Reviews (8)

please, a dvd....
been looking for this movie since ages and it's not available anywhere,i wish you could consider putting it on dvd...it's a wonderfull movie, not made anymore!!!

Drove out to California to meet Jill Kinmont!
After my husband and I saw the original movie, we drove out to California to meet Jill Kinmont, the girl who the movie was about. I was also in an accident and am a paraplegic in a wheelchair and my name is Jill.

We met Jill, her Mom and her boyfriend. All very nice people. I wanted to get the DVD, but see it's only out in VHS, so I will wait until it comes out on DVD. This was a very inspirational movie for everyone, especially for me! This movie has special memories for me.

It's been a long time...
I don't own this film, but came across it by accident while browsing on Amazon. I haven't seen it in over 20 years, but somehow the power of Marilyn Hassett's performance came to mind. I remember it and am looking forward to a DVD version. Anyone else agree? Since it's out of print, there are blood-suckers out there capitalizing on its unavailability. Give us a DVD and let the blood-suckers stew in their greed. I remember great photography and wonderful music, as well as Hassett, whose career didn't take off. Pity.

I BEG YOU TO RELEASE THE DVD ,PLEASE!!!
IT'S HARD TO BE MOVED OR TOUCHED BY MOVIES NOWADAYS,AND THIS ONE MADE ME CRIED LIKE A BABY.I AM BEGGING YOU TO RELEASE THE DVD VERSION OF THIS STRICKINGLY BEAUTIFUL MOVIE.

Beautiful, rich and tragic
The film was richly acted and memoriable, about the skiier whose tragic fate changed her life to that of a paraplegic. Equally tragic, was her friend who suffered from polio, but triumphantly rose out of the iron lung to battle this ugly disease which affficted some of the population. It is about Kinmont's struggle to reclaim her independence and to understand her newly aquired disability with a courageous face. A must for everyone to see. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Philip Roth's novel of Jewish identity and assimilation in the suburbs of New York gets a spirited comic reading in this 1969 film, which marked the acting debut of model Ali McGraw (and who thought that was a good idea?). Actually, she's pretty good as the Jewish princess whose father has made a fortune in plumbing supplies. Richard Benjamin, who went on to become an odd sex symbol of the '70s, had just the right comic twist as the young man who can't overcome McGraw's middle-class morality with his sense of passion and romance. Jack Klugman is outstanding as her hard-driving and unyieldding father. A touchstone film. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Sweet Teen Memories
I saw this movie when it first came out in 1969 with my first real boyfriend. Somehow, even though our situation was nothing like the one portrayed in the movie, I really identified with Neil & Brenda's relationship. Maybe it was the intensity of the relationship, or maybe, I was just a silly 16 year old, ah youth!!!
Even though this movie is 35 years old, it still has a very contempoary feel, and there is a genuine chemistry between Ali McGraw & Richard Benjamin, which is a great credit to both Benjamin & the director of this film, because Ali McGraw is one of the world's worst actors. I must admit, Ali was a beautiful girl, I was so jealous of her & her model skinny body. She looked great in all those Villager & Bobbi Brooks outfits.
Anyway, enough of my musings. I highly recommend this movie, basically, it's just a good story.

Fond and Eternal Memories
I saw this film while I had first entered high school way back when. This movie holds a special place in my heart. The film was told through the eyes of Neil Klugman (Richard Benjamin). I know he was enraptured by the lovely Brenda Patimkin (Ali MacGraw) but I also knew he had another eye on the success of her family. I know that I had my eye on Ali MacGraw. At that time in my life she was the epitome of poise, grace and beauty. The way I see this film it is about two lovers or would-be lovers that never seem to be on the same page. Benjamin is genuinely attracted to MacGraw but does she really like him or is he just a convenient partner for her sexual coming of age? Is she just using him? Then there is a change. By the end of the film you wonder if the message is that you make the bed that you sleep in. I read Phillip Roth's novel after I had seen the film. I thought the scene in both the film and novel where Brenda and Neil first meet was heartfelt and magical. However, the most memorable scene in the entire film is between Ali MacGraw and Jack Klugman (Mr. Patimkin, Brenda's dad) at the wedding. Jack Klugman gave an excellent performance throughout this film. But in this wedding scene you can really feel a father trying to protect his daughter from the worldliness of life and if only he could really be there all the time for her to help ease her pain. This film may look dated but for me it is eternal.

"It Must Be summer if Doris is Reading 'War and Peace'..."
For years "Goodbye Columbus" has been an old movie favorite of mine, popping up sporatically on late night, broadcast television in various edited forms. I'm delighted, that this satirical 'slice of life', romantic-comedy (based on a novella by author, Phillip Roth) has now finally made it's appearence in the DVD format. The story is pretty simple. Neil Klugman (Richard Benjamin) is a guest at his Cousin, Doris' ritzy, country club. It is there, he catches sight of and is instantly attracted to the beautiful, Brenda Patimkin (Ali MacGraw). This poor young man from the Bronx asks out and starts dating the wealthy, spoiled girl from Westchester. We watch the relationship blossom over the course of the summer, as Neil falls in love with Brenda and gets involved with her crazy family. On the simplest level, this film is a satirical look at being young, Jewish and dating in 1960's suburbia. But it is also a film about being young and not knowing what you want out of life. Throughout the film, Neil is questioned repeatly about his low paying, Librarian's job and what his plans are. The truth is he dosn't really know. He dosn't want to "grub his whole life away trying to make money", yet he also finds the counter-culture answers of 1960's youth just as ridiculous.The film looks at the different view points on a variety of topics (sex, marriage, children, work) between baby boomers and the WWII generation, that came before them. This is all wrapped up in delicious satire, that pokes fun at Jewish life in suburbia (including, the most overly ostentatious wedding ever put on film). Director, Larry Peerce and Screen Writer, Arnold Schulman have created a wry movie, which is both humorus and inciteful.I love the scene where Brenda's father gives Neil a speech about the "contempt" that today's youth show for their elders. He pointly reminds Neil, that at one time he felt the same way. The casting for the film is also brillant. Actor, Richard Benjamin shines as the young man in love, who is trying to find his place in life as well as among Brenda's loud and obnoxious family. Ali MacGraw (in one of her first roles) is equally good as the spoiled, rich girl. But the cast member who really gives a memorable performance is actor Jack Klugman as Brenda's Father, Ben. He gives a great nuanced reading, showing us a father who works hard, loves his family and will do anything to make his daughter happy. The DVD itself has both good and bad points. The mastering of the picture is crytal clear, but the sound is only fair (but what do you expect from a 1969 film). The DVD is bare bones without any extras (not even a trailer). I would have loved to hear audio comentaries from either Bejamin or MacGraw. This is a great film comedy which makes for a wonderful evening of entertainment! Highly recommended!

WATCHABLE
I SAW THE MOVIE AND I LIKED IT.. BUT I JUST DIDN'T LIKE THE ENDING. I WOULD PROBABLY WATCH IT AGAIN THOUGH.

WHAT IS THE VERY BEST THING(S) ABOUT (MISS) AIL (MACGRAW) (?
IT'S HER TOTAL PURELY SENCE'S WHERE SHE IS TOTALY NAKE AND HER UNTANS LINES ARE PURELY WHITE HAS HER OWN RUMBER WAS PURELY WHITE HAS YOU COULD POSSIBLE SEE WITH YOUR OWN EYES JUST BY LOOKING AT IT IS ENOUGH TO TURN YOU ON? JUST LIKE MOVIE GOSER'S LIKE ME AND MY BAD FRIENDS ARE THINKING TO ARE OWN SELF? THAT WE WILL SEE SOMETHINGS LIKE THIS AGAIN AND AGAIN SO WE WILL SURELY HAVE THE VERY BEST HOT SEAT IN THE VIEWING HER NAKE AND BED SENCES AND HER SHOWER SENCES IN MY AND MY BAD AND GOOD MEN IN GOOD FAITH IN THE PUBLIC EYES? (LARRY MILLER TOLD AND THE REPORTER FOR THIS PRINTED NEWS ITEM HERE IT'S DONE BY HIM LARRY MILLER IN CAMPBELL CALIFORNIA. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

For those that grew up loving Elizabeth Taylor
For anyone who admires glamorous films that have style and class and a bit of an old fashioned feel about them then "Ash Wednesday" is a viewing experience to cherish. It is without a doubt my favourite of Elizabeth Taylor's later day performances and while not a huge blockbuster upon its release in 1973 it certainly contains a great performance by this legendary actress and a rare opportunity to admire her breathtaking beauty in magnificent settings.

"Ash Wednesday" tells the rather sad story of Barbara Sawyer (Elizabeth Taylor) a wealthy woman from Detroit who is entering that difficult period of her life when her visual charms are fading and her equally ageing husband (Henry Fonda)is experiencing his own late midlife crisis and looking elsewhere to help make him feel young again. Driven by a desire to please her husband and save her marriage she travels to Italy and undergoes extensive plastic surgery in the vain hope that all their marital problems will evaporate. What she realises is that time has moved on and both of them have changed over time and now have different needs and directions to go off in. "Ash Wednesday" contains a beautifully restrained performance from Elizabeth. She is in turn afraid of the consequences of the surgery, joyful at the superb results, apprehensive about her husband's feelings towards her and developing a growing confidence in her ability to once again be an interesting and attractive woman in her own right. Often accused of allowing herself to become locked into variations of her Oscar winning performance as Martha in "Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf" here Elizabeth takes on a whole different type of character and one which suits her perfectly. Barbara is no shrieking harridan, just a woman rediscovering herself and learning a bit about life and how it works in the process.

One of the main attractions of this film is having a unique opportunity to view the last real appearance by Elizabeth Taylor in a glamorous role . For those of you like myself that haved loved Elizabeth Taylor for years and like to see her in roles where she is at her most beautiful then "Ash Wednesday" is the film for you. Never in her 1970's roles has she looked so beautiful as here, exquisitely gowned by Valentino and the legendary Edith Head to perfection. The film was shot largely on location in the famed Italian Ski Resort of Cortina and the vista's depicted in the film are stunning and really contribute to the overall splendid look of the film. Indeed "Ash Wednesday" is a literal feast for the eyes in so many ways. Elizabeth's teaming with Henry Fonda is an interesting one and came about just as the famed Taylor/Burton collaborations on screen where coming to an end and each was pursuing projects individually. Fonda has only a small role in the last half of the film and his character while world weary and intelligent is a bit of a disappointment considering the lengths that Barbara has gone to try and please him. One standout in the supporting cast is Keith Baxter as David the much facelifted high fashion photographer who befriends Barbara in the hospital and eventually gives her the courage to face up to a new life. He is at times funny, caring and a hive of energy and his work contrasts very nicely with Elizabeth's beautiful underplaying of her role. Also effective is Helmut Berger as Barbara's admirer at the ski resort. Judged the most beautiful man in films around this time Berger had the right combination of good looks and style to be totally at home in the role of the eternal playboy who has no real purpose to his life.

Most controversial of all in regard to "Ash Wednesday" were the very explicit surgery scenes that were incorporated into the film. Supposedly showing Barbara going under the knife for a total face and body lift they in actual fact were real surgery scenes of an operation taking place. They certainly are not for the faint hearted and for the parts that Elizabeth Taylor had to appear in an insurance policy of next to a million dollars was taken out on her face.

"Ash Wednesday" is an old fashioned romantic story lovingly put together. Up against the fad for disaster movies then in vogue this film really couldn't compete at the box office but I have real affection for it and enjoy it time and again. The sight of Elizabeth Taylor in all her old style movie queen splendour is a sight to behold and indeed it points back to the days of old Hollywood when actresses were made to resemble goddesses. Enjoy "Ash Wednesday" for a trip down memory lane to film making as it used to be.

Trippy, campy, and furry
This was Dominick Dunne's offering to the world before he cleaned up his substance abuse problem (he admits to this). I, for one, am glad he was still "doin' his thang" while he produced it, because its bizarre emphasis on the power--and surgical gore--of the facelift would have been lost otherwise. The film has a voyeuristic, look-at-that-car-crash-honey quality to it, and Liz "before" the facelift is a hoot to see. Deeeeelish!

La Liz the Great!
Gay men have treasured this unabashed tribute to the once phenomenal beauty of la Liz since "Ash Wednesday" came out in l973. Some day, the rest of the world will appreciate this movie as Liz's last glamour movie and a chance at last to act with somebody besides that hambone scene-eater Richard Burton who she demanded co-star with her in one disaster after another. Filmed on location in Italy's famed Cortina ski resort, you've never seen the 41-year-old Taylor look as spell-binding as she does here. An Oscar should have gone to her personal make-up artist, Albert De Rossi, for creating her stunning make-up; to Alexandre of Paris for her classic hair-styles; to Edith Head for whipping up the fabulous furs, velvet gowns, robes worn by the star; and especially to French couturier,Valentino for the knock-out white turban and ermine lined ensemble worn by Liz to the resort's mardi gras ball. Producer Dominic Dunne wrote in his memoirs that more drama occurred behind the camera than on. Liz was breaking up with Burton. Dunne says she was drinking heavily, over-dosed, relentlessly late, was rushed to the hospital for a mysterious condition, had operatic confrontations with her promiscuous spouse and Burton accused her of having an affair with her hunky on-screen lover, Helmet Berger, which caused everyone to laugh. Berger was the lover of Italian director Luscino Visconti. Incredibly, none of this tumult appears on film. Cameraman Ennio Guaninieri bathed Taylor in beautiful light and shadows. Before Taylor resumed making her string of disasters where she shrieked like a harridan, looked hideous in funhouse clothes and huge hair of the 70s, we can all watch Ash Wednesday and drool over this dark little fantasy about a woman who has her entire body lifted--just to impress her cold-fish of a husband, played with zero flash and fire by Henry Fonda. Couldn't Liz have gotten the ravishing Rod Taylor, probably the most magnificent looking male star eye candy of the 70s?

Liz's Exquisite Magnum Opus
While this film may not rival any of Elizabeth Taylor's classic films from the 1950s or '60s, it never tried to be anything other than a showcase for her magnificent beauty, which ironically is the film's main fault. My only complaint with this film is that it is responsible for my life-long infatuation with Elizabeth Taylor. I unequivocally fell in love with La Divinity Liz at a tender age, seeing her not in National Velvet or A Place in the Sun, Cleopatra or even Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Lord help the boy who falls in love with Martha--I pity poor George), but in Ash Wednesday, a film whose title should perhaps be Smashed Wednesday, judging from the film's producer Dominick Dunne's own admission of the drug and alcohol consumption of the film's participants.

While the film was not a "megahit" at the box office and was not well-regarded critically (it also earned little praise from feminists), Ash Wednesday is a stunning showcase for Elizabeth Taylor's exquisite, almost surreal beauty. I saw this film for the first time on television in the 70s, several years after its theatrical release, and fell instantly in love with this beautifully wicked screen goddess, ET. Essentially, this film is a a very strong testament to Elizabeth Taylor's enduring beauty, well preserved and documented in this magnum opus pop culture commentary on plastic surgery.

This film had a point to make, but we lose interest right..
from the beginning. Because the film is so boring, we don't really care to know what the point was.

ASH WEDNESDAY is about a middle-aged woman, who is undergoing a middle-age crisis, elememts of which include her having an extensive plastic surgery and a young lover. It is a "we have to value what we've got" sort of thing.

Except for the great Henry Fonda, who appears only in couple of scenes, all actors are complete ham. I did not feel any genuine emotion coming from the screen, I didn't laugh, and I was not entertained. On my list, these are the characteristics of a bad movie. I am sorry to hurt the feelings of all die-hard Elizabeth Taylor fans: she is a true star, but even her costumes could not save this film. It is dull and pretentious! ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Your worst nightmare--and a killer cast
If this movie doesn't make you jump out of your skin, you're dead. A very young Martin Sheen ( a street punk)and his buddy (Tony Musante)terrorize a subway car full of passengers that represent a cross-section of human demographics. It's gritty (filmed in B&W) and as the punks (Musante is a forerunner to the junkies from the Basketball Diaries) move from rider to rider, the outrage moves to a horrifying climax.

Beau Bridges plays the only character with the courage of his convictions. There are other outstanding cameos by Brock Peters, Ruby Dee, Gary Merrill and Jack Guilford.

...This is a seminal indie flick. If you're into Sundance or IFC, buy this film!

Powerful stuff!
First, the bad news. The plot structure is cookie-cutter, with a parade of urban stereotypes being summarily humiliated by two punks on a subway train (and thus reinforcing a pretty bleak view of humanity). It's all too neat and orderly, and the victims are such a distinct cross-section of types that the script starts to feel like a school project before too long. That being said, SEE THIS FILM! Its visceral power overcomes all my objections. Musante is terrifying (and has never since been as effective), and Bridges looked like such a baby back then that my fear for his safety was palpable. The location set and the black and white cinematography both add to the overall gritty texture. And as long as I live, I'll never be able to put out of my mind the final, inevitable showdown (which I won't disclose here). I'll just be forever grateful to the filmmakers for shooting this scene without music. All you hear are the wheels of the train and the gasps of the onlookers. (And if nothing else I've said has persuaded you, consider this -- Ed McMahon is in it, and I'm still recommending it!)

Don't ride the A train, take a cab.
I saw this movie last nite, (again) and it never fails to hold my interest as it did, the first time I saw it. It's up there with Citizen Kane,, and Sunset Blvd. Two hoodlums terrorize a subway train,subjecting each of the passengers to their own little "terror' throughout their ride. When it seems that no one will do anything to stop them , the young soldier, has enough. Even with a broken arm, he tries to stop them from harassing a young family. I won't give away any ending, such as one, reviewer did earlier, (and then said he wouldn't) and also, for his information the young black actor was Brock Peters, not Sidney (or as he said, Sodney) Poiter. Once you start to watch this film you will be riveted.

ONE OF THE GREAT THEATRICAL MOVIES OF ALL TIME
This is a marvelous movie dealing with the terrorizing of a subway car by two psychopaths. The movie, shot in black and white, combines the genres of film noir and the theatrical movie; that is, the movie's set , a subway car, is constant, and the finely drawn characters make this a movie which could have just as easily be a play; andother example is"Twelve Angry Men."

The film begins slowly as we are introduced to the finely drawn characters, except for the psychopaths, as they eventually converge on the subway. Each of these characters has what is now rather blithely called "issues," which tey try to work out before boarding the train, and to a lesser extent as the bounce their issues off of the invaders.

The two maniacs take turns harassing, verbally as well as physically all the members of the train. The suspense is unbearable as you wait for one of the passengers to take matters into his or her hands.

Sodney Poitier is cast as a man with a grudge against all white society; and when one of the creeps began harassing Sidney, using racial epitets and rudenss and crudeness, Sidney jumps out of his seat, face screwed up in rage and has to be coaxedback to te set by his wife. Amusingly the numero uno creep lets him be.

Finally one of the passengers does jump up and though knifed makes mincemeat out of both guys. You may not have seen this movie --and if you havent you shouldnt be reading any reviews. But you may yet to see this fine movie so I'm not going to spoil it for you. Suffice to say it was totally unexpected to me; there is a very sublte verbal foreshadowing before the denouemnet which may give it to you if you listen carefully.
Don't miss this one. This movie is example of why I rarely bother watching anything after 1980.

Stunningly Classic Underground Movie
Mention The Incident to anyone you know who calls themselves "movie fiends" and they will look at you like a deer caught in headlights. This beautifully shot, John Cassavettes style pic, is surely the thorn in the side of NYC MTA. It's no doubt they may be the ones keeping this little known gem out of DVDs reach-as I am not sure how they could pull something like this off in modern times.

Strung together with an ALL STAR cast, modern dialoge, gritty b/w shooting style, this well-acted piece slices through the viewer like a hot knife through butter-only to crest at an breath-taking ending (don't forget to inhale). Sure it works on cliches, on many levels, interjected with spackles of humour, but if you've ever ridden the NY Subway system, your all to aware of how this does and can happen on a daily basis. This is on of the best sleeper films of the last 50 years of American cinema. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Show some emotion Gene
I'm telling you now, don't read this unless you've seen the movie, because I spoil it. In my English class, we read the novel as a class. I liked the book and I thought it wasn't that bad. Then, we watched the movie. I can tell you that my whole class kept laughing at the bad acting. From when you see Finny on the ground after he falls when Gene jumps in the water, to Gene's completly emotionless reaction when he learns that Finny has died. Many of the parts were changed. Such as the scene in the butt room and the movie is nothing like I thought it would be. I just have to say that I thought the actor who played Brinker was really hot. So, the movie was fine but the acting was laughable.

Overall, not too shabby
Poor John Heyl. Whatever happened to him...? He played Phineas in this film and did so rather well, I thought. Parker Stevenson is a very unfortunate, one-dimensional, barely-able-to-convince-us-he's-a-real-character Gene; this is troublesome since the entire story behind "A Separate Peace" is really's Gene's own. The supporting cast did a fine job...the actor who played Leper was credible, and Brinker's role was filled very adeptly as well. What pleased me most was the firm adherence of the film to Knowles' novel, which is one of my favorite works of American literature. I'd like to see the 2003 made-for-TV version of the book but cannot locate it on VHS; the 1972 rendition is still, in my opinion, a tremendously commendable adaptation.

A "Dead Poet" type of Story
A good portrayal of Gean (Parker Stevenson)& Finny(John Heyl), & the tension between the lead characters is already evident within the first few minutes of the movie.

The setting depicted at the Devon School where there is a dangerous diving tree (very high and scary above the river) and the physical tension between the two roomates portends what will happen later in the story.

While I had a little trouble getting over the "Hardy Boy" image of Parker Stevenson, he still makes a handsom Gean and John Heyl a more athletic and outgoing Finny.

Needless to say the jealously builds in Gean as the story continues and the sad truth is Finny is really his best friend (of course Gean can't see through his jealousy). While this movie can't approach the charm and quality of a more contemoporary classic like Dead Poets Society, it is faithfull to the book and the gloomy mood of World War II where we're really not sure the world is friendly or not.

It is a haunting and lamenting type of story that should be of value to any of today's youth, that negative actions played out today can have really bad consequences. Once you've really "screwed up" you can't take it back easily & you may regret youthful mistakes the rest of your life!

In the end Gean makes his seperate peace by revisiting the school (much later in life) and in some small way remembering Finny if only to beg his forgiveness (much like returning war veterans revisiting Vietnam or the Beach of Normandy making their peace with the wars of their time).

P.S. I'd never trust a review by a 12 year old, they're usually bored easily and can't sit still for more than 10 minutes. A message from a grumpy old man!

Good for its kind
I was in this film, along with about 100 other preppies. It's pretty close to the book, with a few minor changes. Some parts will remind you of Owen Meany. The staircase will.
The trial scene is too long, but the Hampton Beach footage is beautifully done. I don't see any other way of filming it.

A decent adaptation of the novel
This movie closely follows the novel, with few changes that cause very minor distractions. I do not recommend watching the movie prior to reading the novel. Gene's internal dialogue is lost on the screen, and therefore does not reveal his growing jealousy, anger, and guilt as successfully as the book. The story itself is a great portrayal of young men struggling to mature during World War II. Many of the negative reviews must come from 15 year old students who were forced to read the book - or others who are just too ignorant to pick up on the important themes.
Though the acting is second rate, the story remains timeless. I don't think they were trying to win any Oscars here. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Not Good
John Belushi was a great comedian.

"Wired" is not a great movie. True, the material follows that which is transcribed in Bob Woodward's biography of Belushi. However, unlike the serious normality of the book, "Wired" is doomed from the start - I am spoiling nothing to say that the beginning of the movie has the ghost of Belushi trying to escape the autopsy room in just a hospital sheet for clothing.

I find that to be a rather grim idea and way to present this movie. Whilst Michael Chiklis does a passable impersonation of John Belushi, the supporting cast seem to be sleepwalking their way through this film.

Unlike the book that "Wired" comes after, the movie is erraticly paced - slow and plodding most of the time, interspersed with scenes of high energy that have little effect.

I don't mean to sound deliberately harsh about "Wired". It's just best to steer clear if you're a fan of Belushi - I know that I am and watching this movie, I learnt nothing I didn't already know. Stick to the book if you want to learn about John Belushi, and give this decidedly hit-and-miss movie a miss.

Don't waste your time or money
If you are a John Belushi fan or Michael Chiklis fan do yourself a favor... DON'T BUY THIS TAPE! This movie stinks! I am a huge Belushi fan and I like Chiklis in The Shield, but watching this movie just made me feel sorry for both of them. It has a rotten plot, premise and script. Please, for the love of humanity, stay away from this movie. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Pretty strange for a Biopic
Not much could be said about John Belushi's life. He lived it way too fast and that was what killed him. I've only recently heard from a friend that they actually made a movie about Belushi, much like they did to other SNL stars who have passed on, like Andy Kaufman and Gilda Radner. It was then did I hear the film was blasted by numerous critics and fans at the box office, calling it a piece of garbage that would make John spin in his grave. I figured it was worth seeing, becaue I was a big fan of his, so I managed to buy a copy (for only $0.98, when about a week later, it went up to about $70!) from Ebay. Not expecting much, I tuned in and became wired (no pun intended). Essentially, the whole film is like Charles Dicken's "A Christmas Carol" with a nasty twist in the end.

Most importantly, the film is played out like A JOHN BELUSHI FILM, not a film about john belushi. No, that's not supposed to be Michael Chiklis playing John...that's actually John! Ah, forget it.

Well, how do we start? We open up on the evening of March 5, 1982, with the dead body of Belushi being reeled into a morgue. Hey awakens, suddenly, as if nothing had happened to him recently. Frightened and confused, John attempts to escape the morgue dressed only in a blanket. He's then picked up by a cab driver, named "Angel"...oh, geez, I guess you know where this is going. Angel is John's Puerto Rican Guardian Angel ("Well you sure f**cked up, pal!") and his job is to take John back into the past and show him basically where he screwed up. Meanwhile, after hearing about John's death, Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward jumps on the topic, wondering about whether or not he should investigate. During this time, we are shown SNL skits that have never existed (Samurai baseball?!?), songs that the Blues Brothers never have sung (634-5789) and an ending that may prove John attempted to save his life from the speedball his took by playing a game of pinball with Angel!

It's very pathectic, yes, but then again, no one else would do a Belushi biopic. The cast is very weird. Chiklis however is very, very good with Belushi and gets his voice, look and style down good, while the others need some practice. Larry Grooms, who plays Dan Aykroyd, looks more like Kevin Nelon and sounds more like Jimmy Stuwart. Don't even get me started on the guy who played John Landis. Geez, he didn't even look like the guy! Much less, sound like him! J.T. Walsh is basically the only celebrity in the film and he was pretty good playing straight as an arrow Bob Woodward. Some scene were quite odd, like the confrontation between Woodward and Belushi (WTF?) in what the director was trying to say was "Purgatory". The ending kinda hints that Belushi went to Hell, which upsetted many fans (including me). The budget supposively was so shoe-string, that they couldn't get the rights to several of the SNL skits, (which is the reason for the random and lame skits that they show instead). I suggest that WIRED should be redone into a better movie! Period!

Even if this movie were better, it would still be awful
As others have mentioned, if this movie had been filmed in the book's style (worth reading, by the way), it could have been terrific. Instead, they messed up the movie with some really dumb fiction that ruins everything else. The movie starts out with John Belushi's body being wheeled into the morgue, and his ghost gets up off the table and does the whole "looking back on my life" bit. This is annoyingly unbearable! Even the most diehard Belushi fan will find this to be a frustrating waste of time. I was incredibly disappointed. Most definitely this is a "walk out" movie where most people would prefer to be doing anything but watching it! Save your money and get the Woodward book, "Wired." You'll enjoy the book far more.

Obscene
I was one of the unfortunate people who actually saw this movie in a theatre (me and three others: two walked out and the other would have but I was his ride).
I'd read the book a couple of times and was impressed with its lean reportage and strict adherence to facts.
Then I saw this movie....
It's bad enough to go through the harrowing final days of Belushi in the book, but the movie takes it one disturbing step further: John didn't just die, he went to hell.
Was this some producer's revenge for John denying the industry future profits for movies he wouldn't be around to make anymore? "Hey, Belushi's crowd is a wild-and-crazy audience, so let's make his tragic death a wild-and-crazy movie!"
I'm glad this movie tanked.

Chiklis does such a wonderful job of playing Belushi, but--for anyone who even remotely liked Belushi--this movie is infuriating and depressing. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

A little less than the original, but its good
The continuation of the struggle of Kinmont is occassionally met with setbacks, and her insensitivity to other people as well as to her own. The dialogues tends to be off the mark, but the most heart warming scene is the extreme sensitivity of her new boyfriend who loves her unconditionally and who wants to help her inspite of her disability. The fault is not the actors who portayed the life of Kinmont with dignity, and those who surround her with their influence. Its hard to say how much I like the movie on the first part, but I love the part of love and how it is spoken from the heart. Rating for coarse language is not included in this review.

Horrible Sequel
I hated this, if you liked the first this is a complete waste of your time. It seems to have nofactual basis and the film makers ruined it.

A Great "Feel Good" Movie
I have seen both of the Other Side of the Mountain movies. But Part 2 touched me the most. Jill Kinmont is an inspiration and John Boothe is a hero. I feel the movie captured the immediate attraction and eventually love felt by Jill and John. What makes this a great love story is that it is a true love story. Marylin Hassett and Timothy Bottoms had tremendous chemistry (Marilyn and Timothy should have made more movies together) and I am sure made Jill and John Boothe proud with their performances. This is a great "date movie".

A wonderfully heartfelt movie
I have seen both movies, of course "The Other Side of the Mountain" and this one. It's always heartbreaking to see a young life at the peak of a dream they have worked so hard for, come to such a disasterous end. Jill Kinmont was a great skier and slated for the olympics until she dived off a mountain leaving her paralyzed from the chest down. She is a very brave person and I have great admiration for all her courage and the way she fought her way back to doing something in life she loved. She had many tragedies in her life, with her boyfriend deserting her after the accident, and the boy she later loved getting killed in a plane accident, and the Father she adored dying. Thank goodness she had a wonderful Mother willing to care for her completely and she had her job cut out for her. She required a lot of care.

Timothy Bottoms came on the scene and it was almost love at first sight for both of them. How many men in the world would want that kind of responsibility? Yet, he did! It would take someone very special and obviously he is. She was fortunate enough to have had two men love her like that. I thought this was a wonderful movie and knowing it is a true story makes it even more special. I will watch it over and over and recommend it highly to anyone.

From the So-bad-it's-good Dept.
Not liking this movie in no way reflects critically on the skier's life and misfortune; understand that first. That having been said, I have to tell you that I hated this movie and the Hallmarkesque treatment it gave this skier's tragic story. The filmmakers didn't care about Kinmont; they had both eyes on the audience, with plenty of Kleenex at the ready. I used to discuss one part of this movie in my college English classes as an example of how not to tell a story:

SPOILER ALERT

For those of you who saw it, remember when the phone call comes, informing the family of her lover's death? I swear, that call was followed by a slow pan across each family member's face as he or she cried, culminating in Marilyn Hassett bawling away for us. Am I right? How can a movie move anyone to tears when it's doing all the crying? This was the visual equivalent of purple prose, but, as you can see from the other posts here, purple prose sells, else it wouldn't exist. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Queenie...
Mia Sara stars as the beautiful half-caste, Merle Oberon. After being accused of murder, Queenie escapes the misery of Calcutta and travels to London. Later on as Queenie rises to the heights of Hollywood superstardom, she gets an offer to star in a film which is to be filmed in Calcutta...
Queenie is based on the the novel by Michael Korda.
The first part of the film shot about Queenie's early years are much more interesting than the years that follow ... in London & Hollywood.
A moving picture, with great performances.

Want a Classic !!!!!!!!!!! I wish this was on DVD
I think this movie was a Classic, It had very nice love story. My Favorite preson in the movie was Queenie, and I think her boyfriend was VERY HOTT!!!!!!! So if you like LOVE movies buy this one. P.S. I wish they make it on DVD...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Queenie would never tell
After reading "Queenie" by Michael Korda, the book on which this movie is based, I looked forward to seeing the TV adaptation. Oh, the actors were competent and believable enough and looked adequately like the characters in the novel to be convincing. The production values as evident in the wardrobe, scenery and location shooting were impressive. And on top of that you have the great Kirk Douglas! Yet all these assets could not make up for what I found to be disappointing in the cop-out ending. Obviously the powers that be found the bleak ending in the book to be undesirable for prime-time viewers and thus changed it to a typical Hollywood happy ending. I found this to be quite unbelievable that Queenie, who had spent a great deal of her time, energy and life suppressing her lowly background and mixed heritage, would announce to the world who she really was. Especially in 1930's Hollywood, which was racially intolerant when it came to that sort of thing and in real life would have shunned her with such a revelation. My advice would be to stop the tape and not watch such a saccharine ending which compromised what otherwise could have been a better film.

Maybe if I didn't read the book and know the story behind it I would have enjoyed this movie more. "Queenie" in reality was Merle Oberon (born Merle Estelle Thompson O'Brien, the half-caste daughter of an Indian mother and Irish father), the exotically beautiful star during Hollywood's Golden Age of the 30's and 40's. Like Queenie, Merle underwent much hardship and effort--first by taking off for England from India to escape prejuduce and a dead-end life for a new beginning there, where her fair skin and unusually ravishing appearance allowed her to "pass" and become a hostess under the name of Queenie O'Brien at the world-famous Cafe de Paris. Then when she was discovered by famed film producer Sir Alexander Korda (played by Douglas as Sir David Konig), who made her an international star as well as his wife, she couldn't really enjoy her success and financial stability since always threatening it was her mixed heritage, which she spent her lifetime suppressing and denying--even to her death. If it had come to light and Tinseltown didn't reject her, then she probably woulda been cast as sexy foreign maid or native girl roles and not as a glamorous leading lady. Knowing this, that's why I find this movie superficial and it rings so hollow with me.

Queenie
When I first saw Queenie, I was immediately struck with the masterful depiction of British India. The bitter racial prejudice that permeated the environment was exceedingly well portrayed in Queenie's life story. It emphasized the ridiculousness of racial superiority, as Queenie was part Indian, yet no one could tell so merely by her appearance, as she looked quite white, and was treated thus by those who did not know her ancestry. This superficiality of skin color was a fantastic motif in the movie. Besides being rich in historical culture, however, Queenie also succeeded in being a movie about the power of the individual--Queenie persevered against all odds, fighting herself as well as her environment, yet at the end she is able to accept herself, and be proud of her heritage as well. In essence, this movie is a unique and classic archetypal story, richly done, and laudable. ... Read more

Reviews (21)

This is a great film if you love Rick Springfield' s music.
I really enjoyed "Hard to Hold" even though the critics trashed it, but then they've trashed everything Rick Springfield has ever done. I guess he's just too handsome, charming, and nice to be taken seriously as a musician or as an actor. Rick puts more of himself into his live concerts than any performer I've ever seen on stage and yes, I have seen Bruce Springsteen and Pink Floyd. Yes, I confess the dirty little secret: I'm a devoted fan of Rick's, and frankly "Hard to Hold" was exactly the movie I wanted to see as a fan. Great music and a romantic rock star falls in love with an ordinary girl story line. It's not exactly Wuthering Heights--although I'd bet Rick could do a great Heathcliff--but it features some of my favorite Springfield songs and a great message: You'd better love somebody because at the end of your time on this earth the love is all that really counts. This movie is a must for all Springfield fan and romantics! Do you believe in love and happy endings? Get yourself a big bowl of buttered popcorn and curl up with "Hard to Hold." You won't be disappointed.

AREN'T WE ALL HARD TO HOLD
ALL US GIRLS ARE HARD TO HOLD!! SOMETIEMS OUR MEN DO NOT KNOW HOW TO HOLD ON TO LOVE THAT IS TRUE. I SAW THIS MOVIE YEARS AGO AND I JUST OREDERD IT AGAIN BECAUSE I WANTED TO SEE THAT SEXY RICK AGAIN AND RELIVE THE LOVE AGAIN. AND TRY TO GET MY MAN TO BE LIKE RICK. HA HA SOMEDAY. ANYWAY I AM GLAD I FOUND THIS OLD MOVIE AND PLAN TO WATCH IT OVER AND OVER AND DROWL OVER RICK.
CHAT LATER, KIM1202

The fundamental things apply...and this movie proves it!
With the exception of Christopher Reeve's Somewhere In Time (1980), Rick Springfield's 1984 first full length major feature film, Hard to Hold, is probably the most underrated movie in the 80's romance film genre! Both were viciously rejected by the critics at the time, but discovered by the people one by one, and now both movies enjoy a cult following appeal and are frequently amongst the highest rented videos in most stores!
The commonalities between the two movies are readily evident. Both male characters are successful in creative fields (playwright and rock musician), both are feeling like "there's got to be something more than this" in their lives, they both are seek an enduring love, and both find it with women who are technically "unattainable".
That is where the similarities end. SIT is mired in the 1910's, and H2H is definitely a product of the 80's which still resonates with people today.
Musically, SIT was out of touch with the "Me generation.". While SIT is set to a Edwardian era highly sentimentalized "hearts and flowers" heart-fluttering, sugar sweet instrumental soundtrack, the highly charged, "living on the edge" rock music and lyrics in H2H captures the true spirit of the state of love and romance in the post-sexual revolution America where cynicism was more in effect than sentimentality. The songs are still sung today-Love Somebody still rings true today as it did back then as does Bop till You Drop and Stand Up!
Rick, as Jamie Roberts, almost appears autobiographical-as he did have a HUGE screaming teen fan base at that time which at times appears to have helped and hinder his career. In fact, the buttoned up female protagonist, Diana Larson, played by actress Janet Eilber, dismisses him and his musical style as "bubblegum" and expresses an affinity for crooner Tony Bennett. Come on, who admittedly listened to Tony Bennett back then? (Ok I did...but so what? I'm an anonmaly!)
Well, apparently, the way to that woman's heart (and bed) was through a Tony Bennett song. Let me tell you if someone hired a singer to serenade me, I'd leave my "heart in San Francisco" in a New York minute! How incredibly romantic is that? Yet, they don't drown us in sentimentality. I found it shocking at the time that they would talk about STI's so casually in a movie like that, but they were "keeping it real" in a society that not only expected it, but demanded it!
As for Rick's acting performance in H2H, my question is "Who's acting?" Every move he made seemed to be natural and an extension of himself. Janet's performance is reminiscent of Andie McDowell who would play in the 1994 romantic comedy 4 Weddings and a Funeral. Both actresses, in my view, appear more like cardboard cutouts instead of potentially passionate women-which was too bad. It made the movie drag a bit. I also enjoyed Patti Hanson's "songwriter-on-the-verge-of-nervous-breakdown" jealous ex-girlfriend. You want to hate her, but you really can't. She's just trying to make sense of her own angst, and let's face it, it's never easy to say goodbye, is it?
When I first saw the movie back in the 8's, I was not really ready for it. Far from ready. At the time I was very conservative and when the "fireplace scene" came up-the kinds of emotions and longings it stirred up in me freaked me out so much that I immediate shut off the video and drove it back to the store. I would not view that video again for at least 19 years!
I rented the video to hear Rick singing-and was rewarded with a fabulous commentary on the state of love and romance in the 80's! Now I play that fireplace scene over and over again. Not just for the majorly heartstopping sensuality of it all (the horniness factor, I must admit, is there!) but for the real "exposure" of two strong willed people who are willing to take a chance and be emotionally vulnerable to each other as well. Now that's truly a story to be told. So subtle, but so powerful at the same time.

One of the things I appreciate about this move is that it chronicalizes a time in our recent social history when it was often easier to give your body to someone than it was to give your heart. Presently, in this era of AIDS and so-called "family values", it seems like everyone wants to re-write their own history. Today, courtships are played out by the "Rules" and to hear people talk everyone was as chaste as the driven snow! I say not if you came of age in the late 70's and early 80's!
Back in the day, one- night stands were the rule, not the "exception." And no one used the "L" word for fear of appearing weak. Throughout the movie, Diane tries so hard to be a "modern woman" and act like it's a physical thing only. Only once does she tell Jamie she "cares" about him but it was Jamie who took the REAL chance on declaring his love for her during that famous "fireplace" scene!
It transcends time and space-that need to love and be loved. What woman wouldn't give her left arm to have someone look her in the eyes soulfully like that and whisper, "I love you" And mean it? Just the thought moves me to tears as I write this. In my not so humble opinion such a emotionally gripping love scene would not play on the screen again until the 1997 blockbuster Titanic.
Whether it is the 1910's, or the 2000's, love is "hard to hold" but well worth the attempt. As the classic song about another relationship involving a man named Rick says, "the fundamental things apply...as time goes by" and viewing this movie two decades later PROVES this fact!
I can watch this movie now, and while it is not in the Gone with the wind or Casablanca class, it does have a message of its own-primarily this: even if love sometimes seems Hard to Hold onto, don't give up! Hang on, enjoy the ride, take the risk...and if it is truly right-NEVER let it go. A rather positive and timely message especially applicable in this post 9/11 culture of fear and uncertainty where nearly everyone wants a "sure thing" when life holds no guarantees.

a memory picture
(my english is not good).
when i saw this picture i began to play the electric guitar, love somebody's song was a special theme to me.
now i play this type of music: BRYAN ADAMS, RICK SPRINGFIELD, JOURNEY, NIGHT RANGER, REO SPEEDWAGON, ETC.... 80's music.
¿what do you think?. i want to know if i can to buy this picture FROM CHIHUAHUA, MX., send me a e-mail to tell what i have to do.

thanks......

great for Rick Springfield fans & anyone who loves the 80s
I love this movie. I gave it four stars instead of five because the script is admittedly weak in places and the directing makes it look like a TV movie rather than a feature film. But none of that obscures the positive points of the movie.

It should be obvious that this film will hold the most appeal for fans of Rick Springfield. He is a much better actor than one might assume and plays some of the awkwardly-written swings of his character well. Janet Eilber does a good job as the conservative "ordinary" woman his character falls in love with. The weakest performance in the film is Patti Hansen's, as the rocker's songwriting partner and former girlfriend. She works hard but can't overcome the stilted dialogue she's given in most of her scenes.

The best part of the movie may be the music. The majority of the songs in the film are written and performed by Springfield and will be familiar to fans.

Not a great film, but one I enjoy a great deal. If you're a fan you will feel the same way. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Not Good
John Belushi was a great comedian.

"Wired" is not a great movie. True, the material follows that which is transcribed in Bob Woodward's biography of Belushi. However, unlike the serious normality of the book, "Wired" is doomed from the start - I am spoiling nothing to say that the beginning of the movie has the ghost of Belushi trying to escape the autopsy room in just a hospital sheet for clothing.

I find that to be a rather grim idea and way to present this movie. Whilst Michael Chiklis does a passable impersonation of John Belushi, the supporting cast seem to be sleepwalking their way through this film.

Unlike the book that "Wired" comes after, the movie is erraticly paced - slow and plodding most of the time, interspersed with scenes of high energy that have little effect.

I don't mean to sound deliberately harsh about "Wired". It's just best to steer clear if you're a fan of Belushi - I know that I am and watching this movie, I learnt nothing I didn't already know. Stick to the book if you want to learn about John Belushi, and give this decidedly hit-and-miss movie a miss.

Don't waste your time or money
If you are a John Belushi fan or Michael Chiklis fan do yourself a favor... DON'T BUY THIS TAPE! This movie stinks! I am a huge Belushi fan and I like Chiklis in The Shield, but watching this movie just made me feel sorry for both of them. It has a rotten plot, premise and script. Please, for the love of humanity, stay away from this movie. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Pretty strange for a Biopic
Not much could be said about John Belushi's life. He lived it way too fast and that was what killed him. I've only recently heard from a friend that they actually made a movie about Belushi, much like they did to other SNL stars who have passed on, like Andy Kaufman and Gilda Radner. It was then did I hear the film was blasted by numerous critics and fans at the box office, calling it a piece of garbage that would make John spin in his grave. I figured it was worth seeing, becaue I was a big fan of his, so I managed to buy a copy (for only $0.98, when about a week later, it went up to about $70!) from Ebay. Not expecting much, I tuned in and became wired (no pun intended). Essentially, the whole film is like Charles Dicken's "A Christmas Carol" with a nasty twist in the end.

Most importantly, the film is played out like A JOHN BELUSHI FILM, not a film about john belushi. No, that's not supposed to be Michael Chiklis playing John...that's actually John! Ah, forget it.

Well, how do we start? We open up on the evening of March 5, 1982, with the dead body of Belushi being reeled into a morgue. Hey awakens, suddenly, as if nothing had happened to him recently. Frightened and confused, John attempts to escape the morgue dressed only in a blanket. He's then picked up by a cab driver, named "Angel"...oh, geez, I guess you know where this is going. Angel is John's Puerto Rican Guardian Angel ("Well you sure f**cked up, pal!") and his job is to take John back into the past and show him basically where he screwed up. Meanwhile, after hearing about John's death, Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward jumps on the topic, wondering about whether or not he should investigate. During this time, we are shown SNL skits that have never existed (Samurai baseball?!?), songs that the Blues Brothers never have sung (634-5789) and an ending that may prove John attempted to save his life from the speedball his took by playing a game of pinball with Angel!

It's very pathectic, yes, but then again, no one else would do a Belushi biopic. The cast is very weird. Chiklis however is very, very good with Belushi and gets his voice, look and style down good, while the others need some practice. Larry Grooms, who plays Dan Aykroyd, looks more like Kevin Nelon and sounds more like Jimmy Stuwart. Don't even get me started on the guy who played John Landis. Geez, he didn't even look like the guy! Much less, sound like him! J.T. Walsh is basically the only celebrity in the film and he was pretty good playing straight as an arrow Bob Woodward. Some scene were quite odd, like the confrontation between Woodward and Belushi (WTF?) in what the director was trying to say was "Purgatory". The ending kinda hints that Belushi went to Hell, which upsetted many fans (including me). The budget supposively was so shoe-string, that they couldn't get the rights to several of the SNL skits, (which is the reason for the random and lame skits that they show instead). I suggest that WIRED should be redone into a better movie! Period!

Even if this movie were better, it would still be awful
As others have mentioned, if this movie had been filmed in the book's style (worth reading, by the way), it could have been terrific. Instead, they messed up the movie with some really dumb fiction that ruins everything else. The movie starts out with John Belushi's body being wheeled into the morgue, and his ghost gets up off the table and does the whole "looking back on my life" bit. This is annoyingly unbearable! Even the most diehard Belushi fan will find this to be a frustrating waste of time. I was incredibly disappointed. Most definitely this is a "walk out" movie where most people would prefer to be doing anything but watching it! Save your money and get the Woodward book, "Wired." You'll enjoy the book far more.

Obscene
I was one of the unfortunate people who actually saw this movie in a theatre (me and three others: two walked out and the other would have but I was his ride).
I'd read the book a couple of times and was impressed with its lean reportage and strict adherence to facts.
Then I saw this movie....
It's bad enough to go through the harrowing final days of Belushi in the book, but the movie takes it one disturbing step further: John didn't just die, he went to hell.
Was this some producer's revenge for John denying the industry future profits for movies he wouldn't be around to make anymore? "Hey, Belushi's crowd is a wild-and-crazy audience, so let's make his tragic death a wild-and-crazy movie!"
I'm glad this movie tanked.

Chiklis does such a wonderful job of playing Belushi, but--for anyone who even remotely liked Belushi--this movie is infuriating and depressing. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Super thriller will disturb viewer
The teaming of Charlton Heston and John Cassavetes seems about as unlikely a cinematic match as one could imagine. So it comes as a terrific surprise when watching "Two Minute Warning" to see these practically opposite veterans working together so well.

We've seen Mr. Heston tread through such territory before ("Earthquake," "Airport 1975," "Gray Lady Down"), but Cassavetes as an especially intense SWAT team leader provides a unique presence that raises the level of this disaster/thriller several notches. There is practically smoke flaring from his nostrils as he puts his comrades into position to stop a sniper dangerously perched above the scoreboard at the Super Bowl.

The sight of Heston and Cassavetes staring each other down in a match of wills (Chuck is a veteran Los Angeles policeman who seems to love knit ties) would almost be comic if not for the intensity both actors bring to the table. These scenes are some of the strongest in the film.

"Two Minute Warning" has been conveniently placed into the "Disaster" genre of the 1970s for a number of reasons. Mainly the large cast of supporting players (Martin Balsam, Gena Rowlands, Jack Klugman, Beau Bridges, David Janssen) and the eventual riot at the Super Bowl which does indeed lead to a disaster of epic proportions. But calling "Two Minute Warning" a simple disaster film is not entirely correct.

What makes "Two Minute Warning" stand apart from this specific genre is the uncomfortable realization most viewers will encounter while watching the violent proceedings play out. For better or for worse, snipers do exist in our society. Acts of random violence are commonplace. Innocent bystanders catch stray bullets in the streets of our cities often.

What happens in "Two Minute Warning" has happened before and will definitely happen again. In fact, this film has now taken on an entirely new meaning with the recent terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, D.C.

(...)

"Two Minute Warning" is extremely watchable due to a glittering cast, taut direction (Larry Peerce) and what-is-becoming a timeless screenplay. But such a guilty pleasure will cause the viewer to feel just that. Guilty. It hits too close to home.

It only takes one sniper...
It only takes one sniper to cause mayhem at a jam-packed Los Angeles Coliseum in this terribly underrated film that was wrongly tagged as an assembly-line disaster pic or a violent big-budget exploitation film. TWO-MINUTE WARNING gets good performances from leading actors Charlton Heston, Martin Balsam, and John Cassavetes in this well-made suspense thriller of police forces trying to stop a mysterious psychotic sniper from shhoting into a crowd of between ninety and one hundred thousand at a championship football game in the Coliseum. The film concludes with a horrible stampede of panic and horror that has all too accurately been repeated in real life in European soccer violence.

Although it has certain melodramatic elements and an all-star lineup (Brock Peters, Gena Rowland, David Janssen, Jack Klugman, etc.), TWO-MINUTE WARNING mostly avoids the pratfalls common to the disaster genre. And the climax, while indisputably violent (earning the film its 'R' rating) is never strictly speaking an overt case of blood and gore. And like Steven Spielberg with the psychotic trucker in DUEL, here director Larry Peerce decides to keep the sniper's identity a secret (until the end).

Since TWO-MINUTE WARNING is on both DVD and VHS, there is now no longer any need to see the butchered, watered-down version that ended up on television. It is in the original director's version that this film should be seen; it is well worth it.

GREAT S.W.A.T TUTORIAL
What is there not to like about this film? Merv Griffin sings the national anthem, Joe Kapp shows why his acting career went nowhere, Howard Cosell with the play by play.TWO MINUTE WARNING was released during the decline of the disaster film craze and the start of America's (at the moment) fascination with S.W.A.T. (the TV show, 2 classic episodes of POLICE STORY, the SLA Gunfight). As a disaster film, TMW is mislabled and unfairly bashed. TMW is a mover, there are few slow spots. As a S.W.A.T tutorial, it's great. John Cassavettes as Sgt. Chris Button, is dogged, sullen, realistic. When he arrives in the sea green AMC Matador, it's a minor highlight. I would have gladly suited up and followed him and the platoon into the kill zone.

This Movie 25 Years Ahead Of It's Time - Highly Recommend
The Two Minute Warning was a movie that seemed to have been forgotten about by most people that saw it at the movie theater back in the 70's. America did not want to accept this movie like they did all the Rocky films because everyone likes happy endings. People even accepted the Godfather which was filmed 4 years prior to the Two Minute Warning. There were many violent killings in the Godfather but people accepted the movie and it is still selling to this day. I saw the Two Minute Warning at the theater when it was released. I later watched the same version I saw at the theater on HBO. I was 20 years old when I first saw this movie and it stuck out in my mind and it was a movie I never forgot about. Nobody wanted to really accept this movie back then because they felt it was violent. Others felt that it was far fetched and this could never happen in America. Well whether they didn't want to face it back then or even today this movie was the wake up call which was ignored clear back in 1976. This is our society today!!!! If this movie would have been made 2 years ago everyone would take note and be serious about it. I have read other peoples reviews about this movie and they feel that stadium security at the championship game would have grabbed this guy. If you pay attention to the time when this movie was made security back then was laxed and nobody ever dreamed that this was possible. It is this same feeling of taking for granted that this could never happen that led America to 9-11 and the sniper killings in the D.C. area a couple years ago. I would highly recommend anyone who thinks you are safe everyday of your life to WATCH THIS MOVIE!!!! I am not a violent person and I don't condone the violence in this movie. However if you watch this movie you'll see how any screen writer in Hollywood could pick up a copy of the USA TODAY in the last 2 or 3 years and write the script for the Two Minute Warning. THIS IS A MOVIE EVERYONE IN AMERICA NEEDS TO SEE AND TAKE SERIOUSLY. DON"T EVER TAKE FOR GRANTED THAT THIS MOVIE IS FAR FETCHED AND COULD NEVER HAPPEN. OPEN YOUR EYES. IT'S HAPPENING AROUND US EVERYDAY!!!!!!!

Watch this 3 hours before the real SuperBowl Football Game.
It's Super Bowl Sunday at the Los Angeles Coliseum and there is a sniper ready to shoot. This movie has an all-star cast: Charlton Heston, John Cassavetes and his wife, actress Gena Rowlands, Martin Balsam, Beau Bridges, Marilyn Hassett, David Janssen, Jack Klugman, Walter Pidgeon, David Groh, Pamela Bellwood, Ron Sheldon and many more. The sniper is ready to shoot at one person sitting in the stadium. (Which Hollywood star will be the one he shoots?) Watch the film to know the secret. Who is the sniper? When will he shoot? Who will he shoot? All these secrets will be revealed as the suspense builds. This DVD version is the original theatrical version. This is not the NBC Network version were 63 minutes of new footage was added and the sniper storyline changed. NBC also cut out some of the shooting. This original version on DVD may be okay to watch three hours before the real Super Bowl Football game in January. ... Read more

Description

This made-for-TV film covers the early life of the future baseball star. Young college athelethe Jackie Robinson learned early on not to bow his head to racist attacks. When he is drafted in World War II and stationed at a small-town Texas training camp, this trait gets him into trouble. Jackie is brought forward on a court-martial for insubordination when he refuses the orders of a white bus driver to go to the back of the bus. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

ANOTHER SIDE
Most of us know Jackie Robinson as the one who broke the racial barrier in Major League Baseball. Very few of us know about this other side of Jackie Robinson's life that occured prior to his becoming a Brooklyn Dodger. Enter into the world of a young Jackie Robinson whose life and career hangs in a precarious balance.

The Court Martial of Jackie Robinson is the dramatization of an actual event that occurred in Robinson's life while serving as a Lieutenant at Camp Hood, Texas during the 1944-45 time frame. Here we have a promising young Black officer whose career is about to come to a close. The charge? Refusal to obey a lawful order. Is this true?

Follow closely the events leading up to this delimma of Robinson's. You will find a young man who has dreams and hopes of his own that he wants to see emerge. Jackie is hot tempered and in his day was considered radical in taking a stand. This is the side of Robinson that isn't well known. Seeing how he copes with the challenges put before him and emerges into a champion athlete is a delight within itself. You will enjoy this intriguing drama of a young man unwilling to bend.

A Must See
I saw this film some years back and it was very powerful.AnDre Braugher does a solid Job here.Jackie RObinson was Constantly Fighting for Justice thru out his whole life.what a true Warrior he was.he should have a National Holiday Bestowed Upon Him. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

prison guard gets involved with prison inmate
prison films are a dime a dozen but this one gets to the heart. it was nice to see some romance for a change . i enjoyed it.

There is justice!
Terry Moore could have gone either way - good or bad. Circumstances propelled her into the legal system, then into jail. A spunky gal, she didn't just sit around and wait for her time to be up. The result of this was a stay at Broward Correctional Institute, where, for the first time in her life, she was given a structured environment. But the excitement doesn't end there - in fact, it just begins. You'll find yourself experiencing the many emotions Terry did - disgust, hopelessness, hopefulness, love, and many more. It's an excellent representation of the legal system and what really goes on in prison. An excellent video!

This movie really, really, really stinks.
Okay, this is a first for me. I'm going to use crude, deconstructive criticism. I don't want to do it, but watch this movie and you will totally understand. To sum it up; this movie really, really, really stinks. Carrot Top, atleast once in his life, has turned out better stuff than this piece of trash. What could Beau/Jeff Bridges possibly see in Amy Madigan's character? Hmmmm, lemme see; she has a face like John Denver and a chest that's as flatter than an ironing board. (For more references on the word, "ironing board", see "acting" under "Bridges,Beau" in that rebellious smash hit, "Love Child".) Among the many sad notes is that this was Rhea Perlman's big shot at an illustrious film career. And even sadder than that, she was the BEST actor in the entire movie. Well to finish up, if you like torturing yourself by watching bad movies, rent "Love Child". Trust me, it's an utter piece of crap. You'll love it. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Bruce Lee as Kato
This tape consists of 3 episodes from the "Green Hornet" t.v. series which were made into a 1974 theatrical release movie (according to the description on the back of the tape box). The film was edited to highlight some of Bruce's fight scenes from the t.v. series.

The Green Hornet is similar to the "Batman" t.v. series of the 60's but not quite as hokey. It is quite fun to see Bruce as Kato and brings back memories of seeing the series when I was a kid. Kinda cheesy but fun!

Technical fyi: the tape has been digitally re-mastered from a 35mm print in the original 1:1.85 theatrical aspect ratio, and also includes a documentary featurette on "Black Beauty"; Green Hornet's special custom car.

Another Bruce Lee classic video
The Green Hornet series was done in 1966. This is one of the first of many films in which Bruce Lee begins. From watching a few episodes, you can see why Bruce Lee became such a star! I mean, his movement in the shows are so quick compared to everybody else including the green hornet. My drawback in this film was that some of the storyline was kind of cheesy but if your a bruce lee fan, this'll be a video u must have!

don't have high hopes
if your a bruce lee fan you will like to see a young bruce lee in action but don't get to hyped up remember this was a 1960's television program.The fight scenes are not the type you will see in his movies.this really consists of three of the series plots put together one after the other.I liked this but I am a bruce lee fan.you will also get to see a young Mako..My main drawback is that it is in widescreen format. ... Read more