Description

Jim Caviezel (HIGH CRIMES) and Guy Pearce (THE TIME MACHINE) give sizzling performances in THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO -- the greatest tale of betrayal, adventure, and revenge the world has ever known. When the dashing and guileless Edmond Dantes (Caviezel) is betrayed by his best friend (Pearce) and wrongly imprisoned, he becomes consumed by thoughts of vengeance. After a miraculous escape, he transforms himself into the mysterious and wealthy Count of Monte Cristo, insinuates himself into the French nobility, and puts his cunning plan of revenge in action. This swashbuckling thriller will have you sitting on the edge of your seat until the last ounce of revenge is exacted. ... Read more

Reviews (280)

A surprisingly fresh and superb adventure film
In this time of fire and explosion oriented blockbuster movies it is indeed refreshing to find a remake of a classic novel of the quality of The Count of Monte Cristo currently available. I happened to nonchalantly choose this film at the DVD outlet as a source of viewing background for an evening of desk work. WRONG! This superbly made film of the Dumas' novel is excellent and gripping on every level. The quality of the film, shot in Ireland and Malta, is visually stunning, the story remains true to the original, and the cast is outstanding. James Caviezel makes a star turn in the title role, aided by the always excellent Guy Pearce, the veteran Richard Harris, the here venomous James Frain, a fine and very different role for Luis Guzman, and the elegantly beautiful Dagmara Domincyzk. The movie is beautifully paced, the long prison scenes allow Caviezel and Harris to create tremendous rapport, and the age old theme of REVENGE has rarely been played out so well. This is a beautiful period piece, finely photographed and scored and edited and directed. For a taste of just how exciting the old tales can be visually, treat yourself to an evening with The Count!

Petered out toward the end.....
The Count of Monte Cristo is the tale of naive but likeable commoner Edmund Dantes, his best friend Fernand Mondego and his betrayal at the hands of Mondego, to the government and subsequent imprisonment in Chateau D'If. Upon escape from the Chateau D'If, Dantes assumes the identity of the wealthy Count of Monte Cristo in order to take revenge upon the men who put him there.

I want to preface this review, by saying I have never read the Dumas' classic, and so this is my first experience with the count's story.

James Caviezel plays a very good Edmond. His romance with Mercedes (Dagmara Dominczyk) was convincing, his interaction with the other characters well portrayed....But I admit, I grew tired of the endless sword-fighting scenes near the end (I found my finger straying to the 'fast-forward' button), and I grew tired of Edmond's endless and obsessive need for revenge. (About three-quarters of the way through the movie, I kept thinking it might be a good idea to put Edmond back in Chateau D'If).

While the sceneary and setting were both quite spectacular, I can only give this movie an 'average' rating, because of the sheer unlikable qualities of most of the main characters. By the end of this movie, I asked myself "Who Cares about Edmond, Mercedes of Fernand?" Not this viewer.

Well Crafted
Well crafted story telling and fine performances make this an enjoyable film adaptation of a classic work.

An outstanding production and well worth a viewing.

Good Adaption of a Classic Story
I read Dumas' book, though an abridged version, and really enjoyed the pace of his story. So when I had to stay over at my uncle's house for the weekend, I got a chance to view this movie adaption from his movie library. After first choosing a Guy Pearce movie called "Memento", which had something to do with memory loss, I turned that movie off after 20 minutes, when I got too confused with it. To my surprise, Pearce is also in the The Count of Monte Cristo. I first saw Pearce in the superb L.A Confidential. Pearce is an impressive actor, even after the "what's the plot" story of Memento. Pearce plays the chief villain in the movie, Fernand, jealous of Edmond Dantes played by Jim Caviezel.

Dumas' classic story of wealth and revenge is unforgettable. Caviezel is very good as Edmond Dantes, the wrongly accused scapegoat of the Assistant Prosecutor, Villefort. The scene in which he is imprisoned and whipped with full beard, long hair made me wonder if Mel Gibson chose Caviezel to play Christ after viewing this scene. It reminded me of the crucifix scene of Gibson's "Passion" film. Dantes (Caviezel) is aided by an imprisoned priest played by an unrecognizable Richard Harris. The priest helps Dantes by helping him learn to read and improve his dexterity in dueling. The priest's death however helps Dantes the most, for Dantes uses the body bag meant for the priest to make his escape and find the treasure that will make him the Count of Monte Cristo. Once he becomes the Count, he exacts revenge (the fun part of the movie) on those who wronged him.

I suggest reading the book first, because you'll be imagining the actions taking place as you read Dumas' words. For the most part the movie stays the course of Dumas' plot, with some additional scenes and dialogue for drama's sake. This costume piece is also helped by nice scenery and good acting all around. Don't know how well it did at the box office, because most moviegoers stay away form literary adaptations, but it's well worth the rental, or buy it on VHS/DV like my uncle did.

Somewhat entertaining, but...
My objection to this movie was not that it had utterly nothing in common with Dumas' novel but for its name and that of its main character. As I'm sure anyone who's ever heard of this movie knows...Hollywood has once agian taken liberties and distorted a classic story into something else. I've gotten used to that by now. In any case, I still did not like the movie.

After careful consideration, I have come to the conclusion that James Caviezal is really not a particularly good actor. He plays every role the same...with a sort of bewildered determination that gets very old...after about thirty seconds. There are some difficult lines in that movie, and James Caviezal makes them sound forced. Not good for a movie that has already been forced enough. Caviezal is certainly something to look at, so for a while his bad acting slips past one's guard, but in the end, nothing can hide badly delivered lines. It's a pity really, because had that role been better casted it would have greatly improved the movie. The secondary characters were wonderful. Guy Peirce, as always, did a spectacularly oily job as Ferdenand, the chief villain and Mercedes' son looked so much like James Caviezal that it made her revelation to her husband at the end of the movie a touch redundant. Richard Harris was wonderful as the priest and Michal Wincott had a humoursly sadistic little part as the prison warden. Too bad Caviezal couldn't hold up to the rest of the cast.

Oh yes, and one other thing...if you're going to chande every thing but the names of the characters...the least you could to is pronounce the names right. It's FRENCH people!! The name Dantes is pronounced Dante!! Please...I was wincing every time they said his name. If they insist on butchering the book...can they not at least get the names rightf?

On the upside, it was beautifully filmed and the costumes were lovelly. As I have said, the supporting cast was excellant (although Mercedes looked a bit to much like Dantes for my taste)and it was because of them that I enjoyed the movie. It is traditional cookie-cutter Hollywood with very bad bad-guys and very good good-guys, revenge, love...oh yeah and they had to toss in a bit of religion, annoying, but not overbearing...if you want to be entertained, the movie will do so...if you want a good movie...look elsewhere. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Kevin Costner's lousy English accent is a small obstacle in this often exciting version of the Robin Hood fable. That aside, it's refreshing to have a preface to the old story in which we meet the robber hero of Sherwood Forest as a soldier in King Richard's Crusades, coming home to find his people under siege from the cruelties of the Sheriff of Nottingham (Alan Rickman). After Robin and his community of outcasts and fighters take to the trees, director Kevin Reynolds (Fandango, 187) is on more familiar narrative ground, and he goes for the gusto with lots of original action (Robin shoots two arrows simultaneously from his bow in two directions). Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, as Marion, makes a convincing damsel in distress, and Morgan Freeman brings dignity to his role as Robin's Moor friend. Alan Rickman, however, gets the most attention for his scene-chewing role as the rotten sheriff, an almost campy performance that is highly entertaining but perhaps a little out of sorts with the rest of the film.--Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (157)

Prince of Action Heros
Kevin Costner got a lot of... for his English accent, and while it wasn't great, it wasn't that distracting. "Robin Hood: Prince of Theives" slightly brakes from traditional myth in that Robin Hood is a returning knight from the Crusades. In the absense of King Richard, Sherriff of Nottingham attempted to take power. When Robin returns he swears vengence against the sherriff who killed his father and defamed his name. Then it's basicly "Die Hard" in the forest. The greatest change is Morgan Freeman's Moorish warrior traveling with Robin. Freeman is good, as usual. Christan Slater is full of fire and wind (putting it nicely) as Will Scarlet. Costner dose well as Robin, I really thought he did excellent. Mary Elizabeth Mastrentonio is pretty good as more or less independent Maid Marion (she has a lot of 1990s style "Thelma and Louise" attitude than was not realistic in the Dark Ages). But it's Alan Rickman's Sherriff who steals the show. He is wild, over the top, very funny to watch. This movie is dark, violent, and kind of scary with it's witch and occultic themes. This is pure action from start to finish. Just excellent.

Entertaining
First off, I wanna address this whole thing about Kevin Costner's accent. What difference does it make at all??? If you think it makes the movie more historically accurate, well, I hate to break it to you but, you're wrong. English people in 1194 weren't speaking in modern British accents, they were speaking in Old English, which is basically a dialect of German. So, with that thought, the British actors were as from the historical truth as Costner with their accents. Costner I think plays a very realistic Robin Hood, who is a lot more human than the other Robin Hoods. He shows emotion, and in the beginning, really plays well his role of a spoiled, rich boy. A lot of people commend Allan Rickman on his performance here, but I think he was one of the worst characters. When talking about him, people spoke so frightenedly about him, but in every single one of his on screen moments, he was acting like a goofy weirdo. I couldn't ever tell if what he was saying was supposed to be serious or a joke. I think his character took away from the more serious, adventurous tone of the rest of the movie, and made Prince of Thieves seem like a parody in itself. Not to say that he was a bad actor, I think that s a fault of the writers. There were a few inaccuracies, like the way that the Scots dressed. My exact first thoughts of that scene are expressed by other reviewers. They looked more like people who would have been ravaging the Roman establishments in Britain in the 4th and 5th centuries, not like Scots of the 12th. A lot of people have complained about the witch, and although I m not sure what her purpose was in the movie, she was entertaining, and kind of scary at the same time. On the whole, this was a good movie that s entertaining to watch, not too far away from Braveheart. (Although Robin's rhetoric skills are definitely much worse than William Wallace's. I could not comprehend at all what he is trying to say while he s lecturing the people from the fallen tree. He started off with something about being freedmen, and then ended with making weapons from the forest, I don't understand that connection. If they are free men then while in the hell are they living in the forest? I think that if you re free you can live wherever you want, not be forced into a "haunted" forest in the middle of nowhere. And if they were already free, they wouldn't need to fight back.)

4 1/2
Much better than the original release. This version has optimal quality in the picture and sound and has lots of bonus features. Now I can review the content of the film as this version is the best you can get! The film presented here is pretty good, well done. Im not a huge Costner fan but he does fairly well here, this story of Robin Hood did well in the theatres but skyrocketed with the help of Brian Adam's song "Everything I do, I do it for you". Its a good film with a great soundtrack and it helped sell cereal, toys and books...Good film, GREAT dvd! Must buy

Prince of Leaves
I'm rating this film so low only because of the dvd itself. Its a double sided disc that doesnt need to be flipped but the studio was so cheap they made it double sided at the time! The film itself looks average, not wonderful. Do yourself a favor...get the new extra disc version....

aging slowly but surely...
This was one of my favorite movies way back when it came out in '91. What may have even prompted me to see it was that it wasn't gonna be the proverbial 'men in tights' satire. But Kevin never really did much that was meant to be an intentional comedy (some only turned out to be that way not by design). Hilarity was an element was not intended to dominant the script. However, anyone who may have been expecting this to be anything like Dances With Wolves will have been thrown a curveball. Costner did not hold the directorial reigns and it shows, with no disrespect to K. Reynolds.
I bought the DVD recently and I cringe at some of the choices the project had taken. It's easy to say it in hindsight but the truth is rough considering the lineup of some high-profile actors cast. Bottom line: It fumbles from being having all components of a comedy, drama, and romance in one release. In other words, typical Hollywood fare.
I found the second supplementary disc sub-par. I'm surely not asking for anything on the level of the Lord of the Rings, Terminator 2 or Star Wars prequels, but I thought the SE version was going to merit more information and detail. I also grew weary of Costner's commentary here.
I might have given Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves three stars. But the cast did all they could do to save a rushed screenplay. The movie did do well in the theatres in '91 so it did have its charm. Get this only if there is absolutely nothing on the store shelf. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This elephantine tale set on Easter Island gets points for trying to explain the reasons behind the gigantic structures found there, but it unfortunately surrounds itself with a preposterous love story. Director Kevin Reynolds (Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves) knows how to handle physical sequences, but his human actors (led by Jason Scott Lee) suffer from dreary, old-fashioned story elements: the love triangle, an aging chief, a back-stabbing aide, a clan conflict. Esai Morales (the brother in La Bamba) shows enough talent to make you wonder why he hasn't been in more projects. The movie concludes with a race sequence that ends in the most laughable way, and Sandrine Holt must have the most unflattering female role of the '90s. The scenery is the best part of this movie, which was filmed on location on the island. --Doug Thomas ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Scenes from the Class Struggle in Polynesia
While it lacks some important facts that were the primary reasons for the destruction of Easter Island's decline, the film "Rapa Nui" makes a modest attempt to try to recreate life on the most isolated piece of land on earth.

Called "Rapa Nui" by its' Polynesian inhabitants, the island was named "Easter Island" after being discovered by a Dutch schooner on an Easter Sunday in the 18th century. Produced by Kevin Costner ("Dances With Wolves"), and directed by director Kevin Reynolds ("Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves") "Rapa Nui" stars a young cast and features breathtaking scenery.

Jason Scott Lee ("Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story") and Esai Morales ("La Bamba"; "My Family") star as members of rival tribes. When Jason's character falls in love with a woman (Sandrine Holt) from the opposite tribe, troubles, rivalries, and tensions arise as both men attempt to win her love.

Filmed entirely on location on Easter Island, the film has a feeling of authencity as we can see the island's famous "moai" statues everywhere. While the birdman race, and the roles several minor characters play in the film can detract from the main story, the film makes an nice attempt to recreate the greatest civilization to arise from Oceania.

The island (annexed by Chile during the 19th century) has a blend of Latino/Polynesian cultures where Spanish and Rapa Nuian are spoken, the filmmakers really didn't cover the island's deforestation, which is believed to be the main culprit for the island's collapse. Regardless, the film allowed an anthropology student as myself to get a view and feel of Rapa Nuian culture as it could have been. Seeing it on film is much more better than seeing it in a textbook.

Fans of Thor Heyedahl's book "Kon Tiki" will probably like the film, because it explores the theory that Easter Islander's original inhabitants could have come from the South American mainland or from another Polynesian island chain. While there is substantial fact that Easter islander's made contact with their closest island neighbor, Pitcairn Island (famous from the "Bounty" mutiny) which is over 2,000 miles away, I only wish the film could have ended with a conclusion the Lee's and Holt's characters safely made it to terra firma when they set sail from Rapa Nui.

Overall, Rapa Nui will appeal to anthropology and history buffs everywhere. Pick up and check out this film instead of watching reruns of "Gilligan's Island" on syndication.

An exciting thriller, and Jason Scott Lee is HOT!
Hey, I'm a local girl and I just love Jason Scott Lee. But he's not the only reason why I like this movie. It's about Easter Island, which was once called Rapa Nui. This is a very thrilling film, and you get a small sense of what Polynesian culture was like in old times. I can't say if it's accurate or not, but it's very interesting. Also, Jason Scott Lee, Esai Morales, and Sandrine Holt are three very beautiful specimens of the human race! Buy it, it's great!

The "Easter" Egg Race
This movie arouses violent controversy...you either like it or hate it.

I like it.

It mixes faithful ethnographic research with a fairly interesting story (culmonating in an egg-race to beat any other). Alright, the acting is poor and the plot has some tropical-romance cliches, but the film-makers respect the facts of Easter Island's prehistory (as told in books like Aku-Aku) without the need to introduce any white explorers or other people with whom we are supposed to identify.

Nor has any attempt been made to saddle the actors with hokey native accents; they speak English with their own accents - usually New Zealand - and get on with saying whatever they have to say in unadorned fashion. Just the way it would have seemed to us if we had been part of that society. None of that "Me Tarzan, you Jane" syntax. The actors are all Polynesian, except Morales and Holt, and they seem ethnically convincing.

The love-story seems intrusively modern, but there's no reason to think such things didn't happen in ancient times. It ends up like a combination of Animal Farm and Lord of the Flies.

The masterpiece in this genre is Tabu (1931); but the 1990's were a low point in film, and Rapa Nui is one of the better efforts of the decade.

Thought-provoking and cinematically rich
I don't think this is a historically accurate account of Easter Island, which has perplexed historians for a long time, but I still think it's worth seeing as a thought exercise. The Moai raise lots of questions and this film gives a possible explanation.

The most compelling aspect of the film (other than the breathtaking scenery) is the struggle between the two "tribes" as exemplified by Esai Morales' character and the ordeals he faces as a proud and fierce member of the lesser tribe, which is made to work in service of the ruling tribe. You can feel Esai's pain to be in service to those who are destroying the land that they must live upon. Imagine putting all of your energy into a pursuit that you're not sure will pay off, but that you're sure is destroying you...

I recommend this film to anyone who is interested in other cultures, especially so-called primitive cultures, and broadening his or her prespective of the world we live in. It won't give you the answers, but it will help you form more questions. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that the love story was perhaps too convenient.

Easter Island
I spent a year on Easter Island (Rapa Nui)in service to the United States. The people were very friendly and willing to talk about their island. The movie was relatively accurate concerning their past, including the cannibalism. If you lived on an island that is roughly 9 by 16 miles and that island had been deciminated by ecological ignorance, cannibalism might seem like a good idea at some point. It was not a continuing thing. The movie was Hollywoodized for entertainment purposes but was well done and the scenery was very familiar. There were two distinct races and they were the long ears and the short ears. Generally archeologist feel that one race was Polynesian and the other was South American indian. The long ears were generally exterminated in the civil war. Places were accurately named. The statues were carved on the sides of Rana Raraku(S?) and the bird men spent much of their time on the larger volcano called Rana Kao(S?) Once a year the stalwarts of the island did race to "Bird Man's Island" to bring back an egg. I believe it was for the glory and special treatment the winner recieved for the following year. I enjoyed the movie thoroughly.-----PJ ... Read more

Amazon.com

In 1985, Steven Spielberg launched the anthology TV series AmazingStories, directing one of the early episodes, "The Mission," a taut, emotional story set during a World War II combat flight.

Kevin Costner plays the pilot of an American bomber running raidsinto German airspace. During a dogfight with Nazis, a piece ofenemy aircraft wedges itself into the hull of Costner's rig and jams thehatch of the ball turret gunner. The shootout cripples the landing mechanism,and the net effect is that the gunner (Casey Siemaszko) is stuck in histransparent shell, unable to get back up into the body of the plane andcertain to die horribly during an imminent, emergency landing.Spielberg keeps tightening the screws, brilliantly directing a handful of goodactors (Kiefer Sutherland is in the mix) in a tight spacerapidly filling with dread and grief. While it has to be said that theresolution of "The Mission" may well be the most improbable turn of events in television history, everything up to that point is as exciting as TV can get.

Also on Book 1 is "The Wedding Ring," starring real-life spousesDanny DeVito and Rhea Perlman as a married couple who spice up their 10thyear together after DeVito, playing a costumer in a wax museum, gives hismousy bride a ring that belonged to a black-widow killer. Perlman, cast as a beleaguered waitress exploited by a callous boss, gets a personality makeover whenever she dons the ring, becoming insatiable in bed and a convincing femme fatale everywhere else. The only problem is that she's soon chasing herterrified husband around with a large kitchen knife, imbued with more thanthe sexy spirit of the ring's previous owner. Directed by DeVito, this cute episode works best as a different kind of vehicle for Perlman, who reallydoes make the screen sizzle. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Best hour of TV ever
I remember watching this Amazing Stories premiere and being
rendered slackjawed for the entire episode. I can remember no
better television, ever. It was like watching 'Raiders of the
Lost Ark', '1941', and 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' all
wrapped up in an hour of tension. This is a masterpiece worthy
of film.

...and the DeVito episode is pretty good too.

:)

With dream's, You live
I can seriously relate to the characters in the mission. My grandfather was a tailgunner during WWII. Once he was sick and unable to go on a mission. His entire crew and plane were destroyed on take-off. And where would I be? Out of existance. Steven Spielberg directs the first in a series of Amazing stories, a story about heart and survival. Kevin Costner is the captain of a crew of airmen in WWII. The Bellygunner dreams one day of drawing for Disney, and hopes as soon as the war is over, to work in the land of magic.

Kiefer Sutherland, a more serious character and close companion, always keeps an eye out and protects his friend nomatter the cost. On one mission in flight over enemy lands, the plane is hit my enemy fire. The good news is they can make it back to base. But the tragedy is, the door to the bellygunner is stuck and the landing wheels are jammed. Sutherland has a tremendous decision to make, and is faced with a hard decision of his life.

In a tension mounting climax, you see how the dreams and ambitions of one man can change the lives of the others around him forever. Absolutely great.

The other story, The Ring, is funny as all get out. If the decision had been left to me, I wouldn't have stuck these two stories together because they are so different. I would wait a half an hour between the two so you can get the most out of them. Devito and Pearlman have a hard lesson to learn about love, and what it takes to rekindle it. Good stuff.

The First Episode Reviewed, not the second!
The first episode, "The Mission", is a very enetertaining tale that anybody under the age of 20 would enjoy. I consists of fighting in WW2 and of the lives of B-17 pilots. It is a miniature "Memphis belle" yet is in its own class. A B-17 has many gun turrets on it, and one is located on the bottom of the plane. In this episode of Amazing stories, the belly gunner's bubble is damaged, and he cannot get out. To make matters worse, the bombers landing gear will not go down, so the crew has to risk a belly landing, which would spell the end of our cartoon-drawing, luftwaffae-fighting, and caring hero, Kevin Costner. The ending is surprising, and has a bit of magic to it. This is, of course, my opinion. And the music by John Williams! WOW! amazing, to say the least. Especially when the AS theme surges as the gunner frantically creates his solution to the problem. If you wanna know how it ends, scroll down as far as you can go

The gunner, being a cartoonist, frantically draws his airplane, while John Williams them races and flares. He draws his plane, and adds a pair of balloony, cartoon tires to the landing gear, which results in an impressive bending of animation and live action, for the time. And thus, the B-17 lands safely, and the gunner is united with his lady, and the crew lives happily ever after.

First in the series of Amazing Stories videos not so strong.
This tape includes both "The Mission" and "The Wedding Ring." The Mission is helmed by Steven Spielberg. This special one-hour episode has his style written all over it. The cinematography is a gorgeous sepia and the winning score by John Williams is properly heroic. The whole episode is very grand for television including the superstar casting (Kevin Costner, Kiefer Sutherland). Even the screenplay is a direct, no-nonsense approach to the situation. However, the magical ending is a major letdown and is totally removed from the earthly tension Spielberg builds up through that point. In fact, one of the attempted solutions to their problem, involving passing an opened parachute through a little window to the belly gunner for him to use after he kicks out of his plexi-glass cock-pit would make for a more promising, dare I say 'Amazing' ending. Next on the tape is Danny DeVito's "Wedding Ring." This was the second season opener and, other than the star power of Rhea Perlman and husband Danny DeVito, is an un-Amazing whimper. DeVito and Perlman do portray a cute couple and the musical score by Craig Safan is enjoyable, but otherwise, this is a tired, boring story. ... Read more

Reviews (66)

A must see (relatively) unknown movie
I saw this movie while I was in college and could totally relate...and it rates as one of my all time favorites. This is a guy movie, but most of the girls I know who have seen it like it as well. The soundtrack (although as far as I know, never been released) is awesome and fits the movie perfect. If you like the Pat Metheny songs in the movie, then definitely get the Pat Metheny and Lyle May's CD "As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls". It includes 'September 15th' (parts of which are in the movie) and 'It's For You' (song during wedding). The Blind Faith track 'Finding My Home' helps complete one of the best endings of any movie. I enjoy telling people this is one of my favorite movies and getting a reply of, "Never heard of it" ah...perfect....keeps it a hidden treasure.

Seen it 20 times
This is it. The first real introduction to Kevin Costner, Judd Nelson, Sam Robards, Suzi Amis, Elizabeth Daly, and of course the writer and director Kevin Reynolds. Although Costner and Reynolds didn't always see eye-to-eye on the rest of their collaborations, this one is the best. It is also my favorite movie period. Three particular scenes will leave your stomach hurting from laughter, they are: 'out of gas on the side of a dirt road', 'snake crawling up my pants leg', and 'skydiving with a stoner'. The last one has been rewound and played so many times on my copy that it was ruined during the last viewing. The story is a typical coming of age movie, but how can you have anything to write about in the plains of west Texas. You have to see it to understand and you will not be disappointed. Remember, 3 of Costner's best movies were filmed in 1985 (Fandango, Silverado, and American Flyers).

My Favorite
I have only one thing to say and that is this movie is my favorite. I've read all that true fans have to say about this movie and they all it home. I just have one thing to add, I have a VHS copy of this movie that I hardly EVER play or watch. Reason, it's reserved for SPECIAL OCCASIONS and die hard fans know what I mean. I wish to GOD that a DVD would come out of this movie. My wife had a hard time finding a copy of FANDANDO on VHS and I don't want to ruin my copy by playing it over and over again. If your from Texas you'll understand, the first time I saw this film was on AMC late at night drinking a cold SHINIR. I tell aeverone I know about this movie, to bad they can't rent it any more.

Please, the forces that be, release this CLASIC as a DVD, PLEASE!!!
Rusty

ONE FOR YOUR LIBRARY!
The makers of this movie owe ME money for the times I've been in a video store and said to friends looking for something to rent, "Have you ever seen Fandango? It's classic---you MUST have it!"
To say it is a 'coming of age movie' or a 'road trip movie' is kinda like saying, The Wizard of Oz is a 'homesick movie.' Fandango mixes hilarity with poignance seamlessly. The soundtrack is awesome and perfect, the capturing of Texas college boys making a road trip over the border. the dusty little towns using local folks, the conversations, Truman,......well, every last mooning bit of it is startlingly authenic to watch---ESPECIALLY for any of us graduating in the early 70's from UT or a Texas university in central or west Texas. I just can't imagine what it would be like to watch this without that lucky perspective. There are probably scores of Texan viewers who have seen this and said, "Oh my gosh, this is about US!" and for 'US' the nostalgia is thick.
My ONLY criticism would be an occasional attempt at a Texas accent not quite hitting the mark....(the majority of accents were fine, but when one is even a little off, a Texan can hear it as loud as a train wreck, and for just that blink it wavers the authenticity of the film. These were tiny in comparison to some) However, for me, the true test of a great movie is being able to view it countless times and STILL discover yet another facet to a character, see or hear something new, and never lose the "I-always-laugh-at-this" "I-always-cry-right here" moments. Fandango is like that. You rediscover it any time you see it. While appearing to be a tiny movie that slid past most, it is loaded with subtle dimension and truly a treasure. And if you are one of those who has said, "Oh yeah, I think I saw that once on cable" you need to try again, because you haven't really SEEN it....you would have remembered better than that!
Bravo Kevin Reynolds, bravo whoever put together that soundtrack---and the filming/editing was beautiful and smart. Kevin Costner's best movie hands down......I'll bet that if you ASKED Kevin Costner, he would not only say the same, but confess that Gardner Barnes WAS Kevin Costner at that time in his life.
DVD? Come on distributors---you're losing money here. We all want it, and buying the VHS version for graduation presents is getting pretty silly---VCRs are disappearing!

When will this be released on DVD?
Spectacular film! Complete disaster that they have not released this film on DVD. Does anyone know when it might be? ... Read more

Description

Jim Caviezel (HIGH CRIMES) and Guy Pearce (THE TIME MACHINE) give sizzling performances in THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO -- the greatest tale of betrayal, adventure, and revenge the world has ever known. When the dashing and guileless Edmond Dantes (Caviezel) is betrayed by his best friend (Pearce) and wrongly imprisoned, he becomes consumed by thoughts of vengeance. After a miraculous escape, he transforms himself into the mysterious and wealthy Count of Monte Cristo, insinuates himself into the French nobility, and puts his cunning plan of revenge in action. This swashbuckling thriller will have you sitting on the edge of your seat until the last ounce of revenge is exacted. ... Read more

Reviews (280)

A surprisingly fresh and superb adventure film
In this time of fire and explosion oriented blockbuster movies it is indeed refreshing to find a remake of a classic novel of the quality of The Count of Monte Cristo currently available. I happened to nonchalantly choose this film at the DVD outlet as a source of viewing background for an evening of desk work. WRONG! This superbly made film of the Dumas' novel is excellent and gripping on every level. The quality of the film, shot in Ireland and Malta, is visually stunning, the story remains true to the original, and the cast is outstanding. James Caviezel makes a star turn in the title role, aided by the always excellent Guy Pearce, the veteran Richard Harris, the here venomous James Frain, a fine and very different role for Luis Guzman, and the elegantly beautiful Dagmara Domincyzk. The movie is beautifully paced, the long prison scenes allow Caviezel and Harris to create tremendous rapport, and the age old theme of REVENGE has rarely been played out so well. This is a beautiful period piece, finely photographed and scored and edited and directed. For a taste of just how exciting the old tales can be visually, treat yourself to an evening with The Count!

Petered out toward the end.....
The Count of Monte Cristo is the tale of naive but likeable commoner Edmund Dantes, his best friend Fernand Mondego and his betrayal at the hands of Mondego, to the government and subsequent imprisonment in Chateau D'If. Upon escape from the Chateau D'If, Dantes assumes the identity of the wealthy Count of Monte Cristo in order to take revenge upon the men who put him there.

I want to preface this review, by saying I have never read the Dumas' classic, and so this is my first experience with the count's story.

James Caviezel plays a very good Edmond. His romance with Mercedes (Dagmara Dominczyk) was convincing, his interaction with the other characters well portrayed....But I admit, I grew tired of the endless sword-fighting scenes near the end (I found my finger straying to the 'fast-forward' button), and I grew tired of Edmond's endless and obsessive need for revenge. (About three-quarters of the way through the movie, I kept thinking it might be a good idea to put Edmond back in Chateau D'If).

While the sceneary and setting were both quite spectacular, I can only give this movie an 'average' rating, because of the sheer unlikable qualities of most of the main characters. By the end of this movie, I asked myself "Who Cares about Edmond, Mercedes of Fernand?" Not this viewer.

Well Crafted
Well crafted story telling and fine performances make this an enjoyable film adaptation of a classic work.

An outstanding production and well worth a viewing.

Good Adaption of a Classic Story
I read Dumas' book, though an abridged version, and really enjoyed the pace of his story. So when I had to stay over at my uncle's house for the weekend, I got a chance to view this movie adaption from his movie library. After first choosing a Guy Pearce movie called "Memento", which had something to do with memory loss, I turned that movie off after 20 minutes, when I got too confused with it. To my surprise, Pearce is also in the The Count of Monte Cristo. I first saw Pearce in the superb L.A Confidential. Pearce is an impressive actor, even after the "what's the plot" story of Memento. Pearce plays the chief villain in the movie, Fernand, jealous of Edmond Dantes played by Jim Caviezel.

Dumas' classic story of wealth and revenge is unforgettable. Caviezel is very good as Edmond Dantes, the wrongly accused scapegoat of the Assistant Prosecutor, Villefort. The scene in which he is imprisoned and whipped with full beard, long hair made me wonder if Mel Gibson chose Caviezel to play Christ after viewing this scene. It reminded me of the crucifix scene of Gibson's "Passion" film. Dantes (Caviezel) is aided by an imprisoned priest played by an unrecognizable Richard Harris. The priest helps Dantes by helping him learn to read and improve his dexterity in dueling. The priest's death however helps Dantes the most, for Dantes uses the body bag meant for the priest to make his escape and find the treasure that will make him the Count of Monte Cristo. Once he becomes the Count, he exacts revenge (the fun part of the movie) on those who wronged him.

I suggest reading the book first, because you'll be imagining the actions taking place as you read Dumas' words. For the most part the movie stays the course of Dumas' plot, with some additional scenes and dialogue for drama's sake. This costume piece is also helped by nice scenery and good acting all around. Don't know how well it did at the box office, because most moviegoers stay away form literary adaptations, but it's well worth the rental, or buy it on VHS/DV like my uncle did.

Somewhat entertaining, but...
My objection to this movie was not that it had utterly nothing in common with Dumas' novel but for its name and that of its main character. As I'm sure anyone who's ever heard of this movie knows...Hollywood has once agian taken liberties and distorted a classic story into something else. I've gotten used to that by now. In any case, I still did not like the movie.

After careful consideration, I have come to the conclusion that James Caviezal is really not a particularly good actor. He plays every role the same...with a sort of bewildered determination that gets very old...after about thirty seconds. There are some difficult lines in that movie, and James Caviezal makes them sound forced. Not good for a movie that has already been forced enough. Caviezal is certainly something to look at, so for a while his bad acting slips past one's guard, but in the end, nothing can hide badly delivered lines. It's a pity really, because had that role been better casted it would have greatly improved the movie. The secondary characters were wonderful. Guy Peirce, as always, did a spectacularly oily job as Ferdenand, the chief villain and Mercedes' son looked so much like James Caviezal that it made her revelation to her husband at the end of the movie a touch redundant. Richard Harris was wonderful as the priest and Michal Wincott had a humoursly sadistic little part as the prison warden. Too bad Caviezal couldn't hold up to the rest of the cast.

Oh yes, and one other thing...if you're going to chande every thing but the names of the characters...the least you could to is pronounce the names right. It's FRENCH people!! The name Dantes is pronounced Dante!! Please...I was wincing every time they said his name. If they insist on butchering the book...can they not at least get the names rightf?

On the upside, it was beautifully filmed and the costumes were lovelly. As I have said, the supporting cast was excellant (although Mercedes looked a bit to much like Dantes for my taste)and it was because of them that I enjoyed the movie. It is traditional cookie-cutter Hollywood with very bad bad-guys and very good good-guys, revenge, love...oh yeah and they had to toss in a bit of religion, annoying, but not overbearing...if you want to be entertained, the movie will do so...if you want a good movie...look elsewhere. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Most of this second volume of stories from the 1985-87 televisionanthology series is a middling offering from former Steven Spielbergprotégé Robert Zemeckis, who later won an Oscar for directingForrest Gump. (Spielberg was the creator of Amazing Stories.)Zemeckis's episode is a bit of schlock horror called "Go to the Head of theClass," and while itstars Christopher Lloyd in a fiendish role as a decapitated teacher, and an atypical part for Mary Stuart Masterson as a manipulative teenage babe, there isn't much that sticks to the ribs.

The real treat on Book 2, however, is the animated "Family Dog,"directed by the little-known Brad Bird but supervised by Tim Burtonlong before he became a household name. A witty and observant satire on familydysfunction as seen through the eyes of a pet pooch and perennial scapegoat,"Family Dog" follows the misadventures of a sweet-natured mutt just trying tofit in with his human housemates but betrayed at every turn. Tormented by abratty boy, prodded by an exuberant toddler, and an easy target for an unhappymom and duplicitous dad, the dog can't get a break. Burton's dark sensibilitiesare certainly in play, and the animation--while owing something to Warner andDisney--is novel and expressive. One needn't worry about young viewers watchingthis one: there's no physical brutality and the comedy always prevails. Plus,the ending proves, definitively, that every dog does indeed have hisday. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Family Dog Takes the Cake!
The Family Dog is absolutely the funniest cartoon I have ever seen. We wore out our copy years ago, and I'm so grateful to find that it's here for sale. Although we haven't seen it for eons, my family still quotes from it, and we never fail to crack up in giggles at even the memory! I can't speak for the Christopher Lloyd portion, but Family Dog is WELL worth the investment, for the youngsters as well as the adults in the family!

Family Dog is the head of its Class! But, Class is a Dog.
This tape consists of "Go to the Head of the Class" and "Family Dog." Team Robert Zemeckis with his 'Back to the Future I, II, & III' & 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit' star, Christopher Lloyd and you are bound to get a hysterically funny, creative tale. But, that did not happen here. Nothing of Zemeckis' (Used Cars, Contact, Forrest Gump) film making know how is evident here and Lloyd has never been more annoying. Additionally, this hour long episode has a half hour story-line stretched way too thin. Even Coffey and Masterson have no charm here. On the positive note, some of Stan Winston's (Terminator, Jurassic Park) headless effects are very impressive for 1980's television. BUT Family Dog!This could be the most successful of the entire series. After all, it spawned a spin-off series! (Very short lived). But, it is meritous. The animation is great fun. The dog's nose floating an inch off his face is hysterical and his reactions are obvious without being human. The stories themselves are smartly paced with 'real' dialogue and each is balanced with humorous music by Danny Elfman of Oingo Boingo fame. Enjoy!

OH MY GOD!!!
The cartoon was unbelievably funny! That rotten little boy and the smartass dog was too too funny for words.I RECOMMEND THIS MOVIE TO ANYONE WITH AN ATTITUDE PROBLEM BECAUSE THIS MOVIE WILL GET RID OF IT TEMPORARILY. JUST LONG ENOUGH FOR YOU TO FORGET WHY YOU WERE MAD IN THE 1ST PLACE

Amazing Stories Review By MaxS. McPike
When I first watched the Amazing Stories TV show I was just
stunned ,I loved it and I even thought it was better than
the Twilight Zone movie and also it was a lot different than other movies and TV shows . What I also liked about it was that it had a lot of famous people in it like: Kevin Kostner, Pat Hingle, Kiefer Sutherland, Mary Stuart Masterson,Christopher Lloyd, Rhea Perlman, and many others. I think it is fun for the whole family. P.S. I think they should put it on DVD.

THE BEST ANIMATION SHORT OF ITS TIME
BUY IT BUY IT BUY IT, just for the short, "Family Dog" I have been looking for this cartoon for years!! I knew of someone's household that was similar to this short! My family and I used to watch this everytime it came on cable, before the series came out. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Let's be honest: this 1995 epic isn't nearly as bad as its negative publicity led us to expect. At the time it was the most expensive Hollywood production in history (it had a Titanic-sized $200 million budget), and the film arrived in theaters with so much controversy and negative gossip that it was an easy target for ridicule. The movie itself, a flawed but enjoyable post-apocalypse thriller, deserves better. Waterworld stars Kevin Costner as the Mariner, a lone maverick with gills and webbed feet who navigates the endless seas of Earth after the complete melting of the polar ice caps. The Mariner has been caged like a criminal when he's freed by Helen (Jeanne Tripplehorn) and enlisted to help her and a young girl (Tina Majorino) escape from the Smokers, a group of renegade terrorists led by Dennis Hopper in yet another memorably villainous role. It is too bad the predictable script isn't more intelligent, but as a companion piece to The Road Warrior, this seafaring stunt-fest is adequately impressive. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (115)

Engrossing story suffers from card-board antagonists.
"Waterworld" had a lot going for it, and I'm a sucker for post-apocalyptic disaster films/novels. Although the premise of the polar ice-caps melting and covering the Earth is a little far-fetched (I doubt all but Mount Everest would be covered as depicted in the movie), I forgave that improbability and enjoyed the film anyway. What I didn't really enjoy that much were the card-board characters representing the "smokers", although I have to admit, Dennis Hopper did give the movie some comic relief. If the movie would have stayed primarily on the boat and dealt a little more with the interesting relationship developing between the mariner and the woman and little girl, and gave a little less time to the "smokers", I'd have enjoyed it more. As the movie played out, I often thought I was watching Mad Max on water. With that said, I have to admit the actions scenes were first-rate, and some were quite amazing.

Actually, I enjoyed the expanded television version more than I enjoyed the theatrical release. The simple reason is because they added needed scenes (not action scenes) to round out the story. Between 1 and 10, I give the theatrical release and the VHS I purchased a 6, or a 3 star rating. The tv version, I give a 7, or a 4 star rating. (I should have taped the tv version).

Better than it's given credit for
Waterworld drowned in its own negative pre-release hype, which I along with pretty much everyone else bought into at the time (a similar set of circumstances rightfully crushed Gigli, which is so much worse than this film as to be in its own category). Upon age and reflection, Waterworld stands on its own as a coherent, enjoyable apocalypse film. It simply doesn't look like something that $200+ million was spent on (much of which went into rebuilding set pieces after a storm, so it had no effect on the look of the film). If you can get past whatever expectation that budget might have placed for you in terms of shiny effects, this is a pretty darn good movie. Costner is believable and entertaining as the Mariner, and the supporting cast does a good job. Hopper has fun chewing the scenery as the Deacon, leader of a huge pack of scavengers called Smokers due to the fact their vehicles and industry run off crude oil carried in their massive mobile oil tanker home.
Most people bash Waterworld because of either its huge price tag, which didn't "deliver," or because they feel it is simply a rehash of Road Warrior but on the ocean. I believe there are strong counterarguments to both these claims. I love Road Warrior, but I hardly believe it invented the genre; there were films coming out 25 years earlier that had the same theme. An apocalypse film is usually the only way to posit an alternative reality movie without having to bloat up on futuristic robots and/or aliens (the other possibility is a caveman film, which we all know will be a resounding success). Costner's film parallels Road Warrior really only to the extent both involve a lone warrior in a savage post-apocalyptic world, which is how every single other film in the genre is also set up. It basically IS the genre.

Waterworld takes its place in that genre quite adeptly. It has plenty of interesting but disposable side villians, neat gadgets and surprises, a cynical central adventurer with lots of deadly skills, and surprisingly good dialogue. Heck even the annoying child actor gets thrown overboard when she becomes too annoying. If only The Phantom Menace writers were taking notes. Likewise, the action in this film proves satisfying, as it is CGI free.

Waterworld was a failure at the time, but it has aged well and deserves another look. It's not as good as Road Warrior, no, but what is? I'd take a screening of Waterworld over most of the recent "summer" action films (Hulk, Daredevil, S.W.A.T. etc) of this past summer any day of the week.

Hello? Am I the only one that understands what Fiction means
First I want to state that I really enjoyed this movie. I liked it's post apocolypitic view of the world covered in water. The story was done well and the look and feel of a watered down Mad Max was creatively done. I enjoyed it from start to finish.

Now on to all the people that apparently do not know what ficiton is. This movie is fiction! That means it's not real or based on total possible reality! So all these people saying, it's not possible for a guy to have gills, or that one scene just couldn't be possible, go get an A&E special if you want reality. If you find yourself repeating to yourself "It's only a movie", go get an imagination too!

Everyone is entitled to their opinion but sometimes I wonder how people allow their ideas to be skewed by the majority.

By the way after the 4th viewing I just barely noticed Dry Land is Mt. Everest!

Um... Yeah
In the scene where the little girl is in the water and Kevin Costner bungees down to get her, even if Costner had not retrieved the girl, the two water-jetting enemies would have crashed into each other anyway.

I just wanted to point out this humerous fact, I'm sorry.

They should release the extended version
I first saw this movie as a rental of the theatrical version. It was okay. But I liked it much better when I saw the extended version on broadcast tv. About 45 minutes of footage is added to the extended version, which actually helps the movie a great deal in my opinion. While the extended version is shown on sci-fi channel from time to time (in a four hour time slot), it is not available on video. Nor is the additional footage contained on the DVD release - to my knowledge. So they should release the extended version on DVD, which would be worth buying. ... Read more

Description

A vicious high school student is dead.A gang hit?An act of sudden rage? Or did a once-idealistic teacher finally snap?The issues and the tension hit home when Samuel L. Jackson stars in a gritty urban-school thriller that's "gripping, high-octane entertainment" (Newhouse News Service). ... Read more

Reviews (47)

Sometimes intelligent,sometimes silly
Sam Jackson plays a hard working New York teacher.At the very start of the movie we see him get brutally stabbed by the Wu Tang Clan's Method Man because he flunked him.After he recovers from his ordeal what happens?He gets transferred to another,even more violent school in Los Angeles.Lucky guy.He immediately makes an ill advised enemy of Hispanic ghetto thug Caesere(Clifton Clifton Gonzalez),whom he just wants to teach. .... The film was written by a teacher and makes some very good points.Teachers are here to help you so don't screw them up. But sometimes the script succumbs to Death Wish vigilante revenge type terrority and Jackson and Gonzalez' final showdown ...is just silly.Sam should've struck down on the punks with great vengeance and furious anger. By the way,DO NOT expect a happy ending.The ending in this movie is as bleak as the ending of Se7en.

its good
this is a great movie has some pretty cool gansters in it and sh*t(i had to use the asterisk and dont be a b*tch and say its gangstas not gangsters) but why did it take place in the valley??????? i mean theres no way that could be the worst school in america. not even the worst school west of L.A. they should have made it in city terrace or echo park or boyle heights but the valley???? i just dont get it. ive visited the valley and its disney land compared to city terrace or boyle heights or echo park. great movie though

An underappreciated masterpiece
Having attended an inner city high school, I will attest that while some of this was exaggerated, similar things do happen. I think the director took a lot of creative license and pushed things to a bit of an extreme with Garfield and Cesar's characters, but it only served to improve the quality of the film.

This is less "Dangerous Minds" or "The Substitute" than it is "Taxi Driver". Samuel L. Jackson does a superb job with his character Trevor Garfield, a man of deep moral convinctions and idealism who crumbles psychologically throughout the film. The way it is shot, along with the ominous soundtrack, creates an atmosphere of palpable doom and chaos. Garfield's speech to a fellow teacher who is beginning to realize the odd connection between the disappearance of troublesome students and his relation to them is really disturbing. The director should have worked more on the "teacher snapping" bit and had it a little less covert, but overall I would say this movie falls into cult classic, if not classic, range. The darkness is unforgettable, and the film does raise some relevant issues as to how people with values interact with those who have none. There is a certain flavor to this movie, somewhat inarticulate, that for me makes it worthy of the most lavish praise. This is no uplifting, Sidney Poitier film of redemption. It is simultaneously a vigilante film and a comment on conscious man and his place in the world. This is a must own, for Jackson's performance and the powerhouse ending.

not latin its HISPANIC
wow this movies was mind blowing. the ending reminded me of the 'godfather' movie. samuel jackson and clifton gonzalez give an amazing performance and i really like watching them intereactive with each other. this movie deserves five stars!!

and for those of you reffering latin people, its hispanic! not latin. lets get that strait, aight? peaze out yall.

smiley

A Pyrrhic Victory: Teaching America's Forgotten
"187" does not provide the viewer with a realistic insight into America's schools. Science teachers do not stalk students and then drop them with morphine injections, launched from a bow. But I did not pick up "187" expecting the classic teacher-makes-a-difference-in-children's-lives film. The very title moves one away from this depiction. Instead, "187" provides an interesting look into the job of educators when they are dealing firsthand with the violence that exists in many of America's communities.

One thing that I would have liked from this film is a slower transition from Samuel L. Jackson's former self to his newer self. The audience believes that they know his character and (quite suddenly) he has snapped and we are a bit unsure of the movement. This film is an intense experience-I found my nerves quite strained at the prospects of the chaos that exists in these communities. Above all, this film neither glorifies the student's actions nor the teacher's retaliation-a fact that prevents it from becoming a simple bloodbath movie. One leaves this film with a sense of loss on both sides and the utterly hopeless situation that we have created in our school systems. Jackson's character does, despite what some may say, have an impact on the students he teaches. But his victory is not without devastating losses; a Pyrrhic victory, as the movie (not so subtly) alludes.

Word to the wise: this is not an uplifting film. Do not rent it thinking you're in for a "To Sir, With Love" experience. Just read the title. But if you're in the mood to look at the darker side of life (think "Requiem for a Dream"), by all means. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

An unknown Kevin Costner is magnetic in this entertaining road picture that bypassed most theaters when it was released 1985. On the eve of their college graduation in 1972, five students go off for one last road trip together to righteously celebrate the privilege of youth. Kevin Reynolds expanded his grad-school film to make this one, which he also directed, and it caught the eye of Steven Spielberg, who made Fandango one of his first projects at the newly formed Amblin. Costner's charisma is undeniable in his first lead performance as Gardner Barnes, the free bird of the group. Barnes applauds buddy Kenneth's (Sam Robards) decision to cancel his wedding and now is talking him into dodging the draft. But lost love drives Gardner, too, and we see dreams of an abandoned beauty (Suzy Amis). Others in the car include stick-in-the-mud Judd Nelson (in his best performance), who is gung ho for fulfilling his duty in Vietnam, and the soft giant Dorman (Chuck Bush). Reynolds's aggressive camera style and great use of music (Elton John's "Saturday Night's Alright (for Fighting)" and Blind Faith's "Can't Find My Way Home" bookend the picture) make this film zing along. Reynolds and Costner went on to film (and fight off-screen) two more pictures, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and Waterworld, but they were never better together than in this first film. Being hungry Hollywood unknowns does have certain advantages. --Doug Thomas ... Read more

Reviews (66)

A must see (relatively) unknown movie
I saw this movie while I was in college and could totally relate...and it rates as one of my all time favorites. This is a guy movie, but most of the girls I know who have seen it like it as well. The soundtrack (although as far as I know, never been released) is awesome and fits the movie perfect. If you like the Pat Metheny songs in the movie, then definitely get the Pat Metheny and Lyle May's CD "As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls". It includes 'September 15th' (parts of which are in the movie) and 'It's For You' (song during wedding). The Blind Faith track 'Finding My Home' helps complete one of the best endings of any movie. I enjoy telling people this is one of my favorite movies and getting a reply of, "Never heard of it" ah...perfect....keeps it a hidden treasure.

Seen it 20 times
This is it. The first real introduction to Kevin Costner, Judd Nelson, Sam Robards, Suzi Amis, Elizabeth Daly, and of course the writer and director Kevin Reynolds. Although Costner and Reynolds didn't always see eye-to-eye on the rest of their collaborations, this one is the best. It is also my favorite movie period. Three particular scenes will leave your stomach hurting from laughter, they are: 'out of gas on the side of a dirt road', 'snake crawling up my pants leg', and 'skydiving with a stoner'. The last one has been rewound and played so many times on my copy that it was ruined during the last viewing. The story is a typical coming of age movie, but how can you have anything to write about in the plains of west Texas. You have to see it to understand and you will not be disappointed. Remember, 3 of Costner's best movies were filmed in 1985 (Fandango, Silverado, and American Flyers).

My Favorite
I have only one thing to say and that is this movie is my favorite. I've read all that true fans have to say about this movie and they all it home. I just have one thing to add, I have a VHS copy of this movie that I hardly EVER play or watch. Reason, it's reserved for SPECIAL OCCASIONS and die hard fans know what I mean. I wish to GOD that a DVD would come out of this movie. My wife had a hard time finding a copy of FANDANDO on VHS and I don't want to ruin my copy by playing it over and over again. If your from Texas you'll understand, the first time I saw this film was on AMC late at night drinking a cold SHINIR. I tell aeverone I know about this movie, to bad they can't rent it any more.

Please, the forces that be, release this CLASIC as a DVD, PLEASE!!!
Rusty

ONE FOR YOUR LIBRARY!
The makers of this movie owe ME money for the times I've been in a video store and said to friends looking for something to rent, "Have you ever seen Fandango? It's classic---you MUST have it!"
To say it is a 'coming of age movie' or a 'road trip movie' is kinda like saying, The Wizard of Oz is a 'homesick movie.' Fandango mixes hilarity with poignance seamlessly. The soundtrack is awesome and perfect, the capturing of Texas college boys making a road trip over the border. the dusty little towns using local folks, the conversations, Truman,......well, every last mooning bit of it is startlingly authenic to watch---ESPECIALLY for any of us graduating in the early 70's from UT or a Texas university in central or west Texas. I just can't imagine what it would be like to watch this without that lucky perspective. There are probably scores of Texan viewers who have seen this and said, "Oh my gosh, this is about US!" and for 'US' the nostalgia is thick.
My ONLY criticism would be an occasional attempt at a Texas accent not quite hitting the mark....(the majority of accents were fine, but when one is even a little off, a Texan can hear it as loud as a train wreck, and for just that blink it wavers the authenticity of the film. These were tiny in comparison to some) However, for me, the true test of a great movie is being able to view it countless times and STILL discover yet another facet to a character, see or hear something new, and never lose the "I-always-laugh-at-this" "I-always-cry-right here" moments. Fandango is like that. You rediscover it any time you see it. While appearing to be a tiny movie that slid past most, it is loaded with subtle dimension and truly a treasure. And if you are one of those who has said, "Oh yeah, I think I saw that once on cable" you need to try again, because you haven't really SEEN it....you would have remembered better than that!
Bravo Kevin Reynolds, bravo whoever put together that soundtrack---and the filming/editing was beautiful and smart. Kevin Costner's best movie hands down......I'll bet that if you ASKED Kevin Costner, he would not only say the same, but confess that Gardner Barnes WAS Kevin Costner at that time in his life.
DVD? Come on distributors---you're losing money here. We all want it, and buying the VHS version for graduation presents is getting pretty silly---VCRs are disappearing!

When will this be released on DVD?
Spectacular film! Complete disaster that they have not released this film on DVD. Does anyone know when it might be? ... Read more

Amazon.com

The director of Waterworld teams up with playwright William Mastrosimone for a story of a lost Russian tank during the Afghan war; doesn't sound like your normal action fare, does it? Despite its awkward origins, The Beast is a satisfying action yarn that unfortunately was never widely distributed. When Afghan rebels find the lone tank lost in the high desert, a cat-and-mouse chase commences with nail-biting, emotional precision. The Russian tank crew is also at war with themselves after the sympathetic driver (a stalwart Jason Patric) debates the brutal tactics of his commander (George Dzundza). This visceral action drama was adapted from--believe it or not--a stage play but keeps its feet firmly planted in the war-action genre. Director Kevin Reynolds's second film showcases his aggressive camera work that was featured later, less successfully, in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. Made directly after the Afghan war, the film was hard to sell in the late 1980s. With the Russians speaking English (and the Afghans their native dialect), the viewer is uncomfortably bonded to the unpopular aggressors. Yet the film reverberates in the sweat and toil of battle, with Patric bringing a more dramatic flair to the role than comes from the usual set of cinematic action heroes. --Doug Thomas ... Read more

Reviews (54)

Underated desert war film - You can almost smell the dust!
This a great film as those few who have seen it will testify - Really gritty stuff. They must have changed the name because I distinctly remember it used to be known as 'The Beast of War', a better title.

It is pretty graphic in areas, I saw it as a kid and the scene with the guy getting driven over by a tank certainly didn't help me get to sleep. War is hell, to say the least.

As people have pointed out, they used actual soviet T-62 tanks in the film and it really added to the realism and overall effect. Suffice to say it's not going to make you want to become a tank commander any time soon. The T-62 is dark and dingy inside and definitely didn't come with any cupholders.

Performances are great across the board. It's interesting to see Jason Patric in such an early role, but George Dzunda as the tank commander spearheads the cast.

Yes, some people have noted the helicopter isn't an actual Mi-8, but I don't know how they could have gotten their hands on one back in 1988 anyway, it's a minor quibble and I'm just glad they didn't respray an M-1 to make it the T-62!;)

The desert landscape is cruel and unrelenting, yet strangely beautiful.

All up, five stars, this is tight, solid film, that will hold your interest throughout and is superbly shot. Perhaps somewhat topical at the moment, it's well worth a view.

The Hunter Becomes the Hunted
Kevin Reynolds directed this film with a script by William Mastrosimone. Although stylized and a little exaggerated, the film is a great at showing how techonology doesn't always get the upper hand in certain environments: nowhere is this truer than in Afghanistan. The rugged mountainous and desert terrain is mostly inhospitable and full of hiding places for guerrilla fighters such as the Mujahadeen.

I found Jason Patric to be the least believable character in this story. I find it hard to believe that a Soviet tank driver, even if he were to disagree with his superiors or the war, would suddenly join the Afghans in fighting his compatriots; an act tatamount to desertion and treason. The best performance was that of George Dzundza who played the hard and tempered tank commander. The movie follows the tank as it wanders lost through the desert like a wounded animal being stalked by hunters. Altogether an enjoyable action movie that is well paced with good acting.

Important film in 2004.....
Cuban-American actor Steven Bauer (aka. Rocky Echevarria) who played Manolo in "Scarface" does a great job as a Mujahideen freedom fighter in this film. All his lines are delivered in Pashto. Fantastic acting! This film actually serves as a very important propaganda piece by the current Karzai government in Afghanistan and is now shown throughout the country.

Great flick; despite the tactical inaccuracies
This movie is great! ... I have since watched it over and over. Some reviews I have read focus on the tactical mistakes and lack of a "real" Russian helicopter in the film. The interesting thing about this is, war is chaotic. Sometimes tactics go out the window when faced with flying bullets. Even if the Russians used Motorized Rifle units as escorts for their armor, there's no saying that armor NEVER ventured out on their own. Heck, maybe this armored unit was part of a larger force that was simply making a reconnaisance-in-force. Also, the helicopter used in the movie was NOT that much different than the Mi-8 which, as it turns out, looks exactly like the one in the movie. If you don't believe me, check it out. Anywho, being a veteran and knowing how the rules of war are almost always broken, the so-called tactical "mistakes" made in the movie are easily overlooked. The main point of this movie is to give the viewer a feeling of the brutality of war and how it changes ordinarily sane people, into first monsters, callous to their nature, then fearful refugees to the carnage they created. This movie is both entertaining and yet, emotionally invoking. You get the sense that the real "enemy" is not the Mujahadeen pursuers, but the maniacal tank commander, driving his men to the brink of destruction. The last thing I'd like to say about this movie is its WONDERFUL soundtrack. The music definitely sets the mood. Now, if only I could find the soundtack. Arista records doesn't seem to know where to find it. I wish I knew!

Buy this movie, you won't be disappointed!

One of my fav war movies
I just love this movie and its great to see it made it to the dvd format i had a tape of it it's so old half the audio and graphics are gone do to time and age of tape. now i can retire the tape. great movie if you dont have it get one while you can. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The third volume of collected episodes from Steven Spielberg's mid-1980stelevision series Amazing Stories includes three memorablestories. First up is "The Amazing Falsworth," a cat-and-mouse thrillerstarring Gregory Hines as the title character, a nightclub psychic whose act includes reading the minds of audience members by merely touching them.During a performance Falsworth comes into physical contactwith a serial killer; he sees the monster's most recent victims in his mind and grows terrified for his own safety. Enter a skeptical police detective(Richard Masur) whose real identity is so obvious that director Peter Hyams doesn't bother to mask it well. One complaint: theepisode begins with some truly grisly and gratuitous violence that, inretrospect, had no place in a fantasy series squarely aimed at families and boasting Spielberg's involvement. Kids should notsee "The Amazing Falsworth"--or anything else on Book 3, for that matter.

The second episode is certainly one of the most thoughtful in the series:"Life on Death Row," starring Patrick Swayze in an interesting performance as a convicted murderer. Scheduled to die imminently in the electric chair,Swayze's character, Eric Peterson, joins an escape effort and is hit bylightning during a storm. The freak accident bestows on him the power toheal the sick and wounded--a cruelly ironic development, given Peterson'sforeshortened destiny.

The final story, "No Day at the Beach," begins the day before the D-Dayinvasion of Normandy by allied forces, and concentrates on a handful ofsoldiers as they ready themselves psychologically for this turning point in the battle. Charlie Sheen is the best-known name among the cast in thisblack-and-white, Twilight Zone-like drama directed by Lesli LinkaGlatter. Sheen's character stands outas the one guy in his company refusing to taunt a simple-mindedGI who later becomes a hero at Normandy--or is it someone else besides that poor sap boldly taking out Germans left and right? --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Kind of Amazing
Being a Patrick Swayze fan, I purchased this video to check out his vignette. All of the stories in this video are interesting and well acted, but I wouldn't place the movie on my list of all time favorites.

Falsworth worth its weight and Death Row worth living for.
This tape consists of three episodes: 'The Amazing Falsworth', 'No Day at the Beach' and 'Life on Death Row.' Peter Hyams (Running Scared, 2010) presents the suspense yarn 'Falsworth'with definate, economical camera work and 2 very respectful performances by GregoryHines as the magician and Richard Masur as the psychopathic killer. Like a well-paced short story, the viewer is presented with information only when needed. Mix this in with some of the best 'Alfred Hitchcock' mysteries. Leslie Linka Glatter (Deep Impact, Without Diana) delivers the lopsided drama 'No Day at the Beach'. It does boast gorgeous black and white photography, a slick short story, a performance by post 'Platoon' Charlie Sheen, and a strong re-creation of D-Day. Okay, it is no 'Saving Private Ryan' but Linka Glatter masterfully uses stock WWII footage edited with new footage to create a reality that would otherwise destroy an entire series budget! However, the nebbish Arnold is a cartoon character in this otherwise real story. It serves as a major distraction, especially in the early scenes. Also, the manipulative reading of the letter is very off-focus and stands as an obvious emotional ploy even with Sheen in good form. Finally, Life on Death Row. The only problem with this episode is that it is too darn short. The story just moves along too quickly and doesn't allow the viewer to experience some of the interesting concepts. And the episode could be filled with them. Patrick Swayze and Hector Elizondo give strong performances. Once again, prison proves to be a cinematographer and lighting directors best friend. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This fourth volume of collected episodes from Steven Spielberg's 1980santhology television series begins with some heavyweight talent. MartinScorsese directs "Mirror Mirror," arguably the most frightening andaccomplished episode from the show's entire run. Sam Waterston plays a wildly successful horror novelist who claims never to be frightened of the samescary stories that unnerve ordinary mortals. So he begins living one of his own, and terrifying it is: whenever he looks in a mirror or other reflective surface, Waterston's character sees a hideous ghoul stalking him,prepared for murder. The trouble is that there is no corresponding danger in the real world, although the ghoul is determined to get