Reviews (5)

Great Cast, Mediocre Film
I wanted so much to love this film. Maggie Smith & Michael Caine together again (first time: "California Suite")was a big reason I sought this one out. The story idea is pleasasnt enough, but too often the scenes seem to just ramble on. There are bright spots, usually when Smith and Caine are around. The dialogue needed much more sparkle to make this film more memorable. A bit of better editing might have also improved the whole piece. An enjoyable, but rather disappointing experience.

Beetlejuice it isn't but still funny in a sophisticated way
I have watched this movie many times. Michael Caine and Maggie Smith are wonderful, I wish they would do another one like the Topper series. James Spader is great also, sort of Cary Grant similar. I don't remeber Polly Walker very well, the weak link? You also get Buck Henry and Sam Shepard! The music is wonderful also, very beautiful movie. I am delighted with many small production company movies, Kill the Man was a strained comedy but at least it was a true comedy instead of some of the movies big production companies try to pass off as comedies.

A well-acted comedy romance
There are actually two romances going on here, although the younger couple, which consists of Stevenson Lowe (James Spader), a young and successful 4th generation publisher, and his girlfriend Julia have quite a time of it just trying to come together! She wants him to marry her, but the old home he has just purchased has a few resident ghosts whom he needs to deal with first. Because to some degree they have contributed to his rift with Julia, (she says several times "I just don't want this" in confronting Stevenson's seeming inability to commit himself) the ghost couple also go to great lengths to bring the two of them together. However, there is another woman in the picture, one which Stevenson likes but not romantically and, well, things gets good and complicated down this path. Meanwhile, the ghosts, Max and Lily Gale, stage performers in their previous lives, dead as they are, have much to work on in mending their own age old romance. The acting is superb. The customes are posh if adequate. The story is original and thoughtful, and warm, it feels real, in spite of the infighting spirits. And -- a big plus -- the language is clean. It's a feel good movie. It's a great movie, bound to become a classic.

Curtain Call
A delightful romantic comedy with the talented James Spader, Michael Caine, Maggie Smith, and even Sam Sheppard, it is set in Manhattan, with a lovely old home furnished in fabulous antiques, including two ghosts who were famous theatrical personalities in life. Spader inspires giggles with another of his always surprising comedic presentations, especially in his "fright" when the ghosts appear. The music is warm and the characters are rich. The dialogue is bright. The film offers a beautiful fantasy escape to upper class New York and a look into the publishing business - enjoy it with a glass or two of wine, and it will seem very believable.

NICE STORY, TOO BAD IT'S UNINTERESTING
The premise sounds interesting for a romantic comedy: successful commitment-phobic man loses successful girlfriend after saying the wrong thing once too often, man discovers house he just bought is haunted by a former husband-and-wife vaudeville team who constantly bicker, man asks the ghosts for help in repairing his relationship, and everything wraps up nice and neat within 94 minutes. Unfortunately, it's boring to the point where you just don't care. I really wanted to like this movie, but it just didn't happen. What was probably a good idea on paper didn't translate well to the screen. The acting is good, and some of the dialogue (especially between the bickering ghosts) is funny, but the whole thing lacks energy and seems forced at times. This is the second video from Square Dog Pictures that I've suffered through, the first being a very unfunny low-budget comedy titled "Kill The Man". Based on what I've seen so far (and the quality of the previews for their other films), it's best to leave their productions on the shelves. Definitely not worth purchasing unless you enjoy making yourself miserable. Maybe worth a rental if there's really nothing else available. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Two inept cops who frame An Innocent Man
This is the story about two inept cops who frame AN INNOCENT MAN named Jimmie Rainwood(Tom Selleck). The two plain clothes police officers deviously plant drugs inside Jimmie's home,also using his mailing address. The cops spot a shadow of what looks like a pistol,but is actually a hair dryer. Jimmie was drying his hair after taking a shower. After other officers discover the drugs in Jimmie's home,he is arrested,arraigned,convicted and sent to prison for six years. After Jimmie is released,he and a few friends scheme to incarcerate the drug-planting cops. The cops end up in jail. Jimmie's buddy(F. Murray Abraham),who's still in prison,says at the end of the film,"Ain't life a motherf---er?". This film was not as great as THREE MEN AND A BABY and HER ALIBI,but I loved it.

AN EXCELLENT SELLECK MOVIE
As long as I can remember I've always immensely enjoyed/loved Tom Selleck movies. This is defintely one of his best(as well as 'Her Alibi'). This is a very enjoyable prision movie with a range of emotions. This film as always been on my DVD wishlist so I'm very excited that it's finally on DVD. I highly reccomend this film, you won't regret it.
By Justine Ryan

An Entertainingly Uncomfortable Film
Even though you know what's going to happen to Tom Selleck's character, and you know that the ending will be happy, watching the process is enjoyably discomfiting. This is a plot film -- stuff keeps happening to the main character, things he appears utterly incapable of controlling, and everything spirals right into disaster. Great Friday night fare. Make a lot of popcorn and savor it.

an excellent movie
Very entertaining movie. The characters are all great, the plot and the suspense are terrific.

Best Selleck Drama
I always like Tom Selleck movies. Some are actually very entertaining. This is by far his best dramatic role. I was very impressed how well he played the part of a framed Airline crew chief Jimmie Rainwood. F. Murray Abraham gives a great performance as one of the prison inmates, Virgil Cane, that befriends him. It has all the elements for some good drama, bad cops, drugs, decent and really bad convicts, attractive loving wife, and motive for revenge.

David Rasche and Richard Young do a fine job as the crooked detectives that frame him. I have recommended this to many people since many Selleck fans are not even aware of it. Whether you like Selleck or not you will enjoy this film if you like movies like "The Fugitive","US Marshals", and "Shawshank Redemption". It is being released on DVD soon and you can bet I pre-ordered a copy. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Cartoonland...
"The Fiction Makers" originally was a two part episode from "The Saint" TV program, later packaged as a feature. By 1968, the series was winding down. Most of the original Saint stories had been adapted for the program, and the writers had been creating new original adventures for the character for some time. By then, most of the Saint's hard edge was gone, and what was left was just a shell, at times almost a cartoon character, especially in the hands of screenwriter John Kruse. There has always been an undertone of humor to the Saint, but here much too much is just played for laughs. For fans of the original Saint found in literature or even from the early days of the TV program, it is sad to see the decline of a once proud character.

That said, this comic book adventure, written by Kruse, features Roger Moore as Simon Templar, AKA "The Saint". "Amos Klein" is the reclusive author of James Bond type spy adventures. When a deluded band of crooks seek to make Klein's fictional world a reality, the Saint finds himself kidnapped, and mistaken for the famous author. The real Klein is actually a woman (Sylvia Syms), who is imprisoned with the Saint in a country manor. There, the gang plot the their upcoming caper, the robbery of a facility where valuables are stored. All that is needed to insure their success is the expertise and guidance from their creator (Klein). The Saint plays along with the deception until he can turn the tables on the gang and foil their criminal plans.

This is strictly lightweight entertainment. Fun, if your expectations are low. Production values are TV quality. Edwin Astley's main title music is good, and the opening credits are amusing. This adventure will be part of an up coming DVD boxed set of The Saint TV program, so if you are interested you may want to look there for it. If you are a fan of the Saint, you may want to see my other reviews of the DVD boxed sets of this program.

Ever So Saintly was Roger Moore...
While most remember Moore as Ian Fleming's super spy, James Bond, Moore was playing The Saint while Sean Connery hit the big screen as 007. This film was originally broadcast as a 2 part episode during the TV series. Then it saw release as a motion picture in several countries. Author & creator, Leslie Charteris, actually re-wrote the screen play into a novel by the same name in 1968.

Roger Moore's rendition of Simon Templar (The Saint) became the most famous. His tongue and cheek style was perfect for television (although he was never as ruthless as he was in the books).

In The Fiction Makers, Templar is hired by a publisher to protect his best selling authour, Amos Kline. Kline's books are a direct spoof of Fleming and Charteris' own stories, and the opening scene depicts Moore at a movie premiere poking fun of how predictable the "007-like" character was (how ironic).

Kline and Templar get kidnapped by S.W.O.R.D. (Secret World Organization for Retribution & Destruction) a take off on Fleming's "Spectre" organization and must write a plan for S.W.O.R.D. to break into the world's strongest bank (how very Goldfinger-esque...)

The film flows very well, with plenty of humour and Moore's perpetual raised eyebrow wit. A perfect addition for fans of the TV series, or fans of Moore in general. Great 60's spy soundtrack courtesy of Edwin Astley. My only complaint is that we only see Templar's car (his famous white Volvo 1800) for a few minutes.

The VHS transfer is excellent and the sound and picture quality are first rate. A steal at the price. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

"Don't let him down."
In retrospect, it isn't hard to understand why Barbra chose to make this limp, embarrassingly unfunny farce. The arty UP THE SANDBOX had just flopped and the future prospects of the just completed THE WAY WE WERE were unknown. Deciding that her reputation as a movie superstar couldn't take another project that was a commercial risk, she agreed to star in FOR PETE'S SAKE, a woefully misguided attempt at modern screwball comedy. Basically, everything that WHAT'S UP, DOC? succeeded at brilliantly, FOR PETE'S SAKE fails at miserably. Not only are the characters annoying and the puns infantile, but FOR PETE'S SAKE commits the biggest crime known to comedy: it just ain't funny. Throughout all of the typical comedic mix-ups and chases, the viewer will find his or herself moaning rather than laughing.

Barbra tries her best to pump the film up with her undeniable comic gifts, but there's no inspiration in this sitcom-level script, so even her earnest portrayal gets lost amid the murk. Michael Sarrazin fares even worse due to his badly underwritten character, and he has no chemistry with Streisand. Unfortunately, the rest of the cast doesn't fare much better. True, veteran comedic actress Molly Picon has a few amusing bits as Ms. Cherry, but none of the other supporting players are able to break out of their one-note characters. However, when a screenplay is this labored and unfunny, you can't really blame any of the actors - they obviously did the best with what they were given. It's certain that Barbra wouldn't have made this film had she known that THE WAY WE WERE was going to be a blockbuster hit, however that is not a good enough reason to excuse the poor execution behind this picture.

There are fans who like to say that the contrived box office hit THE MAIN EVENT or the off-beat box office flop ALL NIGHT LONG are Barbra's weakest films, but I must strongly disagree. THE MAIN EVENT may have been tired and predictable, but at least it was funny overall, and Streisand did had chemistry with her leading man in that one. And though ALL NIGHT LONG may have not been a perfect film (the film's soggy mid-section is it's biggest flaw), but it had a charmingly odd-ball perspective that made the movie seem bizarrely endearing. FOR PETE'S SAKE has none of the things that make THE MAIN EVENT or ALL NIGHT LONG entertaining. It just stumbles on to the finale, getting progressively worse as it goes. While FOR PETE'S SAKE was actually a box office hit in it's day, in the end it no doubt had a more damaging effect on Barbra's career. It did nothing but provide fodder for the people who never liked her to begin with.

About the DVD: The picture quality is great, much better that I expected, and the sound is also fine. Yates' commentary track isn't very interesting (and has some long silences), but it's still a nice addition.

Barbra Arrives on DVD
It's nice to see more Barbra Streisand titles appearing on DVD. FOR PETE'S SAKE has arrived and although it is not one of Streisand's "classic" films, it is certainly entertaining -- and the DVD makes this 1970's film look great!

For starters, the disk comes with a letterbox presentation on one side and a full-screen presentation on the other. The menu is colorful and a funky 1970's design. The trailers included (WAY WE WERE, PRINCE OF TIDES, and the PETE'S trailer) are interesting. The Talent Files are brief. The colors and clarity of the picture look great to me.

As for the film, Barbra is very funny. She's in her fast-talking Brooklynese mode here. The plot is barely realistic, but that doesn't really matter because this is a romantic, screwball comedy. Actually, when you think about it, the story of a wife who prostitutes herself to pay for a loan is quite horrendous. But director Peter Yates somehow makes you forget this -- in his commentary (an extra audio track on the disk) he keeps saying "This movie is entertainment, it's supposed to be fun and not taken seriously."

Barbra sings the title song (the lyrics are a bit dated, but the song is fun) and wears a short Jon Peters-designed wig. Look for Barbra's longtime manager Marty Erlichman in a cameo. Also, praise should be given to Gene Callahan's production design. Streisand's apartment (although clearly out of her character's means) is gorgeous!

My favorite scene is when Barbra gets licked by the bull while driving a trailer. Barbra's laughs of disgust and amazement are quite hilarious.

Enjoy FOR PETE'S SAKE!

Aptly Titled
Avoid at all costs. Streisand at her most obnoxious, weaker material than a Nick-At-Nite "Facts Of Life" marathon. Wear a life preserver if you have to sit through it because it starts sinking right away.

For God's Sake!
Okay, what were the film folks thinking with regard to this picture? The commentary by the film's director was fun; the film in two formats was nice; but after almost 20 years, there is nothing new to this piece. The only upside is being able to burn on your personal CD player the opening title song, "For Pete's Sake" sung by Streisand. Where is the creative genius' behind these releases?

Barbara chewing scenery
This is not one of my favorite Barbara films. It's ok to watch on a dreqary Sunday afternoon. I'd much rather watch "What's Up, Doc?" or "Funny Girl" the latter of which has finally made it onto DVD.
This little film is basically about the bonds of marrriage and how love overcomes everything, including prostitution, larceny, goodfellas, porkbellies, stocks, snotty family members and Molly Picon!
Barbara plays Henry, whose husband Pete drives a cab by day and plays the stock market putting their savings into porkbellies. The stocks go belly up and Babrba is determined not to let Petes dreams join them. So, she goes from one silly plotline to another to try and get him the money, all the while putting them further in debt. Until the end when the porkbelly stock finally brings them their dreams.

AA sweet comedy with Barbra acting her face off trying her best to make the most of it. I truly hate her short hair in this movie, it distracts me. I hope that "What's Up, Doc?" and "On a Clear Day" get a great DVD treatment. Enjoy! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Maybe I Am Easily Pleased
I just watched this movie again last night, having watched it before when it was first released. My motive for writing this review is to add one positive contribution to this collection of downward pointing thumbs.

Well, yes, it is sort of an ordinary cloak and dagger film, but I enjoyed seeing a female lead character who was gutsy, a lady who didn't follow the stereotype of the ankle sprainer who has to lean on the big strong man for protection. Actually it is a good thing that Kelly McGillis isn't prone to ankle injuries, because she certainly does a lot of running in this flick. She just seems to be in a hurry wherever she goes, and trots along at a good clip even when she isn't being chased. Sometimes I felt I was watching another version of Run Lola Run.

Anyway the time period is the Joe McCarthy era, and Kelly loses her job because she refuses to name names to Congress. By chance she discovers some strange happenings that indicate maybe there are some ex (current?) Nazis inflitrating her pleasant neighborhood. Well the FBI is involved, too, and the chase is on. Evil people flit in and out, and surprises happen when people open doors.

Admittedly the tale is sort of muted Hitchcock, and not particularly exceptional in its plot, but I found it to be a pleasant thriller to watch. I must also confess that I was mesmerized by Ms McGillis's breathtaking beauty. She was about 30 when this movie was made, and, gosh, I just fell in love with her.

Disappointing
I agree with the Leonard Maltin review. This starts off well, but becomes a very ordinary, unexciting melodrama, that tries to have some Hitchcock tension, but it doesn't work very well. Towards the end of the film, I was muttering, "what a waste of time."

The reviewer Peter(can't remember the rest of his or her name) should have his or her review REMOVED, for revealing too much of the plot of the film. I'd write to Peter, if there were an e-mail address. Do NOT reveal too much about plot details. It's nice to be surprised when you see a film, Peter.

For the price, a best buy at 3 ½ stars
Though the Australian reviewer's comments are too harsh, they are entertaining with some points well-taken. But this reviewer would move the overall rating up to 3 ½ stars out of 5 possible.

Having purchased the DVD and seen it without any preconceptions or prior reviews, this reviewer was pleasantly satisfied: not a classic film, but quite entertaining, keeping one on the edge of the seat pretty much throughout. There is never a dull moment, but not overly so as is too often the case in today's hyperactive and mindless 'action and adventure' flicks. This film was definitely not written by 13-year-olds for 13-year-olds and contains a lot of well-presented material. Kelly McGillis gives a credible performance as a balanced and generally level-headed woman being persecuted by governmental agencies. Her portrayal is not the weepy, hysterical and too-vulnerable type that can find its way into films like this. Mandy Patinkin does well as a chilling, oily and thoroughly corrupted and unscrupulous politician/attorney (or whatever) with too much power in the wrong places. Jessica Tandy is good in what few scenes she has; too bad she couldn't have had a more central role.

As to the production values, the film is the letterboxed theatrical presentation at 1.66:1 (as stated on the case, and this seemed about right.) The picture, for a 1988 film, while not exceptional, is mostly clear, though with suggestions of fuzziness for purists. Overall, the image is on the dark side and there is some loss of detail in deep shade scenes, though not annoyingly so. Color fidelity of details in some scenes struck this reviewer as almost exceptionally good. The Dolby Digital mono sound is strong and clean.

There are no annoying advertising impositions or preliminary and unrelated material to try to get around (something becoming increasing annoying in many new DVD releases, sometimes necessitating drastic action to curtail!) The DVD is well-packaged in a quality case. If you like a thriller in the Hitchcock vein with reasonable and well-restrained message content that doesn't get in the way of the story, this DVD is a good buy for the price, and recommended.

who's in the house
This Peter Yates directed thriller was written by Walter Bernstein, who had been blacklisted in the McCarthy era, and had written about it for The Front. Here Bernstein takes his anti-McCarthy paranoia one step further by suggesting that Roy Cohn tried to illegally smuggle former Nazis into America, posing them under the name of dead Jews. Yates' underrated skill manages to overcome this somewhat far-fetched premise, providing a woman in peril drama with various Hitchcock-ian setpieces - a wedding reception, a church, a bookshop, a theatre, and the climax at Grand Central Terminal. He also attempts a romance between the woman targetted by the FBI and an FBI agent who feels guilty about her harassment. While the romance is aided by the score by Georges Delerue, and Jeff Daniels is acceptable, if a bit comically light, to play the male lead, Yates has more trouble with Kelly McGillis as the woman. In spite of her skill, McGillis isn't a romantic actress. No matter how effectively she is styled for the period, she lacks vulnerability so that we never feel she will be defeated. Pauline Kael memorably compared McGillis to Charlton Heston. Yates partially compensates by having her silent and on the run, but when in one scene she is naked in the bath being menaced by Mandy Patinkin as the Roy Cohn figure, while she acts vulnerable, it's not truthful. Patinkin playing his menace with musical comedy timing doesn't help either. Perhaps if he sang to her in his terrifying falsetto, McGillis would be truthfully frightened. Jessica Tandy appears briefly as a woman McGillis is paid to read to, and I was disappointed that Bernstein found no way to bring her further into the plot. Even the Carroll Street house (though I don't recall hearing the name Carroll Street ever mentioned) is disposed of quickly. And Patinkin has an odd speech where he demonstrates the logic of his shenanigans by splashing ketchup on a white tablecloth. The Grand Central climax is handled awkwardly when everyone is climbing the belfry (why do people being pursued always go up and no down?!), but Yates comes off better with a chase in a bookshop, and the wedding reception, with Daniels and McGillis dancing and spying. It's a pity Bernstein decided to take on this comic book style approach to an abhorrent moral and political time in history. You would think that someone who was blacklisted would not pander to such a base Hollywood aesthetic. McCarthy was scary enough without making him and his pals neo-Nazis. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Laughter through tears
Unfortunately, this gem is one of those movies where people look at the box and just pass up. A big mistake. Although "Roommates" starts out as what appears to be light comedy. Peter Falk's portrayal of a cantankerous old man is just great throughout. But as the movie progresses, and down-to-earth hardships such as the loss of family members becomes part of the story, the characters become deeper, and the truly touching love of an old man for his family, and the love of a man for his grandfather come through. It is a beautiful film that will make you laugh out loud, make you cry buckets of tears, break your heart and then repair it again. You cannot help but get absorbed in the characters and relationships in "Roommates". Recommended viewing!

An underrated, great family movie
It's a shame that this movie's largely overlooked by critics and audience alike. However, many people who happen to "stumble" across this movie will be pleasantly surprised. OK, I'm biased because I'm in the movie. But as an avid movie-goer, I have to say this is one of the better family movies in the past 10 years. The relationships are real and touching. Even though I knew -- from the filming -- how it was going to end, the tears that came down my cheeks caught me by surprise. I wish more people would see it and realize what a great movie this is. Peter Falk and D.B.Sweeney have great chemistry. You also get to see other great actors such as Julianne Moore (unfortunately, for some reason, they always fail to mention this film in her bios).

Great!
I am a fan of this movie because I am playing the nurse at the bedside! Loved doing the movie and everyone was great!

A movie which I am sentimentally attached too!
...The art of film-making distinguishes itself from other art forms
because it lends itself quite easily to being experienced by many people at one time. This
quality becomes greater when you experience a great movie with a loved one. That film
then becomes one of your fondest memories. For me, this is the case with "Room-mates."
I will forever remember the first time I watched this movie and who I watched it with.
There are certain movies where you quite willingly turn a blind eye to it's supposed
"imperfections" and enjoy it purely because it left you with a good feeling in your heart
and a memory you will forever cherish. It is very odd indeed that "Room-mates" would
fall into this category. Despite the fact that you know one of the film's saddest moments is
inevitable, it still affects you deeply. Even then, you are left with hope in your heart, and
know that these character's will endure. I love the subtle yet important messages it
imparts. As a small boy, the son has to contend with the old man's incessant snoring yet
when he finally is out on his own and free of it he finds he can not sleep for the lack of it.
(This proves, in a unique and unforgettable way that you do not appreciate what you have
until you've lost it.) Every member of the cast gives stellar performances without
exception. I even enjoyed the moments that some critics would argue went over the top.
Above all else I will remember what this film means to me personally. It was a rare sunny
day (my fellow Oregonians will appreciate the understatement.) My mother and I, refusing
to worship the sun decided to take in a movie. This was that movie, it is a rare gem that
manages to be genuinely heartwarming, without being sugary. It is a film I will never tire
of because it themes are universal. And it will forever be associated with the day my
mother and I shunned the sun, and saw a film that to us is unforgettable. It is a film I am
proud to have in my collection.

A Lovely little movie!
We watched this on a quiet night and didn't expect much. We were pleasantly surprised at how touching it was. I recommend it to anyone sick of blood, guts, sex, etc. but yet doesn't want to watch a Disney cartoon. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

El santo
Ya hay vodeos de "El santo" en existencia. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Language not present
Contrary to what is indicated, the film does not contain a French track.

Attention, ce film ne contient pas la piste française indiquée dans le détail de l'édition.

"I Know The Feeling. If It Ain't Nailed Down It's Mine."
Awesome movie but not much for bonus features unless you consider subtitles bonus material. Plot: Late WWII. Murphys' ship sunk by German U-boat. Survivors brutally shot up in the water. The rest of movie either goes into Murphys' personality or deals with the U-boat trying to kill Murphy or vice-versa. This is the only movie (Except "The Empire Strikes Back" and "The Omega Man") that I am madly in love with that has an ending that I normally don't like. Has some one-liners including my favourite, "I Know The Feeling. If It Ain't Nailed Down It's Mine." If you like fictional movies that have a WWII storyline this is for you. Cheers.

Murphy's War
An enjoyable film that keeps your attention. A survivor of a ship (Peter O'Toole) and a wounded comrade, (torpedoed by a German submarine), make it to a nearby island, where they are nursed back to health. In the meantime the commander of the submarine realizes that the two British made it to shore.
O'Toole after seeing his comrades gunned down in the water declares all out war against the submarine once he is fit again.
Helmut Griem of "The McKenzie Break," (another fine war film),

unfortunately has a small part as the sub's commander. I don't see any parallel between this film and, "The African Queen," other than both film's showed quite a bit of water :), and I have seen each of the film's several times. It's a different war film; and that's always refreshing... If your looking for hard to find war film's check out "Men In War" with Robert Ryan and Aldo Ray (A well done anti-war action film). Hopefully "The Naked and the Dead" with Cliff Robertson, and Aldo Ray will also be put to DVD soon.

Ahab and the whale
Only in this case it's a German submarine. Peter O'Toole stars as a survivor of a ship sunk by a U-Boat. The rest of the crew is massacred in the water. After this, O'Toole goes off of the deep end in his desire to destroy the sub. This is a retelling of "Moby Dick," with the sub as the whale and O'Toole as Captain
Ahab. Alas, revenge is sometimes not so sweet. The ending is both ironic and memorable.

Adventure in revenge.....
I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, not only because of the intense portrayal by Peter O'Toole as Murphy, but also because of the interesting story line. If one has to make an example of single minded pursuit of an objective, this movie is one of the best. It is an uncluttered adventure in revenge for a British seaman, one of two survivors of a ship sent to the bottom by a German U-boat, who's crew was cold-bloodedly massacred while in the water. Good aerial photography, coupled with a good supporting cast and one period song. Near the end of the movie, the philosophical and moral questions thrown by an exasperated Louis (played by Phillipe Noiret) to an unlistening Murphy says more about why it was entitled "Murphy's War." ... Read more

Reviews (4)

A Real "Culchie" Film
Two thirds of Ireland's popoulation doesn't live in the towns most Americans have heard of like Galway, Cork, Dublin. This film hit life in small market towns (down the country) square on the head. The scene where the lads are off in the delivery van to the disco the next town over is dead on, all piled into the back and bouncing around on wee roads for miles. The macho posing and abuses hurled back and forth eventually leading to a row sadly couldn't have reminded me more of my numerous nights out with friends in the Midlands. This is the Ireland they don't want you to see in the travel brochures..complete with post dole day, chip shop trash. And the amount of times I've overheard people there speak the words, "Say nothing 'til ya hear more..." says quite a few have viewed the film as well. My suggestion is to try and find a copy of "Father Ted" (Channel 4) or "Podge & Rodge" (RTE) instead. The countryside is beautiful though.

Is about the hardships of trying to make it on your own.
I thought that this was an excellent movie. Set in Ireland, it is about a young man, who after his mom dies, tries to make it on his own. He does not like to listen to his father, because he thinks that he killed his mother. He goes and he lives with a very outgoing friend named Cocoa. When they go to town across the border, he sees a girl that he instantly falls in love with. They meet and do fall in love and eventually she gets pregnant. The two families have two totally different approaches on what to do. The girls family ships her off, and punish the boy for what he has done to their daughter. All in all I thought that this was an excellent movie.

Funny yet serious Irish movie
Worth it just for the character Cocoa. He was hilarious and the actor who played him did an excellent job!

A fabulous coming of age film
Not to be missed. The acting is fabulous and the angst of growing up is realisticly portrayed. Not sugar coated and censored but actively seeks to be true to the younger set of today. ... Read more

Reviews (104)

Bullitt Hits The Mark
1968's Bullitt is best known for its classic car chase scene that is still considered by many to the best of all time. The movie is worth watching for that scene alone as Steve McQueen's fastback Mustang chases down a Dodge Charger for a tense ten minutes through the streets of San Francisco. Even without that memorable scene, Bullitt is a classic 60's film. Mr. McQueen's performance as steely police detective Frank Bullitt is one of his best and the forerunner of the anti-heroes that would dominate films of the 70's. The plot revolves around a seemingly routine job for Bullitt and his men to protect a mob informant (Pat Renella) who is set to testify before a Senate subcommittee. When two hitmen break into the safe house and fatally wound the informant and injury another detective, Bullitt begins to have questions and takes up investigating the case on his own with the help of fellow detective Delgetti (Don Gordon). Fighting them at every turn is ruthless and ambitious senator Chalmers played with unctuous smarm by Robert Vaughan. Jacqueline Bissett co-stars in one of her first roles as Bullitt's girlfriend and Robert Duvall has a bit part as a cabbie. Director Peter Yates crafts a gritty look to the film and editor Frank Keller won the Academy Award for his superb work.

Steve McQueen scorches the streets of San Francisco
Arguably the best crime film of 1968, and certainly one of the most influential films of the genre...."Bullitt" established new directions in the mood and style of crime thrillers, and firmly established McQueen as one of the key anti-hero stars of the 60's. Based on the gritty novel "Mute Witness" by Robert L. Pike, this was the first, and only, time McQueen portrayed a police officer (albeit a maverick one) in his movie career. In 1968 Steve was then riding high on the success of his previous crime film, "The Thomas Crown Affair", and "Bullitt" just propelled his star even higher into the heavens !

The plot is tight, economical and well crafted....taciturn, moody Detective Frank Bullitt (McQueen) is charged with the protection of a key witness vital to an upcoming trial involving Mafia connections. Whilst hidden away in a supposed secure location, the witness and his police guard are brutally gunned down by unknown assailants. The heat is turned up on Bullitt by his tough Captain (Simon Oakland) and the manipulative, opportunistic politician Walter Chalmers (Robert Vaughn) to come up with the right answers fast ! Between the draining investigation, Bullitt struggles to maintain his relationship with his cultured, sensitive girlfriend, Cathy (Jacqueline Bisset)

Primarily coming from a TV series background, Englishman Peter Yates (directing his fourth movie) did a commendable job as director on "Bullitt"...producing a complex, intense crime thriller with a unique style that would ultimately influence many other films. Yates would later to go onto direct Robert Mitchum in the excellent "sleeper" crime film "The Friends of Eddie Coyle" !

And of course "Bullitt" is reknowned for it's now legendary car chase between Frank Bullitt's 390 GT Mustang and the two hitmen in their black, Dodge Charger 440 Magnum barrelling through the city streets and highways of San Francisco....just don't pay too much attention to how many times they pass that slow-moving, green VW Beetle !!

The DVD transfer is excellent in both sound and picture quality, and the Limited Edition Set with the extra goodies (Single sheet poster, shooting draft, lobby cards etc.) is a real bonus for keen film fans !!

One of my favourite cop thrillers....McQueen sizzles on screen !!

Put on a Sweater
This detective drama aimed to be the essence of cool, and succeeded, in fact it's a little too cool, can somebody turn up the thermostat? Barely anybody in the picture is allowed to show any genuine emotion, although one of the hoods looks a little upset before he's shotgunned. Director Peter Yates apparently planned to tell the whole story with action and came up with a near-classic. In fact his spectacular staging of McQueen's car pursuit of two Mob assassins is usually blamed for the countless imitation car chases that have blighted American movies ever since. It's certainly one of McQueen's signature roles, but why give him a hokey name like Bullitt?

McQUEEN COOL!
Ignore the paisley pajamas, Steve McQueen was an icon of cool and BULLITT is the proof. Peter Yates has a smart thinking man's cop drama, bolstered by (yes) the best chase scene on film. Great locations in San Francisco. Superior acting by McQueen, Robert Vaughn as a sinister U.S. Senator and Don Gordon, as McQueen's partner. Why didn't Don Gordon become a bigger star?

The good, the bad, and the pretty
"Bullitt" is highly regarded by many for either "the chase", or the drama.

The good and the bad: True, there is a high-speed car chase in part through the hilly streets of San Francisco. Is it "the best ever" chase? Depends on how you look at it. Plus - It was very high speed. Plus - It had a cool-looking Mustang fastback vs a big GTO. Negative - They pass the same VW 4 times, and another car 2 times (why? if not intentional, then very poor continuity) Negative - double-shifting or not, there are about 97 too many gear changes, and some of those are at top speed on the flat stretch near the end. Neg - the bad guys lose too many hubcaps. Still, it's fairly exciting. However, though not car vs car, I think the chase in "The French Connection" is as good if not better.

As for the drama, some of it seemed a bit drawn out. Lt. Frank Bullitt is supposed to protect the state's witness "Ross" against the Chicago "Organization". Ross and one cop are shot, and Ross is later killed in the hospital, where Bullitt is hanging out. Bullitt does not want the prosecutor who gave him the assignment (Robert Vaughan) to know Ross died, so he will have time to find the killers. Turns out Ross may not be who the cops think he is, and this leads to a good foot-chase across the airport runways and the airport itself.

Some of the police procedure as portrayed in the movie is rather shoddy - such as handling a lot of evidence, then asking for it to be fingerprinted, etc.

The pretty: Bullitt has a girlfriend played by Jaqueline Bisset, who gives him grief for his callous attitude. This sets up the final scene of the movie where Bullitt ambiguously questions his existence. Otherwise, her appearance in the movie is useless.

Good acting by McQueen and Vaughan. Look for Robert Duval, Georg Sanford Brown, Norman fell, Simon Oakland and a few other names.

The jazzy score by Lalo Schifrin sounds like a bad TV movie. Wide-screen movie has decent picture and sound quality. DVD extras include a short behind the scenes documentary, text-based cast/crew/location info, list of awards, and a trailer.

In short - Not the best cop movie, not the best McQueen movie, and not the best chase. Watchable but not a stand out. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Language not present
Contrary to what is indicated, the film does not contain a French track.

Attention, ce film ne contient pas la piste française indiquée dans le détail de l'édition.

"I Know The Feeling. If It Ain't Nailed Down It's Mine."
Awesome movie but not much for bonus features unless you consider subtitles bonus material. Plot: Late WWII. Murphys' ship sunk by German U-boat. Survivors brutally shot up in the water. The rest of movie either goes into Murphys' personality or deals with the U-boat trying to kill Murphy or vice-versa. This is the only movie (Except "The Empire Strikes Back" and "The Omega Man") that I am madly in love with that has an ending that I normally don't like. Has some one-liners including my favourite, "I Know The Feeling. If It Ain't Nailed Down It's Mine." If you like fictional movies that have a WWII storyline this is for you. Cheers.

Murphy's War
An enjoyable film that keeps your attention. A survivor of a ship (Peter O'Toole) and a wounded comrade, (torpedoed by a German submarine), make it to a nearby island, where they are nursed back to health. In the meantime the commander of the submarine realizes that the two British made it to shore.
O'Toole after seeing his comrades gunned down in the water declares all out war against the submarine once he is fit again.
Helmut Griem of "The McKenzie Break," (another fine war film),

unfortunately has a small part as the sub's commander. I don't see any parallel between this film and, "The African Queen," other than both film's showed quite a bit of water :), and I have seen each of the film's several times. It's a different war film; and that's always refreshing... If your looking for hard to find war film's check out "Men In War" with Robert Ryan and Aldo Ray (A well done anti-war action film). Hopefully "The Naked and the Dead" with Cliff Robertson, and Aldo Ray will also be put to DVD soon.

Ahab and the whale
Only in this case it's a German submarine. Peter O'Toole stars as a survivor of a ship sunk by a U-Boat. The rest of the crew is massacred in the water. After this, O'Toole goes off of the deep end in his desire to destroy the sub. This is a retelling of "Moby Dick," with the sub as the whale and O'Toole as Captain
Ahab. Alas, revenge is sometimes not so sweet. The ending is both ironic and memorable.

Adventure in revenge.....
I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, not only because of the intense portrayal by Peter O'Toole as Murphy, but also because of the interesting story line. If one has to make an example of single minded pursuit of an objective, this movie is one of the best. It is an uncluttered adventure in revenge for a British seaman, one of two survivors of a ship sent to the bottom by a German U-boat, who's crew was cold-bloodedly massacred while in the water. Good aerial photography, coupled with a good supporting cast and one period song. Near the end of the movie, the philosophical and moral questions thrown by an exasperated Louis (played by Phillipe Noiret) to an unlistening Murphy says more about why it was entitled "Murphy's War." ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Don Quixote is not the Man Of La Mancha!
When my Man Of La Mancha tape got stuck in my VCR and ruined, (it was pretty worn as I have watched it dozens and dozens of times) I found it very difficult and expensive to replace. SO- I decided to get the 'new' Don Quixote movie and see if maybe I would like it just as much. Well, John Lithgow is really good in it, and the scenery is nice, and maybe it does follow the book a little more, but I just didn't care too much for it. I found it a bit boring, I missed the singing and I missed the passion with the imaginary Dulcinea. Maybe I am just too accustomed to Man Of La Mancha (even with all the flaws the critics point out) to be able to appreciate anything else, but in my opinion if you have seen the Braodway version of Man Of La Mancha and the movie with Peter O'toole- you are too spolied already to appreciate the new version of Don Quixote!

a Good Movie..
I have to admit i am not a big fan of John Lithgow, BUt in this version of Don quixote, He played the part of a delusional schitzophrenic perfectly. this story follows the book fairly well, alot better then youd expect. it would make an o.k. family movie but you can bet your money that your kids would get bored. i say that because it doesnt have the Flash and Glitter like so many of todays kid shows. if you have read the book, seen the play (Man of LaMancha) then this is a must for you. superb acting, superb visualisations of the illusions, and overall a good Flic.

Good Preformance
I have to admit i am not a big fan of John Lithgow, BUt in this version of Don quixote, He played the part of a delusional schitzophrenic perfectly. this story follows the book fairly well, alot better then youd expect. it would make an o.k. family movie but you can bet your money that your kids would get bored. i say that because it doesnt have the Flash and Glitter like so many of todays kid shows. if you have read the book, seen the play (Man of LaMancha) then this is a must for you. superb acting, superb visualisations of the illusions, and overall a good Flic.

Good Movie
I really had wanted to watch this when it was on TV, but I missed it. When I saw the video was available, I immediately purchased it. I am a big fan of John Lithgow and this part was perfect to showcase his unique talent. This movie was a pleasure to watch and is a movie that your whole family can watch together. The scenery was incredible and the movie was very enjoyable. While I haven't read the book, I think this movie is worth anyone's time. It's a nice break from all the action/horror/teen sex movies that seem to fill the theatres any more. Highly recommended!

don quixote
a well thought out movie that generally follows the book fairly well. funnie and exciting ... Read more