Reviews (14)

Very Nice Movie
Although this movie never got a lot of recognition, I still think it is well worth it to see. I think a lot of kids will like it, just because of the storyline. This is about a kid who is given a blank check and goes wild with the amount he, himself puts on the check.
Although I thought that was a bit unreal and farfetched it was still a nice fantasy to live in. I enjoyed the lawless ways he spent his money, and the mansion he buys, that was just plain cool.
It was a bit silly the way he acted at times, but overall it was a feel good, don't take this seriously type of movie. The ending in which he loses his money and so on is quite amusing,but he gained some real friends which I thought was sweet. It is worth it to see just for the dream of having money.

THIS IS TOTALLY G A Y
i mean come on who robs from old people there like regular people except older. this movie gets a big thumbs down. why would you steal money from your grandma to spend at a carnival. so in closing, this movie is totally g a y. this is even gayer than a pile of men having s e x with each other

Quite silly!
I have quite a few thoughts I'd like to pour out into this review on the movie 'Blank Check'.

The reason it sucked was nothing good came out of it. The kid is very stupid and didn't save anything of his money! First he wanted at least a thousand, then he thought he could make a check for $1,000,000 which he successfully does, and by God, he buys a house for at least 2 hundred thousand, what the hell did he expect?! He expected his money to last forever?! His IQ was lower than an insect's.

Also, he wishes he had the money to go on some good rides at the fair, but totally forgets about it when he has the money later.

He runs away from his problem from not having his own room all because he can't stand up for himself. He's a loser in the film. He doesn't even have any friends. He had to rely on a big, overweight grown up for a friend. God, what about kids his own age?!

He spends it, (all of it in 6 days) like there's no tomorrow.. He buys all these clothes that are his size, but doesn't even think about the fact that he now has the mony to buy his own car when he gets older, or some good clothes like at least a good tuxedo for his high school prom., just silly!!

This is one kid with a sickly low self-esteem. Not only do his older brothers have THEIR own rooms, but he doesn't even stick up for his own privacy. I mean, why couldn't his brothers' equipment be in THEIR own room?!

This kid was a total loser....

Cute and Charming!
I didn't want to like this movie but wound up liking it anyway! I watched Blank Check with my nephews while I was baby sitting them when my sister and her husband went out and I thought I was not going to like it and think it was just a movie that only a kid could like but I actually liked it and thought it was a pretty cute movie that has a good cast that includes Brian Bonsall, Miguel Ferrer and Karen Duffy and this is a charming entertaining movie that I could definitely watch again.

A good movie
I don't have this movie, but I have seen it on the Disney Channel. This wasn't the greatest movie I have ever seen, but it was pretty good. I think the only reason I watch this movie is because I think Preston Waters (Brian Bonsall) is hot. ... Read more

Reviews (276)

Cinematographic Exposure of the Vatican's Will to Power
The ever-so-attractive Patricia Arquette plays Frankie (a derivative of St. Francis of Assisi) Paige, an all-to-hip hairstylist who enjoys hanging-out at industrial/techno clubs with her one-dimensional boyfriend Steven and equally one-dimensional co-worker Donna (Nia Long from Ally McBeal). Anyway, Frankie, a devout athiest, becomes inflicted with the marks of the stigmata (how many of the five? watch the dvd and find out) and Father Kiernan (Gabriel Byrne) investigates her inflictions, while he's involved in a political power struggle with the Vatican, as represented by his superior Cardinal Daniel Houseman (Jonathan Pryce). Gabriel Byrne is a very boring and predictable actor, and the 'romance' that he's half involved-in is ludicrious and must have been suggested by the studio. Anyway, this movie is replete with stunning camera shots that flush-out multifarious symbols: doves, blood, water, ascension of water, trains, Aramaic characters, etc. This film borrows much from _The Exorcist_ when it incorporates demonic-ish possession (actually, it's simply the possesion of freedom: freedom from the boundaries of bureaucratic churches and nature, which are replaced with a reliance on faith -- very similar to the writings of Kierkegaard regarding faith in _Fear and Trembling_), but it is far more cinematographic than any of the Exorcist films ever were. My favorite aspect of the film was the fantastic portrayal of Cardinal Daniel Houseman's (as an individual symbol for the Vatican and the bureaucratic social institution of the Catholic Church) Will to Power in doing everything possible to stifle the Gospel of John, even resorting to murder and excommunication of an entire church. Cardinal Houseman acts in much the same fashion as Aguirre in Werner Herzog's _Aguirre: the Wrath of God_. This film incorporates enough symbols and religious history that a master's thesis or doctoral dissertation could be written centered on this film and related subjects. Anyway, to the special features: I prefer the director's ending and this dvd's best feature is the deleted scene entitled "Steven and Frankie Get it On" (phewwwww, Arquette has a perfect 10 for a body! ). The deleted scene with Frankie graphically stabbing herself is also excellent. I recommend purchasing this dvd, as well as the book _The Gospel of Thomas_ and, if you're really wanting to explore religion, Aliester Crowley's "The Book of the Law" or the "The Book of Abramelin the Mage".

Creepy thriller reexamines present-day faith and the Church
"Stigmata" is a thought provoking, if sometimes religiously confused, MTVesque journey through the possession/stigmata of Frankie Page (Patricia Arquette), a twentysomething atheist raver who suddenly exhibits stigmata (the wounds that Christ received on the cross) after receiving a recently deceased priest's rosary in the mail (her name, combined with later symbolism (the doves feeding from her hands, the statue of St. Francis in the garden), is an obvious nod to St. Francis of Assisi-one of the original working titles was "St. Frankie of Pittsburgh"). However, director Rupert Wainwright appears fundamentally confused on basic issues, confusing stigmata (which appear to devout Christians) with possession (Frankie speaks in tongues, stabs herself, levitates, and scribbles in Aramaic on the walls).

Gabriel Byrne is fantastic (as usual) as Father Andrew Kiernan, an Irish organic chemist turned man of the cloth, who is sent around the globe to investigate bleeding statues and religious sightings. Frankie has an attack in the subway that is witnessed by a priest, and word filters down to the Vatican, where Father Kiernan is hastily reassigned after discovering an authentic bleeding statue of the Virgin Mary in Brazil. Angry at being silenced, Kiernan arrives to find Frankie seeing hallucinations, hearing voices, and sporting some gaping holes in her wrists (the hospital staff fears self-mutilation and suicide attempts) that continue to bleed.

The film follows the pair as Frankie's condition deteriorates and the attacks become more violent as another mystery, this one inside the walls of the Vatican, unfolds. The "Stigmata" tagline says it all: the messenger must be silenced. The explanation for the phenomenon is unexpected, as are the two different endings: the theatrical ending and the director's ending. Due to poor test screenings the theatrical ending was substituted, but Wainwright's ending fits in more with the predictions of Father Andrew. There are several deleted scenes, including an alternate opening that explains Father Almeida's death. Factual errors run rampant, including Father Kiernan's assertion that no one had ever received all five stigmata (untrue, St. Francis received all five at once), that St. Francis of Assisi was 23 when he first received the stigmata (he was in his forties), and the fact that Cardinal Houseman wears a goatee (prohibited by the Vatican).

The visuals are striking if overwhelming. Multitudes of candles are present in almost every shot, as is water, doves, and blood. The scenes of Frankie receiving the stigmata are almost seizure-inducing-strobe lights, split-second flashes of nails being hammered into wrists, Frankie's bloodied face from several angles, all without transitions, rushed and drowned in a hard-rock soundtrack (the visuals alone built up a sufficient atmosphere of foreboding; the hard rock was overkill) penned by Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan. Sinead O'Connor and the Afro-Celt Sound System contribute, as does Natalie Imbruglia, and David Bowie.

"Stigmata" is entertaining, although it is extremely violent, gory, contains graphic sex, and is easily religiously offensive. There really is no Satanic demonic possession, rather something using Frankie as a messenger for good (albeit with extreme Machiavellian means). The movie casts a less than flattering light on the Catholic Church and the Vatican, and seems to glorify Frankie's hedonistic lifestyle. But the stigmata and Father Kiernan inevitably leave a large impact on Frankie's life, Frankie, who was once so self-assured in her partying ways and the non-existence of God. As the messenger she utters these words from the gospel of St. Thomas: "The kingdom of God is within you and all around you. It is not within buildings of wood or stone. Split a piece of wood and you will find me. Look beneath a stone and I am there." Although at times it looks like an outtake from Madonna's "Like a Prayer" video, "Stigmata" is thought provoking and visually stunning.

Not bad but a bit too preposterous
Gabriel Byrne is Andrew Kiernan, a scientifically trained priest employed by the Vatican to go off and investigate alleged cases of miracles. He's really keen to look into a case he came upon in Brazil where a statue of the Virgin wept blood following the death of some local holy man. Instead his rather unpleasant boss, Cardinal Houseman (Jonathan Price), sends him to Philadelphia check up the case of Frankie Paige (Patricia Arquette) who is having some strange hallucinatory experiences and has strange inexplicable wounds appearing on her wrists (as if made by nails) and her back (as if made by being whipped). What Kiernan doesn't yet realize is that these two cases are directly connected...

Like Gregory Hoblit's "Fallen" a year previously, this tries to breathe new life into the old "Exorcist" formula - mainstrean Hollywood films that deal with the theme of possession while taking themselves terribly seriously. Like "Fallen" this works quite nicely when it's a mystery but when the mystery is stripped away and we see what our hero and heroine are up against, it all turns out to be a bit silly and a whole lot less scary and disturbing than it's intended to be. The nice bits are the opening hour or so where we get a nice feel for Frankie's terrified confusion about what on earth is happening to her, complemented nicely by a more sophisticated bafflement from Kiernan, who has studied all this stuff for ever, but can't see why on earth a phenomenon associated exclusively with people of extreme sanctity should suddenly be manifesting itself on the person of this entirely unbelieving young woman. I certainly got intrigued by this point to understand what was going on. But the solution turned out to be decidedly lame. Expect to be mildly entertained but not particularly scared.

Wonderful Religious Commentary
This movie is somewhere between taboo breaking and sacrilegious. It's portrayal of the church as a corrupted institution is second to none. Wonderful acting and effects surrounding a very interesting story.

Blazfemmy!!!
Ok, first the music is done by Billy Corgan. That egg headed freak knows about as much about music as nuns know about birth control. The dead sea scrolls or secret sayings of Jesus are heresy. If Jesus wanted us to know these things, he would not want me to learn them in a Billy Corgan music video. They would be in the bible. I know the bible, and this stuff is not in the bible. The Catholic Church is hiding some things from us, but they are not lost in the couch cushions. They will be reveal to me, and maybe even you when the time is right.

Patricia Arquette, David Arquette's wife, has some of the worst hair in movie history. Anybody who gets their hair cut in he salon must also find in acceptable to have her hair styled by Stevie Wonder. She looks like a bleach blonde chicken. But I must admit it was a relief to see a preist make out with a woman rather than a little boy. ... Read more

Reviews (276)

Cinematographic Exposure of the Vatican's Will to Power
The ever-so-attractive Patricia Arquette plays Frankie (a derivative of St. Francis of Assisi) Paige, an all-to-hip hairstylist who enjoys hanging-out at industrial/techno clubs with her one-dimensional boyfriend Steven and equally one-dimensional co-worker Donna (Nia Long from Ally McBeal). Anyway, Frankie, a devout athiest, becomes inflicted with the marks of the stigmata (how many of the five? watch the dvd and find out) and Father Kiernan (Gabriel Byrne) investigates her inflictions, while he's involved in a political power struggle with the Vatican, as represented by his superior Cardinal Daniel Houseman (Jonathan Pryce). Gabriel Byrne is a very boring and predictable actor, and the 'romance' that he's half involved-in is ludicrious and must have been suggested by the studio. Anyway, this movie is replete with stunning camera shots that flush-out multifarious symbols: doves, blood, water, ascension of water, trains, Aramaic characters, etc. This film borrows much from _The Exorcist_ when it incorporates demonic-ish possession (actually, it's simply the possesion of freedom: freedom from the boundaries of bureaucratic churches and nature, which are replaced with a reliance on faith -- very similar to the writings of Kierkegaard regarding faith in _Fear and Trembling_), but it is far more cinematographic than any of the Exorcist films ever were. My favorite aspect of the film was the fantastic portrayal of Cardinal Daniel Houseman's (as an individual symbol for the Vatican and the bureaucratic social institution of the Catholic Church) Will to Power in doing everything possible to stifle the Gospel of John, even resorting to murder and excommunication of an entire church. Cardinal Houseman acts in much the same fashion as Aguirre in Werner Herzog's _Aguirre: the Wrath of God_. This film incorporates enough symbols and religious history that a master's thesis or doctoral dissertation could be written centered on this film and related subjects. Anyway, to the special features: I prefer the director's ending and this dvd's best feature is the deleted scene entitled "Steven and Frankie Get it On" (phewwwww, Arquette has a perfect 10 for a body! ). The deleted scene with Frankie graphically stabbing herself is also excellent. I recommend purchasing this dvd, as well as the book _The Gospel of Thomas_ and, if you're really wanting to explore religion, Aliester Crowley's "The Book of the Law" or the "The Book of Abramelin the Mage".

Creepy thriller reexamines present-day faith and the Church
"Stigmata" is a thought provoking, if sometimes religiously confused, MTVesque journey through the possession/stigmata of Frankie Page (Patricia Arquette), a twentysomething atheist raver who suddenly exhibits stigmata (the wounds that Christ received on the cross) after receiving a recently deceased priest's rosary in the mail (her name, combined with later symbolism (the doves feeding from her hands, the statue of St. Francis in the garden), is an obvious nod to St. Francis of Assisi-one of the original working titles was "St. Frankie of Pittsburgh"). However, director Rupert Wainwright appears fundamentally confused on basic issues, confusing stigmata (which appear to devout Christians) with possession (Frankie speaks in tongues, stabs herself, levitates, and scribbles in Aramaic on the walls).

Gabriel Byrne is fantastic (as usual) as Father Andrew Kiernan, an Irish organic chemist turned man of the cloth, who is sent around the globe to investigate bleeding statues and religious sightings. Frankie has an attack in the subway that is witnessed by a priest, and word filters down to the Vatican, where Father Kiernan is hastily reassigned after discovering an authentic bleeding statue of the Virgin Mary in Brazil. Angry at being silenced, Kiernan arrives to find Frankie seeing hallucinations, hearing voices, and sporting some gaping holes in her wrists (the hospital staff fears self-mutilation and suicide attempts) that continue to bleed.

The film follows the pair as Frankie's condition deteriorates and the attacks become more violent as another mystery, this one inside the walls of the Vatican, unfolds. The "Stigmata" tagline says it all: the messenger must be silenced. The explanation for the phenomenon is unexpected, as are the two different endings: the theatrical ending and the director's ending. Due to poor test screenings the theatrical ending was substituted, but Wainwright's ending fits in more with the predictions of Father Andrew. There are several deleted scenes, including an alternate opening that explains Father Almeida's death. Factual errors run rampant, including Father Kiernan's assertion that no one had ever received all five stigmata (untrue, St. Francis received all five at once), that St. Francis of Assisi was 23 when he first received the stigmata (he was in his forties), and the fact that Cardinal Houseman wears a goatee (prohibited by the Vatican).

The visuals are striking if overwhelming. Multitudes of candles are present in almost every shot, as is water, doves, and blood. The scenes of Frankie receiving the stigmata are almost seizure-inducing-strobe lights, split-second flashes of nails being hammered into wrists, Frankie's bloodied face from several angles, all without transitions, rushed and drowned in a hard-rock soundtrack (the visuals alone built up a sufficient atmosphere of foreboding; the hard rock was overkill) penned by Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan. Sinead O'Connor and the Afro-Celt Sound System contribute, as does Natalie Imbruglia, and David Bowie.

"Stigmata" is entertaining, although it is extremely violent, gory, contains graphic sex, and is easily religiously offensive. There really is no Satanic demonic possession, rather something using Frankie as a messenger for good (albeit with extreme Machiavellian means). The movie casts a less than flattering light on the Catholic Church and the Vatican, and seems to glorify Frankie's hedonistic lifestyle. But the stigmata and Father Kiernan inevitably leave a large impact on Frankie's life, Frankie, who was once so self-assured in her partying ways and the non-existence of God. As the messenger she utters these words from the gospel of St. Thomas: "The kingdom of God is within you and all around you. It is not within buildings of wood or stone. Split a piece of wood and you will find me. Look beneath a stone and I am there." Although at times it looks like an outtake from Madonna's "Like a Prayer" video, "Stigmata" is thought provoking and visually stunning.

Not bad but a bit too preposterous
Gabriel Byrne is Andrew Kiernan, a scientifically trained priest employed by the Vatican to go off and investigate alleged cases of miracles. He's really keen to look into a case he came upon in Brazil where a statue of the Virgin wept blood following the death of some local holy man. Instead his rather unpleasant boss, Cardinal Houseman (Jonathan Price), sends him to Philadelphia check up the case of Frankie Paige (Patricia Arquette) who is having some strange hallucinatory experiences and has strange inexplicable wounds appearing on her wrists (as if made by nails) and her back (as if made by being whipped). What Kiernan doesn't yet realize is that these two cases are directly connected...

Like Gregory Hoblit's "Fallen" a year previously, this tries to breathe new life into the old "Exorcist" formula - mainstrean Hollywood films that deal with the theme of possession while taking themselves terribly seriously. Like "Fallen" this works quite nicely when it's a mystery but when the mystery is stripped away and we see what our hero and heroine are up against, it all turns out to be a bit silly and a whole lot less scary and disturbing than it's intended to be. The nice bits are the opening hour or so where we get a nice feel for Frankie's terrified confusion about what on earth is happening to her, complemented nicely by a more sophisticated bafflement from Kiernan, who has studied all this stuff for ever, but can't see why on earth a phenomenon associated exclusively with people of extreme sanctity should suddenly be manifesting itself on the person of this entirely unbelieving young woman. I certainly got intrigued by this point to understand what was going on. But the solution turned out to be decidedly lame. Expect to be mildly entertained but not particularly scared.

Wonderful Religious Commentary
This movie is somewhere between taboo breaking and sacrilegious. It's portrayal of the church as a corrupted institution is second to none. Wonderful acting and effects surrounding a very interesting story.

Blazfemmy!!!
Ok, first the music is done by Billy Corgan. That egg headed freak knows about as much about music as nuns know about birth control. The dead sea scrolls or secret sayings of Jesus are heresy. If Jesus wanted us to know these things, he would not want me to learn them in a Billy Corgan music video. They would be in the bible. I know the bible, and this stuff is not in the bible. The Catholic Church is hiding some things from us, but they are not lost in the couch cushions. They will be reveal to me, and maybe even you when the time is right.

Patricia Arquette, David Arquette's wife, has some of the worst hair in movie history. Anybody who gets their hair cut in he salon must also find in acceptable to have her hair styled by Stevie Wonder. She looks like a bleach blonde chicken. But I must admit it was a relief to see a preist make out with a woman rather than a little boy. ... Read more

Reviews (50)

An essential collection!
This is a review of the VHS video "Michael Jackson: Video Greatest Hits HIStory" Vol. 1. Whether or not you are a fan of Michael Jackson, this is an essential video because it shows how good music videos can be. BILLIE JEAN is a striking video that broke down color barriers on MTV; THE WAY YOU MAKE ME FEEL has a loose improvisational feeling to it which makes it fun to watch; BLACK OR WHITE is modern masterpiece complete with morphing and the controversial "panther dance" sequence. In the original version of this video, Michael smashes in a car windshield that has racist grafitti on it... he is fighting back against the racism. However, in the version included on this tape, the grafitti is edited out, so we just see Michael smashing a window for no apparent reason. Even so, the video is still an amazing experience! ROCK WITH YOU takes us back to 1980 before Michael's plastic surgery; BAD and BEAT IT include some of the best choreography even seen in music videos, although the version of BAD on this tape is the short version, not the full version with Wesley Snipes. This tape also includes the videos for Thriller, Remember The Time, Don't Stop Till You Get Enough and Heal The World in their entirety. This video is a powerful mix of music, dance, and film. Even if you don't think Michael is the King of Pop, this collection proves he is the King of VIDEO!

Michael Jackson - Video Greatest Hits - HIStory on Film
This spectacular compilation of Michael Jackson's music videos is a must-see for all MJ fans, and anyone else who enjoys good music and dancing. This tape includes the videos:

-Billie Jean -The Way You Make Me Feel -Black or White* -Rock with You -Bad (shortened version without Wesley Snipes) -Thriller (entire video with credits) -Beat It -Remember the Time -Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough -Heal The World

This is a great video that shows not only the evolution of Michael Jackson's music, but also that of his appearance. Co-stars include Eddie Murphy, Iman, Magic Johnson, McAuley Culkin, Bart and Homer Simpson, and others. An exceptional video!!! *In the video Black or White, Michael appears to be furiously smashing the windows of a car for no reason. In the original, racist graffiti is painted on the windows. This was edited out in this version. Relax, Michael is not crazy. Or at least not that crazy.

Video HIStory
Don't just listen to the album,watch the videos! However there are fewer songs in this package than the audio counterpart. We see videos for hits from OFF THE WALL,THRILLER,BAD,DANGEROUS and of course,the audio counterpart of HISTORY. No fan of the King Of Pop should be without this unless he/she chooses not to.

Big fan here but this is a disappointment....
Honestly, I love Michael Jackson's music and have purchased History 2 on VHS (the gold box) and Dangerous: The Short Films before I got this. I was excited because I thought I would see some things different on this DVD, but it's all the same! You're better off purchasing Dangerous: The Short Films or History 2 because most of the same material on this video is on the others, and the others have some new added footage.

Thllermans/bestviedosondvd
Foryears michaeljackson hasrockedour world from abc to rock withyou jackson has made pop hirstoy and the viedos that made himfameuos are now on dvd frautes the viedos for billejean theway youmake me feel black orwhtie rock with you bad thllerbeatit rember thetime dont stop tillyou getehuogh andthe90shealthe wolrd. my fartivoe viedo is the thller video itsa shrot film with amazing muisc staring mihchael jackson theres also bad the 18minute nverbefore seenshrotfilm . this dvdis a collbte any mihchaeljacksonfan will love this dvd. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

An Underrated Movie that is Really Quite Good!
Blank Check is a very good movie and very underrated, underappreciated and misunderstood. It is about a young boy who gets a check for his birthday from his grandmother, he notices that it is blank and then his father writes about 10 dollars on it and when the boy his riding his bike to to the bank he is hit by the car of a mobster and he is alright but his bike is wrecked so the mobster gives him a signed blank check and then the boy goes into the bank writes in the amount at one million dollars and cashes it and this is where the story really begins and the comedy and adventure gets interesting. This movie is very good and has a very good cast and I totally recommend it. Some reviewers have completely gotten it wrong that the boy stole the money from his grandmother and it it was her blank check that he added the million dollar amount to. Wrong! It was the blank check from the bad guy that he did that to and it was the bad guy's stolen money that he stole.

I Like This Movie!
I really enjoyed watching Blank Check it gets bashed especially by adults because it's not realistic but it was such a fun movie to watch that I don't care that it was unrealistic. I think it's now available on DVD but I don't know if it's available in widescreen or just full frame but Disney does have a tendency to put out fullframe DVDs.

An entertaining Disney's Movie.
A Mobster (Miguel Ferrer), Who Escapes from Prison to Pick Up the Money, he has Stolen. A 11 Year Old Boy (Brian Bonsall), who gets a Blank Check from his Grand-Mother from his Birthday. When the Boy decide to Write a Million Dollars from the Check and Surprisngly he gets the Million Bucks but that Money was from the Mobster and he will do anything to get it back with the help of his Two Thieves (Tonc Luc & Micheal Lerner).

Directed by Rupert Wainwright (Stigmata) brings a clever Disney Comedy, which it will be Apperciate by Kids and Adults, will be also enjoy by Disney's Fans. This Movie is also about the Value that Money can't buy Happiness. This was a Box Office Hit in the Winter of 1994. This Flick is Good Family Fun. Grade:B+.

Entertaining!
So the movie is not realistic, that is no big deal as far as I'm concerned, it's very entertaining and after all it's just movie make believe so it doesn't really have to be realistic, it's pure entertainment and a perfect family movie!

A awesome video!
I'm a kid! I don't know what those adults don't like! I think it was a great movie! I should be the one who you listen to, a kid knows other kids feelings, and my brother and I liked the movie so much, we saw it 5 times! it's about a kid who's bike gets run-over by a man who is running from the police! He gives the kid a signed check, and is about to fill in the money when a cop pulls up, he forget's to put the money amount in and drives off. The kid fills it in for $1,000,000! I REALLY recommened this video! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Bonnie + Clyde - Bonnie = Not very entertaining
Yet another movie (this one made for TV) about famous 1930's bank robber John Dillinger. This time Dillinger is played by Mark Harmon and Marshal Melvin Purvis, Dillinger's nemesis, is played by Will Patton. Moves too fast to become boring, but its instantly forgettable despite the good cast. Stick with John Milius' 1973 movie of the same name. ... Read more

Reviews (276)

Cinematographic Exposure of the Vatican's Will to Power
The ever-so-attractive Patricia Arquette plays Frankie (a derivative of St. Francis of Assisi) Paige, an all-to-hip hairstylist who enjoys hanging-out at industrial/techno clubs with her one-dimensional boyfriend Steven and equally one-dimensional co-worker Donna (Nia Long from Ally McBeal). Anyway, Frankie, a devout athiest, becomes inflicted with the marks of the stigmata (how many of the five? watch the dvd and find out) and Father Kiernan (Gabriel Byrne) investigates her inflictions, while he's involved in a political power struggle with the Vatican, as represented by his superior Cardinal Daniel Houseman (Jonathan Pryce). Gabriel Byrne is a very boring and predictable actor, and the 'romance' that he's half involved-in is ludicrious and must have been suggested by the studio. Anyway, this movie is replete with stunning camera shots that flush-out multifarious symbols: doves, blood, water, ascension of water, trains, Aramaic characters, etc. This film borrows much from _The Exorcist_ when it incorporates demonic-ish possession (actually, it's simply the possesion of freedom: freedom from the boundaries of bureaucratic churches and nature, which are replaced with a reliance on faith -- very similar to the writings of Kierkegaard regarding faith in _Fear and Trembling_), but it is far more cinematographic than any of the Exorcist films ever were. My favorite aspect of the film was the fantastic portrayal of Cardinal Daniel Houseman's (as an individual symbol for the Vatican and the bureaucratic social institution of the Catholic Church) Will to Power in doing everything possible to stifle the Gospel of John, even resorting to murder and excommunication of an entire church. Cardinal Houseman acts in much the same fashion as Aguirre in Werner Herzog's _Aguirre: the Wrath of God_. This film incorporates enough symbols and religious history that a master's thesis or doctoral dissertation could be written centered on this film and related subjects. Anyway, to the special features: I prefer the director's ending and this dvd's best feature is the deleted scene entitled "Steven and Frankie Get it On" (phewwwww, Arquette has a perfect 10 for a body! ). The deleted scene with Frankie graphically stabbing herself is also excellent. I recommend purchasing this dvd, as well as the book _The Gospel of Thomas_ and, if you're really wanting to explore religion, Aliester Crowley's "The Book of the Law" or the "The Book of Abramelin the Mage".

Creepy thriller reexamines present-day faith and the Church
"Stigmata" is a thought provoking, if sometimes religiously confused, MTVesque journey through the possession/stigmata of Frankie Page (Patricia Arquette), a twentysomething atheist raver who suddenly exhibits stigmata (the wounds that Christ received on the cross) after receiving a recently deceased priest's rosary in the mail (her name, combined with later symbolism (the doves feeding from her hands, the statue of St. Francis in the garden), is an obvious nod to St. Francis of Assisi-one of the original working titles was "St. Frankie of Pittsburgh"). However, director Rupert Wainwright appears fundamentally confused on basic issues, confusing stigmata (which appear to devout Christians) with possession (Frankie speaks in tongues, stabs herself, levitates, and scribbles in Aramaic on the walls).

Gabriel Byrne is fantastic (as usual) as Father Andrew Kiernan, an Irish organic chemist turned man of the cloth, who is sent around the globe to investigate bleeding statues and religious sightings. Frankie has an attack in the subway that is witnessed by a priest, and word filters down to the Vatican, where Father Kiernan is hastily reassigned after discovering an authentic bleeding statue of the Virgin Mary in Brazil. Angry at being silenced, Kiernan arrives to find Frankie seeing hallucinations, hearing voices, and sporting some gaping holes in her wrists (the hospital staff fears self-mutilation and suicide attempts) that continue to bleed.

The film follows the pair as Frankie's condition deteriorates and the attacks become more violent as another mystery, this one inside the walls of the Vatican, unfolds. The "Stigmata" tagline says it all: the messenger must be silenced. The explanation for the phenomenon is unexpected, as are the two different endings: the theatrical ending and the director's ending. Due to poor test screenings the theatrical ending was substituted, but Wainwright's ending fits in more with the predictions of Father Andrew. There are several deleted scenes, including an alternate opening that explains Father Almeida's death. Factual errors run rampant, including Father Kiernan's assertion that no one had ever received all five stigmata (untrue, St. Francis received all five at once), that St. Francis of Assisi was 23 when he first received the stigmata (he was in his forties), and the fact that Cardinal Houseman wears a goatee (prohibited by the Vatican).

The visuals are striking if overwhelming. Multitudes of candles are present in almost every shot, as is water, doves, and blood. The scenes of Frankie receiving the stigmata are almost seizure-inducing-strobe lights, split-second flashes of nails being hammered into wrists, Frankie's bloodied face from several angles, all without transitions, rushed and drowned in a hard-rock soundtrack (the visuals alone built up a sufficient atmosphere of foreboding; the hard rock was overkill) penned by Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan. Sinead O'Connor and the Afro-Celt Sound System contribute, as does Natalie Imbruglia, and David Bowie.

"Stigmata" is entertaining, although it is extremely violent, gory, contains graphic sex, and is easily religiously offensive. There really is no Satanic demonic possession, rather something using Frankie as a messenger for good (albeit with extreme Machiavellian means). The movie casts a less than flattering light on the Catholic Church and the Vatican, and seems to glorify Frankie's hedonistic lifestyle. But the stigmata and Father Kiernan inevitably leave a large impact on Frankie's life, Frankie, who was once so self-assured in her partying ways and the non-existence of God. As the messenger she utters these words from the gospel of St. Thomas: "The kingdom of God is within you and all around you. It is not within buildings of wood or stone. Split a piece of wood and you will find me. Look beneath a stone and I am there." Although at times it looks like an outtake from Madonna's "Like a Prayer" video, "Stigmata" is thought provoking and visually stunning.

Not bad but a bit too preposterous
Gabriel Byrne is Andrew Kiernan, a scientifically trained priest employed by the Vatican to go off and investigate alleged cases of miracles. He's really keen to look into a case he came upon in Brazil where a statue of the Virgin wept blood following the death of some local holy man. Instead his rather unpleasant boss, Cardinal Houseman (Jonathan Price), sends him to Philadelphia check up the case of Frankie Paige (Patricia Arquette) who is having some strange hallucinatory experiences and has strange inexplicable wounds appearing on her wrists (as if made by nails) and her back (as if made by being whipped). What Kiernan doesn't yet realize is that these two cases are directly connected...

Like Gregory Hoblit's "Fallen" a year previously, this tries to breathe new life into the old "Exorcist" formula - mainstrean Hollywood films that deal with the theme of possession while taking themselves terribly seriously. Like "Fallen" this works quite nicely when it's a mystery but when the mystery is stripped away and we see what our hero and heroine are up against, it all turns out to be a bit silly and a whole lot less scary and disturbing than it's intended to be. The nice bits are the opening hour or so where we get a nice feel for Frankie's terrified confusion about what on earth is happening to her, complemented nicely by a more sophisticated bafflement from Kiernan, who has studied all this stuff for ever, but can't see why on earth a phenomenon associated exclusively with people of extreme sanctity should suddenly be manifesting itself on the person of this entirely unbelieving young woman. I certainly got intrigued by this point to understand what was going on. But the solution turned out to be decidedly lame. Expect to be mildly entertained but not particularly scared.

Wonderful Religious Commentary
This movie is somewhere between taboo breaking and sacrilegious. It's portrayal of the church as a corrupted institution is second to none. Wonderful acting and effects surrounding a very interesting story.

Blazfemmy!!!
Ok, first the music is done by Billy Corgan. That egg headed freak knows about as much about music as nuns know about birth control. The dead sea scrolls or secret sayings of Jesus are heresy. If Jesus wanted us to know these things, he would not want me to learn them in a Billy Corgan music video. They would be in the bible. I know the bible, and this stuff is not in the bible. The Catholic Church is hiding some things from us, but they are not lost in the couch cushions. They will be reveal to me, and maybe even you when the time is right.

Patricia Arquette, David Arquette's wife, has some of the worst hair in movie history. Anybody who gets their hair cut in he salon must also find in acceptable to have her hair styled by Stevie Wonder. She looks like a bleach blonde chicken. But I must admit it was a relief to see a preist make out with a woman rather than a little boy. ... Read more