Reviews (3)

Georgia verisimilitude
This a a sweet and tender little movie that conveys a tangible sense of what WWII-era rural Georgia may have been like geographically, culturally, and emotionally with regard to the war. I viewed it recently for a third time over about a ten year period, and it still came across well.

The character of the young German soldier is a bit fanciful (hard to believe a POW would have been that "ideal,") but the troubled young lady yearning for a friend in the face of an impossible father comes across well. Dad is an ogre. Mom is a wimp. The black maid is a small heroine.

All in all, worth a look.

really sad and dramatic(spoilers warning!)
This is a really nice movie even though i saw it in black and white i thought it was interesting.And the part where patty's father beats on her is really sad.Its not as good as the book though,they took out some characters and some parts like at the end she didnt go to the camp for bad girls or whatever like she did in the book.But i think you'll enjoy it anyhow!

Classic film about racism
The main character pulls at your heart strings from the very beginning. Patty longs to have a friend. Someone who really likes her, maybe even love her. By rescuing the escaping soldier, she learns more about the world, other people, her family, friends, and herself. I saw this movie when it first aired, and have never forgotten it. I wish they would air it again. Although this film was set during WWII, I think young people today could still learn that not all is what it seems, and that we have to love our selves first before another can. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Wonderful!
I have watched many versions of THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME and I must say that this is the best! I was in awe of the wonderful work put into this faithful adaptation of Victor Hugo's tragic tale. Quasimodo (Anthony Hopkins), the deaf bell ringer of Notre Dame, felt no kindness or love to anyone except his adopted father, Frollo (Derek Jacobi). That is until a beautiful gypsy girl, Esmerelda, comes into his life. She becomes his savior when he is being tortured by an angry mob, and he becomes her savior when Frollo plans to destroy her.
Leslie Anne Down (Esmerelda) was, in my opinion, a miscast, though she plays her part well enough. My only dislike about this movie (or any version, save the 1957 version.)is the fact Esmerelda lives. In the book she is recaptured and hanged, then, several years later, two skeletons were found in a crypt; they were, of course, Esmerelda and the hunchback. I think that ending is much more touching than any of the film's endings.
Still, this is well worth watching. It seems that I was lucky when I purchased my copy, for I only paid eight dollars for it. I see now it is going for sixty dollars and above, though, this movie is worth it!

Still waiting for a faithful adaptation...
I am still waiting for someone to make a movie that's faithful to the original novel - even if it means making it 3 hours long. The producers think that the audiences can't handle Hugo's embrace-in-the-tomb ending. Tuchner's version was a bit darker than the 1939 version with Laughton. Still, I am waiting for a Quasi who actually 20 years old, and an Esmie who looks 16. Thankfully, Leslie Anne Down is not a redhead like Maureen O'Hara, but she's a bit too old to play a naive virgin. There are so many young talented actresses with naturally dark skin and dark hair. As far as Frollo goes, any average math teacher could play him. When will the producers gather the right cast?

Excellent Adaptation
If you're looking for a presise adaptation of the book, this is it. The movie's pretty good, the end a bit depressing, and the character of Frollo is almost *likable* at times. Indeed, had his lust for Esmerelda not taken over, we might have liked him! All in all, excellent preformances by all the players!

Very good movie
This is a very good movie! It is one of the better tales of the HUnchback of Notre Dame. The characters Anthony Hopkins and Lesley-Anne Down both play their parts really well. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

This couldn't even pass as mere entertainment
This movie is based on a fictional story which omits the reality suffered by children, adolescents and even falsly imprissoned adults over several decades.

To understand why these facilities and their real director are so controversial, examine and explore the mounting sources in the media, newspapers and on-line regarding controversies, signed affidavits, criminal wrongdoing, lawsuits, settlements, insurance fraud, and malpractice related to the now defunct Kids of Bergen County, Kids of North Jersey, and Straight of Florida, where Newton (a.k.a. Father Cassian Newton) gained his "professional experience" and practiced his "treatment model," as founder and director.

Before watching this movie or the book it is based on read alternative materials which enlighten readers about Miller Newton, a.k.a. Father Newton and the allegations about what actually occurred behind the closed doors of his "treatment programs". These are omitted from this book and movie. Educate yourself about what children in Newton's care say they really experienced, including: violent physical assaults; extreme emotional abuse and manipulation; depravation of an education, sleep, lavatory use and professional help; false imprisonment and kidnapping; malpractice, denial of a patient's bill of rights, use of physical restraint as a punishment and a motivational tool to control responsiveness, admitting individuals on intakes based on determinations made by other children, absence of any health professional during these intakes and during therapeutic sessions, and throughout the course of treatment; falsifying documents regarding the presence of mental health professionals, as well as incident & treatment related reports and insurance documents; allegations of sexual abuse suffered by individuals while in Newton's care by other adolescents, teens or parents, forcing children including preteens to listen to graphic, sexually explicit stories in detail, coercion of pregnant minors to receive an abortion, group strip searches, refusal and depravation of necessary medical treatment,... Ask your teacher why these allegations and facts aren't exposed and why you're asked to watch this. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Based on the novel by Tom Sharpe, The Misadventures of Mr. Wilt reunites the considerable comic talents of Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones in a farcical tale of a missing wife, an overzealous law enforcement officer, and a blow-up doll. The titular hero Henry Wilt (Jones) is a liberal studies lecturer condemned to teaching students on day-release from the local pie factory. As if this wasn't demoralizing enough, he is regularly emasculated by his bossy wife, Eva (Alison Steadman); after a particularly embarrassing party he finds himself in possession of an inflatable playmate which he unceremoniously dumps at a local building site. Unfortunately, not only is he spotted, but his wife goes missing the same day, leaving a very tenacious Inspector Flint (Smith) determined to catch this suburban criminal. Jones is superb as the hen-pecked husband and Smith pulls of a fantastically clichéd, but hugely entertaining PC plod. It's a minor British comedy gem from a time when Four Weddings and a Funeral was merely a glint in Richard Curtis's eye. --Kristen Bowditch ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Where's my book?
Read WILT or another of Tom Sharpe's books before seeing this movie to enjoy it; if not, it may not seem funny. Though I laughed a few times through the movie, it did not translate too well from the book. The movie rushed through many scenes and missed much of Sharpe's humour. ... Read more

Amazon.com

In this sequel to The Secret Garden, set in 1946, an American orphan named Lizzie (Camilla Belle) gets to live at Misselthwaite Manor in England courtesy of Mary Craven (Cherie Lunghi), who grew up there. It's now an orphanage and Martha Sowerby (Joan Plowright) has become headmistress. Although the garden is no longer secret, neither is it as lush as it became under Mary's care. Because Lizzie also has a green thumb, Miss Sowerby allows her to work on it during Sundays, but it's off limits to children the rest of the week. Lizzie just can't stay away, so she breaks the rules and gets in trouble. By the end, she has found a way--with Miss Sowerby's permission--to make the garden bloom again. Although this film lacks the suspense of The Secret Garden, it's faithful to the spirit of the original and is suitable for the whole family. --Kathleen C. Fennessy ... Read more

Reviews (6)

very good like the 1st
I don't know that there is a second part of the secret garden. but when I see the DVD I was happy that they make this movie !!!
I'm from austria and here it's not possible to get this movie, because they didn't translate it. After this I by DVD's only in the original language because ther are much better, as you can see at "BACK TO THE SECRET GARDEN" If its possible this movie gets 10 STARS **********

As good as the original
I have this recorded on a DVD and have watched it many times. I actully think I like it better than the 1993 version of The Secret Garden. I never did buy the uncle character in the first one and that kinda ruined the movie for me. All the characters in this movie are buyable to me, and the movie is lighter than the kinda dark original. The scenery is just as good as the original, the colors even more brilliant. The magic is still there and this has as many moving moments as the original does. Camilla Belle's part is as good as Kate Maberly's part was and she plays her role as good as Maberly did. They bring back a few of the people from the original which is always good to see, though I don't know about Mary being married to Collin in this one, they were blood relatives in the first. If you liked the original you should like this too.

The Garden needs help.
A great sequel to the many originals. It was great to see returning characters. Though the Garden may have shrunken a little if you're a fan of the Kate Maberly version, but the Magic is still there. When Miss Mary must leave Misstlethwait manor, the garden door disappears. Martha Sowerby, the house keeper, tries looks for it, but even with all the ivy covering it, she knows it's not there. No one knows why, but the Vibrance of the once gorgeous garden, is gone, and the plants are dying. But when a little orphan girl named Lizzie Buscana from America comes to live in the large orhanage, she realizes the garden needs her help. Dickon may not be here to help, but all by herself, Lizzie can bring back the magic just by using her own instincts. Martha, now much older, and wiser, starts to realize, that Lizzie may be the only one who can save the garden now. With a little help with some animal friends, a lot of tender loving care, and friendship, the kids of Misstlethwait can bring the garden back to life by just being themselves. It was a great adition to the secret garden collection. Some people say that the secret garden all by itself was fine, and that this movie wasn't needed, but watching this movie shows adults that kids need to play. In this case the garden wanted to be played in. Just sitting there in the middle of a field makes you feel alone. With the garden returning, and 5 star acting, you can make this another addition to your secret garden collection.

You don't have to be a child to love this movie
I just saw this today on pay-per-view. It's an absolute treasure of a movie. Why do the Brits do so much better at children's movies than we do? This has atmosphere, beautiful scenery, a talented cast, and is lovingly photographed. What a joy to see David Warner in this; he is probably the most under-rated actor of the 20th century. He is always believable, always a delight to see. I certainly intend to buy this movie, and watch it again and again. You will be drawn into this movie's wonderful universe at once, and never want to leave. These days, we all need a little magic, and this movie is a powerhouse in the magic and charm departments. When you've really arrived, you don't have to shout about it. This movie speaks softly and carries a big stick. A very delightful and welcome addition to any film library. The color is ravishing. I think that is why the Brits do better than we do; they understand visual impressions, sounds, colors, and children.

Back to the Secret Garden
Back to the Secret Garden is a wonderfully done film. And just for clarification, I gave five stars for the movie, not the DVD. The DVD comes with only two options, Play and Scene selection. It would be nice if it had some more options, but it's still more than worth it.

This movie has an excellent atmosphere to it. And I didn't expect to see David Warner in it. It really is to bad that its theatrical release was canceled.

Now what else can I saw about this movie? Oh yes, it stars Camilla Belle. Camilla is a very talented rising actress. You may remember her from her small, yet important role in Jurassic Park 2. She was the young girl attacked at the beginning of the movie. Or you may have seen her staring in the Disney Channel movie, Rip Girls. Had Back to the Secret Garden been released in theaters, as it was intended, it would have been Camilla's first staring role on the big screen. And for that reason alone it is a pity that it went straight to TV. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

BRAVO
I'm a major fan of Kiefer Sutherland and I would like to say his performance was excellent. I would recommend this movie to everyone. It has a very touching story with a happy ending. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

great movie
great movie of what happens to so many women. fall in love with a married man and when something happens to him, their world closes up. victoria principal has done a wonderful job portraying a women of galmour who must start over and find happiness and love.

The most powerful performance of Victoria's career!
Victoria Principal gives an amazingly emotional performance in this film. Her character, Rae Colton, had started off in life with so much promise, headed for the big lights of Hollywood. Instead of pursuing an acting career, she meets a married millionaire and becomes a "kept" woman. Rae stays with him for nine years, believing that he'll divorce his wife. In the meantime, he strung her along and discouraged her from pursuing a career, preferring instead to have her available at all times for his benefit.

When her lover suddenly dies, Rae finds herself with no money, no house, and no car. She is forced to start all over again at the age of 38. Nobody will hire her for acting jobs, she gets fired from a department store job, and has no skills. Penniless and desperate, she goes back into the mistress business. Her dreams of fame, marriage and family are all gone now, and she feels like a deer that is hopelessly trapped.

If you have ever felt like a trapped deer. . .
Victoria Principal will mesmerize you with her compelling performance of [Leah]Rae Colton...the perfect mistress with an imperfect life. Her struggles with lonliness, rejection, and ultimately acceptance of her future will keep you rivited to the screen. Not since Lola Montes has a woman captured the screen with such a scarlett lust and determination! This is a must see for anyone who has ever felt like a deer hopelessly trapped in the lights of a demon vehicle. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Wonderful!
I have watched many versions of THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME and I must say that this is the best! I was in awe of the wonderful work put into this faithful adaptation of Victor Hugo's tragic tale. Quasimodo (Anthony Hopkins), the deaf bell ringer of Notre Dame, felt no kindness or love to anyone except his adopted father, Frollo (Derek Jacobi). That is until a beautiful gypsy girl, Esmerelda, comes into his life. She becomes his savior when he is being tortured by an angry mob, and he becomes her savior when Frollo plans to destroy her.
Leslie Anne Down (Esmerelda) was, in my opinion, a miscast, though she plays her part well enough. My only dislike about this movie (or any version, save the 1957 version.)is the fact Esmerelda lives. In the book she is recaptured and hanged, then, several years later, two skeletons were found in a crypt; they were, of course, Esmerelda and the hunchback. I think that ending is much more touching than any of the film's endings.
Still, this is well worth watching. It seems that I was lucky when I purchased my copy, for I only paid eight dollars for it. I see now it is going for sixty dollars and above, though, this movie is worth it!

Still waiting for a faithful adaptation...
I am still waiting for someone to make a movie that's faithful to the original novel - even if it means making it 3 hours long. The producers think that the audiences can't handle Hugo's embrace-in-the-tomb ending. Tuchner's version was a bit darker than the 1939 version with Laughton. Still, I am waiting for a Quasi who actually 20 years old, and an Esmie who looks 16. Thankfully, Leslie Anne Down is not a redhead like Maureen O'Hara, but she's a bit too old to play a naive virgin. There are so many young talented actresses with naturally dark skin and dark hair. As far as Frollo goes, any average math teacher could play him. When will the producers gather the right cast?

Excellent Adaptation
If you're looking for a presise adaptation of the book, this is it. The movie's pretty good, the end a bit depressing, and the character of Frollo is almost *likable* at times. Indeed, had his lust for Esmerelda not taken over, we might have liked him! All in all, excellent preformances by all the players!

Very good movie
This is a very good movie! It is one of the better tales of the HUnchback of Notre Dame. The characters Anthony Hopkins and Lesley-Anne Down both play their parts really well. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

VERY NICE TRUE STORY
Based on a true story Cliff (Christian Slater, True Romance) is a small town social outcase whose infatuation with Lilly Becker his childhood friend and neighbor becomes more than an obsession.

Desperate For Love--Desperate For Some Excitement
This video is based loosely on a true story of young love and obsession gone horribly wrong and ending in murder. The subject matter involves a young lady (Tammy Lauren) "desperately" trying to win the affections of a young man who is only mildly interested in her, and the consequences of her using his best friend (Christian Slater) to attract his attention. Christian Slater's character has been in love with the young lady for sometime, and the misplaced affection he receives brings the situation to a horrible end. This film had a lot of conversational drama and very little action. Fans of Tammy Lauren and Christian Slater are probably going to want to own this film out of a since of completism, because both young people have considerable camera time. As a huge fan of Tammy Lauren myself, it pains me to see her talents wasted in this movie, but her ability to come off as real and true to the character she plays still stands out in the performance. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Where's my book?
Read WILT or another of Tom Sharpe's books before seeing this movie to enjoy it; if not, it may not seem funny. Though I laughed a few times through the movie, it did not translate too well from the book. The movie rushed through many scenes and missed much of Sharpe's humour. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

VERY NICE TRUE STORY
Based on a true story Cliff (Christian Slater, True Romance) is a small town social outcase whose infatuation with Lilly Becker his childhood friend and neighbor becomes more than an obsession.

Desperate For Love--Desperate For Some Excitement
This video is based loosely on a true story of young love and obsession gone horribly wrong and ending in murder. The subject matter involves a young lady (Tammy Lauren) "desperately" trying to win the affections of a young man who is only mildly interested in her, and the consequences of her using his best friend (Christian Slater) to attract his attention. Christian Slater's character has been in love with the young lady for sometime, and the misplaced affection he receives brings the situation to a horrible end. This film had a lot of conversational drama and very little action. Fans of Tammy Lauren and Christian Slater are probably going to want to own this film out of a since of completism, because both young people have considerable camera time. As a huge fan of Tammy Lauren myself, it pains me to see her talents wasted in this movie, but her ability to come off as real and true to the character she plays still stands out in the performance. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

VERY NICE TRUE STORY
Based on a true story Cliff (Christian Slater, True Romance) is a small town social outcase whose infatuation with Lilly Becker his childhood friend and neighbor becomes more than an obsession.

Desperate For Love--Desperate For Some Excitement
This video is based loosely on a true story of young love and obsession gone horribly wrong and ending in murder. The subject matter involves a young lady (Tammy Lauren) "desperately" trying to win the affections of a young man who is only mildly interested in her, and the consequences of her using his best friend (Christian Slater) to attract his attention. Christian Slater's character has been in love with the young lady for sometime, and the misplaced affection he receives brings the situation to a horrible end. This film had a lot of conversational drama and very little action. Fans of Tammy Lauren and Christian Slater are probably going to want to own this film out of a since of completism, because both young people have considerable camera time. As a huge fan of Tammy Lauren myself, it pains me to see her talents wasted in this movie, but her ability to come off as real and true to the character she plays still stands out in the performance. ... Read more