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This rousing musical, based on the stories of Shalom Aleichem, takes place in pre-revolutionary Russia and centers on the life of Tevye (Topol), a milkman who is trying to keep his family's traditions in place while marrying off his three older daughters. Yet, times are changing and the daughters want to make their own matches, breaking free of many of the constricting customs required of them by Judaism. In the background of these events, Russia is on the brink of revolution and Jews are feeling increasingly unwelcome in their villages. Tevye--who expresses his desire for sameness in the opening number, "Tradition"--is trying to keep everyone, and everything, together. The movie is strongly allegorical--Tevye represents the common man--but it does it dexterously, and the resulting film is a stunning work of art. The music is excellent (it won Oscars for the scoring and the sound), with plenty of familiar songs such as "Sunrise, Sunset" and "If I Were a Rich Man," which you'll be humming long after the movie is over. Isaac Stern's violin--he provides the music for the fiddler on the roof--is hauntingly beautiful. And despite the serious subject matter, the film is quite comedic in parts; it also well deserves the Oscar it won for cinematography. --Jenny Brown ... Read more

Reviews (90)

The best contextual musical ever
Norman Jewison's "Fiddler On the Roof" is the story of a poor milkman living in tsarist Russia, which in the outskirts of Russia. This is one of the most original musicals, based on the stories of Sholom Aleichem. Played by Chaim Topol and Norma Crane as Tevye and Golde, the acting of this role of parents of five daughters in an orthodox Jewish family is done brilliantly. Tevye's misquotings of the bible is hilarious. The songs in the movie are outstanding and poignant. Starting from the beginning with "Tradition", with violinist Isaac Stern doing his magic, every song has its uniqueness.

Each of his three older daughters choose a different path. The first one refuses to marry the person chosen by the father as she in love with the tailer Motel. The way Tevye cons his wife into agreeing for this wedding is one of the funniest pieces of the movie. The characters chosen are unique and beautifully portrayed. The song before this, "Matchmaker, matchmaker" is beautiful. The way Yente, the matchmaker looks at the youngest daughters as though they were caravans wares is extremely funny. The second daughter Tseitel chooses the revolutionary who is against the Tsar and wishes communism. The song in the bar "To life, Le Chaim" is unusual and shows the way the Jews and the Christians can get along in a limited manner. The third daughter chooses a gentile.

Though this is a musical, the acting, story and the character portrayal is deep. Songs range from comic like "If I were a rich man", to haunting, "Sunrise, sunset", to sad and lonely, "Little bird". Though being Jewish will help one understand this movie better, it is not a necessity. The screenplay is wonderful. The particular one that I like is when Avraham comes and tells that there are bad things going on in the world. Another person says, "Why should I break my head about the outside world, let the outside world break its own head". Here Tevye says, "He is right, if you spit in the air, it lands in your face." Then the revolutionary says, "Nonsense, you cannot be blind to what happens outside." Then Tevye says, "You know, he is also right." At this time Avraham points to the revolutionary and the other person and says, "He is right and he is right, they can't both be right." Now Tevye looks at Avraham and says, "You know, you are also right."

When the Jews are evicted, it is extremely sad. They console themselves saying that their village Anatevka was not exactly the garden of Eden. This song, "Anatevka", is sad and heartbreaking. They have so little but still love it. It reminds one that happiness is something of the inside and has nothing to do with material possessions. This movie is a classic and a timeless masterpiece. It might be difficult for some people to understand due to the history of Tsarist Russia and its pogroms and the context, otherwise, to date it is my favorite musical.

One of the greatest musicals of all time...
Fiddler on the Roof is a cinematic masterpiece. Originally a musical, this movie is an amazing adaptation that remains faithful to the original, while at the same time not making it seem "theatrical" to the point where it looks contrived. The characters are played perfectly with Topol (who plays Tevye, the poor village milkman) taking the highest honors.

Fiddler on the Roof is simply a timeless story, even if it finds itself placed in czarist Russia. The story revolves around Tevye, a poor Jew living in Russia and his struggle to stay true to his faith (and ideals) in a world that is rapidly changing. This film follows Tevye in his journey to meld his rich Jewish past with the modern world that surrounds him. His arguments with himself ("On the other hand,...") are priceless and allow us to relate with Tevye as he struggles with his heritage (the pogroms), his financial status ("If I Were a Rich Man") and his family (his daughters are entering marrying age).

Ths music is wonderful. The songs are poignant and easily remembered. I guarantee that you'll wind up singing/humming "Tradition" or "If I Were a Rich Man" days after watching the movie. The movie itself is humourous at times, and sorrowful the next and the storyline is deep, but is not a damning social commentary. The cinematics are also extraordinary, with the film being shot "on location" in Zagreb, Yugoslavia.

This is an ideal family movie, and I can remember watching (and loving) this movie at an early age. I'm glad I purchased this movie for my DVD collection, as it will become one of my most watched (and sung to) films. The box comes with only a single DVD, but is double-sided and contains additional footage, an additional song (cut at production) and a commentary on the movie itself.

Fiddler on the Roof
IT was absolutely amazing. Everything about it! The backround and effects were amaxing and it was a very touching story with absolutely wonderful actors and unforgetable songs. SPECTACULAR!

An excellent film, except for the cover art
I love this movie, but was highly dissaponted with the ugly cover art design. They should have stuck to the original poster art. Anyways, the music is great, and it is good to see such movies being restored on DVD.

The best of all musicals.
I agree with HeadbangerDuh in every sense. This is the best of musicals. While some other musicals amy be corny, boring, and downright dumb, Fiddler shows humor, interest, and is educational. Although part one is funnier, part two I feel is richer, and more full, not as goofy. This is probably the best film of the century. ... Read more

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Remember the outfit Cher wore to the Oscars when she won an Academy Award for her performance in this 1987 film? Ay-yi-yi. The actress' more retiring character in this infectious comedy leaps several psychological hurdles just giving her hair a permanent. But then the original screenplay by John Patrick Shanley (Joe Versus the Volcano) is a wonderful, gently satirical tale of an Italian-American family dealing with repression and dissatisfaction against a backdrop of cultural expectations. Cher is focused and funny as a widow who feels she should marry an older fellow (Danny Aiello), but then falls for his black-sheep brother (Nicolas Cage). Olympia Dukakis and Vincent Gardenia are perfect as her parents, and John Mahoney (of TV's Frasier) has a memorable, small role as a middle-aged man on the make who gets a lecture from Dukakis's character. Shanley's dialogue is comically stylized in a way that makes one appreciate how much words can inform an actor's performance. Taking its cues from him and director Norman Jewison (And Justice for All), the cast immerse themselves in a pool of hilariously operatic emotion. The special-edition DVD release has a full-screen presentation, Dolby sound, commentary by Cher, Jewison, and Shanley, theatrical trailer, closed captioning, booklet, optional French soundtrack, and optional subtitles in English, French, or Spanish. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (126)

One of the most endearing and enduring films from the 80s
It's impossible to feel anything but affection for this wonderful movie. Officially, I guess, it's a romantic comedy, but it also contains some serious drama; often it's very funny, but just as often it's genuinely touching. It features a great soundtrack, with music ranging from Italian folk tunes to selections from Puccini's La Boheme to pop songs like Dean Martin's "It's Amore" and Vikki Carr's "It Must Be Him" plus a lovely rendition of the '30s standard "Moonglow." In each case the music is perfectly and aptly used. Moonstruck, unlike most Hollywood films, shows us that there can be sexual energy, flirtatiousness, and above all romance between people who are well on the other side of 50: one of my favorite scenes is when Aunt Rita (Julie Bovasso) looks at her husband's face in the moonlight and tells him, "in that light, and with that expression on your face, you look like you're 25." Then there's the scene in which Rose (Olympia Dukakis), after insisting that her husband Cosmo (Vincent Gardenia) stop seeing his mistress, tells Cosmo that his life is "not built on nothing." "Te amo," she tells him. It's as moving as anything I've seen in any drama. Then there's the cast! I, for one, wish that Cher would abandon her career as a second-rate (albeit successful) pop music star and concentrate on her work as a first-rate actress. In every frame of this film, she's extraordinary and completely in character. Nicolas Cage has never been better. And every role is filled to capacity by esteemed, if not famous, New York and Chicago stage actors. Special mention must be made of Fiodor Chaliapin, who is given a great moment (howling at the moon with his dogs), and who fills it admirably. Moonstruck is certainly a "New York" movie, but it's set, spiritually as well as physically, mostly in Brooklyn, rather than Manhattan. Moonstruck is a wonderful film! I remember seeing many European "art" films during the 1980s, but if I were to compile a list of Top Ten Films from that decade, they'd take second place to this Norman Jewison masterpiece. This one's a keeper!

Romantic but not mushy, just perfect
I usually avoid romantic comedies, but I happen to like Cher; even then, when my mom rented this movie I thought: "Pooh, a romantic comedy! Do I have to go through this to see Cher?" Well, I was never more glad to have to eat my own words; this was quality. The acting was excellent, the plot was great, and my mom and I fell in love with Johnny, the dreamy, no-good baker portrayed by Nicholas Cage. Cher was also great in her role as Loretta, the repressed widow resigned to marry some mamma's boy without loving him. That part of Johnny and Loretta's night out, when they accidentally meet her father and his mistress at the opera was so good, I rewinded the tape and watched it again. And Loretta's mother dining with the stranger... well, those are the highlights, but on the whole it was a wonderful movie. If you're like me and don't like most romantic comedies, just give this one a try, you'll probably be pleasantly surprised.

Moonstruck (1987)
Ever since her incredible debut with Sonny Bono in 1965, Cher has been known to be one of the mos successful female musical acts known to the world. Cher has had a hugely successful career in music; she was well-known with Sonny, but it was her solo career that seemed more successful. But Cher wasn't about to be successful in just the music business; Cher wanted to be successful as an actress as well. Cher has starred in a wide load of movies, such as 'Chastity', where she played the title role, 'Silkwood', where she played Dolly Pelliker, 'Mask', where she played Florence 'Rusty' Dennis, 'Suspect', where she played Kathleen Riley, 'The Witches Of Eastwick', where she played Alexandra Medford, etc. But it was her role as Loretta Castorini in the romantic comedy, 'Moonstruck' that made her another one of today's best actresses.

Taking place in New York City in 1987, Cher playes Loretta Castorini, a lonely Italian widow, who is longing for her Prince Charming to sweep her up off her legs and get her out of her misery. Loretta goes to dinner with her best friend, Johnny Cammareri (played by Danny Aiello). Johnny surprisingly proposes to Loretta, and she happily accepts. Although Loretta likes Johnny a lot because he is her best friend, she knows for a fact that she does not love him. After dinner, Loretta drives Johnny to the airport, for he is flying to Sicilly to be by the side of his dying mother. Before he boards the plane, Johnny gives Loretta the number to his brother's place, and tells her to invite his brother to the wedding. The two lived their lives without seeing or speaking to each other for five years, due to an accident. Loretta assures Johnny that she'll do so and goes home to tell her mother and father, Rose and Cosmo Castorini (played by Olympia Dukakis and Vincent Gardenia). Loretta wakes up the next morning, with a phone call from Johnny, asking if Loretta had called his brother yet. Loretta informs Johnny that she'll do so when she hangs up with Johnny. She calles Johnny's brother, but his brother sounds very bitter about Johnny getting married first. Loretta walks down to where Johnny's brother works. Ronny Cammareri is Johnny's brother and he works in a little bread factory, who is still miserable after losing his hand in a bread chopper. He feels Johnny was responsible since, Ronny was using the chopper to chop up some bread for Johnny. Loretta takes Ronny back to his place and begins to explain the truth to Johnny's misery. But the two wind up sleeping together.

The next morning, Loretta wakes up the next morning only to find Ronny by her side and flips out. She realizes that what she did was wrong, for she is still engaged to Johnny. But Ronny finds himself having fallen madly in love with Loretta... literally. Ronny invites Loretta to the opera, telling her that he loves her dearly and loves the opera dearly. He then says that if he could be with the woman he loves for one more night and to spend the night with the woman he loves by attending a show he loves dearly, he would promise not to bother Loretta again. Loretta goes to the Met, where she meets up with Ronny. The two sit through the opera, very much enjoying the show. Loretta seemed to have enjoyed very much, until she finds her father with a woman and that woman is not her mother. Ronny and Loretta go back to Ronny's place. Loretta does not want to be unfaithful, since she has been unfaithful to Johnny already once. But she knows that she does not love Johnny, for she is madly in love with Ronny and, for the first time, really sees that Ronny is love with her. Will Loretta leave Johnny for Ronny, or will she stay with Johnny? Watch this classic romantic comedy and you'll find out.

Authentically Italian!
This movie is on my list of all-time favorites so I was delighted when my son recently bought it for me on DVD. It is the humorous and delightful love story of Loretta Castorini, a young Italian widow who lives with her parents in Brooklyn, and Ronnie Camarerie, owner of Camarerie Brothers Bakery and by chance the brother of Loretta's fiancee. How these two individuals come together and the interplay between them and all the members of Loretta's large and often interfering Italian family makes for many hilarious moments.

This movie is especially heartwarming as it depicts an Italian-American family better than any movie I have ever seen. I am a member of a large Italian family and I can vouch for its authenticity! The Castorini home even reminded me of many of those of my Italian relatives, filled with much good food and good conversation as well as memories of love and family. This is truly a wonderful movie experience!

This DVD version features an option to watch the movie while listening to a voice over by director Norman Jewison, writer John Patrick Shanley and lead actress Cher. I thoroughly enjoyed this feature, as each added amusing anecdotes about the filming of the movie, as well as their own input about various scenes and information about the other actors.

A Must See Romantic Comedy!
Academy Award Winner Cher, plays Loretta, a middle-aged widow who while her fiance is in Italy at the deathbed of his mother, finds herself unwilling drawn to his misfit younger brother (Nicholas Cage) who is falling apart after his own "loses."
And while the family struggles with their individual problems, Loretta's father finds his youth in the arms of another woman.
Olympia Dukakis plays an Award Winning role as Loretta's mother.
Nicholas Cage although he won no awards for this film, does an outstanding job as an over-the-top, heartbroken man who is jealous of everything that his brother has, including Loretta.
Definately a must-see romantic/comedy. I very much enjoyed this movie and hope you will too. ... Read more

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This 1967 film took home lots of Oscars for its fascinating drama about a Philadelphia detective (Sidney Poitier) who assists a redneck Southern sheriff (Rod Steiger) in solving a murder. A study in racism that ebbs a bit through the collective and shared need between a black man and a white man who don't want to be working together, the film continues to strike a chord today. Steiger is a mass of snarling danger, Poitier a bundle of nerves covered in class. Norman Jewison (Moonstruck) directs with a keen feeling for the cultural and social atmosphere of the setting. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (34)

Explosive Mystery-Drama
In The Heat Of The Night is an explosively powerful murder mystery that at the time of its release in 1967 was quite controversial. It deals with a black detective, Virgil Tibbs (Sidney Poitier) going to a small southern town to investigate a murder. At first he meets the usually hatred and racism from the local cops led by the gruff and racist sheriff, Bill Gillespie (Rod Steiger) He is arrested and accused of the murder, but when discovered innocent, he goes on to solve the mystery and gain the respect of the sheriff. Both Mr. Poitier and Mr. Steiger are brilliant in the film. Although they do sometimes plays things over the top, the acting fits the mood. The actors make a fine team and they push one another to excellence. The supporting cast is quite strong with Lee Grant, Warren Oates and William Schallert and Norman Jewison guides the movie with his deft hand. Haskell Wexler's cinematography is sharp and Quincy Jones' soundtrack is right on. The film went on to win the Best Picture Oscar and Mr. Steiger took home the Best Actor prize.

Cinema's all-time best detective thriller.
Between the dark film noir of "The Maltese Falcon" and the creepy gorefests inspired by "The Silence of the Lambs," the detective film wasn't exactly a vital film genre. But at least one entry into the genre made a major impact during those years, and that was 1967's "In the Heat of the Night." Since it was released, much has been made of the movie's status as a powerful story of race relations during the time of segregation, but the fact is, these elements are somewhat secondary to its brilliant character studies and expertly-handled mystery investigation. This is THE detective film, and quite possibly THE police film as well.

The film begins with Bill Gillespie (Rod Steiger) -- sheriff of the small town of Sparta, Mississippi -- investigating the scene where a powerful businessman has been murdered. Gillespie's deputies arrest a traveller named Virgil Tibbs (Sidney Poitier) for the murder simply on the grounds that he is black, but he turns out to be a homicide detective from Philadelphia who was just passing through. After being cleared, Tibbs is anxious to leave Sparta, but Gillespie -- in need of such an expert -- convinces him to stay and help solve the case. And from there, we have our movie.

Besides the story, the main thing "In the Heat of the Night" has going for it are the performances of its lead actors. It would have been incredibly easy to portray Tibbs as a noble black crusader, forced by his innate nobility to offer his help in the face of hatred (Poitier had played this type of good-natured gentleman in many of his other films). It would have been even easier for Gillespie to come off as a mindless racist redneck. Neither description comes anywhere close to describing the characters in this film. Virgil Tibbs is arrogant and aloof when we first meet him. He's no hero; he's a real human being who reacts to the way the Sparta police have treated him in the understandable manner of trying to get out of town as quickly as possible. He doesn't want to help them, and even when he's forced to, he lets his prejudices against Southern whites cloud his investigation (Tibbs spends the majority of the film believing one of the victim's business rivals -- a detestable racist -- to be the murderer, only to be proven wrong).

If Poitier's portrayal of Tibbs as a realistic human being rather than a flawless screen hero is admirable, then Rod Steiger's handling of the Sheriff Gillespie character is downright masterful. Bill Gillespie does not like or trust African-Americans, and he makes no secret of this. And yet the filmmakers didn't fall into a cliche trap and take care to show that even though Gillespie is a bigot, he's also a good cop. Unlike certain similar characters (and even some of his deputies in this film), Gillespie doesn't allow his prejudices to stand in the way of his investigation (a character flaw that, oddly enough, Tibbs gives in to while Gillespie does not). This is no "Bull Connor" character; this is a man who knows his job, and does it well. Tibbs and Gillespie begin the movie as two prejudiced men who begrudgingly admit to needing each other's help due to the circumstances (Gillespie's lack of a homicide expert; Tibbs' being forced to remain in an unfamiliar and hostile environment), and end it with a powerful respect for one another.

"In the Heat of the Night" won Best Picture at the 1968 Academy Awards (the first detective film to do so), and Steiger took home the Best Actor award for his career-best portrayal of Gillespie. (Because this, "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner," and "To Sir, With Love" were all released in the same year, Poitier was unable to consolidate enough votes for any one film and thus failed to be nominated; Norman Jewison lost Best Director to "The Graduate"'s Mike Nichols.) That perfectly sums up this film's legacy: a brilliant film with two powerful lead performances, and an all-time classic of the detective genre.

Just About as Good as a Movie Gets
In 1967 Poitier made this movie and Look Who's Coming to Dinner. Both were extremely well received and this won academy awards for best picture and best actor. Poitier's career slid downhill from here almost immediately. That his status as The Greatest Black Actor Ever hasn't diminished nearly 40 years later is a testament to his excellence and influence in the late 50's and the 60's up until '67. The movie is nearly perfect. Rod Steiger gives the performance of his career. Poitier is excellent, of course. The story is good but the movie is really about the racial tensions and two men forced to work together despite their desire not to be in the same room together. Also at hand is a backward and archaic South being slowly dragged kicking and screaming into postwar 20th century.

TENSIONS FLAIR IN THE HEAT OF THIS NIGHT!
"In The Heat of the Night" is the racially charged melodrama that made Sidney Poitier a star. Poitier is Det. Virgil Tibbs, an out of state detective assigned to investigate a racially motivated crime in the deep South. Tibbs' initial congenial good nature immediate brand him a push over by both his fellow officers and the populous. But Tibbs is a man of conviction. He immediately runs into interference from Police Chief Bill Gillespie (Rod Steiger), a bigoted and pompous law man who begins to change his ways when it turns out that Virgil's hunch on the case might just turn out to be true. Both the central performances of Poitier and Steiger, and the unlikely bond and ultimate friendship that ensue, are electrifying reasons to revisit this powerful drama of the 1960s. Lee Grant, Beah Richards and Warren Oates costar. In the late 80s "In The Heat of the Night" became a prime time television series starring Caroll O'Connor. But by then much of the tempestuous and confrontational aspects of its subplot had been removed.

MGM/UA gives us a non-anamorphic widescreen DVD. Colors are severely dated with a lot of fading present throughout the print. Age related artifacts are everywhere and sometimes distract. Black levels are often weak. Pixelization is primarily responsible for an unstable image. The audio is mono and badly dated as well, strident and poorly balanced. There are no extras.

STEIGER AND POITIER AT THEIR HEIGHTS OF POWER
In 1967, Sidney Poitier again stirred the red-necks with "In the Heat of the Night", where he plays Virgil Tibbs, a competent Philadelphia cop stuck overnight in a Mississippi town. It must be 110 degrees at night. The white boys sweat like stuck pigs while Virgil is as cool as a cucumber in a Savoy Row suit. The sheriff, Rod Steiger, is discomfited by circumstances in which Tibbs is "lent" to him to solve a murder that happens to occur when he is there. In working together, layer after layer of characterization is stripped away in marvelous fashion, through the skill of director Norman Jewison (who tells everybody he is not a Jew, he is Methodist), until understanding between the two men become a metaphor for the healing of a divided America. Very good stuff.

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

Reviews (39)

The Laughs are coming, the Laughs are coming !
I have watched this movie more times than I can count, and each time I find myself laughing until I cry. When a Russian submarine accidentally runs aground of a sleepy little island summer town, the people literally go nuts. Alan Arkin, Carl Reiner, Brian Keith and Jonathan Winters are just a few of the many fine actors who make this movie a laugh a minute. When the bumbling Russians tie up and gag the elderly Post-Mistress "Muriel Everitt" and sit her on top of the refrigerator - you will laugh until your sides ache when her nearly deaf husband eats breakfast 2 feet from her and never realizes she's behind him struggling to get his attention. The sight of Carl Reiner tied up face to face with the hefty town operator and their efforts to hop down a steep flight of steps, (ending, naturally, with the heavy woman falling on top of Carl Reiner and passing out ) is more than I could take with out laughing until I cried. Please rent this movie and have the entire family watch it with you. It's in the genre of "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" and you will enjoy every moment !

Everybody to get from street...and buy this video!
I also agree that this has to be one of the best comedies from the 1960's. With Norman Jewison directing, this isn't your average flick, quite polished for a comedy, with excellent editing and cinematography and a strong script adapted from Benchley's novel. Jewison's creation of place captures just the right amount of sleepyness for this small island, and is perfect. Many of the performances are also exceptional, highlighted by Brian Keith as the long-suffering Glouscester Island sheriff; Jonathan Winters, of course, as one of his deputies; Carl Reiner as the vacationing writer; Eva Marie Saint as his long-suffering wife; their son (whose name escapes me, but who almost steals the movie with his antics); and Alan Arkin, as the long-suffering Soviet submarine lieutenant who must somehow get his sub off the reef. But first he must venture on-shore with his men and into the lives of the feared Americans. For its time, this movie must have been quite subversive given how the Russians are portrayed, which is truthful, normal and with affection. These aren't killers, just sailors, and right off the bat we're rooting for them to succeed. Arkin gives one of his best performances ever; it's a pleasure to watch him swing from drama to comedy and back. His rendition of the Reiner character's name as "Whitaker Walt" is a classic and a family favorite. He does it all here, and very movingly. The same can be said for Keith, who also shows great range and appeal. This movie also has one of the best endings of any film. A great comedy with a great message.

Excellent Anti-War Comedy
A Russian submarine runs aground on an island near New England. The Russian skipper (Theodore Bikel) sends a landing party ashore to find a boat to tow the stranded sub. The landing party is headed by Alan Arkin. The winter residents of the island have a police department of sorts which is headed by Brian Keith and his assistant is Jonathan Winters. Paul Ford heads a small band of mostly unarmed volunteers. Carl Reiner and Eva Marie Saint are taken captive by the hapless Russians. In response to the "invasion" Ford rallies his group with slogans which remind us of the battles of Concord and Lexington and also Bunker Hill. Two old ladies ride through the village on a motorcycle doing their own imitation of Paul Revere.

The movie is an anti-war comedy made after the Cuban Missile Crisis and during the period of escalation in Vietnam. It is also a time when private bomb shelters are being built by Americans.

THE RUSSIANS ARE COMING, THE RUSSIANS ARE COMING received Academy Award nominations for Best Picture, Actor (Alan Arkin), Adapted Screenplay and Editing. The main competition for Oscars in 1966 came from A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS.

Norman Jewison also directed FIDDLER ON THE ROOF and JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR.

One of the funniest ever
I'm old enough that I first saw this classic at the theatre, yep, upwards of 40 years ago. I laughed then, and haven't stopped.

I have a habit of collecting films that are a must for my library when they come out in different formats. So, while I already had this in VCR, it's now necessary to get it for DVD. It hasn't lost even a little of its humorous effect.

Where does one start? Alan Arkin was brilliant, deserved an academy award. Carl Reiner was fabulous. Perhaps my favorite of all, even to this day, was Paul Ford. (Oh, and Jonothan Winter's part is incredible.)

But the DVD is even better than the others. You see, there's an interview with producer/director Norman Jewison that's worth its weight in gold. He goes on about how well the actors worked together. And I remember that the film, even in my much younger days, gave me some hope: Maybe we CAN live together despite Cold War rhetoric and the like. It seems the Russians felt the same way!

This is a film that should be part of everyone's collection. It's hysterial, satirical, some of the finest acting I've ever seen--and a collection of one liners to make the Marx Bros. jealous. Get it and relish it.

HILARIOUS!
This movie is really funny! It is a light-hearted comedy. The chocolate cake scene is the funniest and "Mr. Whitaker, Walt" does a great job! Although this was a highly stressful time for the USA with a pending threat from the USSR, it is funny to see how the people ultimately react. ... Read more

Reviews (33)

Sophisticated memories from childhood.
"The Thrill Of It All" was one of my favorite childhood memories. In the days prior to wall-to-wall cable stations, there were certain films that enjoyed a regular place on the weekend matinee lineup on local TV stations. This was one of them. And the funny thing is when I originally saw it, I never thought of it as dated or sexist (this is a memory from about 28 years ago). Even though I grew up in a household where both my parents worked (and my dad never gave it a second thought since there were six of us), I merely accepted the script as a reflection of the 1963 sensibility and not my own. You really can't watch a movie that's older than you are (I'm guessing lots of you are waaay under 40) and expect it to reflect modern-day sensibilities. That said, the film is expertly written taking several stabs and jabs at the TV advertising (as well as the network) industry. Doris Day was the quintessential (and exquisitely beautiful) screen wife and mother, and James Garner was a perfect spousal foil for her. And what you had from Arlene "What's My Line" Francis was a welcome touch of class in the role of a mature expectant mother (heady stuff for 1963!) along with nervous expectant father Edward Andrews. The movie is right in line with the other 60's comedies with Hudson, Grant, and Rod Taylor- fun!!

A classic Doris Day gem... fun movie!
A hip and happening Doris Day comedy in which the girl next door becomes a media sensation. Doris stars, not surprisingly, as a wholesomely sexy suburban housewife who is hired to become the spokesperson for the Happy Soap company, because Happy Soap's crotchety old president finds her stammering, unprofessional endorsements to be refreshingly honest and -- more importantly -- so does the soap-buying public. In fact, the only one who doesn't like her ascent into the media is her grouchy, fragile-egoed husband (played by James Garner), who can't stand the thought of his own wife having a job -- it's just too much of a blow to his masculinity, and besides, who will raise the kids if mommy goes to work? The depth and sheer matter-of-factness to the sexism in this pre-women's movement comedy will be both astounding and instructive to a modern audience, but besides all that, it's also a great vehicle for Day's bubbly, frowsy charm. Garner's character is a bit hysterical, but it's all worth it for the big payoff: his double-take during the swimming pool scene is a golden comedic moment. Scriptwriter Carl Reiner's touch is easy to pick out; Reiner also has some choice cameos as a hammy TV actor on the show that Happy Soap sponsors. There are also plenty of great early '60s character actors, such as Edward Andrews, who you may recognize from old TV re-runs and the like. [Crazy cast note: the Pamela Curran, who plays "Spot Checker," the glamorous model who was the former Happy Soap Girl, is a dead ringer for Drea de Matteo (best known as Adriana, of the Sopranos...) The likeness must be seen to be believed.] Anyway, this is a fun movie, entirely enjoyable and also a real blast of Kennedy-era camp.

Dated, mythical view of American Life, but Fun & enjoyable!
Hi all,

Just got done re-watching "The Thrill of It All" and here are my reactions:

First I think the film is light-hearted fun, and a great look back to the golden days of people living "The American Dream". As usual, Doris was superb as Beverly Boyer, a suburban housewife content to be home caring for her husband and two children and doing amazingly domestic activities such as bottling her own ketchup!! Wow!

While Doris looks as I remember her, I was quite taken aback by the youthfulness of James Gardner, whom we have seen on-going on television and movies so have had the opportunity to see him "age" gracefully in front of our eyes. I couldn't surpress a chuckle when the good doctor, frustrated with growing friction with his wife, lights up a cigarette in his hospital office. That's something we pretty much won't see in a hospital these days! :)

As much as I liked Gardner as Dr. Gerald Boyer, I wasn't too sympathetic with his disdain for his wife's decision to also take on a career. It was 1963, however, and the career woman was still more exception than the rule, so I tried to see it from that lens. The film seemed to be on the cusp of the stirrings of women entering the work force in larger numbers because when Dr. Boyer was objecting to his wife working and having a career, he was more than once referred to as a "victorian" man, in a most unflattering way. Perhaps writer Ross Hunter (producer), Carl Reiner (writer), and Norman Jewison (director) were trying to push the envelope a bit here by suggesting that women having careers was not contrary to American values of a stable homelife and happy families.

Having said all of this, part of me yearned for the days when the world seemed a happier place and everyone lived with a "can do" attitude. I know it is myth mostly, but the early 60s were a time before the great social divides brought on by the assasination of President Kennedy and protests against the Vietnam war. America, it seems, still was living in a "Norman Rockwell" picture perfect era where most had a beautiful home, the proverbial 2.5 children, and a dog and/or cat. The romance of this rosy colored view of life is certainly an attractive escape from our modern world problems of terrorism, rampant drug abuse, poverty, and violence. Watching "Thrill of It All" was like a mini-vacation, taking us back to a time when perhaps we all felt safer, more secure, and optimistic about the endless possibilities that laid ahead for us. Since I was only 3-4 years old at the time, I know I was certainly optimistic! :)

About casting: I think Doris and James showed great chemistry throughout the film. I think casting Arlene Francis as Mrs. Fraleigh was a bit of a stretch however, as much as I admired her presence in the film, because she was already 58 years old in real life, so the likelihood of her becoming pregnant would be almost nil. But she rose to the occasion and played the role of a pregnant rich woman to the hilt. It was a great hook for bringing Beverly and Gerald into the lives of The Fraleigh's and their elderly father, the founder of Happy soap, thus providing the backdrop for further escapades! All quibbling aside, I think Arlene was fun in the role. A small note: Arlene died 3 years ago this month in San Francisco of complications from Alzheimers and cancer.

I really enjoyed watching the cars in this film. The cars added an additional element of nostalgia as I looked back at America's earlier vehicles. I was thinking the film had been made in early 1960, but as the limo driving the Fraleighs to the hospital gets stuck in a traffic jam, and Mr. Fraleigh keeps asking this aggressive man for a shoe lace or an unused newspaper, my eyes did a double take! The guy in the car next to them was driving a 1963 or 1964 Mercury Monterey with the "breezeway" window in the back. That was my Grandfather's last car, he died in 1965 or 4, can't remember now, and my Gram kept using the car into the early 70s. Because I was particularly close to my Gram, seeing the car again touched my heart and made me smile.

I'm sure most of my women friends would disagree with the film's premise that babies are what give women purpose in life, but one can certainly enjoy the romantic fun at the end of the film as the Boyers decide to make good on Mr. Boyer's promise to bring a baby home if "mommy helped with it". I couldn't help laughing at the twin beds in the Boyer's bedroom however, which begged the question "how easy was it to make babies in a space so little?" :-)

All in all a fun escapist comedy, highly recommended if for nothing else than Doris' classic facial responses to goings-on around her. It's time to get your own copy of the film and see what a "The Thrill of It All" it really is.

Tom

Great film for new mommies and new daddies!
This film has a real cute opening with Arlene Francis ("What's My Line" game show 1968-1975) and Edward Andrews (Send Me No Flowers [1964]). Nice surprise! James Garner is Arlene's doctor and Arlene invites the doctor and his wife Doris Day to celebrate. At the dinner party, they meet an excited old man who is the owner of the Happy Soap Company. They all hush to see the new Happy Soap commercial on color tv. There is the new girl naked in the bathtub explaining Happy Soap. Afterwards, Doris day begins to tell the man about how Happy Soap saved her life today. Her kids took a bath today and liked Happy Soap instead of Pine Tar. The older man gets excited and enjoys her story. He decides to make Doris, the ordinary housewife, the new spokesperson for Happy Soap in the next commercial. The commercials work and she becomes a star. However, her husband feels neglected. With her busy schedule and his schedule at the hospital, they just can't find time to be together or with the children. Also the first maid quit due to a misunderstanding and the new maid speaks German and misunderstands english. This is really a cute and funny movie and I highly recommend it to those new mommies and new daddies. The children are: Brian Nash (Please Don't Eat The Daises tv series 1965-67) and Kym Karath (Spencer's Mountain [1963], Sound Of Music [1965]). Directed by Norman Jewison, Produced by Ross Hunter and Martin Melcher. A great filming of a movie with good camera angles and one-shot moving scenes by Director of Photography Russell Metty & Associates.

it smells better than the oohcky soap
this movie is truly charming buy this ... Read more

Reviews (9)

One of Stallone's better efforts
This movie from the late 70s, loosely based on the life of Jimmy Hoffa, about a labor leader, Frank Kovak, who makes a Faustian bargain with the mob for which he ultimately pays the price, was done before Stallone became locked into the ironjawed superhero mode. In the early scenes of the movie, he is still able to display the qualities of charm, humor and humanity that distinguished his performance in the orginal Rocky and, further back, in The Lords of Flatbush.
Moreover, the film is graced with strong supporting performances. In particular, I would single out Tony Lo Bianco's performance as the mob boss, Babe Milano, to whom Stallone turns when the survival of his trucker's union is on the line, for its chillingly effective qualities of understated and insinuating menace, especially from an actor who I have found to be prone to overacting.
The main criticism that one could make of this effort if one references it to the life of Hoffa is that Kovak is treated as genuinely heroic instead of the corrupted person that Hoffa in fact became, for although Kovak made a deal with the mob, more specifically, Babe Milano, it is made clear that he did so only because he thought it was necessary to insure the continued existence of his union when its striking members were being beaten up by company goons, not for his personal aggrandizement. Moreover, for what it is worth, I remember reading at the time of the film's release that Stallone insisted that the character be portrayed this way. In spite of this caveat, I find Fist to be both dramatically compelling and strongly acted.

one of stallones best
one of stallones best feature film efforts
cast's him as a labor leader who has to deal with
organized crime invading the rank and file of american
working class people, a class struggle between the common
man and the rich, peter boyle, and rod steiger deliver
great supporting performances.
along with rocky, this is a great film of the underdog trying to make it........

Best Movie Ever
This is up there with The Sound Of Music. It should have won best picture, but was knocked out for the political sense of the movie. My father was a main part in making this movie possible. He was the director.

Go on DVD Now!
MGM needs to release this above-average drama on DVD. It is similar to the Jimmy Hoffa story and it's captivating. Sylvester Stallone gives one of his most heart-felt performances and is overshadowed by "Rocky". So, please MGM, release this and the missing "Red Sonja" with the other immortal deity. These are good movies and I would definitely buy at least ten copies on DVD of each movie. Thank you!

Why this movie is not a hit and on DVD is BEYOND me!
First off, Sylvester Stallone is my favorite actor and secondly I believe this to be probably one of his best films (besides Rocky) and why it was not a hit is beyond me because it really is a great story and Stallone does a great job in the acting --- its 2 1/2 hours long but I throughly enjoyed every minute of it and can't wait til I can get my own copy and watch it again.

If you like Stallone this is a DEFINITE must. ... Read more

Reviews (46)

Provacative and entertaining
After having just seen the latest version of the Thomas Crown Affair I much preferred the original version with Steve McQueen & Faye Dunaway. It had subler shadings in it and even though it wasn't as slick as the Brosnan-Russo "Affair", I felt it was more stylish, and had more substance. It really kept you guessing more, and the ending was more in keeping with the nuances played out during the film itself. The newer one threw in so much unnecessary nudity it grated on me. Too much of the "90's obligatory gratuitous sex" trying to make a good movie better. It didn't succeed. Steven McQueen gave you much more of a feel of a man who had his finger in many pies and was simply bored with his predictable (boring, rich life) and out to pit his considerable brain power against his antagonists. There too, there was more of the picture of the Law against the man who believed he could beat the odds. All in all, McQueen's Thomas Crown Affair had both style AND substance; the Brosnan Affair had only the style.

Chess was never this much fun
I was interested in seeing this film after I saw the remake, especially when I heard so many people say the original was so much better. After having seen both, I'd call it a toss up (both were good!).

Actually, the remake was only loosely based on the original. The original is about a rich guy who knocks off a bank, and the remake about a rich guy who steals art.

This film is well crafted and though the story is far fetched (as in the remake) it's entertaining. Norman Jewison does a terrific job of directing. His visual interpretations, camera angles and dramatic effects are timeless. He overuses the split screen concept a bit, but we need to remember that in 1968 this was fairly new technology and he was probably enamoured with the novelty of it. Think of how much `morphing' was being used when it was first developed.

Probably the best scene involved the chess match between Thomas (Steve McQueen) and Vicki (Faye Dunaway). It was far more erotic than all the scenes where Rene Russo was running around naked in the remake.

The acting was excellent, with Dunaway taking top honors as the stop-at-nothing insurance investigator who literally gets her man. Steve McQueen played the rich macho ego maniac to perfection. His only minus was his phony victory laugh, which was overacted and overused. Paul Burke stayed appropriately but effectively on the sidelines as the police detective.

In comparing the two films, I'd have to say it's about even. The remake had a more inventive and interesting story, replacing the bank robbery with an art heist, but it was also more ridiculous in the final disposition of the stolen painting. The original had better direction and use of the camera, while the remake was much better in use of costumes, props and sets in recreating the opulent lifestyle. Clearly the remake benefited from 30 years of technological improvement in sound and film quality.

The remake was more self indulgent, especially in the sexual area. The McQueen interpretation of Crown was more realistic than Brosnan's conflicted and emotional distraught version. Each reflected their respective times, but McQueen's character was a better representation of the timeless arrogance of the ultra rich. I have to give Rene Russo a slight edge as the investigator. She gave the character more complexity and range. Paul Burke was far superior to Denis Leary as the cop.

The ending of the original was definitely superior, though each ending was really true to the characters' personalities as portrayed.

I gave this film an 8/10. If you like classic films, and you enjoyed the remake, you will probably enjoy this one as well.

Has It Been THAT Many Years?
After enjoying the remake of this movie I ordered the DVD of the original. I loved it at the theater back in the sixties and hadn't seen it since then. For once in a blue moon, I discovered I liked the remake better! The plot is only vaguely the same for these two movies. I remember this film was a great departure for Steve McQueen and he still seems to have a thug-like quality to me. Ms. Dunaway is a walking parade of late-sixties fashion, with lots of makeup and eyelashes. Strange, I didn't ever realize she had a scar on her forehead. Regardless, the style of cinematography is extremely dated now. Sort of like what today's jerky-camera commercials will look like a few years from now. Oh, it's fun to watch. It's just not as good a story as the remake.

The Original Crown!
This is an extremely fine film. Besides a ingenious story and terrific acting by McQueen (who plays a "cool" and very wealthy businessman perfectly) and Dunaway (who looks absolutely stunning and plays it "smart" in nearly every scene), this movie has some fascinating and utterly BRILLIANT editing like no other film I know of... and a HAUNTING and GORGEOUS music score created by Michel LeGrand.

What about the NEW version?

I have been a huge fan of the original Thomas Crown Affair since I first saw it while in the military in 1969..... and bought the 1999 "re-make" because I heard so many good things about it. I must say that honestly there are good points in BOTH films. I never quite bought the fact that the original wealthy "Crown" got his "kicks" robbing a bank.... so stealing the "Monet" made much more sense to me. I also thought the story was a bit more interesting in the new version and I was more satisfied by the challenge Bronsnan's character found in Russo's bluntness.

Overall, however this 1969 "Crown" is the version I prefer. It contains an absolutely beautiful music score by Michel LeGrand (which is superior to the loud, lackluster and frangmented score that Bill Conti created for the new version). The title track here is "Windmills of Your Mind" is an awesome song, but also amazing is "Her Eyes, His Eyes" created for the infamous chess playing sequence. I also prefer the sensuous and sexy elegance of the fire between McQueen and Dunaway to the overtly sweaty lust that Brosnan and Russo desparately share together... this film is more subtile and suggests sexuality.. which seems more fascinating than just the plain nakedness in the new version.

Although I do prefer this film to the remake, both versions are well made and interesting in their own right, and should be enjoyed for what they are and what makes them so entertaining.

"Cat and Mouse" At Its Finest
Once again, why did they ever even think of remaking this movie? Steve McQueen is at his best in his portrayal of Thomas Crown, a wealthy genius who is a mastermind for constructing elaborate bank robberies. I really enjoyed the music in this film, particularly the way it interacts with the director's (Jewison) use of split screens. While it's a dated technique, it really helps move the plot along without unnecessary cutting. Additionally, the anonymity of his accomplices and the way that several loose ends come together to form the perfect robbery is best captured by this technique, in my opinion.

Beyond McQueen's powerful performance, Faye Dunaway blows Rene Russo's remake performance out of the water. Dunaway is smart, sexy, and knows how to handle herself. While it's a bit slow in some parts, this movie is a psychological piece that focuses primarily upon the "cat and mouse" interplay between McQueen and Dunaway. This is a "battle of wits" movie-not a pure action flick, as the remake might have you believe. The ending is also extremely well done. Rather than end on a typical Hollywood note, the final scenes of this film will leave you perplexed and wanting more of this film. With one of the longest screen kisses I've ever seen and the famous "chess" sequence, this film is a classic that definitely belongs in your video library. ... Read more

Reviews (172)

Rice & Lloyd Webber's Operatic Passion Play on Film
After the bizarre Broadway staging of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's rock opera, the film version of "Jesus Christ Superstar" had to be a more traditional offering. Producer-Director Norman Jewison filmed on location in Israel, using natural settings and sparsely constructed sets for what is essentially a string of music videos (since it was written as a studio album first, the music presents problems for moving from one scene to the next). The framing device for the film is the cast arriving/departing by bus. Ted Neeley's voice is suited to the role, but certainly he is the shortest Jesus I can recall seeing in films. Yvonne Elliman and Barry Dennen remain from the original studio album and Broadway production as Mary Magdalen and Pilate, which is perfectly all right. However, it is clearly Carl Anderson as Judas who gives the best performance in the film. The film version suffers from the inadequate voices of several of the supporting cast members (most notably Josh Mostel as Herod) and the grossly reduced chorus of singers which never comes close to matching the number of bodies on screen, and there are a few unintentional laughs (as when Israeli tanks come over the dune and chase Judas). But the use of paintings depicting the crucifixion and the final shot of sheep being herded past the cross the cast leaves behind on the hill, are particularly effective. Of course as with most movies, if you want to watch it you want to get a hold of the widescreen edition, otherwise you cannot appreciate the Last Supper tableau or just enjoy the compositional elements of the shots. Every Easter weekend I watch this film, even if I do not have time to do all of "Jesus of Nazareth" or "The Greatest Story Every Told." The only thing radical here is the music, but I still have to think it qualifies as the requisite joyful noise.

Controversial Rock Opera
Jesus Christ Superstar was Andrew Lloyd Webber and Time Rice's first major success. The rock opera was first a concept album that exploded on the charts hitting number one and spending almost a year in the top ten and unleashed Murray Head on the world. It was then made into a successful Broadway play starring Ben Vereen. In 1973, respected director Norman Jewison (In The Heat Of the Night, Fiddler On the Roof) brought it to the big screen. The film was shot on location in Israel and that gives it an authentic feel. There is no dialogue in the film, everything is sung in true opera fashion. It kind is like a forerunner of the music video in that fact. Mr. Jewison mixes the biblical setting with modern nuances such as guards carrying machine guns, tanks and planes appear and at the beginning of the film, the cast arrives by bus and at the end it leaves on the same bus. The beginning of the film shows the cast setting up what appears to be a play. They get into costumes and set up for the play. The movie focuses on the last seven days of Jesus and Ted Neeley appears in the title role. The movie focuses on Jesus' relationship with Judas, who is played by Carl Anderson. The plot likens Jesus to a modern-day rock star, who rises above all the other prophets due to the hype-machine. Judas thinks that Jesus is believing the hype and moving away from his humble roots. He turns traitor in the belief he is helping the nation. At the end, we are left wondering if this was just a play or was it real as all the cast members get on the bus except Mr. Neeley. The movie fades out quite powerfully in the sunset on the cross. The movie moves along through the series of songs and is well choreographed. The album, play and film were highly controversial due to its take on the Passion of Jesus, but putting religious beliefs aside, it is an excellent film.

Most powerful movie ever produced!
Too many people miss the point. This movie was not made as a literal portrayal of Jesus' last days...it was (and remains) a figurative interpretation of the last days of one who would inspire a new branch of religion.

From the opening moments of the movie when Carl Anderson (Judas) sings ("...my mind is clearer now, at last, all too well, I can see, what we all, soon will be...") through Ted Neely (Christ) during "Gethsemane" ("Allright! I'll die, just watch me die!") the viewer is mesmerized by some of the most powerful music, lyrics, and staging ever written and performed. This particular sequence (when Jesus is climbing the mountain, fairly crying out for God's explanation of things to come ~ "Show me just a little of your omnipresent brain") still brings tears to my eyes and I've seen this movie at least 100 times!

The movie was shot on location in Israel a few years after the 6 day war, and during the Vietnam war. These realities are not lost on the writers, and evidence of their beliefs and opinions are sprinkled throughout the movie (the tanks coming over the horizon and the F-16's flying over Judas' head were a nice touch). Their religious convictions are displayed in such moments as when the priests are on the scaffolding ("He is dangerous") and the crowd extols Jesus below ("Haysanna, hosannah, sanna sanna ho, sanna hey sanna hosanna; hey JC, JC won't you die for me...") watch Jesus' face at that moment....

Yvonne Elliman (Mary Magdelene) does a fine job of balancing the angst of Judas with the over-arching compassion of Jesus, and Barry Dennen (Pilate) captures a high point when he washes his hands of Jesus' plight. Bob Bingham's (Caiphas) bass rattles your soul with his deep melodic tonality.

While the acting is certainly not on par with the great actors of our times, one has to take that with a grain of salt. I was 7 when I first saw it and I still watch this movie at least once per year (can you guess which day? :) By far this is Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice at their best.

Who the Hell did they get to play Jesus?!
The guy who plays Jesus is an awful singer. He ruined the entire movie sounding like the lead from some punk band. Also, it's clear they did not cast the actors based on their looks (or even their talent for that matter). I tried very hard to like this. I love musicals but this ranks down there with Cats, Hair, and Nine. If you want a great musical based on the scripture, check out the amazing Godspell.

awesome
OK, granted this musical was done in the early 70's and therefore has some 70's overtones, but the acting and singing are magnificent. The relationship between Judas and Jesus is powerful, and Ted Neeley stares right into your soul. I first saw this movie when I was about 7 years old and it left a lasting, positive influence on me regarding Christ. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Al Pacino plays a Maryland lawyer who takes on a judicial system rife with dealmaking in this awkward blend of satire and sentimentality. Topical director Norman Jewison can't seem to help Pacino get comfortable with the mismatched material, which pushes the film into outrageousness at some turns and mawkishness at others. The script by Barry Levinson and Valerie Curtin is more an accumulation of random ideas and moments than a congruent story.However, it's interesting to see the large cast of good actors, most of whom hadn't become well known yet. (Christine Lahti made her film debut here.) Pacino gets to work for a second time (following The Godfather II) with acting mentor Lee Strasberg. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (21)

Tips The Scales Of Justice
Norman Jewison's 1979 ...AND JUSTICE FOR ALL is a satirical drama that looks at our judicial system. Lawyer Arthur Kirkland (Al Pacino)is put under considerable pressure to defend a well liked judge (John Forsythe), against charges of beating and raping a young girl. The only problem is that Arthur knows he's guilty and doesn't want to defend him. The final courtroom scene in the film will leave you with quite an impression. There is also a wonderful performance from the legendary Lee Strasberg as Arthur's Grandfather. Character actor Jack Warden plays an eccentric judge, who thinks suicide is the only answer. The script is filled with a lot of good moments. It was written by Valerie Curtain and future RAINMAN director, Barry Levinson. Jewison gets Oscar an nominated performance from Pacino that is tops and is among his most notable.

The DVD has an o.k. audio commentary from the director and a few trailers as extras. This film is a must have for fans of Pacino. This is not your typical courtroom movie and will leave you with lots to think about. Viewers have the choice to see the film in either the widescreen or pan and scan formats. Recommended

Pacino shines in courtroom satire
Ever since watching the Godfather films I've been a huge Al Pacino fan. His amazing over-the-top performance in the courtroom scene at the end is what makes this unsympathetic look at our criminal justice system so memorable. However, I agree with other reviewers that the plot is slow at times & the movie wavers uncomfortably between comedy & drama. The humor is at times a little too forced & the disco music doesn't help. One of the things I really enjoyed was seeing the great Lee Strasberg play Pacino's grandfather. Remember Godfather Part 2 when Pacino had Strasberg "taken out"? I only wish they could've made more films together. The great cast also includes John Forsythe (who plays a TOTALLY unlikable villian), & Jack Warden, whose suicidal antics get annoying after a while. Of course, it's Pacino that makes this movie so entertaining & so watchable 25 years later. While it's no masterpiece I still highly recommend it to Al Pacino fans (& especially lawyers!).

Al Pacinio is GOD!
The movie over all was good. Nothing I would want to see again. But Al Pacino's part is amazing. His character is strong and crazy. (Something that is perfect for Pacino.) I would recamend this movie, just for Al pacino's preformance. NOt really for the story line.

"There's something funny goin' on..."
The title of Dave Grusin's theme song aptly sums up this movie: The music may sound cheesy at times, but remember this film was made in the late 70s. As stated in his commentary, Jewison wanted a cheesy psuedo-disco to reflect the satrical nature of the film.

The origins of Al Pacino's over the top acting style has to be traced to this film, especially in the court room scene. Another great line in his speech has to be "The DA is not going to get him,
I'M GOING TO GET HIM!!" At times, the movie doesn't know if it wants to be a pure comedy or pure drama, but there are enough great moments that make this film an enjoyable experience.

it didn't really work for me
i really do like Al Pacino, and this film has great satire on our country's leagal system, but i found the movie to be rather slow. the script almost seemed incohesive at times: at one moment, he is telling a woman of his frustration with the legal system, then he is taking a dangerous helicopter ride with a judge and then he is defending a drag queen who had last been seen at the very beginning of the movie. i also enjoy watching Jack Warden act, but his character in this movie did not seem real or natural at all.

the DVD doesn't have too many whistles or bells, but there is a director commentary, so that scores some points.

i did not enjoy this movie, but if you are a diehard Pacino fanatic and want to see everything he has done, go ahead and watch it. ... Read more

Reviews (20)

The Cincinnati Kid
One of my all time favorites...Steve McQueen is great in the title role of a man who wants to be the best and the only way he can do it is to beat the best...Edward G Robinson's Lancy Howard. Right up there with Rounders as the best poker movie ever made. Like all great movies the supporting acting is first rate...check out Ann Margaret and Tuesday Weld and the always good Karl Maldin. This is a must see for movie fans.

Unpolished to Perfection
Classic performances by Steve McQueen, Karl Malden and Edward G. Robinson, along with an impressive supporting cast, lend character and depth to a deceptively straight forward plot. Hunter's (McQueen) quest to become "the man" is complicated by the people, both sympathetic and avaricious, who are drawn into his orbit. Yet, the plot remains focused as all converge on the big match, and the players dwindle to the head to head clash that will decide much more than the outcome of a simple game of cards. Raw and gritty, this film is a wonderful period piece of both Depression Era society in general and simmering, sultry New Orleans in specific. The characters are interesting and colorful; and like most outstanding movies, what you get out of it is what you read between the lines. This movie is to Rounders what The Hustler is to The Color of Money.

Don't waste your gambling money on this stinker
There is a reason this film (and I use that term loosely) has not been released on DVD.. I am a huge Steve McQeen fan, but this is a terrible movie... Poor Ann-Margaret..no wonder she never really was taken seriously as an actress.. This movie reminded me more a musical, without the music.. (Think "Showboat").. cheesey lines, uneven editing, hey the list goes on and on.. I know, the current poker craze has everyone jumping on anything having to do with the game.. but save your money.. this movie stinks..

Great poker game film is a hidden gem
This film has great headliners and suspense that builds up to a riveting, marathon poker game and climax that leaves the Cincinnati Kid and old pro Lancey Howard drained at the finish as well as the many onlookers in that hotel room who witness the grand showdown. Steve McQueen and Edward G. Robinson are great adversaries who spar, feint, thrust and circle, feeling each other out in a realistic drama worthy of a great heavyweight championship match. Karl Malden is the pathetic Shooter whose ethics, such as they are, are part of the film's plot. Rip Torn also weighs in with fine work as a New Orleans gentleman with a keen interest in the big game. Sexy Ann-Margret is a siren with a past who takes great delight in tormenting husband Shooter and Tuesday Weld is pretty as the marriage-minded girlfriend of the Cincinnati Kid.

DVD
I hope someone will release this great movie in DVD. ... Read more

Description

A comedy about a wall street corporate raider and his attempt to acquire an 81-year-old new england wire & cable company. He finds himself in the fight of his life against the company chief executive, his assistant and an attractive new york attorney who takes the attempted business conquest personally. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Another Meaning for the Phrase "Other People's Money"
A cute little romantic comedy, which DeVito surprisingly carries off very well as a male lead. The real surprise, however, is the honesty in the writing -- instead of the usual casting of corporate raider as archvillain, it FINALLY gets pointed out that Peck's character DOESN'T own the company -- he's just managing it for the stockholders (something most viewers don't seem to understand). A nice little clear insight into another facet of capitalism, on top of a cute romance, with a lot of snappy dialog. Well worth adding to your video collection, especially if you're a DeVito fan.

Realistic and thought provoking
Gregory Peck is an idealistic, passionate, and paternal entrepreneur who is about to lose a business that he and many who work for him put their lives and spirit into. Danny Davido is a corporate raider but not portrayed as a Gordon Gekko. His reason for taking over Peck's business is not so much slaughter than it is economics.

The crescendo to the movie comes in the two speeches before the company shareholders. The speeches punctuate what is more the reality in today's world. Corporate take-overs and liquidations are not simply a bunch of greedy business people enriching themselves at everyone else's expense. From an economic point of view New England Wire and Cable should be shut down. It's in a business that is outmoded by new technologies and its assets are worth more sold off for some other purpose. Rationally it makes no economic sense to continue such a business. The money from selling this failing business can be invested in a business that is viable and growing - this will help create new jobs and add growth to the economy. Of course the people that have worked at New England wire and cable will lose their jobs and Peck will lose his business.

What's refreshing about the movie is the writer didn't set up a straw man to argue either point view. Both sides present intelligent arguments from believable characters. The movie challenges us that what is rational is not always what feels good. An efficient and productive economy is one that has the ability to change, but there are costs - people get displaced.

Where the script fell short and where many in our society lose perspective is that while businesses may die out people are flexible. One's skills can be revamped and applied to more productive pursuits. Instead, however, the scriptwriters concoct a not so believable happy ending. Still, though Other People's Money is probably one of the most honest movies to come out of Hollywood on the topic of capitalism.

A film that will outlast many others
It's almost 2003 and there's still no DVD. It's about time.
Except, perhaps, for his opening monologue, DeVito doesn't put a foot wrong. However, if the film was missing any of it's essential elements (Jewison, DeVito or Miller) it would have fallen hard. As it is, it's thought provoking fun right through. (But it would be more fun on DVD.)

Provides a great return on invested capital...
Remember the good old 80s, when Ronald Reagan ruled the roost? The stock market was part of the zeitgeist at large, but in a pre-CNBC way; it was there in the news, but Mainstreet America wasn't as plugged into it then as she is today. Consider that stocks can be bought and sold over the web with the click of a mouse- being coddled by a broker was so old news, so old economy. Information is online in reams and ready to be accessed at a moment's notice, one didn't have to peruse a bunch of pulpy pages to figure out what the return-on-equity of Disney calculated to. It's against this backdrop that OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY finds itself, a competent and interesting piece of film which presents two sides to the hostile-takeover-and-subsequent-liquidation scenario.

Danny DeVito portrays the odious Lawrence Garfield, affectionately christened with the salubrious sobriquet "Larry The Liquidator." Garfield loves one thing better than his beloved doughnut pastries: woefully undervalued companies. When his computer screen filters out the latest hot prospect, New England Wire & Cable, his shark-like senses smell the blood immediately and he sets out for a meeting with its owner, Andrew Jorgenson, played to great curmudgeonly effect by Gregory Peck.

Jorgenson is a fatherly figure to his workers, respected and revered almost to the point of deification, one would imagine. When Garfield points out that his company's stock price is out of whack in relation to its book value, Jorgenson is staunch in his reply: get out, and take your Wall-Street greed with you. But everyone knows that the little guy isn't going to be cowed so easily; he's as feisty and fanatic as he is sly and devious. They know he'll find a way to bulldoze over Jorgenson and his twenty percent ownership.

Enter Penelope Ann Miller's character, Kate Sullivan, a firecracker counselor who is as sexy as she is intelligent. Sullivan is the estranged stepdaughter of Jorgenson; antagonistic though the pair is, she is nevertheless willing to help him keep his business out of the hands of Garfield. Only problem is, Garfield is having difficulty keeping his hands off Ms. Sullivan. As detestable as the situation is, she decides to exert a bit of sexual leverage over him to facilitate achievement of her goals. The film eventually climaxes with a raucous shareholder's meeting and a pernicious proxy fight.

OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY serves as an excellent cinematic snapshot of that specific period of time when buzzphrases like "trickle-down economics" and "Star Wars defense system" were constantly uttered in media outlets and watercoolers alike. It's not a film which relies on an overabundance of clever camera moves or convoluted plot devices; instead, it builds from a foundation of useful thespian techniques and dexterously crafted dialogue (the source for the screenplay is a stage production, so it is obvious why the lines would be so precise). DeVito, Miller, and Peck excel in their roles, making them come alive with a conservative approach; the viewer never feels as if he/she is being suffocated by cloying histrionics. The triangle formed by these three characters is a dynamic one, much more expanisve than its one hundred eighty degrees.

DeVito in particular requires a spotlight look; it isn't so much that he's invented any novel blueprints toward his discipline- instead, one realizes upon post-viewing analysis that he fit the part like the proverbial glove. Garfield's vitriolic, killer-instinct demeanor proved a suitable substrate for the actor to react with; in the end, a more than successful catalysis is the result. But it wasn't just the acerbic tendencies he gelled with. Garfield possesses a healthy quanta of vulnerability, as he is also a lonely loner, looking for love and companionship; DeVito triumphed with this aspect as well (think of his outing in THROW MOMMA FROM THE TRAIN, with Billy Crystal). One strategy which would have added depth to the film would have been an ongoing voiceover for Garfield; his insights would have enriched the overall narrative and injected it with a unique energy.

The movie, above all, presents a balanced take on a fascinating issue: is the hostile corporate takeover an evil act? Although one could argue that a subtextual ideology is present- in fact, in many ways, the script can be considered a yuletide cautionary tale written by Dickens sans the spectral spirits- it can easily be dismissed; there is never a feeling that the viewer is being spoonfed one propaganda or another. The soliloquies rendered by Jorgenson and Garfield at the end form the killer application of the piece. They deliver two diverse, diametrically opposed filters on the same subject, and both participants challenge all of us to come up with a sane, informed opinion regarding it. Jorgenson isn't right necessarily, and neither is Garfield; as we begin to squint the lenses of our collective mental faculties, we see that the black and white sides of the arguments converge into a tenuous gradient of grays. Both are idealists, and perhaps it is accurate to say that whatever set of ideals fit the mitigating circumstances of the time will win out in the end.

OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY is a film worthy of attention. It won't change a person's life, certainly, but it will provide good entertainment value and an educational look at corporate dealings. Even in these post-80s times, it is still more than relevant; in fact, it will always be relevant. After all, every generation has its own Chrylser bailout, LTCM collapse, and Enron debacle; you can most definitely invest your money in that.

When Is It Coming Out On DVD?
This is one of my favorite movies. The plot is excellent and it's a great comedy. Danny DeVito suits that role perfect. I wish it was available on DVD. ... Read more

Reviews (61)

Excellent futuristic sports film with a message
Definately one of the best science fiction films ever to grace the big screen, and one of James Cann's finer films. Rollerball is an excellent futuristic ports film with a message. A message that informs the audience of a future that could happen. Corproartions running the world, as well as Orwellian themes. The film tells the story of a Rollerball player Jonathan E. who is the top player in a violent futuristic sport that is a combination of roller derby, ice hockey, football, and gladiatorial fighting. The film has outstanding sets, costumes, music, characters, a solid plot, and good actors. Indeed an international flavor. One that ITC Entertainment could have produced. The film also tells the story of how the corporation wants Jonathan to retire from the game for fear of him being too good for his own good, and fear of him in general. Yet, Jonathan does not want to retire, which leads to the corporation making certain decisions that would make Jonathan retire. Retire or die.

The film has some violent moments, bordering on the graphic and explosive. Yet, it is still entertaining and enjoyable to watch. Filmed on location at Pinewood Studios in London, England and Munich, Germany, the film truly represents a 21st Century world that could very well happen. The ending of the fi