Reviews (169)

Beautifully Boxed 40 th Anniversary Edition
This was Cecil B. De Mille's last film as a director. De Mille's old-fashioned style of filmmaking and story telling is elegant, larger-than-life and rather elegiac and exactly suited for the enormous task of bringing this spectacle to the screen. Charlton Heston gives an excellent and powerfully dramatic performance as Moses. Yul Brynner, who approaches his role with style and confidence, is the prince who outmaneuvers Moses to the Egyptian throne in one of the best performances of his career. Supporting Heston and Brynner is a diverse and powerful cast of actors and performers. John Derek is memorable as Joshua the stone cutter. Anne Baxter is Nefretiri who yearns for the love of Moses. Cedric Hardwicke is an agreeable and levelheaded Pharaoh Sethi. Edward G. Robinson is the traitor to his people memorable for constructing the false idol golden calf. Vincent Price is the villainous and diabolically likable Baka. The beautiful Debra Paget is Baka's slave girl Lilia. Yvonne De Carlo gives a very thoughtful performance as Sephora, Moses' earthly love. John Carradine is Aaron. Woody Strode can be seen as the King of Ethiopia. Laboriously produced, Cecil B. De Mille's THE TEN COMMANDMENTS looks as though it was filmed and acted in a style more suitable to the early days of Hollywood. But that is a very positive quality. The film takes biblical events and turns them into Hollywood's version of history quite effectively. This style of filmmaking brings the larger-than-life scope of the Old Testament to the screen preserving the mystery and awesome power of the concept of a monotheistic divinity. One very effective feature of this film that reinforces this concept are the unearthly looking special effects, which are so eerily disturbing and beyond our comprehension that they truly approach a successful vision of the universal power of God. These distinctively unique special effects by the innovative John P. Fulton are essential to the telling of this story. Elmer Bernstein's rousing and inspirational score is brilliantly moving as it reinforces the vision that De Mille has created. Interestingly, in the earlier parts of this film De Mille shows us the construction of an Egyptian empire. We are witness to and experience the ingenuity of man to engineer and create such mammoth structures. But De Mille through the use of these special effects wipes all this out and shows the futility of man's efforts to subjugate other men when divine intervention prevails. This is such a brilliantly visual film that it still evokes awe and wonder to this day. This 40th Anniversary boxed set handsomely holds the restored and widescreen version of this epic film.

"His god IS God!"
That's the last line Yul Brynner utters in "The Ten Commandments", and for me, that is really the end of the film; the whole rest of the Wandering in the Desert isn't all that interesting, compared with what had gone before. You might wonder why then a five-star rating, but that's how much fun I find all the "Egyptian" characters in the movie. They certainly have all the best parts: Sir Cedric Hardwicke as Pharoah Seti; Yul Brynner as Ramses, heir presumptive; Anne Baxter as Neferteri, the throne princess destined to marry solely a Pharoah; Dame Judith Anderson as the Memnet, Egyptian slave in on a big secret; Vincent Price as Baka, the Master Builder of Seti's treasure city. Throw in Edward G. Robinson as Dathan; even though he's a Hebrew overseer, he spends most of his time among the Egyptians. Star Charlton Heston as Moses is actually kind of boring--he's one-dimensional and has no character development. But every time one of those "Egyptians" comes along on camera--pow!--you've got some wonderful scenery chewing. Check out the great special effects, too.

Good but not great edition of a classic
I already had "The Ten Commandments" on DVD, but with almost no extras and no commentary, it wasn't all that satisfying. This new Collector's Edition is easily worth its low price, to me, even as a replacement. The colors are breathtaking, Elmer Bernstein's store is still luscious, and it's probably as close to what DeMille intended as you'll get on a screen smaller than twenty feet.

I enjoyed Katherine Orrison's commentary track quite a bit (and have put her book on the movie on my wish list), although much more about the movie than some of her amateur theological comments. After spending so much time with Henry Wilcoxon, DeMille's right-hand man on this and many other movies, she has anecdotes and understanding that help you understand how the film was made. I had no idea it took five full years to make, or how some of the seemingly-odd decisions were made or even how some of the effects were created.

The other extras are a bit disappointing. The six-part documentary (complete with titles in Paramount's "Star Trek" font because they can't recreate the hand-lettering of the movie's titles, over leather that shows up in richer color than I've ever seen it) doesn't offer nearly as much as AMC's "Cecil B. DeMIlle" biography from earlier in 2004. That special included pre-matte shots of the parting of the Red Sea - the actual water in the tank, including the sides of the parted Red Sea, and how it was created. Paramount may not own that documentary, but some of that footage should have been on this disc. Without it, there are still some good interviews, but not enough behind-the-scenes footage that we now know exists.

If you like "The Ten Commandments" and don't have it on DVD, this is for you. If you have the older version but like it a lot, this one's also for you - but get the Cecil B. DeMille biography when it comes out on DVD, too.

An enduring film classic
Cecil B. DeMille's wonderful epic is a film for the ages. The entire cast is excellent, beginning with Charlton Heston's devoted and obedient Moses who lives only to serve the Lord and deliver his people from Pharoah's bondage; Yul Brynner's excellent reading as the fierce, stubborn Rameses who witnesses God's miracle from a hill overlooking the Red Sea; Anne Baxter whose love and desire for Moses was so intense and consuming that she killed for him; Sir Cedric Hardwicke's poignant Sethi who tries to forget Moses but never loses his love for his adopted son; the massive exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt to freedom; the exciting pursuit by Rameses' charioteers and soldiers of Moses and the Hebrews that culminates in the memorable Red Sea escape and the destruction of the Egyptians, with Rameses left alone to realize that Moses' God is God.

Great Film STILL Short Changed
I wonder why this edition wasn't held for the C.B. DeMille bio that Turner just produced. Instead we get a lot of anecdotes from Orrison, whom made an inaccurate statement that Brenner and Heston were about the same age. This is wrong, Brenner was in fact 9 years older than Heston. Also, her commentary really spotlighted an actor named Clint Walker who was just an extra. This was a definite who cares moment, like many within her commentary.

C.B. DeMille was the star along with Heston, Brenner and Baxter. There should have been more attention given to the 'stars'.

Why was I surprised that the packaging was 'downgraded'. You actually have to remove 'the first' disc to get to the second disc and no chapter card insert. It takes too much time to sum up this mess. Lets just hope that Warners will get the next edition right. This one needs work - except for the transfer that is which was fine the first time around without the ho hum 'extras'. ... Read more

Reviews (44)

ALWAYS--An Unfairly Maligned Movie
A loose reworking of Victor Fleming's 1943 World War II drama A GUY NAMED JOE, ALWAYS has to rank as perhaps director Steven Spielberg's most unfairly maligned movie. Even though it has a very old-fashioned feel updated to the late 1980s, this is still a fine movie done with real poignancy. This is nowhere near the bottom of the Spielberg canon; that dubious distinction belongs to "1941" and HOOK.

Richard Dreyfuss stars as Pete, a dare-devil aerial firefighter with a penchant for taking a lot of unneccesary chances in his line of work. As much "fun" as he has, he is worrying not only his partner Al (John Goodman), but also his one true love Dorinda (Holly Hunter). After much pressure, including Hunter's threat to leave him, he agrees to settle down and become an instructor for up-and-coming flyers in Colorado after one last mission. But on that mission, in the process of saving Goodman when his plane catches fire, Dreyfuss loses his life when his aircraft explodes. Goodman is horrified, and Hunter devastated.

In heaven (or a burned-out section of forest), Dreyfuss is met by a guardian angel (Audrey Hepburn, in her final role). He comes back to earth as a spirit, to help a rookie fire-fighter (Brad Johnson) learn the tricks of the trade. Johnson does this and more; unfortunately, he also falls head over heels for Hunter, and Dreyfuss feels the pain of having to watch this, not being able to let go. But Hepburn gives him very good counsel, and he is redeemed by saving Hunter from a fiery death in a flight through a nightmarish firestorm.

One of Spielberg's most touching movies, ALWAYS was unfairly castigated by critics as being heavy-handed and manipulative. I, however, am extremely cynical of such critics who only analyze certain films and don't really FEEL anything. This is a film of pure emotions, ranging from comedy, both dark and slapstick, to tear-jerking drama to a suspense and terror-laden climax. The cinematography and the special effects are typical for Spielberg--convincing and top notch. Spielberg, however, wisely, does not stint on the drama. Dreyfuss and Hunter are excellent, as are Goodman and Hepburn. Johnson, often heavily trashed, does a fairly good job with his role, complete with his John Wayne imitation (specifically borrowing a line from John Ford's THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE).

A typically fine score by John Williams, which presages his work for Spielberg's controversial 2001 sci-fi drama A.I.: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, tops off ALWAYS, one of the most misunderstood movies of recent times. For poignant romantic drama, this is an essential movie, a true must-see.

An wonderful fantasy drama.
When a daredevil pilot (Oscar-Winner:Richard Dreyfuss), who died, after saving the life of his best friend (John Goodman) and leave behind his darling fiancée (Holly Hunter) until he comes back as a guardian angel to give advice to his Successor (Brad Johnson) but his Successor ended up falling in love with his fiancee, he still loves.

Directed by Four Time Oscar-Winner:Steven Spielberg (Empire of the Sun, Schindler`s List, A.I.-Artifical Intelligence) remade this from a 1947 film named A Guy named Joe. Dreyfuss is in Top-Form here. John Goodman is good in this supporting role, so is Holly Hunter as the second lead of the film. Two-Time Oscar-Winner:Audrey Hepburn (in her last film) is also great as Dreyfuss Guide. DVD has an sharp non-anamorphic Widescreen (1.78:1) transfer and an excellent Digitally Remastered:Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. This is a touching, funny, life-affrming and lightweight. Fine music score by John Williams (Fiddler on the Roof). Grade:A-.

One Of Williams's Most Enchanting Scores
John Williams has created a very beautiful score for, in my opinion, Steven Spielberg's most underappreciated film. Williams's score is very subtle and heavenly since we're talking about a dashing air firefighter (Richard Dreyfuss) who dies while trying to save his best friend (John Goodman), thus leaving behind the woman he loves (Holly Hunter).
After a string of good songs, -The Platters' 'Smoke Gets In Your Eyes' is included here, along with a very nice version by J.D. Souther -Williams's score begins with 'Among The Clouds', a lovely piece that has something like an overture before giving way to a full treatment of the main theme, itself repeated in cues like 'Pete And Dorinda', 'Saying Goodbye', and 'Seeing Dorinda'. There is also a fun moment with 'Follow Me' where Williams uses one of his trademark techniques: allegretto, if I'm not mistaken. We have also an element of suspense with 'The Rescue Operation', in which the fire flyers are getting ready to put out a big forest fire; in here what I call the "farewell theme" is heard for the first time when the Dreyfuss character is ready to say goodbye to his loved one. That "farewell theme" is better represented in the final cue 'Dorinda's Solo Flight'. However, we have sort of a "heaven-like motif", especially when the Audrey Hepburn character is present, and I'm not quite satisfied with it; somehow it makes the album feel a bit long.
In general, "Always" is a beautiful and touching score. A fine work by John Williams.

The air is full of surprises
Now this I stumbled across at the library. I didn't expect much of it, there were only three reasons I got it. One: I really like flying. Two: it had Richard Dreyfuss in it, one of my favorite underrated actors, and Three: An appearance by the lovable Audrey Hepburn. After watching it, I knew I had to have it. You'll like it too. The acting is superb by some of the greatest actors of our time. A surprising movie that will definitely keep your interest soaring.

Fires are raging out of control in the forest. As one of the particapants of the containing of the fires, Pete (the likeable Richard Dreyfuss) is torn between his true loves, his tomboy girlfriend, Dorrinda (the beautiful Holly Hunter), and his career. His choices would be made too soon. When his friend Al (John Goodman, hilarious as ever) is in danger when his plane engine catches fire, Pete heads for the rescue, only to get killed himself.

Not aware that anything has happened to him, he meets up with a strange yet kind angel named Hap (Audrey Hepburn's last role) who tells him what really happens. Pete has one more duty to do before leaving Earth. Hap gives gim an assignment, six months after his death, of helping a rookie fire fighter pilot named Ted (Brad Johnson in his first movie) in the ways of getting the job. Things don't go too well for Ted, for it is obvious he has a lot of work to do after dumping red fire retardent all over Al. Things begin to go for Ted, but bad for Pete as he begins to fall in love with Dorrinda. Pete soon realizes that he has to help Ted with his blossoming relationship with Dorrinda, his firefighting carrer, and that it's not his time anymore, and that life must go on, for them anyway.

I loved the movie from the start and immediately purchased it. Some people may not like it, but it is their choice. I will Always love this movie, and I suggest it to anyone who needs a little drama, and laughter rolled together in a movie. 5 stars to a great Spielberg movie once again.

Mr Spielberg, is that you?
"Always", starring Richard Dreyfuss as Pete Sandich, Holly Hunter as Dorinda Durston, Brad Johnson as Ted Baker, John Goodman as Al Yackey with a special appearance by the late Audrey Hepburn as an "angel" Hap. Dreyfuss plays a firefighter who lives life on the edge, flying his plane precariously into danger and causing his girlfriend much grief in the process. He soon comes to grief in a horrific accident and is sent back by an "angel" to help out a young pilot (Brad Johnson).

I really did not enjoy this movie. Being a Spielberg film and one that I was not familiar with, I gave it a shot. This was a fairly weak effort, Holly Hunter does not make a good leading lady at all. I like Richard Dreyfuss, but his creepy stalking of his old girlfriend was just that - creepy. I like Brad Johnson, he's an ok actor and he did well with the poor script he was given. The film was very melodramatic and Hunter delivered her lines as if she was in a high school play.

Audrey Hepburn was still as lovely as ever playing the character "Hap" who sends Dreyfuss' back. The writer's understanding of the afterlife and angels was very poor though, (I know it's only a fantasy film). I have seen the original with Spencer Tracey but did not find that memorable at all either.

Allow me to go up on my soapbox for a moment (cause I feel like it). Yes I know it's just a movie but it got me thinking. You will not learn anything of the afterlife from watching Hollywood movies. This one, like Ghost, show that if you are what the world considers a "good person", you will go to a good place when you die. In Ghost, the baddies got dragged of by demons when they died whilst the goodies went off to God. In reality, it's only through Jesus' death and sacrifice that we are made ready for heaven and those who live in wilful sin (such as Dreyfuss and Hunter shacked up in a fornicating relationship), show no true faith or repentance and would not enter heaven. As far as good or bad people, only Jesus was a perfect human being, everyone else is sinful and needs God's forgiveness which is available to all who will sincerly come to Him and ask Him for it, (you don't need to go through a priest either, there is only one go-between, his name is Jesus). All of us have broken God's ten commandments, (the first one is to love Him with all our hearts, who has done that?).

In conclusion, Always is a mediocre film that could have been great had the script been more interesting and even theologically sound (...)that everyone goes to heaven and that there are many ways to God. Check out a christian movie "escape from hell" if you want to see a film that is based on fact and that shows the afterlife as it could be. (...) ... Read more

Reviews (2)

"FRENCH FLORAL FOLLIES"
Sounds like a musical? Nope, Pagnol ["Fanny" trilogy, and those wonderful perspectives about his father and mother] had a way of looking deeply into your soul, finding the longing, showing you what could be, and taking it away .......

It's the harmonica music [TOOTS THIELEMAN] that always stays with you, brings back the memories of standing on one of the dry hills, smelling the hot pine needles on the night air - all of that sensory [stuff]! For the romantic? Daniel Auteuil's face, THAT face of utter despair. The population? There's Yves Montand as the stoic, dessicated old uncle/landowner, a bitter, vitriolic, poisoned person. An underrated artist. Auteuil, as the nephew, returns from WWI with those perfect carnations, and the cycle begins ..... Gerard Depardieu,now the unassuming giant of French Cinema, a worthy successor to Jean Gabin, moves in next door as the hunchback farmer-neighbor. [His then real wife, Elizabeth plays the spouse, even son Guillaume is present in a minor role].

An epic of greed and frustration - it deserves to be held high for the absolute reflection of consequences it presents. Like a delicate souffle, slightly burnt, almost bland, with an odd bitter aftertaste it surprises you with a deep heartburn of the soul. A work about loneliness, and loss giving a fragment of hope and satisfaction at the end.

Beautifully photographed on location, Claude Berri's work well deserves to be seen over and over again. It's for those moments when you feel bad about life - and need a little cheer!

Companions: The original "Fanny" Trilogy [different, but soulmates].

A surprising story with a powerful twist of fate ending.
These two movies are a masterpiece of storytelling. I am not a big fan of subtitled foreign films but the story here is way above in quality usually seen in foreign films and in my opinion better than most U.S. made films. In the first movie, Jean de Florette the story begins with a father and son in a small french village. They have this greed for a piece of adjoining land and scheme to add it to their property. This scheme and its implementation wends through both movies. At first glance the first movie can be a bit drawn out but if you stay with it and see the second movie, Manon of the Spring therein will lie the rewards. I do not wish to give too much away of the plot but by the end of the second part of the story you are guaranteed the impact of a crushing steamroller twist of fate rarely seen. However you can find them, see both movies sequentially..if not don't bother as you need both to fully appreciate the storyline. Don't miss it. Brilliant plot. ... Read more

Description

On September 16, 1972, TV audiences had their first session with impassive shrink Dr. Bob Hartley.Like most of his patients, they kept coming back, and for 6 years The Bob Newhart Show entertained millions of devoted fans with its hilarious and brillian ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Where are the DVDs?
The Bob Newhart Show remains my favorite show of all time. It is witty, funny, and timeless. This is a wonderful ensemble show, with great comedic acting from the stars down to the walk-on characters. I have waited for years to see this show come out on DVD. I can't understand why it still has not been released in that format.

Hoping to See this Gem on DVD (Complete Seasons!)
Yes Please bring on the DVDs! This is a classic witty sitcom and it should be on DVD in complete seasons! I was seven years old when The Bob Newhart Show premiered and I grew up watching it and when Nick At Nite added it to their lineup of classic Television shows I watched it as much as I could. Not only are Bob Newhart and Suzanne Pleshette wonderful as Bob and Emily Hartley but so are actors who play Carol, Jerry, Howard, Mr. Carlin, etc! The video has some good episodes but I think it's time for this gem to be put on DVD!

Bring on the DVD's
Yes, it's great to have this much, but this show absolutely deserves a complete DVD release. Surely with shows like the Jeffersons and Good times showing up on DVD, the time has come to get Bob, Emily et. al. on DVD.

Bob has more laughs than this
I've been a big Bob Newhart Show fan, and was left a bit disappointed at this box set. For me, the best of the six tapes was the last (season 6): "Ex Con Job" and "Happy Trails" (last episode). Many of the show's classic laughs are missing -- to start with, no Dr. Padvillion, no group cabin retreats and no Mr. Hurd!! Not a bad starter kit, but i'd guess the real enthusiasts would require more than this box set provides.

Great quality, but¿
The Bob Newhart Show was one of the 10 best TV shows ever, and the picture quality in this 6-tape collection is very good. It's nice to see all the episodes in their uncut form, as opposed to the reprehensible syndication practice of cutting scenes to sell more commercial time. My only qualm with this collection is that there are only 2 episodes per tape. Hopefully there will be a DVD collection of this excellent series and the follow-up series, Newhart (1982-1990). ... Read more

Amazon.com

Stanley Kramer's sprawling 1963 comedy about a search for buried treasure by at least a dozen people--all played by well-known entertainers of their day--is the kind of mass comedy that Hollywood hasn't made in many years. (Another example from around the same time is Blake Edwards's The Great Race.) After a number of strangers (including Milton Berle, Jonathan Winters, Sid Caesar, Phil Silvers, and others) witness a dying stranger (Jimmy Durante) identify the location of hidden money, a conflict-ridden hunt begins, watched over carefully by a suspicious cop (Spencer Tracy). The ensuing two and a half hours of mayhem has its ups and downs--some bits and performers are certainly funnier than others. But Kramer, who is better known for socially conscious, serious cinema (Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?), is in a mood for broad comic characterization, and some of his jokes are so intentionally obvious (Durante literally kicks a bucket when he dies), they'd have a place in Airplane! Watch for lots of cameo appearances, including Jerry Lewis (who had called Kramer and asked him why he hadn't been invited to participate). --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (212)

Comedy For All Eternity
It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World is a comedy for all eternity. This is one of those big box, big budget, long-running-time, cameo-loaded, expensive, broad-canvas farces of the 60's that I love so much. Released in 1962, this was one of Stanley Kramer's greatest and last movies. This award-winning movie is a timeless masterpiece for the whole family.

After a bouncy, splashy Saul Bass animated title sequence, the story begins with a brief car chase in the California desert. Bank robber Smiler Grogan (Jimmy Durante) wrecks his car, and with his dying words reveals a secret about buried treasure to the seven strangers who stopped on the roadside. 'Look for the big W' in Santa Rosita, he says, and then he kicks the bucket.

After a brief attempt at cooperation, the treasure hunt is on and it's every man for himself, in four teams. Mickey Rooney and Buddy Hackett decide to take to the air but their pilot, Jim Backus, gets hammered on Old Fashioneds. Husband-and-wife Sid Caesar and Edie Adams can only find a biplane cropduster. The lone truck driver, Jonathan Winters, can't get gas. And his mother-in-law Ethel Merman fatally hampers Milton Berle, with his wife Dorothy Provine.

So all four teams scamper across the landscape, across the broad canvas of this movie, wound tight by desperate greed and calmly monitored by a Sergeant Culpepper, Spencer Tracy. This is the framing story for an amazing string of billed appearances and unbilled cameos so many that at last your senses are sort of dulled. Oh, it's Carl Reiner in the control tower. Oh, look, it's Stan Freberg, yeah. The best cameo, hands down, is Jerry Lewis, who comes barreling down Long Beach Boulevard in a moment of exuberant stupidity and runs over Spencer Tracy's hat.

Probably my favorite, I have so many, co-star was Terry Thomas who plays a vacationing Englishman in a rattling station wagon, who picks up Milton Berle. He's talkative. He prattles away (accurately) about why it is that the American male is positively preoccupied with booo-sums, and says things like, "I'll wager you anything you like, if American women stopped wearing brassieres, your whole national economy would collapse overnight!" This sequence, within the context of the movie so far, has a single funny moment when this whole vast farce might come alive, find its voice, and this circus might make sense - Terry-Thomas finds the tone for the rest of the movie. I find it compelling that the aesthetic success of all this footage, all these appearances, all this thoroughly American spectacle, suddenly pivots around a few fussy syllables about breasts. But once the moment passes, Terry-Thomas is efficiently neutralized and dismissed by Ethel Merman, and on we go.

The array of challengers eventually reach Santa Rosita, and several unexplainably humorous events occur. These I will not reveal to you and allow you to view the movie on your own time. I must add though, that if you do see this movie, reserve several hours. Like most from its decade its LONG... VERY LONG... But allow me to assure you, you wont be disappointed.

Madness is Genius
Eight traveling vacationers witness the sudden car-crash and slow final death of con-man Smiler Grogan in the hills above Palm Desert, Cal.. Grogan's dying words reveal the secret location of $350,000 hidden in Santa Rosita Park, near San Diego. This sparks a wild, hectic race for the dough. Pure greed,buried treasure, and car crashes. It's all here. "It's a Mad,Mad,Mad, Mad World" was the most successful movie directed by ace Stanley Kramer. All of the famous television and film comics from 1963 appear in this wild comedy. Only Bob Hope is missing. The cast includes Milton Berle, Sid Caesar, Phil Silvers, Jerry Lewis, Joe E. Brown, The Three Stooges, Buster Keaton, Jimmy Durante, Jack Benny, Jonathan Winters, and Spencer Tracy. Ernest Gold composed an original booming, wonderful soundtrack you'll be humming for days. At two hours and 41 minutes, "Mad World" is too long, but an incredible cast and mad-cap action propel the story along. This new MGM DVD is presented in widescreen anamorphic 2.35:1 aspect. The colors are crisp and vibrant. The "Mad World" DVD includes an excellent 1991 documentary with all the major surviving cast members. There's also 1 hour of "out-takes", faded and damaged, from the original Cinerama 70mm release. And there's two trailers. The year 2001 produced an obvious remake of "Mad World" called "Rat Race", a modest hit. Stanley Kramer and Spencer Tracy made 4 classic films together. The last was the inspiring "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" in 1967. In ill health, sadly, Tracy died just days after shooting ended. Stanley Kramer himself died in Feb. 2001. His genius is now gone. His legacy lies before you.

It's a Bad, Bad, Bad, Bad DVD
I would give this DVD 5 stars if all the movie was here, but it isn't, hence 3 stars. There's no excuse for this considering that no major restoration has been attempted here, the storage capabilities of DVDs are huge, and MGM has already released the full-length movie on VHS. The deleted scene feature is a mess. Watching the scenes seperately is tedious and not much fun. The least they could do would be to put the deleted scenes in the order that they appeared in the original film. The third and fourth scenes appear to be exactly the same as do others later on. Sometimes the scene appears the same only zoomed in. Others scenes have no sound. Some of the last scenes go on and on up to 10 minutes and contains everything that is included in the feature except for very minor snippets of dialogue. Sometimes you can't detect anything new, like in the money dividing proposal scene.

I can see why MGM would want to keep their pristine 35mm print whole and transfer that to DVD but perhaps they should have included a 2nd disc and a 2nd version that patched together all the missing scenes, no matter what condition, and reconstructed the film as best as they could to the longest originally released version.

MGM, when you finally "Special Edition" this movie offer a rebate with the proof of purchase from this inferior edition!

Best, Most Memorable Comedy Ever Made !!
I originally saw the movie in '63. I was 8. Dad started my Birthday party with it. After the movie, Dad drove the route of the Santa Monica portion of the car chase(yes, there really was a "Big W").
Just finished watching the movie on Turner TV. The narrator came on after the movie and said that THE ORIGINAL WAS 5 HOURS long(Just too much "good stuff"). The movie studio had it edited to the shortened current version of three hours.
Back in '63 it was a terrific movie-In '04 it is still a terrific movie.

An all star cast of comics, great comedy

Director: Stanley Kramer
Format: Color
Studio: Mgm/Ua Studios
Video Release Date: September 26, 1995

Cast:

Spencer Tracy ... Capt. T.G. Culpeper
Milton Berle ... J. Russell Finch
Sid Caesar ... Melville Crump, DDS
Buddy Hackett ... Benjy Benjamin
Ethel Merman ... Mrs. Marcus
Mickey Rooney ... Ding 'Dingy' Bell
Dick Shawn ... Sylvester Marcus
Phil Silvers ... Otto Meyer
Terry-Thomas ... Lt.Col. J. Algernon Hawthorne
Jonathan Winters ... Lennie Pike
Edie Adams ... Monica Crump
Dorothy Provine ... Emeline Marcus-Finch
Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson ... Second cab driver
Jim Backus ... Tyler Fitzgerald
Ben Blue ... Biplane pilot
Joe E. Brown ... Union official
Alan Carney ... Police sergeant
Chick Chandler ... Detective outside Chinese laundromat
Barrie Chase ... Sylvester's girlfriend
Lloyd Corrigan ... The Mayor
William Demarest ... Police Chief Aloysius
Andy Devine ... Sheriff of Crockett County
Selma Diamond ... Ginger Culpeper
Peter Falk ... Third cab driver
Norman Fell ... Detective at Grogan's crash site
Paul Ford ... Col. Wilberforce
Stan Freberg ... Deputy sheriff
Louise Glenn ... Billie Sue Culpeper
Leo Gorcey ... First cab driver
Sterling Holloway ... Fire Chief
Edward Everett Horton ... Mr. Dinckler
Marvin Kaplan ... Irwin
Buster Keaton ... Jimmy the boatman
Don Knotts ... Nervous man
Charles Lane ... Airport manager
Mike Mazurki ... Miner
Charles McGraw ... Lt. Matthews
Cliff Norton ... Reporter
Zasu Pitts ... Switchboard operator Gertie
Carl Reiner ... Tower controller at Rancho Conejo
Madlyn Rhue ... Secretary Schwartz
Roy Roberts ... Policeman outside Irwin & Ray's Garage
Arnold Stang ... Ray
Nick Stewart ... Migrant truck driver
Joe DeRita ... Fireman
Larry Fine ... Fireman
Moe Howard ... Fireman
Sammee Tong ... Chinese laundryman
Jesse White ... Radio tower operator at Rancho Conejo
Jimmy Durante ... Smiler Grogan
Roy Engel ... Patrolman/Police radio voice unit F-14
Nicholas Georgiade ... Detective at Grogan's crash site
Stacy Harris ... Police radio voice unit F-7
Don C. Harvey ... Policeman in helicopter
Allen Jenkins ... Police officer
Tom Kennedy ... Traffic cop
Harry Lauter ... Police dispatcher
Ben Lessy ... George the steward
Jerry Lewis ... Man who runs over hat
Bob Mazurki ... Eddie (miner's son)
Jack Benny ... Man in car in desert
Eddie Ryder ... Air traffic control tower staffer
Paul Birch ... Policeman
Doodles Weaver ... Dinckler's Hardware Store clerk
Stanley Clements ... Detective in squad room
Bobo Lewis ... Pilot's wife
Minta Durfee ... Bit Part

Intended to be the comedy to end all comedies, with a cast including virtually all the name comedians at the time.

Jimmy Durante plays a guy who is in a fatal auto accident, but before he dies, tells 5 bystanders where there is $350,000 hidden under a "W", whuch leads to a chase to find the money.

Meanwhile, Capt. T.G. Culpeper (Spencer Tracy) is aware of the stolen money and he and his policemen observe the chase with interest through the desert, mountains, and along the California coast, with the contestants using aircraft, cars, trucks, a bicycle and every method of transportation in their attempt to be first to reach the money.

Tracy was ill when the film was shot, and so only worked four hours per day. The long shots and physical stuff was performed by stand-ins.

This is a fun movie. If there is a criticism, it is that the comedy is perhaps overdone. With so many top comedians, there is certainly no dearth of funny lines, pratfalls, and laughs--that's for sure.

Joseph (Joe) Pierre

author of Handguns and Freedom...their care and maintenance
and other books

... Read more

Amazon.com

Originally broadcast on CBS in March 2002, 9/11 is an extraordinary record of that fateful day in New York City. This one-of-a-kind documentary was originally conceived as a portrait of 21-year-old Tony Benetatos, a firefighter trainee at Manhattan's Duane Street firehouse, located seven blocks from the World Trade Center. By the time filming was finished, brothers Jules and Gedeon Naudet had captured history in the making, including the only image of the first jetliner striking Tower 1, and the only footage from within the tower as it collapsed. This is not, however, a film about the murderous nightmare of terrorism. It's the ultimate rite-of-passage drama, more immediate and meaningful than any fiction film could be, with Benetatos and his supportive colleagues emerging as heroes of the first order. Sensitively narrated by codirector and fellow firefighter James Hanlon, 9/11 will endure forever as a tribute to those, living and dead, who witnessed hell on that sunny Tuesday morning. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (126)

No sugar coating here
I watched the TV broadcast of this film not knowing what to expect. What I got was an excellent documentary which started out mildly enough with two French film makers following the training of a probationary firefighter in New York City. Unfortunately for them, it looked as if they were going to make a rather run-of-the-mill, uneventful documentary. It apparently had been a slow summer for the FDNY. Then came the morning of September 11, 2001 and a routine call to check out a gas leak on a city street. What followed is the most important film of that day ever. There are no talking-head news reporters. There are no politicians making speeches. What we see are the firefighters in the lobby of the World Trade Center, having no idea what is really happening above them. From their position inside the building they couldn't see what we were seeing outside. They were kept guessing. But they could see enough to know that people were jumping out of the building. Although they had to wonder what could be so bad above that jumping from those upper stories was preferable to waiting for whatever happened, these firefighters also knew that it was their job to go up and meet headon with whatever those who jumped were fleeing. This documentary shows a side of September 11 that we were not allowed to see in the media. Everyone should see this at least once.

An Amazing Story
This was truly one of the most powerful and personal stories I've ever seen aired about the September 11th tragedy.

Originally planned to be a documentary about a probationary firefighter, the filmmakers, two French brothers, just happened to be filming at the firehouse on that horrible morning. The first brother was actually riding along with some of them firemen who were on a call right near the World Trade Center. He managed to capture on film the roar of the first plane overhead and the startled looks of the firefighters hearing it, then actually followed the first plane's path into the building. He stayed with the team and actually has footage of being inside the lobby of the Tower. He stayed there until the second building was evacuated. The second brother also managed to capture some truly remarkable film, as he stayed with the "newbie", then set off to find his missing brother, who he assumed was killed.

This film is not about gore, but just a very real, very personal story of a bunch of guys who were just doing their jobs and what happened to them that morning and in the days following the disaster.

This is a great story.

Examine the details of plane's impact frame by frame
Ask yourself to be objective. Watch the impact of the plane and look at the plane closely. What do you see? Watch it a few times. I'm not sure that most of us are ready to scrutinze the images of the planes hitting the towers objectively to make sure that what our eyes tell us jibes with what we have been told to believe. I see disturbing anomalies that have yet to be explained. The second plane, Flight 11, has something unusual attached to the right side of the fuselage. That's what I see.

Priceless
Michael Moore "thinks" he makes documentaries. He needs to take lessons from Jules and Gedeon Naudet. This film left me with tears in my eyes and a new found respect for those who are Firefighters, police officers, paramedics and the like. MUST SEE, MUST SEE, MUST SEE!!!!!God Bless America

When God Directs a Film...
Of all the disaster films I've seen, they all seem to have a basic sequence of events. Introducing the characters, initiation of the disaster, struggle in the midst of the disaster, "just when you thought it couldn't get any worse", and the aftermath. This accidental disaster film is no different.

Only God, knowing what was going to happen, could have placed the Naudet brothers exactly where they needed to be to fully cover this horrific event. With the brothers separated, one inside Tower 1 and the other outside anxiously trying to get to his brother, we are able to witness what the firefighters and New Yorkers experienced on September 11, 2001. We also see the trauma of loved ones separated from each other as the filmmakers try to find each other.

The suspense of waiting for each of the firefighters to return to the station at the end is also well orchestrated by God with the initial focus of the film, Probationary Firefighter Benetatos being the last to arrive.

WELL DONE JULES AND GEDEON NAUDET! PTL! ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Sir Jeremy Isaacs highly deserves the numerous awards for documentaries he has earned: the Royal Television Society's Desmond Davis Award, l'Ordre National du Mérit, an Emmy, and a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II. His epic The World at War remains unsurpassed as the definitive visual history of World War II.

The Second World War was different from other wars in thousands of ways, one of which was the unparalleled scope of visual documents kept by the Axis and Allies of all their activities. As a result, this war is understood as much through written histories as it is through its powerful images. The Nazis were particularly thorough in documenting even the most abhorrent of the atrocities they were committing--in a surprising amount of color footage. The World at War was one of the first television documentaries that exploited these resources so completely, giving viewers an unbelievable visual guide to the greatest event in the 20th century. This is to say nothing of the excellent, comprehensible narrative. Some highlights:

• A New Germany 1933-39: early German and Nazi documentation of Hitler's rise to power through the impending attack on Poland
• Whirlwind: the early British losses in the blitz in the skies over Britain and in North Africa
• Stalingrad: the turning point of the war and Germany's first defeat
• Inside the Reich--Germany 1940-44: one of the most fascinating documentaries that exists on life inside Nazi Germany, from Lebensborn to the Hitler Youth
• Morning: prior to Saving Private Ryan, one of the only unromanticized views of the Normandy invasion
• Genocide: this film is one of the most widely shown introductions to the Holocaust
• Japan 1941-45: although The World at War is decidedly focused more on the European theater, this is an important look into wartime Japan and its expansion--early 20th-century history that lead to Japan's role in World War II is superficial
• The bomb: another widely shown documentary of the Manhattan Project, the Enola Gay, Hiroshima, and Nagasaki

The World at War will remain the definitive visual history of World War II, analogous to Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. No serious historian should be missing The World at War in a collection, and no student should leave school without having seen at least some of its salient episodes. Rarely is film so essential. --Erik J. Macki ... Read more

Reviews (75)

Excellent Series
When investing in any DVD, especially a boxed set, you might ponder the question, "How often will I watch this?" Let me say that your purchase of The World at War will offer you endless viewing opportunities! Besides the 26 original episodes, all of the extra features that were produced afterwards are included in the set. There is so much information generated in over 30 hours of material that you will discover something new with each repeated viewing. Each episode will hold your attention from first to last, and they are efficiently indexed so you can easily review a map or replay a speech. Along side the emotional impact of the pictorial images, you have Carl Davis' moving score, a judicious use of period music, personal accounts from all the major powers, and Sir Laurance's strong narration, making this the most comprehensive documentary on the subject. Now if we can only have World War I, narrated by Robert Ryan, available, we would have the documentary bookends to the two most devastating wars in the 20th century.

The Finest WWII Documentary Ever Produced
For History buffs and those who have a keen, deeply felt interest in World War II beyond just the military events, the World at War, produced by Thames Television (1981) and released earlier on VHS by Thorn/EMI, is a 26 episode documentary set apart from all other documentaries about WWII. No other, with the exception of Walter Cronkite's CBS series, comes close to an unbiased, analytical perspective of a War that cost perhaps 50 million lives and took an emotional and philosophical toll we are still trying to comprehend today.

Narrated by Sir Laurence Olivier and covering all aspects of the war, this definitive series is used by many colleges and universities as a source for History and Documentary Film courses. There is an incredible depth of archive footage used; skilfully woven with interviews of major figures in the War from Britain, US, Canada, Europe and Japan. Many major eye-witness leaders and ordinary people who were still alive in 1981 contributed sometimes surprising, sometimes incredible, and sometimes haunting interviews. Yet, for all its skilful editing and historical sophistication, it is clearly presented and emotionally compelling. In my opinion, it is, along with Kenneth Clark's "Civilisation", the best ever produced British documentary.

What makes this a stellar and overpowering account of the War is Olivier's narration. Never blustery, patriotic, or theatrical, Sir Laurence delivers pointed, thoughtful analysis with his incredible command of English and oration. Music for the series was composed by Carl Davis and even the opening credits set an unforgettable tone in a haunting image of a child in a photograph, dissolving in flames. This series is for those trying to make sense of a 6 year period when the world went mad. Five Stars PLUS.

Very good. Probably THE documentary set to own
This kept me going for months (in one hour segments at a time). There is so much material presented here and I learned a lot.

I wanted to give 4.5 stars and only knock a half off for the sometimes annoying menu (it could have been presented in a more orgnaized fashion, I thought), or other small problems, but half points aren't allowed on the system. Very close to perfect!

Buyer Beware
This was a wonderful documentary as originally broadcast, but I'd avoid this product if I had it to do over again: the maker's quality control is awful. Disk 1 skipped badly. And I the same problem others have reported: two copies of one of the five disks (with me, disk 5), and one disk (disk 4) entirely missing.

"Remember"
This is an excellent, extensive, British-made documentary about events leading up to, and including, World War II. With 26 episodes, there is quite a bit of material covered. Excellent narration by Laurence Olivier, and a memorable score.

If you are a war buff, particularly WW2, this is the set to have. Can't say enough good things about it. ... Read more

Reviews (103)

Beautiful
This is an amazing film that gets better every time I see it. The first time I saw it was in Spain, without English subtitles. I figured I had probably missed a significant part of the movie because my spanish is far from perfect, so I rented it as soon as I got back home to America. I've seen it again, and again, and it never gets old. The reason might be that the concept is so original. Beware all people who like only like safe, conventional American movies, this film is not for you. It's plot centers around homosexuals, transvestites, a pregnant nun, a drug-addicted actress, and just about anyone you might expect to see on Jerry Springer. Any one without a VERY open mind might be frightened, worried, "weirded out" etc. by this movie. Nevertheless, despite it's odd cast of characters the movie is really about concepts that are universal. Funny, shocking, dramatic, disturbing, powerful, this movie hits all the bases. You'll want to read Bodas de Sangre (Blood Weddings), a Street Car Named Desire, and watch All About Eve, just to get more of of thisspectacular movie. Almodovar is a genius, the cinematography is great, the plot amazing, what can I say, I love this movie.

All About Las Mujeres....
I bought this dvd recently at a discount as a previously viewed item. I've always enjoyed Pedro Almodovar's work, especially my favorite, "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown". I had read and heard lots of good things about "All About My Mother" and after watching it, I wasn't let down. Cecilia Roth is excellent as Manela, a mother her loses her only son, Esteban, to a car accident before her very eyes. Grief stricken she decides to run away from Madrid where she lived and return to Barcelona, the city that she left years ago as a young pregnant woman. Once in Barcelona she meets an old friend called La Agrado, a transsexual prostitute, who in turn introduces her to Rosa, a nun, who becomes a new friend. She also finds work with Huma Rojo (played wonderfully by Marisa Paredes) an actress who is touring the country playing Blanche DuBois in Tennessee William's great work, "A Street Car Named Desire". It was this play that she saw with her son the night he was killed, as he was trying to meet Huma Rojo. The story has lots of twists and is always interesting, as you would expect from Almodovar. But it is the relationships between these women that is the real star of this movie. Almodovar explores the depth of friendship and sisterhood between these women but never turns it into a Lifetime Movie. And due must be given to the actresses, in paticular Cecelia Roth, Marisa Paredes and Antonio San Juan. This movie is a great find and I recommend it to all.

It's a womens' world-even the men want to be women!
The death by accident of a mother's much loved son compels her to go to Barcelona and inform the father, who doesn't even know of the boy's existence. Finding the father is not so easy and by going to Barcelona, the mother digs back into a world she had left behind in order to bring up her son. It is a sordid but colourful world with transvestite prostitutes, junkies, an AIDs riddled nun, divas, and the usual associates of one's past. Remember that this is Almodovar, not Ivory-Merchant. However, these people are not displayed as freaks, but portrayed sympathetically. Almodovar celebrates their lives. He does not pass judgement.

Like other Almodovar films, the complex story line shows the strains that pull apart and bring together relationships. The emotional lives of the characters are laid bare. While there may be melodrama, there is a strict avoidance of sentimentality. The acting is wonderful, especially Cecilia Roth, who for some reason reminds me of the British actress, Hannah Gordon.

My only criticism is the use of coincidence. This is also a feature of other Almodovar's films; but here he stretches it a bit far. For instance, first the Cecilia Roth character steps in to take the part of an actress in a professional stage play, to great acclaim, and then when she leaves it, her transvestite friend, who as far as I know has never acted in his life, effortlessly takes over. This is a small criticism. "All About My Mother" is a splendid film by a great film maker. Without being a dreary feminist polemic, it is a celebration of women in all their roles: as mothers, as lovers, as carers; and to those who want to be women. Warmly recommended.

Family Ties
Despite being utterly overrated, "All About My Mother" is still a compelling and well-crafted movie nonetheless. Avoiding the "style over substance" tendencies that marked some of his work, director Pedro Almodóvar delivers a tight and strong cinematic experience with enough drama and comedy to create a relevant achievement. This is a deep story about mothers, sons, and families (conventional or not), with some dysfunctions and problems along the way. The acting is pretty good, the dialogue is realistic and convincing and the direction is adequately intimate and close to the characters. Yet, the movie isn`t as great or remarkable as some seem to claim. Basically, it`s just a well-told story, not a landmark efort. Not great, or even very good, "All About My Mother" is still an interesting melodrama worth checking.

Good enough.

All about What??
The actresses are good. The subject/hidden feeling as explored are also good. However can't the director work out a better, compelling plot line, a reasonable/believable touching story instead of piece together his unconnected dreams?? ... Read more

Reviews (219)

Kiki Delivers
Face it: any kids' video you buy will be watched over and over, mostly in your presence. You want to choose carefully, since you will be spending so much quality time with this video. Kiki's Delivery Service won't disappoint you. This sweet, gentle movie is a coming-of-age story about Kiki, a 13-year-old witch-in-training. As part of said training, she is required to spend a year away from home practicing her craft. Her subsequent adventures are the subject of this endearing film by Japanese anime director Hayao Miyazaki. The animation is splendid, the casting mostly inspired (Kirsten Dunst, Janeane Garofalo, Debbie Reynolds, and even the late Phil Hartman as the voice of Kiki's companion cat). Unlike the standard Disney fare, this movie has no violence, no sex, no profanity, and not even a dysfunctional family.

The themes of Kiki's Delivery Service are noble ones. There are far worse ways to spend a few hours (or a few dozen) than watching a young girl make friends and gain self-confidence, especially one as appealing as Kiki. Buy yourself an extra copy of this video. When you wear the first one out watching it by yourself, you'll need the spare to placate the kids.

Kiki Delivers
Face it: any kids' video you buy will be watched over and over, mostly in your presence. You want to choose carefully, since you will be spending so much quality time with this video. Kiki's Delivery Service won't disappoint you. This sweet, gentle movie is a coming-of-age story about Kiki, a 13-year-old witch-in-training. As part of said training, she is required to spend a year away from home practicing her craft. Her subsequent adventures are the subject of this endearing film by Japanese anime director Hayao Miyazaki. The animation is splendid, the casting mostly inspired (Kirsten Dunst, Janeane Garofalo, Debbie Reynolds, and even the late Phil Hartman as the voice of Kiki's companion cat). Unlike the standard Disney fare, this movie has no violence, no sex, no profanity, and not even a dysfunctional family.

The themes of Kiki's Delivery Service are noble ones. There are far worse ways to spend a few hours (or a few dozen) than watching a young girl make friends and gain self-confidence, especially one as appealing as Kiki. Buy yourself an extra copy of this video. When you wear the first one out watching it by yourself, you'll need the spare to placate the kids.

An exciting film for all ages
When enthusiastic young witch Kiki leaves home one full moonlit night to make it on her own, she discovers that more than magic is needed to overcome life's obstacles. Miyazaki has created a wonderful world not that different from our own, wherein lies the movie's appeal. Great characters and voice acting, including the late Phil Hartman as Kiki's cat, make this movie extremely enjoyable and highly recommended. You will root for Kiki all the way.

The flying scenes are especially exhilirating. Like much of the movie, these scenes are slow paced so you can enjoy them. As Kiki wends her way high over ocean, countryside, forest, city, you feel as though you are flying with her. My favorite is when she is flying over the city lights at night.

Not Miyazaki's finest hour
Once a young witch turns 13 she must go live on her own for 1 year to a town with no other witches to learn her craft. Kiki has just turned 13 and found her own city by the sea. She is befriended by a kind, and very pregnant baker woman, who suggests Kiki uses her flying broom to start a delivery service to make some money. She meets a boy a nice old lady, gets a cold, makes friends with a strange artist and delivers stuff. The End.

A few spoilers I left out aside, that's the gist of the movie. I read once in an interview with writer/director Hayao Miyazaki that he does not sit down and write scripts so much as he sits and draws, letting the story evolve from there. This method has worked beautifully for Miyazaki in movies like PRINCESS MONONOKE and SPIRITED AWAY (two far superior films). Sadly, KIKI is not such a film. The movie, like the story's heroine Kiki, just kind of wanders around, pointless. The movie tells the audience Kiki has to go away for a year to "learn how to use her powers," but how exactly is she supposed to learn without anyone to teach her? She has no real mentor. And Kiki's main ability is flying. But she can already fly before she leaves home on her journey in the first place. The reclusive artist lady who lives in the woods is also another mind-boggler. Other than a semi-sage like character (who doesn't give any really great advice), she serves no real purpose.

The translation for this film was also the worst. Stay away altogether from the English dub with a young Kirsten Dunst as the voice of Kiki and the late Phil Hartman as the voice of Kiki's talking black cat, Gigi. The translation for that dub was terrible.

A good example of the variations in translation and their impact on the film is the scene when Kiki encounters another witch while looking for her own city. The original Japanese has the witch being a bit curt, by Western standards, yet polite to Kiki. In the English subtitles she is a bit snobby and in the English dub she is an outright jerk! The suits at Disney were obviously trying to turn this into an American film and also added all sorts of unfunny, smart-aleck dialogue for Gigi the black cat that is nowhere in the Japanese dub!

I think the point the film is trying to make under all these silly adventures is that young women can be strong and independent and overcome obstacles. A good message, but one that can be gained much more effectively and entertainingly in other films, such as Miyazaki's own film SPIRITED AWAY.

not much to say but THIS MOVIE ABSOLUTLEY ROCKS!!
i love this movie. it rules. its so awsome. when i rented it, i fell in love with it. the pacing is slow, but the art and plot are great. it seems to take place in between 1937 and 1942. i recomend it. it has trains. i love thoes. it has cars. ilove thoes. it has a smart allek talking balck cat. i love thoes. BUY THIS MOVIE! BUY IT! YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT!!! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Devotees of Diana Rigg's Mrs. Emma Peel will be especially thrilled by this three-volume collection of seven black-and-white episodes that closed out the fourth season of The Avengers in high and often provocative style. One Avengers Web site ranks "A Touch of Brimstone" among the 10 best episodes of the Mrs. Peel era; "What the Butler Saw" and "Honey for the Prince" rank among the top 20.

To these add "The House That Jack Built." This mind-bending tour de force finds Mrs. Peel at the mercy of a vengeful techno-obsessed mastermind who has rigged a mansion to drive her insane. Also included in this collection are "The Danger Makers," in which umbrella-toting gentleman spy John Steed (Patrick Macnee) and Mrs. Peel uncover a secret society of thrill-crazed soldiers; "A Sense of History," about a deadly clique of university students; and "How to Succeed... At Murder," in which secretarial assassins take their orders from, yes, a puppet. The mysteries are intriguing, the villains suitably mad, and the banter between Steed and Mrs. Peel charged with erotic possibilities. With the ravishing, knee-weakening sight of Emma decked out as Robin Hood in "A Sense of History," as a harem girl in "Honey for the Prince," and--be still my beating heart--as the Queen of Sin in "A Touch of Brimstone," this Avengers collection boasts very potent Emma "a-Peel." Each volume is also available for purchase separately. --Donald Liebenson ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Buy this one
If you're only going to buy one collection of `Avengers' episodes, this should be it. These shows date from the end of the black-and-white season with Diana Rigg, and feature some of the series' best writing and direction. As always, Patrick Macnee's suave potrayal of affable agent John Steed is the heart of the show. While Macnee offered smooth support to all his leading ladies, his chemistry was unmatched with the arch Rigg as slender, fearless woman-about-town Emma Peel. Many of these episodes focus on Emma, and include some her most flamboyant costumes. Most notable is `A Touch of Brimstone,' where Diana Rigg is poured, pushed-up and padded in dominatrix gear designed by the actress to maximize her figure. Peter Wyngarde and Jeremy Young make cold and cruel villains. An ingenious plot and Macnee's cool aplomb make the whole thing work. Another classic episode, `The House that Jack Built,' has a woman-in-jep plot. But when Mrs Peel is lured to a computerized house, it was one of the first times that high-technology snare was ever used. Moreover, unlike other TV females of the time, Avengers women weren't shrinking damsels. Emma relies on brains and courage to save herself. The great op-art set is a pinnacle of Sixties design. `A Sense of History' isn't as atmospheric as `Brimstone' or as tense as `House,' but it offers an offbeat plot and eccentric villain. It also puts Rigg in a very flattering Robin Hood costume, and gives her some nice banter with Macnee. `The Dangermakers,' the opening episode in this collection, is an exciting adventure, as military men find it hard to give up the thrills of war for hum-drum life at home. `What the Butler Saw,' also features the military, although there's a vast difference in tone between scenes of the hard-edged villains and a skirt-chasing RAF man. But it does give Patrick Macnee full reign to revel in a variety of roles, inclduing a gentleman's gentleman. `How to Succeed... at Murder' wastes a good cast and some nice atmospherics in a misogynistic story. Emma and other young women spend considerable time in bodystockings, while Christopher Benjamin in a hoot as a prominent perfumier. `Honey for the Prince' is the most light-hearted episode, and one of the most fully realized of the series. That's a tribute to a sterling cast of eccentric supporting characters, topped by Ron Moody as an imaginative entrepreneur. Some viewers fast-forward to the final 10 minutes, which Emma spends in flimsy harem garb. Deprived of her usual padding, Diana Rigg does her best Kate Moss impersonation trying to fill a tiny bustier, but overflows a pair of low-cut Turkish trousers. Scantily clad, Rigg still dances and fights with panache. The quality of the video transfers vary, but within acceptable limits. The audio is mono, but very good. There are virtually no extras, but these shows stand for themselves.

A Touch of The Avengers to Liven Up Your Day
I borrowed this set from a friend and couldn't get enough of it. A great collection of episodes, like the well written (and provocative) "A Touch of Brimstone" to the dead funny "What the Butler Saw" and the toying-with-your-mind "The House that Jack Built". This set provides a excellent, varied taste of the show. I recommend it to everyone, but if you really love the show, I say just buy the Emma Peel Megaset on DVD! (now that's what I want for Christmas!)

Steed Dresses Up - Emma Dresses Down
The concluding black-and-white episodes of the Diana Rigg series had a more than usual tendency to show off her figure to fullest advantage. Such is the case especially with "A Sense of History," in which she dresses in a leg-revealing Robin Hood outfit, and "A Touch of Brimstone," where she wears next to nothing as the Queen of Sin (and is attacked with a whip, to boot). "How To Succeed...At Murder" has her in a bodystocking/leotard, practicing ballet for a good portion of the story. And when she isn't dressing down, she's quite the clothes-horse, wearing a gorgeous white pants suit, for instance, in "The House That Jack Built," a memorably striking bit of surrealistic sci-fi.

Oh, yes - Patrick Macnee is here too, lest we forget that he was the only actor to have starred in every season of the show. And he gets to play dress-up in these episodes, as much as Diana Rigg dresses down.

As usual, the interplay between the two is delightfully witty and sparkling, their interaction with numerous flamboyantly unusual villains (and more common thugs) well-choreographed and exciting.

What A Delight! What An Absolute Delight!
Two memories stand out more than any other from my childhood. One, the receipt of a new G.I. Joe -- any G.I. Joe, for any reason and at any occasion (at $5.00 each, which was money in the mid-60s). The other, watching episodes of "The Avengers" with my father. It was our favorite program. And how could it not be? Original, intelligent, loads and loads of fun. All made perfect by the magic of the charming, delightfully arrogant Patrick MacNee and the stupendous, mind-bogglingly stupendous, Diana Rigg. I must confess that I've always had a penchant for buxom blonde bombshells loaded with sin -- e.g., Jayne Mansfield. But no one has ever had more apPeel (sexual and otherwise) than Miss Rigg's Mrs. Peel. I recognized this even as a mere boy.

In this day of fatuous, vulgar entertainment, it is a genuine pleasure to be able to watch Steed and Mrs. Peel battle evil-doers with their incomparable panache. There's nothing on current television that can even hope to compare -- not even the excellent "X-Files," which (not coincidentally) owes so much to "The Avengers."

The episodes in this collection are exceptionally fine. If you have a heart condition, however, you may want to give "A Touch of Brimstone," with Mrs. Peel as the "Queen of Sin," a miss -- her outfit (with her in it, of course!) is heart-stopping.

Come and relive your childhood memories -- with the even more appreciative eye of an adult!

A sense of history encapsulates libraries before computers!
A sense of history deals with some less than innocent high jinks & a hysterical professor who resorts to murder. When a brilliant economist is murdered, Steed persaudes Mrs. Peel to enroll at the university he had intended to visit. As usual Emma deals with a hostile villain (a college student) coolly tossing him over her shoulder. Sly humor abounds. Emma finally knocks out her would be assassin in the library. The title that falls on top of him "How to develop a winning personality"! The motive for murder- the villain felt slighted and unappreciated. "Who was Grindley? Only an archivist- a glorified librarian!" Note the paper, books, lack of computers. Pre-computer age library set. The usual banter & dead bodies. Why does some poor chump always offer to meet Steed "later" only to end up a corpse? Note that this plot device recurs in The Danger Makers Honey for the Prince is my favorite of all the 7 on this set. Diana Rigg's comedic talents as well as her sexuality were showcased in this one. Emma does a steamy "dance of the 6 veils" going undercover- not literally, if she can help it! to foil an assassin. The degraded status of women in the harem, Emma's outrage at this repressive situation are conveyed by Mrs. Peel's look of horror when she reads her name on the duty roster in the harem! The Butler one is pricelessly funny. Emma is instructed to engage the attention of the amorous Captain Miles. Rigg' dodging MIles atempted seduction- his living room is "rigged" with instantly closing curtains, dim light, collapsible sofa, pull out bar etc. is amusing. Steed's repeated interruptions (he is undercover as the butler), and feels that he has to "save" Emma , as well as Miles frustration at Steed's instrusions are great fun. Nevertheless the indomitable Mrs. Peel can always be counted on to be resourceful. although one elderly ex general in his 80s looks at her and observes of her "Most distracting!" This was a better mix than the last boxed set of 7 of the color episodes of Rigg and MacNee. Weaker scripts sometimes the last year( 1967). The black and white set was well worth the price. Honey for the Prince and What the Butler Saw I rank in the top ten. Note Stee'd's delight "The butler did it!" I rate both of them ahead of A touch of Brimstone. ... Read more

Reviews (27)

A sincere film that speaks of the Cuban soul
As, I'm assuming, the only Cuban-American to review this film online, I feel especially proud that my country was able to produce such an eloquent, intelligent and all around outstanding film. Many people unacquainted with our customs couldn't possibly begin to relish the cultural nuances that abound in this film. The slang, the attitudes and all-around mannerisms are unmistakibly Cuban and to me it was as if though I were watching a home movie of some old friends. Rarely, have I related to characters the way I did to David, Diego and Nancy. Jorge Perrugoria's Diego is a triumph. Anyone familiar with what's regarded as the quitessential Cuban homosexual (cultured, well-read, opera and ballet loving) will be able to savor this performance like a fine wine; it is absolute perfection. It is hard to believe that he is, in reality, heterosexual. He is just too, too perfect. The fact that this film captures the essence of Cuba is both a revelation and a devestation. One is made to see the crumbling glory that is Havana and it almost inspires heartbreak. Nevertheless, a terrific film through and through and one that I can't recommend enough!

Four stars for the movie, two for the DVD
STRAWBERRY AND CHOCOLATE [Fresa y Chocolate] (Cuba/Mexico/Spain 1992): Used as an unwitting pawn by his pro-revolutionary colleagues, naive student David (Vladmir Cruz) is encouraged to develop a platonic relationship with flamboyant gay artist Diego (Jorge Perugorria), whose political allegiances have fallen under suspicion. But as their friendship deepens, David is transformed by Diego's resistance to the Cuban regime, even as the forces of oppression begin to close around them.

Though based on a short story ('El Lobo, el Bosque y el Hombre Nuevo') by screenwriter Senel Paz which explores opposite ends of a political ideology, knowledge of recent Cuban history isn't a prerequisite for viewers of STRAWBERRY AND CHOCOLATE, a small gem from co-directors Tomas Gutierrez Alea and Juan Carlos Tabio. Far from a mere political tract, this is a joyous celebration of life and non-conformity, distinguished by Perugorria's extraordinary performance as the camp but dignified Diego, who rejects his friend's unquestioning loyalty to the Cuban political system that is stifling their beloved homeland. Their budding relationship is complicated by Diego's unrequited love for David, depicted here with remarkable honesty and compassion, particularly for a mainstream film. But it's their political differences which ultimately unite the two characters, even as Diego is forced to reap the whirlwind of his public defiance. Much of the narrative unfolds within Diego's crumbling apartment building, where David enjoys a liaison with flaky neighbor Nancy (Mirta Ibarra), who introduces the inexperienced student to the joys of sexual liberation! It isn't a terribly cinematic film, but production values are solid, and the characters are so vivid, and played with such integrity, it hardly matters; this is a movie in which ideas take precedence over action, and the emotional payoff is quite powerful indeed. Beautiful music score by Jose Maria Vitier, too.

Now the bad news: Buena Vista's DVD version is incomplete, missing approximately six minutes of footage. Absent material includes a brief conversation about racism during David's first visit to Diego's apartment, and a sad little sequence in which the two characters pretend not to notice each other after meeting by accident in a bookstore. These revisions were perpetrated before the film's North American theatrical release by Buena Vista's 'art-house' subsidiary Miramax, a company which is notorious for the cavalier manner in which it treats its foreign acquisitions (their version of THE HORSEMAN ON THE ROOF is similarly incomplete). The alterations imposed on STRAWBERRY AND CHOCOLATE seem completely arbitrary, and demonstrate little more than contempt for American audiences. For the record, the UK video version runs 105m 51s at 25fps in the PAL format, which corresponds to 110m 15s at the original 24fps.

There are no extras, not even a trailer (there's a puff-piece which trumpets Miramax's involvement in a 'golden age' of cinema, which is ironic given the way they treat their movies). So, four stars for the movie, two for the DVD, and only because the sound and picture quality are so good, despite a worrying amount of grain in the film's opening sequence. The running time quoted below doesn't include the Miramax/Robert Redford logos which open the US DVD print and weren't part of the original film.

103m 53s
1.85:1 / Anamorphically enhanced
Dolby Surround 2.0
Ultra Stereo [theatrical]
Spanish soundtrack
Optional English subtitles
Region 1

Where's the DVD???
I was captivated by this charming little film many years back, what with its setting, performances, humour, and all the little nuances that foreign films have mastered over their Hollywood big-buck counterparts.

My only complaint is why there hasn't been a DVD release of this movie just yet! With such vastly overrated mediocrities such as "Like Water For Chocolate" or "Babette's Feast" now available, it should only be a matter of time.

A phenomenally enjoyable film, whatever your personal preference.

Not a Bad Berry....
It's a good movie, but not what I expected. From the amount of foreign films I've seen, there have been some outstanding ones like Central Station, City Of Lost Children, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Like Water for Chocolate and Amelie. I guess I hold all foreign (subtitled) films to this high standard. The actor who played Diego, Jorge Perrugoria was wonderful though. He's one of those few actors that uses his eyes to convey so much internal action. Over all, I'm not saying the film was bad, but it wasn't one I'd watch again and again. First film from Cuba nominated for an Oscar.. *** stars

Wonderful film that transcends stereotypes
The Cuban film, "Fresa y Chocolate," is the story of friendship between a young student (a loyal member of the Communist Party), and a gay political activist, who is critical of the government's censorship. It is an amazing film for a number of reasons. First, it presents a balanced and somewhat critical view of the Cuban political system. This is surprising since it was co-produced by ICAIC, essentially the official Cuban film production company. Second, though the main characters start out as stereotypes, they develop into very real people who go beyond what the audience would expect.

Considered by many to have been a major catalyst in improving the treatment of gays in Cuba; this film presents a rich and interesting view of Cuban society. ... Read more

Amazon.com

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Volume 3, Sweat, is a slightly shorter version of the challenging class Kest teaches in person. There are still all the gentle, firm admonitions to listen to your body, not to feel competitive with anyone else in how you do the pose (and as long as you heed them, you'll do fine). But Kest combines the classic warm-ups and longer-hold poses with a rapid succession of sun salutes, which will be gratifying to the advanced yoga student, but may make a first timer feel as though he dropped in to a Rockettes rehearsal by mistake. But if you keep at it, the workout is very easy to follow, and Kest's gentle, gruff voice is so soothing you find yourself relaxing even as you're pushing your body to its limits. As long as you keep in mind his personal mantra--"If you're doing the best you can, you're doing this class perfectly"--you and Kest should have many satisfying years of workouts together. --Anne Hurley ... Read more

Reviews (44)

Aerobic and spiritual workout
I have tried about 5 different yoga workout tapes, and these are by far the very best. The biggest benefit of Kest's is that he gives you time to stay in the poses, and paces it like a master. Rodney Yee's tapes are so stupid by comparison; he races through the poses like a science nerd who has no patience for dopey beginners. Kest, on the other hand, is very patient and persistent. His comments are encouraging and reassuring. He is a real human. While I agree with most of the other reviewers who say that it is not for beginners, it is not necessary to be Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, either. I had worked with Susan Deason's tapes, which were great preparatory workouts for this, for about 3 months. After that I felt I needed something more powerful and fat-burning (hate that word). You can stop worrying about weight loss and all that bunk that the consumerist gurus obsess about. Kest's approach has a spiritual side that makes you stay involved in the workout from a personal growth point of view; this guy has a wonderful system. My body is going through miraculous changes already, after 3 weeks; my waist is thinner, my torso is lengthening, my breathing and sense of well-being have improved by about 100%. Bravo, Bryan Kest!