks...a must see video...

(Could've) been AWESOME...
Isn't Mr Guy receiving more than his fair share of attention these days ? This is a fine sample of what a young director can do with a copy of Adobe Premiere and a good PC ! Don't get me wrong, the music is TERRIFIC, sound is above average (it's recorded live at Legends, Guy's Club), the band is first class... Picture quality is OK, I guess, with 3-4 cameras buzzing around the place (a lot of angles, good thing) and a mediocre sepia-toning thing over the whole video, except -here comes! - the TERRIBLE cutscenes where your good frined Buddy Guy gets all-down-home-homey and warm, and starts telling stories of the past, his first cigar-box-guitar, the first time he met the blues, and, guess what ? ALL CUTSCENES are over solos! First song, first solo, Buddy breaks a string, everybody's laughing, oops.. a cutscene, solo in the back, picture comes back to the club after solo ends ! Poor editing? Buddy's tendency for overexposure ? Buy this tape for the music, and JUST LISTEN to it, no need to watch it (that is, if you're not fed up with his Royal Bluesness already)

Buddy Guy is without a doubt the real deal!
Buddy Guy is without a doubt one of the greatest guitar players in the world. This film, which showcases Guy live at his world famous "Legends" takes us on a musical journey. It not only shows us the immensly talented Guy playing with G.E. Smith and the Saturday Night Live band but it also features interview clips in which Guy recalls his early days, his influences as well as his brushes with other bluesmen as Muddy Waters. This film is brilliantly directed and filmed. The most important thing, however, is the music. It does not get any better with fiery blues riffs, solos, his charismatic stage presence and of course the trademark passionate voice of Buddy Guy, and live. A wonderful musical journey with one of the most talented and creative guitar players of our time. Buddy Guy is the epitome of blues greats and he is without a doubt the real deal. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Crime Story
While I am a transplant to Chicaga (the way the locals say it) the 'real' feel of the locations seep into this video. The main characters of Ray Luca and Mike Torello join in a pas de deux of crime and justice. Luca is amoral, staying strictly focused on making money as easily as possible, while Torello is so squarely on the line between good and evil that when he walks, one foot lands on the good side and the other foot lands on the side of evil. It is this conflict that generates and develops the characters. Michael Mann has succeeded in adapting Film Noire to Color. The pilot is a great lead in to the rest of the series, and was years ahead of the quality storylines of the Sopranos. The only way it could be better was if the rest of the series was also on DVD.

The Untouchables on acid
Before he directed some of my favorite films (Heat, The Insider, Manhunter), Michael Mann created two groundbreaking television series. Miami Vice got most of the viewers but its Crime Story that was truly ahead of its time. Crime Story dealt with Lt. Torello (played by Dennis Farina with a grimness that always allowed a sly wit to shine through) who fought organized crime on the streets of Chicago in the 1950's. His main nemesis is aspiring mobster Luca, himself a fascinating portrait of evil who somehow always managed to be somehow sympathetic in his raw need to be a true crime lord. Even while playing hommage to the crime shows of the past (I always thought of it as the Untouchables if Eliot Ness ended up having a nervous breakdown halfway through the series), Crime Story redefined the genre. It went over the head of most viewers but now, after films like Pulp Fiction changed the way we view entertainment, Crime Story has been rediscovered and its about time. Even as the show's talented cast of character actors dispensed the melodrama with a sly wink at the few members of the audience lucky enough to be in on the joke, the violence was often amazingly intense but never played for cheap thrills. As well, Crime Story had a simply amazing soundtrack. In fact, I first started watching it mostly to hear the wonderful rendition of Del Shannon's "Runaway" over the opening credits but each show was scored with some of the best blues I've ever heard and it created a moody atmosphere that, quite simply, sucked you in. If you're a fan of the crime genre but haven't seen Crime Story, do yourself a favor and track it down. This pilot film is a great place to start on what, I promise, will be one of the most entertaining rides of your life.

Crime Story,Julia Roberts
Hallo, I am a German boy. I am a very big Fan from Julia Roberts. She played in an Episode in "Crime Story"(1986). I want to get a tape of this Episode. I will pay well. Can anyone help me??? I think "Crime Story" is a great serie.My E-mail:s.gieseud.hartung@t-online.de

Crime Story fan
Absolutely the best crime show ever. I watched the series in highschool and regret not taping it at the time. I've also been searching for a copy of Runaway (the show's theme song - not Del's original version). Can anyone help?

The original CASINO, without Hollywood fluff..
..was Crime Story..I have all of these episodes taped from when they were originally broadcasted in the 1980's. The 'true to life' plots and storylines using an actual former Chicago Cop (Farina) and even criminals as actors in this series gave the episodes the *blood* they needed to succeed. Even though Mann was rough on his actors (I knew a few people who were extras in the series) he had to be to bring forth a real life series that had some scripts tailor-made and ghost-written from actual events and real figures in LCN(with poetic license and switching decades, of course) during the 1970's and 1980's. "Torello" and "Luca" are unforgettable as rivals. Sidekick "Paulie Taglia" will make you roar with laughter. Crime Story paved the way for CASINO, which later told you who they really were. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Chevy Chase's famous fall and trips over things on SNL!
My favorite part of every classic beginning on Saturday Night Live television history during the seventies is when he falls down or trips over things that were waiting to happen for Chevy himself. As he says in every opening credits to this show was "LIVE FROM NEW YORK IT'S SATURDAY NIGHT! And don't forget his zany antic on weekend update as he was the news anchor person. ... Read more

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Few topics have provided such ample fodder for Saturday Night Live as the Bill Clinton-Monica Lewinsky scandal. And while cast member Darrell Hammond has embodied many characters on the long-running television show (including Trent Lott, Ted Koppel, Phil Donahue, Sean Connery, John Travolta, and Jay Leno), he is best known for his dead-on impersonation of President Clinton, so much so that he appeared with the president at the Radio-Television Correspondents Dinner in 1997.

This collection of SNL skits, hosted by Hammond, contains nothing but parodies of the low moments of the Clinton scandal. The uneven quality of the skits is disappointing given the richness of the material; however, there are enough bright moments to make the video worth the watch. A series of mock Gap ads starring Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, and Ken Starr are hysterical, as are some of the quite short gags in which the laughs last longer than the skits. Sadly, not enough clips feature John Goodman as Linda Tripp, although we get a taste for the character in "Oprah 2001" and in a montage of some of Tripp's best lines. Some of the skits are downright juvenile, as when a gaggle of female journalists turn a news discussion into a pajama-clad slumber party gabfest. Yet watching Lewinsky (Molly Shannon) guided by her P.R. rep (David Slade) interview talk-show hosts for her exclusive interview is comedy at its best. Overall this collection will please political pundits and fans of SNL. --Jenny Brown ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Boy, all of history should be this funny!
Darrell Hammond's "Bill Clinton" and John Goodman's "Linda Tripp" have to stand as two of the funniest comic performances even done on the long-running television show.

They bring tears to my eyes and probably do the same for the pair parodied.

It was alright.
It was alright, but I wanted to see more of the skits with
Tripp in them. They cut a lot of them out of this, but it
was fun to watch anyway.

Great!
This is one great "best of." Every skit is so funny. I think if you love political humor, you'll love this one. It's worth viewing.

Funny, well worth a viewing
The Best of the Clinton scandal is a very funny collection of skits overall. This is mainly due to the fact that Darrell Hammond simply has a field day playing the President, getting the looks, mannerisms, pathetic attempts at apology; all down to perfection. As he mentions at the offset, he couldn't have asked for more prime material to work with. Some of the highlights include a series of T.V. personalities attempting to land Monica's tell all interview, including Barbara Walters, Howard Stern, Larry Flynt, Phil Donahue, Oprah(done very well by Tim Meaodows), and others. There are also scenes with John Goodman as Linda Tripp; a role that he was perfect for as well. There's even a Ladie's Man skit, where he does a demonstration of how he would have seduced Monica if he were in the President's shoes. The best thing about this tape is that for the most part it sticks to the topic. The last SNL video 'Game Show Parodies' was so all over the place that I was thinking this one may have had the same problem, but it didn't. A good one for the collection.

Saturday Night Live - The Best of the Clinton Scandal
Another great "best of" video. This one is great, a good reminder of all that happened on the show during that time. A must have to complete your collection. ... Read more