Reviews (89)

Life is a cabaret, old chum...
It's often been said about old musical movies that they went too far in the conceit of people "bursting out in song" during a scene. Well, in his film version of Kander & Ebb's masterful Cabaret, Bob Fosse completely got around that problem by presenting the songs on stage. It was handled brilliantly, the choreography was incredible, and the movie just plain works.

Cabaret the movie doesn't share many songs in common with the original stage version - it still has "Willkommen," "Two Ladies," "Tomorrow Belongs To Me," a German version of "Married," "If You Could See Her," and "Cabaret" - but that's it. A few new songs were added - "Mein Herr," "Maybe This Time," "Money, Money," - but for the most part it's a lot less sung than the staged version. A lot of musical numbers dealing with the world outside the Kit Kat Klub were used as underscoring, preserving John Kander's great tunes. But this doesn't detract from it being one of the best filmed musicals out there.

Fosse's direction is a big help; it has a great eye for early 1930s Berlin, and presents the decadence and foreshadows the Nazis brilliantly. Fosse created great, sensual choreography for the film, and it is completely entrancing to watch the musical numbers. And the rest is worth it, too.

Flipflops aside, the couples are presented well; Liza Minelli's portrayal of Sally Bowles is definitely the acting part of a lifetime. She was just completely *convincing* as Sally, from end to end. Michael York as Brian is very reserved, very British, and very studied. Helmut Griem is entirely convincing as Max, who creates tension between the couple after befriending them. The secondary couple is played to perfection by Fritz Wepper and Marisa Berenson, as opportunistic Fritz Wendel who falls in love with the rich young Jewess Natalia Landauer, respectively. And, of course, Joel Grey is spectacular as the haunting, Puckish Emcee.

In general, this movie presents itself as a stunning revelation to viewers of a story that will stick around for a very long time. It's a virtuoso interpretation of one of the greatest American musicals, and deserves to be seen.

wonderful new collector's edition
CABARET has never looked better, remastered for it's 25th anniversary, with additional features.

Liza Minnelli gives the performance of her career as the singer Sally Bowles, on a self-imposed exile in Berlin, entertaining at the seedy Kit Kat Klub.

Into her life comes Brian Roberts (Michael York), a mild-mannered English bisexual who falls in love with her. Both are seduced by the wealthy Maximillian (Helmut Griem) before Sally falls pregnant, aborts the child and Brian leaves Berlin just as the Nazi's gain power.

The musical, set against the stormy backdrop of Berlin in the 1930's, is a marvellous piece of film making. Directed and choreographed by maestro Bob Fosse, CABARET also boasts original Broadway performer Joel Grey as the Master of Ceremonies, and Fritz Wepper and Marisa Berenson.

Also includes reminiscences by Liza Minnelli, Joel Grey, Michael York, Cy Feuer, John Kander and others from the creative team, an old featurette on the making of the film, and the original theatrical trailer.

THE BEST
As for musical-drama concerned... THIS IS IT! The producers of Chicago should have seen this(indeed they did - every major moment in that film is "stolen" from Cabaret) and put REAL musical stars in the film.

When u have Joel and Liza u are not let down... I give flowergreetings to the entire cast and crew... The filmversion of Cabaret has a lot of "new songs"(Maybe This Time, Mein Herr, The Money Song) and the plot follows the 1955-movie "I AM A CAMERA" more than the stage musical. Since then; the Liza-songs have found themselves in numerous revivals of this stageplay since this 1972-masterpiece. The film is still frightening and raw......Trivia: The scene in which Liza meets Marisa they talk about diseases... On video, here in Europe at least, that was cut....

Don't pass on this
I almost passed over this DVD because a couple of Amazon reviewers forcefully complained about the presentation. I'm glad I bought it. The widescreen was just as I expected, and picture and sound quality were fine. Anyone who's seen the movie knows how good it is. If you haven't seen it, you're in for a treat; and this DVD serves it well. (A five-star review is for the absolutely superlative.)

PLEASE PLEASE Don't buy this!
CABARET is one of the greatest movie musicals ever. I adore it. It is flawless, IMHO.
Why, then am I giving it one star? Because, as others have said, Warners should be ashamed of themselves. This is not the first, but the SECOND release of this movie in a non-anamorphic transfer. I bought the original and was mighty p****ed because it was non-anamorphic. I thought they would have honored this magnificent film in the "anniversary" release. But no. It is, as stated by another reviewer, the same disc as before, in terms of picture quality.
On a small TV you won't notice. But if you care about these things, then believe me, this release sucks big time. As did the first one.
I'm angry, not at being ripped off (I sent this one back for a refund) but because a wonderful work of art has been abused by a greedy, careless film company. And I have been robbed of the chance to see the film in its glory.
Having said that, nothing could improve the truly dreadful sound quality - which was terrible from day one.
I don't suppose there ever will be another release of this movie. What a terrible shame. ... Read more

Description

When a teacher and her class are kidnapped by gunmen in the Australian outback, they soon realize that the only way they will ever escape alive is if they save themselves. ... Read more

Reviews (35)

A fantastic old favorite
It seems like most people who have reviewed this film, I saw it on cable, HBO - in the early 80's when I was only 7 or 8. Someone in my family taped it. I stumbled upon it again about 8 years ago when I was watching the movie that was before Fortress on the tape. Anyhow - since then I have been searching for more info on this film - it's wonderful. Today I was watching a movie on Lifetime TV and it suddenly dawned on me that the star of the movie was none other than the teacher from Fortress - Rachel Ward. So I went to IMDB.com to find out more.

Long story short - this is one of those unsung heroes of rare films. I do hope it is rereleased and maybe even on DVD. Watch this movie if you haven't!

I remember this movie when I was 8 or 9 year old.
This movie popped into my head stronger then ever last night before I went to sleep. I almost past out trying to think of the movies name. The only thing I could remember from the movie was the name of one of the villains, Father Christmas. Before last night from time to time this movie pops in my head. I remember watching it on UPN or FOX. Funny how each time I caught it, it happened to be around noon time and I wasn't at school, must have been summer time. Enough of my life story, this movie scared the crap out of me. It was really the masked villains that scared me when I was a kid. There was I think 4 different masked villains one wore a mouse mask, the other wore a cat mask, another wore a Santa clause mask, and I forgot what the other dude wore. I remember always thinking twice before watching it because the movie just gave me the chills. I just ordered it today here at amazon.com; I can't believe its still in print. I'm sure the movie won't be as good as I remembered it because when I seen it I was 9 and now I'm 21. I bought it for the memories more then anything else.

Not Bad
This is not one of those movies where you should bust the door down to get it, yet it is a pretty good "crime/drama". I honestly don't see where people get that this is a "thriller". It's about a teacher (played by Rachel Ward) who teaches in a very very small country school in Australia. It begins with what she thinks is going to be a normal day, but she, and her students, quickly have their day turned upside down when they are kidnapped by a group of ruthless cutthroats sporting masks and guns. One is wearing a Santa Claus like mask, while the others have on animal masks. They take the teacher and her students at gun point, and lead them to an awaiting van. Then they are driven to an undisclosed location and ordered to jump down into a cave. But what the kidnappers don't realize is there is a way for them to escape, which they do, only to have bad luck and run into the hoodlums again. Pooh!!! Will things ever work out for them? Now, if you know my reviews, you know I'm not going to tell you, but what I will say about this movie is that it has a good plot, suspense, drama, gore, and well timed action. There is also a bit of nudity (topless). I would not recommend it for those under 14 for the simple reason of the gore. If you have not seen this movie and would like to see a pretty good story, it would be worth the time to view.

freakin scared the crap out of me when i was little
isn't it strange how we all remember seeing this movie when we were kids? it totally scared the snot out of me when i was a kid. the masks... *shudder* and the ending! wow. it's been probably 15 years or more, but i still remember it from time to time.

Needs a DVD release
This film is so incredible and exciting! Rachel Ward turns in a top performance as Miss Sally Jones, school teacher in the Australian Outback. She also lives with two of her students, Sid and (the troublemaking) Tommy O'Brien. Norelle is a fellow classmate who gets the "curse" and Derrick is a chubs who likes to pick on "the little ones." All is well til they are kidnapped by 4 masked men. Father Christmas is the head villian and is assisted by Dabby Duck, Pussycat and Mack the Mouse! Fabulous things happen as the children are buried in an underground cave, swim underneath rocks, and learn Survival 101! We are also treated to an awesome soundtrack including "Piggy on a Railway." And remember if you children behave, Miss Jones shall shout you all a hamburger at Poobarrows. Even a cup of capricious! Please HBO put this out on DVD now! ... Read more

Description

Secret warehouses, basement bomb factories, fake passports. . . It took a lot of work to plan the bombing of the World Trade Center. But under the noses of the FBI and the NYPD, a plan has been devised that will stun the nation, and take the extremist murderers on the PATH TO PARADISE. Based on the shocking true story. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Parallels with Attack on September 11, 2001
This engrossing movie examines the circumstances leading up to and the aftermath of the badly botched 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center. By focusing more on the characters, both good and bad, than on the explosion itself, the film is able to avoid becoming another disaster movie.

It has strong parallels with the tragic events of September 11, 2001 and I found it moving. I cried several times while watching it. Highly recommended.

A Great Movie that Eerily Foreshadows the events of 9/11/01
A couple of weeks ago I was at my local video store and saw this movie on the shelf and decided to rent it. This is a very good movie told in very good detail! I learned a lot about the first attack that I never knew and was very shocked at the ending when Ramsi Yusef told the FBI agent escorting him back to NYC for his trial that this basically was not over yet. That really shook me up!... My bottom line is that this a true story movie told in very true to life detail. If you are curious about the first bombing and the events leading up to it, I highly recommend this movie!

Indeed a wakeup call unheeded
An HBO production, amazing actors, superb dialog. A bomb-making
expert from Iraq attempts entry to the U.S. without a visa. He states he's leaving Iraq for political asylum in the U.S. The INS agent questions him a bit, looks over his fishy looking passport. She approaches her superior with the asylum application
and urges that "he should be detained". "Jails are full. You want to take him home?" her boss retorts. The film shows just how these terrorists jumped through about any and every loophole in the system under the guise of religious freedom. Bomb-making right in the apartment. Operating right under the nose of the FBI and other law enforcement agencies. Anti-American propaganda tapes found in an apartment which, truth be told, is not against the law. And of course there was the chilling prophetic line at the end: "Next time we'll bring them both down." Absolutely worth watching again and again.

Must see 1997 movie re: 1993 WTC Bombing with re: 9-11-01 ??
This movie blew me away!!!!! All Americans for AMERICA MUST SEE THIS at least once! It does show how vulnerable we are even as a superpower! Don't wanna give the movie away BUT the last statement muttered from the terrorist "Next time we'll bring both towers down!" gave us some eerie chills!! Nuff said.

Unbelievable
I had seen this movie before and specially bought it for the last scene. It's very ironic and somewhat scary to know that a movie dialoque can actually turn into a Catastrophe.

I have put up the ending clip which is very astonishing on Kazaa, search for "shockingly rare", (without the quotes) and you will see what I mean ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Pure kitch and wonderful!!
anyone who knows anything about the life of Rimsky-Korsakov will know that the character played by Jean-Pierre Aumont and the Real R-K only share the same name. We're not talking authentic here, but definitely entertaining. There's little of outer reality in this movie but then, there doesn't need to be. One has to approach it in the right spirit and enjoy it.

A Festive Musical Occasion
This film speaks to viewers straight from the heart, a festive occasion marking a combination of the brilliant music of Russian composer Rimsky-Korsakoff along with beautifully choreographed dancing sequences from famed ballerina Tilly Losch within the framework of a glorious spirit. French star Jean-Pierre Aumont stars as the Russian composer as a young man serving with the Russian Navy. While his shyness is in initial impediment, Aumont becomes aware that his first love of music has a fresh rival in exotically beautiful Yvonne De Carlo, who exercises her dancing skills to the audience's delight. Aumont has spirited competition for De Carlo's affections from his wolfish shipmate, Philip Reed, but when all is said and done De Carlo prefers the more sensitive, less forward Aumont.

The story's action takes place at two points, the ship that is docked at port in Tangiers and the stately mansion where De Carlo lives with her mother, the always scheming Eve Arden at her wisecracking best. With the mansion mortgaged to the heavens, Arden needs to effectively strategize and is more than capable to the task. Male comedy support is provided by Brian Donlevy as ship captain, blustery on the surface but warm and sensitive inwardly. While outwardly complaining of Aumont's problems as a sailor, he is highly supportive, escpecially away from the eyes of those under his command. Eventually he strikes up a relationship with equally wily Arden at the same time when her daughter is enraptured by Aumont's charms.

Walter Reisch, former writing partner of Billy Wilder, directed with a deft touch and also wrote the script. Charles Kullman of the New York Metropolitan Opera entertained with song, giving the film the kind of grand scale of a great operatic production. Along with the brilliant Losch choreography, the costumes blended with the superb color, done by Yvonne Wood, who handled the costuming for the Busby Berkeley classic "The Gang's All Here" starring Alice Faye.

Reisch gave some talented newcomers opportunities in the film. Servant girl Elena Verdugo became a televsion star in the fifties in "Meet Millie" and was later a regular opposite Robert Young in "Marcus Welby." Robert Kendall later performed opposite Natalie Wood on Ford Television Theater in "Too Old for Dolls" and starred on screen as Baby Face Nelson in "Guns Don't Argue." William Ching played the ruthless killer pursued by Edmond O'Brien in the film noir classic, "D.O.A.", and played a Beverly Hills Police detective investigating Humphrey Bogart in "In a Lonely Place."

The blend of technicolor and song along with the exotic beauty and dancing skills of DeCarlo make "Song of Scheherazade" a must see for those who thrill to great musical entertainment.

A beautiful musical story
I was in love with music since I was a little boy. Since then, I heard Rimsky Korsakov's Scheherazade and I was impressed for its melody as well as its oriental feeling. I remember well that one fine day I saw this picture: The song of Scheherazade at the movies. I was still a boy but I said to myself that someday I will have it for myself. I had to wait more than 30 years for that moment. When the commercial videos started, I went to video stores and always asked for the release of this film. It wouldn't happen until last year when I finally saw the pre-sale in Amazon. Now, I think that it worths to wait for something that you want. This movie has spectacular colors, incredible coreography and, mainly, the beautiful music of the russian composer Rimsky-Korsakov each moment. If you want to spend a nice evening with your family, your husband or wife, or even with yourself don't hesitate and get this video as soon as possible. You won't regret it. ... Read more

Reviews (27)

Over 20 Years Later, And I Still Love It!
When I first saw Fame, I loved it. Although I was in the age range of the characters back then, I never went to a performing arts school, but I always found it fascinating, and my short stint at a NYC school was extremely exciting. Just something about the setting.

I was always curious how I'd feel about the movie in 10 or 20 years. I can now say that I consider this one of my all time favorites. It still moves me like it did in 1980. Sure, there are a few things about it that are dated, but I love the characters, can absolutely relate to seeing Rocky Horror for the first time, and the mood is captured perfectly.

And to this day, the scenes with "Out Here On My Own", "Is It Okay...", and "I Sing The Body Electric" give me chills.

A wonderful coming-of-age Musical
On its release "Fame" resonated for me because I was 18, headed for NYC, and full of many of the same hopes and dreams as its characters had. I also saw it with a group of friends, all of us recent high school grads, and whether we were off to study medicine or law, music or architecture, the movie captured the essence of what its like to be on the way to new dreams. The score is brilliant through and through, and the performances nuanced, sweet and special. From the auditions at the outset of the movie to the final sweeping "Body Electric" the film is powerful for anyone who came of age in the 70s. We can all relate to seeing "Rocky Horror" for the first time, doing the "Time Warp" and being on the losing side of love. And, those of us with overbearing mothers could understand Doris's embarrassing moments with her own backstage mom. The film has guts, emotion, and passion to spare, and still stands as one of the last great musicals Hollywood produced. This one deserves a full re-release on DVD, and is far superior to later spin-offs like "Footloose" and "Flashdance." They all started here, with "Fame."

Fame
This is a very good musical movie. It has so much going on. You can almost feel what each characater is going through in the movie. I can watch it over and over. I never get tired of it.

Film at it's best.
Fame is by far my favourite movie. It has made me cry and laugh all at once. I can definetly identify with the characters. If I were you I would get my copy fast.

It needed Debbie Allen for more than two lines.
Full of energy and spirit, but in the end a bit corny and very melodramatic. I attended a school of the arts in Washington, DC, and at that time we were all thrilled to see a film which paid tribute to the special institution we had to endure for 8+ hours a day- though there was not one moment, in the four years I attended, that anyone danced in the streets and on top of the cars!! I actually preferred the television show, which did not take itself as seriously, and created much broader, fuller, characters than the 'types' presented in the film (the ambitious over-achiever, the militant hood, the ingenue, the comic, etc.) All in all, it was passable, but could've been better. And recheck the movie; Debbie Allen is only in a small opening scene judging the dance auditions. She has been quoted as saying that her role was originally much larger, but producers felt it too closely resembled the Coco role, so it was finally reduced to two lines in the film's first fifteen minutes. She did, however, star in the TV show, and got to dance and choreograph on-screen. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Ah, Barbra. Of all her onscreen personas, she sparkles in none as she does in her role as 1930s comedian Fanny Brice in the musical Funny Girl. Portraying the life of this star of stage and radio, Brice preens and prances and sings, captivating her audience both onscreen and off. Fanny Brice started life on the Lower East Side of New York, the daughter of a Jewish saloon owner. Not the prettiest girl around, Brice still managed to quickly rise to stardom as a performer in the Ziegfield Follies. A shrewd, obstinate woman, Brice dictated her own success story on stage; things were a different matter in romance.Falling hard for the stunning Nick Arnstein (suavely played by Omar Sharif), Brice must navigate a difficult marriage. While kids may love the tunes (which include the now-infamous "People," as in "People who need people are the luckiest people in the world"), the plot is definitely adult-oriented. Enjoy this one, but don't go too far out of your way for the sequel, Funny Lady. --Jenny Brown ... Read more

Reviews (67)

Streisand's First, Streisand's Best
Wow. One usually becomes a Streisand fan after seeing this movie. I certainly did. Streisand's movie debut begs the question: "Is a nose with deviation such a crime against the nation?" (sung by Fanny Brice's mother in the film). Barbra is Fanny is Barbra. When Streisand as Fanny tells Omar Shariff as Nick that he made her feel "beautiful", who can not love this woman?

The new DVD includes a restored version of the film and an incredibly clear soundtrack. Unless you saw the limited theatrical release this summer, then you have probably never seen FUNNY GIRL in its widescreen presentation. For years I had watched a faded pan-and-scan VHS version. Barbra's hilarious business of straightening her dress in the "You Are Woman" scene is completely cut out in pan-and-scan! Director William Wyler shot the film with a lot of widescreen compositions that the pan-and-scan versions always butchered. Thank you, Columbia, for this restored, widescreen DVD!

I remember watching THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT and seeing highlight clips from famous musicals. They showed "Don't Rain On My Parade" from FUNNY GIRL ...Barbra on the tug boat holding that note ("Paa-aa-raaaaaad-de") as the camera revealed the Statue of Liberty. I was thrilled. The DVD contains a theatrical short that shows behind the scenes footage of how they shot the entire "Parade" number -- really incredible footage!

The movie's second act, a bit slow, gives Streisand the chance to show her acting chops!

"My Man" at the movie's end features a "live" Streisand vocal as she cries on stage then triumphantly finishes. That scene won Barbra the Oscar. It is truly incredible.

I am disappointed that the DVD did not include more of the scenes I've always heard about but never seen. The AFI tribute (on ABC earlier this year) remains the only place you can see scenes from the Swan Ballet number that were cut. Also, I wish there was a Streisand commentary. Can you imagine the reflections about making this film that she could share?

People who see FUNNY GIRL are the luckiest people in the world.

The Greatest Star Comes to DVD - Worth the Wait!
First off - the DVD: It's a letterbox transfer of pristine new print that has been digitally restored (sometimes frame by frame) back to its original condition. Funny Girl hasn't looked this good in thirty years - so if you've only seen it on VHS or TV, you're in for a visual treat. I saw the restored print on a huge screen this past fall, and believe me, this transfer does it justice. In addition they have included the pre-show and intermission music as well. The additional documentary material is nothing to write home about. But I think whoever did the DVD menu deserves kudos for styling it like the New Amsterdam theater marquee from the first shot of the movie, with highlights from the film playing in the background. Very appropriate and very clever.

Funny Girl is A.) the musical biography of comedienne-singer Fanny Brice, and B.) the Oscar-winning film debut of 26 year old Barbra Streisand. As theatrical history lesson it's pretty flawed - (Arnstein was Brice's *second* husband, for example). The Streisand - Brice connection is strong, however. Fanny, like Barbra, wore her Jewishness as a badge of honor - in contrast to most Jewish performers of the day, who tried to blend in as much as possible. As a matter of fact, the "You Are Woman, I Am Man" seduction scene plays like a Brice "Follies" sketch.

And as a star vehicle for Striesand, it's a winner. When she belts out "I'm the Greatest Star" at the beginning of the picture you will understand what it feels like to be in the presence of raw, pure talent. At the end of them film when she falters on the opening words of "My Man", you'll remember what it feels like to watch your beloved walk out of your life.

William Wyer seems to be aware that he's launching a new star. The way he introduces Barbra - that long walk with her back to the camera in the leopard coat - ending with the first teasing glimpse of her face in the mirror - "Hello, gorgeous." It was certainly a closeup that many film folk were sure would have audiences recoiling in horror. Certainly plain looking Barbra couldn't make it as a movie star. Well, it's not news anymore, but certainly a surprise at the time, Barbra photographs beautifully. Even Barbra-hater Rex Reed had to admit at the time, "It took the combined efforts of God knows how many people to do it, but I'll be damned if they haven't made her beautiful!"

Omar Sharif plays opposite Barbra, and he holds up his end of the film nicely, no small feat when you consider that the script gives him little to do and the entire property has been tailored to Streisand's strengths. No one else registers, with the possible exception of Kay Medford as Fanny's mother. (Poor Anne Francis sued Columbia after the film was released, claiming Streisand had her cut out of the finished film. Most of you are sitting there thinking, "Anne, who?")

All in all, one of the better Sixties Broadway musical adaptations. (Note: Funny Girl was nominated for Best Picture in 1968. It lost to another Columbia Pictures musical - Oliver! If you liked Funny Girl, check out Oliver! - it's a better movie, even though it has no star names over the title. More 1968 Oscar trivia - Barbra won for Best Actress in a tie with Kathrine Hepburn of "Lion in Winter". In Oscar balloting there can only be a tie when there are the exact same number of votes. Why do I mention this? Well, it just so happens that because of her "special stature" in the industry, Barbra Streisand was admitted as a voting member of the Academy that year - with the release of just her first film. I wonder who she voted for???? If she hadn't been given special treatment, maybe Kate Hepburn's name would had been the only one announced that night!)

Best Musical
I saw this movie as a teenager and loved it. Barbra Streisand is timeless. I can't wait to add Funny Girl to my collection.

"He's got polish on his nails."
The ultimate showcase for an actress, Barbra Streisand's highly publicized film debut in FUNNY GIRL met every single expectation and then some. The film was the highest-grossing film of 1968, and it's very easy to see why. The film has many great qualities: It's expertly directed by three-time Academy Award winner William Wyler (the finale of the "Don't Rain On My Parade" number is just as astonishing as the chariot race in Wyler's BEN HUR), the storyline is extremely compelling, Omar Sharif is an incredibly suave and charismatic leading man, the supporting players are perfectly cast (particularly Kay Medford, Lee Allen, and Walter Pidgeon), and the song score (primarily by Jule Styne and Bob Merrill) is first-rate.

However, virtually everything that FUNNY GIRL has working for it would be worthless without Barbra Streisand's absolutely phenomenal performance. I honestly cannot think of enough good descriptive adjectives to do justice to her amazing performance in this film. She handles drama, comedy, music numbers, and tearjerking sentiment with equal aplomb, and she does it all better than any actress before or since. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences had no choice but to honor her with the Oscar for Best Actress (in an extremely rare tie with academy favorite Katherine Hepburn; only the second tie in Oscar history to date), it is a performance that is nothing less than perfect.

About the DVD: Columbia-Tristar has done an excellent job in bringing FUNNY GIRL to DVD. The restoration of the original source elements may have taken nearly three years to complete, but it was time well spent - the picture quality is gorgeous! Sure, there are a few nicks on the print, but the color, sharpness, and virtually everything else is nearly flawless. Quite possibly one of the best vintage transfers yet. The sound is also excellent, and while there are no new features included (only vintage featurettes - I expect we'll see a special edition re-issue in the future) the menu design is fantastic.

She "IS" The Greatest Star
My dad was a movie projectonist when I was growig up and he took me to see Funny Girl when I was in the 4th grade. I saw that movie 5 times that week and a total of 26 times in every movie theater in town. What an impression it made on me as a yougster, that if you believed in yourself there isn't anything that you can't do. Of course it is my favorite movie of all time and one that I watch over and over again as if I had never seen it before. I see something new every viewing. Do you want to see one of the greatest performances of all time, then watch her perform "I'm The Greatest Star" and then watch it again and again, there has never been a debut performance like this one and probably never will again.

I have been the BIGGEST Streisand fan since and have followed her through all her movies, saw her twice in concert and have everything she has recorded, albums, tapes, 45's, CD's, foreign releases and hard to find classics, every movie poster, every book written about her and every magazine cover she has been on. This collection started back in 4th grade and now I am 47 years old so you can imagine the collection. Of it all Funny Girl has to be the shining moment . If I could have just a few hours with Ms. Streisand I would thank her and ask hundreds of questions, we are only seperated by 2 degrees of seperation, maybe that day will come! Buy this movie, if you are not a fan, you will be--I PROMISE. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Shirley Temple's First, and Best
Most of Shirley Temple's films are so corny, you wonder how one release kept leading to yet another. "Little Miss Marker", which was remade many times over the years, is the easy answer. It was Shirley's first movie and, yes, she's an orphan from the very start. But thanks to Damon Runyan, a wonderful cast led by Adolph Menjou, and a very original story line (again, thank you Mr. Runyan), the start of the Shirley Temple series is a comical, off-beat delight that surpasses the distilled maple syrup of her later efforts, enjoyable though they may be. Only in the early thirties would you find such a movie as this, and in no other film does the neat and dapper Adolph Menjou play such an unrepentant, but soft-hearted, slob (seeing this alone is worth the price of the movie). It would be great if Hollywood had not lost the knack for making films like this. If you don't like Shirley Temple that much, but you'd like to know what all the noise was about, you'll like this one.

VINTAGE TEMPLE
While making this film, Adolphe Menjou remarked about Shirley: "She's Ethel Barrymore at six! This heartwarming story stars Temple as the title character, who is left with bookie Sorrowful Jones (Menjou) as the IOU for a gambling debt. When her father doesn't return, it's up to Jones and his racetrack cronies to make a home for the wee tyke. The Damon Runyon story is cute and clever with the actors even portraying characters out of King Arthur to pacify Shirley; children from the ages of 5-105 will be tempted to watch these expertly COLORIZED Temple films which are still appealing to all who are young at heart! The now - forgotten Dorothy Dell had in this her best role; she had a promising future in the movies until she tragically met her death via a car accident later in the year.

Too Cute !!!!
This is a great movie for all Shirley Temple fans . Shirley plays a curly topped orphan who starts out as a sweet little girl who loves fairies and King Arthur and turns into a little mug and says things like "lay off me" and "that would be somethin'." The only thing that would keep you from buying this movie is Shirley does not tap dance or do much singing in the movie. The only song she does is " Son of a Gun." Still she is very cute in this movie and it shows one of her earlier roles.

Poor Little Rich Girl
This movie is the type of movie that children should be watching today. It had some educational back ground in it. Where Shirley was presued by a man and wanting her to go with him to buy candy. If the parents are watching this movie with the children they can point out what was wrong when she started to go with him. Other than that the movie was fun to watch and a delight to see a movie without swearing. As in all of her movies she can light up your day and at the same time make you cry.

Shirley Shines
What a fun movie!!! Shirley plays a precocious little girl who wins the hearts of a bunch of gamblers. You laugh and you cry. It is heartwarming and fun! She wins your heart from the beginning! I just LOVE this movie! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Flawed, but Great
This film is very unusual and interesting because we are never sure what's happening. Eric Portman plays an old scoundrel
with the cool intelligence of an outstanding actor. The supporting cast is good. The flaw? Edith Evans. She goes
from being ridiculous to tedious to foolishly sad. Her character
is overdone and impossible to feel sorry for. Otherwise a great
movie.

Brit flick contemplating old age and insanity
An old lady deals with loneliness in a world that is quite quickly passing her by. Beauty and health have passed with death the only thing to look forward to. Finding comfort in companionship no longer works, and the voices provide some sort of outlet. As she travels through her now mundane life, she explores her life, past and present, and the voices help provide an option previously unknown. Explore old age and insanity, and the comforts of life (material vs. immaterial), with an old lady and The Whisperers.

FILM 4 ALL THE TIME .
SOME TIME WE LIE COZ WE HAVE 2 , THE OLD WOMEN DID , IN THIS FILM NOTHING IS BLACK OR WHITE , EVRY THING IS GRAY , LIKE US , WE R NOT GOOD WE R NOT BAD , WE R THE BOTHE IN THE SAME TIME . ... Read more

Reviews (182)

A Work Of Art
Carlo Cecchi's 1999 "The Red Violin" may not have won any Oscars but it is Oscar worthy material. On the whole, it was an underestimated film that year. It's truly a great film. The movie is rather long and very musical (after all its' a film about the voyage of a violin through different time periods and global locations) and this could be the reason why people were put off by the film. But even more likely it's because mainstream, youth-oriented MTV audiences don't care for art films. Many will be quick to label this movie art-house, eventhough Samuel L. Jackson is in it. The film follows the course of the life of a violin, from its creation in the 1600's Italian music scene- it's a Bussoti violin, close to perfection and monetal value as a Stradavarius. The violin's red color was made by blood, by the way, but you'll have to see the film to see why. The violin then undergoes a series of adventures as it is owned by different characters - from a Mozart-type child star in 1700's Vienna, to a Paganini-like violin virtuoso in the 19th century, traveling Gypsies and to the 20th century China where Communist/Cultural Revolutions are raging. Finally it ends up in an auction house.

The DVD contains the movie in great form, a soundtrack and trailers. The film is really more than anything musical. The violin is expressed in its every face- cheerful, vibrant, yearning, despair, drama, tragedy, sadness, romance, love, sensuality, lyricism and even spirituality. This film should get you into the violin. It certainly did as much for me. I recommend this film for any music lover or if you are taking music appreciation classes. Teachers ought to show this film to music classes. There is nothing R-rated about it. There is no violence and the only sex scenes comes with the Paganini violinist who cheats on his writer-girlfriend while she is traveling abroad and comes back to discover him en flagrance. But this is nothing to worry about and it's done melodramatically and even tastefully, like something out of a 19th century romantic novel. This film is a must have.

Sensuous, Sumptuous & Sonorous (plus DTS)!
"The Red Violin" is a fascinating and complex film which uses several plot devices to tell its story. Central to its emotional core is a beautiful original score by American composer John Corigliano which weaves a spell over all who encounter the violin. The DVD presentation offers DTS digital sound, a feature I had not before encountered on DVD. My receiver/amp lit up like a Christmas tree and my surround speakers took on an enchanted life of their own. The solo violin of Joshua Bell speaks for the violin throughout the film. I was very impressed with the sound and the video image was consistently clean and sharp throughout. There is an interesting look at the making of the film in special features, plus a partial cast listing that's a bit disappointing. No matter! The film story is what is important here. At the outset, the film takes us to Italy of the 1600s in the workshop of a violinmaker. The master of this shop has a young, pregnant wife and he shows her his finest violin...one he created for their unborn son. Troubled by strange feelings, the wife seeks out one of her servants who reads Tarot cards, and from this point on, the film's first plot device grabs the attention and never lets up. There are five cards. The first card is turned over and its meaning explained. We are then shown that the baby is dead at birth and the wife died shortly after. And you want to say, "Whoa!" The next plot device appears in modern-day Montreal where an auction of rare violins is in progress. Each time this scene appears throughout the movie, we see a different person in the audience and are treated to that person's connection to the prized item on which they wish to bid: The Red Violin. From there, the story unfolds in time...Austria in the 1700s, England in the late 1890s (a very, very sensual segment), China in the early 1920s and mid-1950s and finally back to Montreal. Back and forth the story moves, from auction to tarot reader (a new card interpretation with each visit) to story, along with the subplot of Samuel L. Jackson's master appraiser unraveling the mysteries of the red violin prior to the start of the auction. It's a fascinating, masterfully crafted film with wonderful performances and soaring music. "The Red Violin" entertains and stuns. This is a film crafted by filmmakers who not only love film but love music. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Don't analyze it, just watch it for what it is.
While I find this movie captivating to watch, and wonderfully done, the story does have a multitude of holes in it. The most glaring probably is how an instrument that spends most of it's life in such ordinary circumstance or in relative hiding becomes the sought after holy grail of a modern auction house. The instrument is really only in a position of high profile lime light once in the story that is documented in the film. The rest of the time it spends as a fairly generic piece being passed around to children in an orphanage, roaming the countryside with gypsies, in a pawn shop or hidden from authorities. This doesn't seem like a likely life of an instrument that would be known by and sought after above all others by what is portrayed as the foremost experts in their field. Even the bidders in the auction seem to only have interest in it from a sentimental value and not for the perfection that the modern auctioneer values it for.

The movie is however, almost hypnotically watchable and it is hard for me even to deprive it of the single star I have. On one side the movie appeals because of the intellectually complex plot, but by the same token fails because the holes in that plot seem like they would be obvious to the same group that would be drawn to the film. This is this films paradox. All in all a very entertaining film that you have to remember not to analyze.

"Art Film for Dummies"
If you've always been put off by "artsy" films due to their lack of action or speed, then you need to see "The Red Violin". This is quite possibly the best "art film" ever made. The reason I believe this: it has a constant flow throughout...it's not a study on one place in time. Also, there are no extended closed door private conversations or over-done symbolic camera work. Even a child could follow the story line and appreciate the beauty and mystery within. The movie follows a violin throughout the ages. And, at the end of the movie, we see it setting out on another voyage in the hands of a new owner.

Pick it up if you have a chance, you will not be disappointed!

Uneven but fascinating and beautiful musical journey
Having once been genuinely passionate about the violin myself, I figured that, at the very least, Francois Girard's THE RED VIOLIN would at least be entertaining. But, finally having seen it all the way through recently, I didn't expect it to be fascinating and even tear-inducing---Joshua Bell's violin solos and John Corigliano's music (which won a well-deserved Oscar) are almost beautiful beyond words.

It is true that, on a whole, some parts of the film work better than others. This is basically an anthology of stories with the Red Violin being the connecting thread---barely---and while three of the stories are fascinating and even enlightening and moving (the Cremona, Vienna, and Montreal sequences), the two others (the Oxford and Shanghai sequences) are either unintentionally funny (the former) or simply slight and kinda pointless (the latter). And yet the dud sequences are hardly enough to counteract the great things in the movie: not only its technical flash and beautiful music, but its resonant theme about how we all, at one point or another, yearn for perfection and can't let it slip away so easily when we find it. Certainly instrument evaluator Charles Morritz (Samuel L. Jackson, in a restrained but powerful performance) cannot let his vision of perfection, which the Red Violin embodies, escape him.

If nothing else, THE RED VIOLIN will perhaps enlighten non-music lovers about why we love the violin, and even music, so much. And that is enough for this uneven but overall wonderful film to be worth seeing by everyone. ... Read more

Amazon.com

In 1935, an 8-year-old orphaned boy is sent to live in the Tennessee mountains with his grandparents. He doesn't yet know that he is half Cherokee, on his grandmother's side. As he learns about life and the Cherokee "way" from his grandparents, Little Tree's sensitivity to nature and to others grows.

At first it might seem easy to dismiss this movie as hokey, especially when Little Tree's Scottish grandfather teaches him to make whiskey and he befriends a dog. But the film gains emotional power when Little Tree becomes close to an older Cherokee who tells him about the Trail of Tears. When the government places Little Tree in an Indian school, where he is abused physically and psychologically, the tough issue of the forced assimilation of Native Americans isn't glossed over. Excellent performances and a gripping story make this well worth watching with children ages 8 and up.

An interesting side note: Forrest Carter, who wrote the book the movie is based on, was a one-time KKK member and speechwriter for George Wallace. It's hard to imagine how a former white supremacist could write such a moving tale about racism. Despite the controversy surrounding Carter, this sensitive film deserves to be taken on its own terms. --Elisabeth Keating ... Read more

Reviews (32)

Tale Of Lost Opportunity
Like another movie I recently watched and commented upon, "The Education Of Little Tree", is not a five star film, but it becomes one when its message is included. James Cromwell, Tantoo Cardinal, Joseph Ashton, Mika Boorem, and Graham Greene all give wonderful performances. Joseph and Mika are both young children, so their performances are all the more worthy of praise.

The Native Americans that are included in this film are The Cherokee People, and their story, including, "The Trail Of Tears", play a prominent role. Like other Native Americans, The Cherokee lived without destroying the land and the wildlife they coexisted with. They only used what they needed, greed did not drive them to exploit nature and destroy her, as we and our ancestors have, and continue to do.

The movie is beautifully filmed in the mountains of Tennessee, and the director took the time to capture the natural beauty that European settlers were to exploit and ruin. It's true some of this beauty still exists, but is largely because it has become national parkland, rather than having been left unmolested out of respect for its intrinsic value. Poignant moments are frequent in this film, and one is certainly when a young boy who is half Cherokee is sent off to a Dickensian nightmare of a school to be abused because of his, "Indian Blood". Upon his arrival he is stripped of his Native American name and given an, "American replacement", Joshua. It appears that biblical names were originally written for re-naming true Americans.

Graham Greene is a familiar face to many moviegoers and he is a pleasure to watch in this film. Tantoo Cardinal who plays the role of the young boy's Cherokee grandmother is also wonderful.

The movie does not resolve its tale on a completely happy note, nor one of complete despair. As it has in real life, time has shown all that was lost when Genocide was carried out against Native Americans as federal government policy. Had good judgment, and lack of stupefying greed worked to integrate the newcomers to this country with the natives that were here, I have little doubt our country would be better for it, and the facts of the country's history would not include the genocide of those people we deemed to be in our way.

Inspiring
I fell in love with the Smokies as a child when we'd go to Virginia every summer to visit my dad's family. I've been back to Tennessee numerous times as an adult and never tire of the beautiful scenery. The movie dealt with things dearest to my heart: The Smokies, the old ways, spirituality. I'm inspired by it, and as someone else said, I've watched the movie twice since I rented it and plan to watch it with another loved one tomorrow. It's the kind of movie you want to share with the people closest to you because, like Little Tree's grandma said in the movie, when you come on something good in life you gotta share it with someone else so the good can just keep on going.

Charming and Simple
I loved the mountains in this movie. I don't know if it was filmed in the Appalacian mountains or somewhere else, but I want to go there. To have a grandma and grandpa so loving and spiritual would be such joy for any child. Little Tree has Indian blood in him from his grandma and White blood from his grandpa. His parents die and he lives with them in the mountains. They educate him with love and wisdom. The simplicity of truth. I felt awestruck by such simple honesty and the beauty of nature. It seems Little Tree kept his grandparents with him throughout his life, holding him in his spirit as they held him within theirs. Looking at the Dog Star and knowing, really knowing that he could be heard. What a feeling of saftey. This movie weaves that safe warmth as you view it.

Lisa Nary

Insight of orphaned natives
I loved this movie because my Hopi grandfather had a similar story but had nobody to raise him, and in desperation he asked an immigrant farmer in Phoenix to raise him. He ran away from the indian boarding school or orphanage because of the abuse. This movie is so moving and beautiful that it is a must have if you have can or cannot relate.

A Movie With Heart
As a Native American I am well aware of all the blatant stereotyping out there. What I like about this movie is the underlayment of good values. Yes, there is the moonshining, and it was illegal and booze has definitely had a detrimental effect on all races of people. However, this just showed that people during those times were really scrapping to keep their lives going. The Grandparents were not sitting around drinking. As with Casinos, they were selling their product to Dominant culture people. No, I am not a drinker and I teach abstinance.A perfect moment if parents are watching with their kids(as they should), to field children's thoughts about it. Do some teaching.
I wonder how many people know that during the Depression when other races of people were just hungry and homeless, Indian peoples across America- some people literally starved to death. On the bottom economically. Only 75 years ago! In our country?

The connection of the people to the land and nature was very evident, but, understated, and they were not stereotyped as turning into mystical beings, but, rather, being one with the beauty around them- poor but rooted there. My humble Grandparents also took me to rock ledges and the woods to pray. Showed reverence for all living things.

Someone has mentioned that characters were stereotyped as typical of mountain people. I would like to say that one of the reasons I like this movie is that I was very moved by the way a filmmaker set down scenes and family interractions that I experienced. There are people still alive who I have known well, who are good nurturing souls like the Grandparents and John Willow. Even now, in Hollers and on country cowpaths, there are folks like these, believe me. So much hurt and antifamily abuse came out of so many Indians going off to Indian boarding schools. But, here and there, and where I am from, there are pockets of country Indians, registered tribal people, living in harmony. Holding us together.

Could have been my grandma's cabin,inside and out, or my adopted Dad and Mom. There was much good said in this movie, and implied, about traditional values of kindness and caring. About family, friends, and how if an Indian child does not have relatives, they are given relatives and taken care of. The Ongoing, the future of the community. Closeness to the land.

I marvel that the author of the book from which this movie is loosely adapted, had dubious racial ties. I do not support the KKK in anyway, but, the movie reflects the moviemakers,not the book author, and I do not believe that people like American Indian stars Tantoo Cardinal and Graham Greene would have supported a movie that they did not find worthy. Blessings and Balance. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Outstanding Movie And Excellent Book
For starters this movie depicts everything that is detailed/explained in the original title "Native Son". I do not know precisely which movie one of the previous reviewers from Decatur, Georgia was watching, but I can most definitely assure that it was not Native Son.

The cast performed almost as good as the cast members in the original story. I think the book and the video are an excellent combinational method for those reading the novel and attempting to visual what the entire concept of this novel is all about. In short I think the video is well deserving of a 4 star rating.

NATIVE FLOP
The cinematic presentation of Richard Wright's classic is once again another flop. Although it is far better than the original adaptation of the book into a movie (filmed in 1949), it fails to capture the essence of Bigger Thomas. How can such a film with a star studded cast fail so miserably? After all, now you have actors who can really act!

Native Son lacks passion.Bigger comes across as poor Black boy gone wrong with his cowardly behavior. His white liberal benefactors personalities are benign. Jan (Matt Dillon) just doesn't impress me as an ardent communist. Mary Dalton ( Elizabeth McGovern) comes across as a bubble head. Even Oprah Winfrey's begging plea to let her son live, is a sham. Where is the political and heated fervor of the era? John Karlen's role as Max, the lawyer for Bigger, was a waste of time. He wasn't convincing as a passionate lawyer out to save this oppressed black boy.

Most film adaptations of books fall short in staying true to the author's story. This second adaptation falls through period. I found it a great disappointment in the acting as well as the script. Someday, somehow, some one will do this great novel justice and present us with a blockbuster film filled with not only passion but with a sense of what formed this Native Son. I recommend this movie to put in your video archive along with its original version.

Big Letdown From the Book
After reading the book, the movie leaves a lot to be desired. There were just way too many things left out of the movie.

The film did have an exceptional cast, and the acting was terrific. I was somewhat suprised at how well Matt Dillon play Jan Erlone. The setting was pretty good too. The scenery was put together nicely, as it did look like the 1940's.

Unfortunately, the editing from the novel made the film seem quite choppy. Having read the book, you got into the minds of the characters, especially that of Bigger's. The movie skipped over too many things, not allowing you to do this, which was a fairly big letdown.

Not reading the book might leave you with a different impression of the film, because, once again, the acting is wonderful. But, having read the book, I couldn't enjoy the movie. Way too many important scenes were taken out of it. It is really not a good adaptation.

Book better than movie
Well, after reading Native Son, I thought it would be a good idea to rent the movie to get visual of what happened in the book. Well, that was all I got out of this movie...

There wasn't anything wrong with the acting or set, it was the script. They simply cut way too much out of the book. Here are some examples:

-After Bigger killed Mary and they found the bones in the furnace, Bigger ran from the house (as he did in the book), and then all of a sudden he's on roof tops getting chased and then caught. In the book he was on the run with Bessie for a few days and then he killed her. -In the book, they had two inquests and in the movie they only had one...no mention of Bigger fainting in the first inquest. -They completely cut out the trial in the movie, only playing soundbytes. They only showed the sentencing. In the book, Bigger's lawyer gave a 16 page statement on Biggers behalf. -Bigger's mother (Oprah Winfrey) assumed the role of both his mother and the priest in the movie.

Well, those are a few examples. If I hadn't read the book I wouldn't have known what was going on in Bigger's head, which was what made the book so good. I don't think Richard Wright would be too impressed with this movie. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This film, about a downsized engineer (Michael Douglas) who goes ballistic, triggered a media avalanche of stories about middle-class white rage when it was released in 1993. In fact, it's nothing more than a manipulative, violent melodrama about one geek's meltdown. Douglas, complete with pocket protector, nerd glasses, crewcut, and short-sleeved white shirt, gets stuck in traffic one day near downtown L.A. and proceeds to just walk away from his car--and then lose it emotionally. Everyone he encounters rubs him the wrong way--and a fine lot of stereotypes they are, from threatening ghetto punks to rude convenience store owners to a creepy white supremacist--and he reacts violently in every case. As he walks across L.A. (now there's a concept), cutting a bloody swath, he's being tracked by a cop on the verge of retirement (Robert Duvall). He also spends time on the phone with his frightened ex-wife (Barbara Hershey). Though Douglas and Duvall give stellar performances, they can't disguise the fact that, as usual, this is another film from director Joel Schumacher that is about surface and sensation, rather than actual substance. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (133)

The movie's pretty DARN GOOD, if you ask me.
If you're a fan of the Charles Bronson stuff, this one's for you. Micheal Douglas (deeper into the movie, you'll forget it's even him) gets to act out all the heroic violence the average citizen have fantasized about doing. The actors portray lives that the ordinary citizen can related to. The acting in the movie is top-notched, although stereotypical, very real, made even more real with well-placed profainity like, "give us your f----- briefcase!" and at the end, "F--- you very much, f--- you very much." All this, the whole movie, takes place within one whole day of a familiar society. The music really helps to bring out the urban wilderness, not to mention the piece at the end. Oh, what a cooling conclusion to a long heated day! I especially enjoyed the scene on the golfcourse. Douglas fires a rifle shot after the greedy old grump clubs a golf ball at him, giving him a heart attack. Then the memoriable line from Douglas, "Good! How does it feel? Now you're gonna die wearing that stupid little hat of yours! How does it feel?" I laughed and sadistically enjoyed every second.

RIGHT IDEA, WRONG EXECUTION
As we journey with Michael Douglas in this excellent film, cant' we all identify with his frustration and anger? 85 cents for a can of soda? A store that won't give you change unless you buy something? Panhandlers looking for food, money and making you feel you owe it to them? People who think gays, blacks and other minorities are worthless? A fast food place that won't serve you breakfast even when they have tons of left overs they'll have to throw out? Wealthy old farts who think they own the golf course they pay membership in?
Yes, indeed, one can see why Douglas is so mad...it's just that his way of dealing with it is not one that we all should take.
Joel Schumacher's direction is right on, I think; people tend to like to pan Schumacher, when he has actually given us some vastly entertaining films. He knows what the audience wants and he knows that in FALLING DOWN, there can be no happy endings, so let's just enjoy Douglas getting revenge on people we'll never get a chance to!
Douglas is superb in the role, one of his best performances. Robert Duvall is very good in his role of the almost retired cop; Tuesday Weld is dazzling in her brief role as Duvall's wife; Rachel Ticotin does well in her role as Duvall's partner; John Diehl is very effective in his very brief role as the guy at the pool who offers to go with Douglas in order to protect his wife and child; and Barbara Hershey does wonders as Douglas' ex-wife.
Manipulative thought it may be, FALLING DOWN makes a statement, and makes one wonder what we would do if we snapped like Douglas!!!

Not Bad.
'Falling Down' is movie about a man who finally snaps because he feels his society, family, and friends have cheated him. He goes on a rampage across Los Angeles only to find that it doesn't solve anything. A fascinating idea, but it wasn't executed that well. Might be worth watching though.

Entertaining but Flawed by a Substandard Director
Joel Schumacher, the director best known for putting nipples on the Batsuit, and thus ruining a perfectly good franchise, is an expert at taking something good and turning it into trash. He is, in fact, the prime example of a moviemaker who could've been, but isn't ... in all aspects of the phrase.

"Falling Down" could've been an gripping drama with tons of social commentary tossed in. And for more than half of the film, Schumacher, with the help of an incredible performance by Michael Douglas, achieves this. Douglas's comments on the price of a can of soda reflect the frustration of the poor in rising inflation. His attack on the golf course, again, is a fist in the air for the needy in the United States. Not until Schumacher has Douglas shoot apart a telephone booth for the sake of shooting something to shreds does he lose the integrity of a good film. He is now out for bang and bucks, and from there, the whole movie goes somewhat downhill.

Yet not entirely. Michael Douglas still keeps this film afloat. His performance, as mentioned before, is one of the actor's greatest, and will be remembered alongside his reptilian turn in "Wall Street." Robert Duvall is great as the cop on the brink of retirement - a film cliche, but workable here - and when the pair finally meet, the sparks fly.

Yet in the meantime, Douglas's "comments" on society become more vague, or else they strike the viewer on the head with their obviousness. To mention the golf course scene again - Schumacher could've executed the comment beautifully without having Douglas burst into preachy prose. Subtlety is a skill Hollywood hasn't possessed since the birth of special effects. Everything is a hammer over the head. Moviemakers have no faith in their audience. They think we're stupid.

While "Falling Down" is a vastly entertaining film that has a great re-watch value, it still leaves you feeling dissatisfied in the end. You want something more. And that something is exactly what Schumacher, as long as he keeps making films, cannot give you.

The ugly reality of L.A.
Here's the story of a simple man (played very well by Michael Douglas) who's life is crumbling around him. He's been layed-off for months now from the Defense Industry, a job he loved so much that he had his license plate personalized with the letters "D FENS". His marraige is over. He's been reduced to living with his mother, and is too ashamed to tell anyone that he's unemployed. He's been looking for work elsewhere but is "no longer economically viable", as you'll find out.

He snaps and leaves his car sitting in a traffic jam on one of L.A.'s freeways. In the next 8hrs he goes from being a transparent man to a heavily-armed, camoflage-wearing vigilante who deals a heavy hand to anyone who gets in his way. And in the streets of L.A., it's not hard to find someone who wants to get in your way.

Robert Duvall plays an L.A. Robbery Detective who just happens to be working his last day before retirement. He's chastised for having taken a desk job after a shooting incident, at the insistence of his wife (the only character in this movie I couldn't stand). And he realizes most of his fellow cops won't miss him for long when he retires. But, he's the only cop who links several violent crimes on that day to the vigilante defense worker. He further redeems himself by tracking down and stopping the vigilante. At the same time, he rescues his boys from his wife's purse and takes a stand for once in his life.

You'll find yourself cheering for the vigilante as he leaves death and destruction in his wake. And at the same time, you can't help but feel sorry for him because his life is falling apart, hence the film's appropriately-named title, "Falling Down". I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. 4+ stars.

If you liked this Joel Schumacher movie, I recommend one of his newest films, "Phone Booth". ... Read more

Reviews (20)

CUANDO SALI DE CUBA...
I really enjoyed this film, based upon the Pulitzer Prize winning novel, "The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love" by Oscar Hijuelos. With its sexy, pulsating, and rhythmic soundtrack, as well as the strong performances by the entire cast, this film is highly entertaining.

The events in this sharply stylized period film take place in the nineteen fifties, at the height of the mambo dance craze. Two young Cuban musicians, brothers Cesar (Armand Assante) and Nestor Castillo (Antonio Banderas), flee Cuba after a love triangle takes a potentially deadly twist. The love sick Nestor leaves behind the love of his life, the beautiful Maria Rivera (Talisa Soto), now married to his romantic rival.

The brothers arrive in New York, where Cesar meets the lushly sensuous, blonde bombshell, Lana Lake (Cathy Moriarty). They eventually marry, while Nestor, still carrying a torch for Maria, meets the sedate and quietly pretty Delores Fuentes (Maruschka Detmers), whom he eventually marries. Given a helping hand by fellow Cuban, Desi Arnaz, Sr. (Desi Arnaz, Jr.), Cesar and Nestor shortly become stars of the dance halls and clubs they play, where they are christened the "Mambo Kings".

Unfortunately, Cesar's dreams are not necessarily Nestor's dreams and conflicts arise. The brothers also run into trouble when Cesar's arrogance pits him against a musical syndicate that rules the clubs and dance halls with an iron hand, derailing their careers for a time. Moreover, Nestor's marriage is seriously troubled, because of his obsession with his lost love. Still, no matter what, there is always the music.

Armand Assante gives an over-the-top, manic performance as Cesar, the older brother whose arrogance and single-minded ambition nearly alienates his brother. He over-acts the part, making his character almost cartoonish, at times. It is as if he were drowning in his own machismo. Still, he infuses the role with a certain energy that makes him strangely compelling. Moreover, the guy can really dance!

It is the bittersweet performance by Antonio Banderas, however, that takes one's breath away. Antonio Banderas infuses the role of the artistic, younger brother, Nestor, with a poignancy, sensitivity, and sensuousness that is remarkable. He handles the role with a delicacy that nearly brought tears to my eyes. Banderas makes the viewer feel Nestor's pain, so palpable is his anguish over his lost love, Maria. When he sings his ode to her, ""Beautiful Maria of My Soul", the viewer is transfixed, so beautifully does he sing it.

Look for a cameo by the late Tito Puente. The late Celia Cruz also appears in this film, cast as Evalina Montoya, a popular club singer. The viewer is in for a treat with these two salsa greats doing what they do best. It was also somewhat eerie to see the role of Desi Arnaz, Sr. played by his real life son, Desi Arnaz, Jr., as the resemblance is so remarkable, right down to the accent. Special note should also be taken of Roscoe Lee Brown's silky performance as club impresario Fernando Perez.

The film captures the flavor of the nineteen fifties, when night clubs were synonymous with night life, and big bands still held sway. I particularly enjoyed this film, because my parents emigrated from Cuba. Having grown up in New York City during the nineteen fifties, this film holds a certain amount of nostalgia for me.

Great Movie that transports you to another time and place
Definitely on my top 10. The Mambo Kings has several things that make it an all time favorite. First, it uses the medium to pull you in an give you the feeling you are part of the moment. The sets, costumes, cars, and music are detailed to perfection. Especially the music! Cameo's by the great singers of Cuban music make it real. Celia Cruz and the late Tito Puente are awesome! The theme song is beautiful and nothing less than haunting. Check out fantastic soundtrack.

Second, the plot takes some unique twists and turns. The relationship between two brother seems formulaic at the beginning and then both characters acquire unexpected depth and traits. I believe that both Antonio Banderas (this was his first Hollywood film) and Armand Assante give their best performances to date.

I had to go buy a copy
This film is quite stylized tho some of the performances are naturalistic. The way the band, club, and dance sequences are filmed heightens the glamor and excitement, which is perfectly appropriate and well done - especially all that fierce color. American films of the period seem very black-n-white, as well as white, and perhaps the color used here was a corrective.

I agree that it's melodramatic. One hopes the plot will continue the initially triumphant story of the brothers as they take Manhattan and America, but that wasn't what Hijuelos wrote. Assante was as over-the-top as his character - I thought it was a wonderful performance - and one can feel the ultimately fatal difference between the brothers right from the start.

One thing I appreciated about this film (besides the music) was that the sex was presented as goofy. Films so often present sex as fraught with tension or guilt or some such, and here, two sex scenes have people giggling like fools. Much closer to my experience.

The soundtrack has the signature song sung in Spanish and IMO is better than the version used in the film.

One of the Best Period Dramas
This is one of the best and most entertaining dramas depicting immigrants in America and one of the few featuring Cuban immigrants. Armand Assante is phenomenal as the older brother. Reviewers have written about Antonio Banderas in this movie, and his performance is noteworthy, particularly because it was his first English-speaking role, and he did a great job. But Assante's acting, his dancing, his excitement and his ENERGY have rarely been equaled on the screen. He worked his heart out in this movie. Assante's performance in "Mambo Kings" was Oscar-worthy, and I think he is a totally underrated actor who has never really been given his due. This film is a must see, and you won't be sorry you spent the time.

Hot Cha Cha
I can't say that I'm a big fan of either Armand Assante or Antonio Banderas, but this movie was touching, poignant and very, very sexy. Assante just bowls you over with his portrayal of "Cesar." He oozes old fashioned animal magnetism. Banderas is is touching as the weaker younger brother who is pining for a love he left back in Cuba and cannot appreciate Delores, the gem of a girl me meets and marries in New York. Kathy Moriarity is perfect as Cesar's big, blowsy but beautiful girlfriend. The music is irresistable. Tito Puente's duet with Assante is way too short. If Assante and Banderas did their own singing, they're surprisingly good. But it's Assante who fills the screen. Sexy, swaggering, full of bravado. His character is in love with his brother's underappreciated wife and Assante's scenes with her are subtle and compelling. I have to say, in this movie, the man is fabulous. "Mambo Kings" inspired me to hunt down some other Assante films but nothing comes close in terms of script, acting or quality. It's a shame, too. This man is too gorgeous and too sexy not to have at least a few vehicles that show him off to better effect. ... Read more

Reviews (1736)

Best movie of 2001 and a great DVD to own.
Great works of art that challenge conventional notions often polarize opinion, and it's obvious that "Moulin Rouge" has done just that. The polarity of opinions seen here on Amazon mirrors the love-it/hate-it reactions the film generated upon release in Spring '01.

I think this is because "MR" reinvents that most sacred and traditional of genres, the romantic musical, and because the film has the audacity to take pop culture [and pop music specifically] seriously. Plus, the idea of watching Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor, whatever you think of their acting, SINGING for more than two hours isn't intuitively appealing.

But I urge viewers to give this movie a chance if you haven't already, and I'd highly recommend buying the DVD if you already DO like the film from the theaters. This is a marvelous piece of cinematic entertainment and the DVD is a fantastic exploration of the medium and the source material. I applaud the director and his crew for delving so deeply behind the scenes.

Make no mistake: "MR" is a work of art. If you didn't like it, I posit that you didn't get it.

Love it or Hate it--it is a great film and an awesome DVD!
Yes, this is a film like most any groundbreaking or specific director's vision that will cause people to love it or hate it. People who like musical theatre have both hated it and loved it. People who don't like musical theatre have both hated it and loved it. It just depends on how the film grabs you. If you don't like the first 10-20 minutes--wait--because the film's tone changes. It's like ROMEO AND JULIET. The first part is a crazy, comical spectacle. The second half is a gut wrenching, beautifully filmed drama. The film is thrilling and majestic. The DVD is FULL of incredible extras. If you listen and watch how Baz and his creative team made the choices that became this film, you really understand how well thought out this film is. I love the film even more knowing that there is indeed an intelligent method to the madness. And hey, the film hold the National Board of Review Award, Golden Globes, and 8 Academy Award nominations including Best Picture. Seems the Love it audience is bigger than the (vicious) Hate it audience. I love this film and especially its DVD extras.

Come what may...indeed...
Frankly, the first reaction for this movie is, musical...cheezy! I have to admit, it is hard to look for a really good musical nowadays, or at least up average would be fine for me. Then, I heard Nicole Kidman is going to star on this musical, so I firgured, what the heck, let's gie it a shot. Since she just had her divorce and such. I must say, I have had put my foot in my mouth for this. The movie was splendid. Despite her personal mishaps, Nicole has proven to be one of the best. She sings, with Ewan Mcgregor as her co-star and they have their work ut out for them.

This is a story of a poor writer (Ewan) in strive of getting his unobtainable object of desire (Nicole), who happens to be the main star of this circus theater show in Paris. They succumb into some sort of Forbiddened Love and they tried anything to be and stay together but fate have other plans for them. Nicole has to help her friend and boss from going bankcrupt and with that, she has to attend to this other rich guy, who owns the deed to the place. Help in the sense of be her compainion. Meanwhile, to cover up their affair, the Ewan has manage to create a play, due to mistaken liason earlier in the movie; therefore giving them the room to be together at least somewhere along the line.

I must add one thing.

The rich man gets what he wants, and if he can't have what he wants...nobody else will either.

An applause for this one.

This Proves That Oscars Are Bought
I wish I could have given this no stars. Unquestionably one of the 10 worst movies ever made, although it doesn't even deserve to be called a movie. A lacerated video clip more like it. Nominated for a bunch of Oscars, together with A BEAUTIFUL MIND(another overrated dose of sugar), it proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that those awards are completely political & utterly misguided. As many will agree, CHICAGO was everything this dismal effort so desperately yearned to be. A girlfriend of mine told me she cried when Satine(Nicole Kidman)died. I was incredulous. Who cared???? (I was overjoyed since it meant the ordeal was nearly over) With Richard Roxburgh apparently suffering from constipation coupled with Tourette's & Jim Broadbent(usually brilliant)doing some sort of Quentin Crisp/Tootsie impersonation, I would equate this experience with a 3 day migraine. What in God's name were they smoking in the editing room?

I RECOMMEND THIS MOVIE ALL THE WAY!
VERY GOOD! A LITTLE SLOW, BUT I LIKED THE OVERALL SENSE OF IT! ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

After several years as the hottest musical director on Broadway, Bob Fosse made his film directorial debut with this movie version of his Broadway hit, which was based on Fellini's Nights of Cabiria. Shirley MacLaine is terrific as the proverbial hooker with the heart of gold, one who is convinced that she will find the right man if she just turns enough tricks. The Cy Coleman score is a solid one; the film is at its best when Fosse lets his cast of singer-dancers (which includes Chita Rivera, Paula Kelly, and Sammy Davis Jr.) unleash his leggy brand of choreography. While the film suffers from stylistic excesses of the period, you can see the seeds being planted for Fosse's future musical film forays in Cabaret and All That Jazz. -–Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (31)

Shirley MacLaine in her greatest musical performance
This new DVD release of SWEET CHARITY is a welcome addition to any classic movie collection. Shirley MacLaine stars as Charity Hope Valentine in the celebrated film version of the Broadway hit.

Charity (Shirley MacLaine) works at the Fan Dango Ballroom, a dingy dime-a-dance hall where the girls give a lot more away than dances. Charity runs her heart like a hotel, and gives her love to one undeserving man after another. Her two best friends Nickie and Helene (Chita Rivera and Paula Kelly) are the ones who help Charity when she is ultimately betrayed by each boyfriend who comes into her life. Ever-hopeful (sometimes impossibly-so), Charity goes through life with wide eyes and wide dreams...

When Charity meets the mild-mannered Oscar Linquist (John McMartin re-creating his Broadway performance), she believes that she will finally be able to leave her sordid past and profession behind her. But will Oscar be as understanding?

Shirley MacLaine colors Charity more vividly than Broadway's Gwen Verdon did (or was permitted to do). MacLaine is especially affecting and heartbreaking in the final 15 minutes of the movie, and sings a plaintive "Where Am I Going?".

Bob Fosse's first big Hollywood film, SWEET CHARITY was a big, if not huge, success when it was first released. The choppy editing and artistic touches that audiences failed to appreciate then make much more sense now, following the success of MOULIN ROUGE. The impressive supporting cast includes Ricardo Montalban, Sammy Davis Jr. and Stubby Kaye.

This beautiful new Special Edition DVD presents the complete 'Road-Show' version of the film including Overture and Intermission. There are also many extras including the trailer, the original 'Making-of' featurette, a featurette where designer Edith Head takes us through her colorful costumes, and the alternate ending that was never used. (Single-sided, dual-layer disc).

You're gonna get up, get out, and buy it!!
I'm grateful for the comments before me which explain the enigma that is "Sweet Charity." It takes a book of a relatively sad, downtrodden character and turns it into a musical (and not a happy-go-lucky one either, as is often the assumption). The film comes at the start of the stylized, mod 70's- and while some of Fosse's visuals over-saturate this point, the story is so smart that it doesn't matter. (It was Fosse's first film direction and it has his signature all over it.) And I'm glad that the VHS presentation letterboxes the musical numbers, even if it standard-screens the nonmusical portions. There's no other way to view the dance hall girls sexily draped over the barre in "Hey, Big Spender," or the film's best number- the sensational rooftop dance "There's Gotta Be Something Better Than This." (This may be the most theatrical moment in the film as it allows pure, full-bodied dance by Shirley MacLaine, Chita Rivera, and Paula Kelly.) And those who generally dislike musicals would be surprised at the film's bittersweet ending; it's not entirely happy but it is completely triumphant, and it never ceases to bring tears (well, just one) to my eyes.

For Serious Fosse Fans Only
Ok, this movie is a clunker. The story doesn't hold up well in today's feminist or post-feminist era and MacLaine's performance made me cringe.

However, here's the great thing about DVD: use the scene selector to skip right to the fabulous dance numbers! "Rich Man's Frug" and "Hey Big Spender" are two of Fosse's best on film, and big enough that you'll want to watch them several times to catch all the details and dancers. And as a special treat to Fosse fans, the extras on the DVD include some brief segments with THE MAN himself.

Fosse newbies, skip right over this and go straight to CABARET which is a brilliant musical AND a brilliant film.

I'm amazed
I'm amazed that some studio gave Fosse the chance to direct again after this downright failure. I do have to give some of the blame (ok, most) to Shirley MacLaine who is annoying, needy, and badly acted/sung/danced. I want to sock her Charity in the nose almost ceaslessly.

The only let up from her killing the part are Fosse's dance numbers. "Rich Man's Frug" lives up to its reputation, and "Rhythem of Life" are amazing. ( My friend and I were ready to burn the tape we were watching, and then "Rhythem" came on. We stayed for the rest of the movie.) Fosse as a director also seems to care only when his signature dances, or any dances, come on. That's when the camera usage that one gets to know so well in Cabaret and All That Jazz come in. During the naratives, he seems bored with the story and doesn't put nearly enough energy into it. One is left waiting for the stars, (preferably not Ms. MacLaine) to sing and dance for all they're worth for all the movie. It is also too long. I felt the ending was not harsh enough to Ms. MacLaine's Charity. An STD would have satisfied me.

Such Fun
Shirley McCain is wonderful in this movie. Kudos to Gwen Verdon, but unlike many other movie versions or broadway shows, this movie has the ultimate actress for the role. She is strong, naive, vulnerable and eternally hopeful as well as charming.
In additions there are great musicall numbers, of which, Rich Man's Frug is the worth the price of the dvd or tape. ... Read more

Amazon.com

With Geppetto, Disney takes a different, live-action spin on the Pinocchio story it immortalized in animation in 1940. Yes, there's still the wooden boy with the nose that grows when he tells a lie, but here there are no singing insects (and only a bit of whale), and the focus is on the toymaker, not the toy. Geppetto (Drew Carey) delights all the kids in town with his creations, but he longs for a son of his own. Enter the Blue Fairy (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), who turns Geppetto's puppet (Seth Adkins) into a living, breathing (albeit wooden) boy, but the thrill soon wears off when Geppetto learns that being a parent is harder than he thought.

Carey gives a winning performance as the struggling yet loving father, while Louis-Dreyfus is an attractive (though a bit too toothy) fairy, and both prove themselves solid singers. To create a new sound palette for this 2000 television production, Stephen Schwartz (Godspell, The Prince of Egypt) wrote eight appealing songs, ranging from the tender lament "Empty Heart" to the bouncy duet "Just Because It's Magic" to the bravura aria "Bravo, Stromboli," sung by Brent Spiner (best known as Star Trek: The Next Generation's Data but also a veteran of Broadway musicals). A good supporting cast and decent if somewhat modest special effects help make this an enjoyable family musical for ages 5 and older. --David Horiuchi ... Read more

Reviews (20)

AWESOME!
This movie was FANTASTIC! It was one of the best ABC movies ever. The music is wonderful! The acting is great. The costumes are cool! The scenery is awesome! And Drew Carey makes a great Geppetto. Julia Louis-Drifus is a great actor and makes a great Blue Fairy. Usher looks mayjorly fine in the movie! He is a great dancer and actor and has a nice body! This movie is magnificent and should be on again some time. I reccomend this to people of all ages because it is interesting how a man who wants to be a father and finally becomes one turns out to like all of the other parents. He just wants Pinochio to be safe. That's all.

The Best Gift I got for Christmas
Me and Krystle arose Christmas morning feeling good and very excited about our presents we continously awoke our parents who were dead asleep and around 6:00 we managed to wake them both and my sister. I first started out soft and I got a neat new soundtrack that I listen to a whole lot next thing I got was Prancer after I hugged that close to my chest and repeated thank you most likely several times I finally reached out for the last of seven presents I was thinking it would be some christmas film but I was T I totally wrong!! I asked Mom where in the world she got it she said she got it at Eckerd's and I think she said that she couldn't find it anywhere else the following day we went to my Grandma's I rushed into her room and quickly shoved the new tape into her VCR and I enjoyed and treasured every moment of this film. My sister Krystle is a very strong fan of Melissa Disney and when she saw her in the numbers Toys & Sasifaction Gurateed she was very happy to see her fave actress dancing and singing. I loved the number Pleasure Island but maybe that is because I loved every song in this film or maybe because that was the only song where I got to see some cute boys run around. I loved the appearance of Josh Sullivan and of course the ever so funny man and talent worthy Wayne Brady. I haven't watched it since Christmas but tonight after my sister falls asleep I want to try it out see if it can help me get some sleep and refresh my memory on the story. Anyway bottom line is it will make you cry and will mostly laugh throughout the whole film so treasure it cause out of all the ABC Wonderful World Of Disney films I've seen I believe that this one has to be the most cutest and heart raising one of them all!

Geppetto is a MUST
Geppetto is the sweetest, best acted movie I've ever seen. I am a HUGE (some call me obsessive) fan of Drew Carey and the talnted Wayne Brady. I watch the Drew Carey show and Whose Line so much, I may actually be turning into a hysterically laughing couch potato. I decided to watch geppetto to see Drew embarass himself. Afterwards, I couldn't believe I had thought he would. I had just seen the most amazing movie. I was surprised by Drew Carey excellent acting skills and voice. Boy, could he sing! I already knew Wayne would be a hit as the magician- he was quite funny. I continued to rent and rerent Geppetto for 2 years afterward. i still am in love with it. This movie is the best ever -- it's so sweet and funny, it gets you up when you're down. i can't live without this beautiful movie...or it's astoundingly talented star!

How clever!
What a great idea. To take a fairy tail and twist it around. It was wonderful. Have you ever wondered what Geppetto did while Pinocchio was away? Or how he got stuch in the belly of a whale? Or if he ever got upset with the blue fairy? All those questions and more are answered in this wonderfull musical your whole faily will enjoy for years to come. Buy it today!

This movie stinks!
This adaptation of the brilliant Pinocchio is a stinker! Geppetto (played by the minotonous Drew Carey) is the main character while his wooden boy Pinocchio (played by Seth Adkins) is portrayed as a bratty little loud rat! HE is selfish, bratty, loud, annoying, boring, and cliched! Then, Julia Louis Dreyfuss is the annoyingly perky and optimistic Blue Fairy. Finally, Brent Spiner plays a neurotic and paranoid Strombolli who is obsessed with his puppet who "talks." I would recommend that anyone with taste not view this. It is cliched and the jokes are completely annoying! ... Read more

Amazon.com

The postwar vogue for documentary-style realism, prompted by The March of Time and the critical success of Roberto Rossellini's Open City, cross bred with film noir to create a compelling strain of crime films; this is one of the most low-key and credible, based on the true story of a Chicago reporter (James Stewart) who became convinced of the innocence of a death-row inmate (Richard Conte). Director Henry Hathaway (whose Kiss of Death started the trend) stages the action on the actual Chicago locations, providing a fascinating documentary record of an underfilmed metropolis (the convict's mother is a washerwoman at the Wrigley Building), and leads his cast to appropriately restrained, naturalistic performances. Stewart is just beginning to explore his newfound, postwar maturity here, and there's an undercurrent of obsessiveness in his performance that anticipates the haunted figures he would soon be playing for Anthony Mann and Alfred Hitchcock. --Dave Kehr ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Henry Hathaway Special!
A Classic of sorts in that Henry Hathaway was making films like these( Kiss of Death) , that were shot on location.

This time its in the Chicago area and very ethnic story telling this film really is. Richard Conte plays one of the "two" convicted of murder. His mother slaves away at mopping floors to come up with money to pay an attorney to help her son ( Conte)

Another peerless performance by Stewart probably the most versatile actor ever( Probably? ) Here he plays the newpaper reporter drawn in to the drama in trying to exonerate ( Conte) Frank Weicek.

Dark alleys, old houses , trash cans cant stop Stewart. Betty Garde plays ( Wanda Skutnik) , the supposed eye witness who Stewart feels is lying.

Filmed in pure documentary style, It would be interesting to observe the events on screen if this was during the Mayor Daly period in Chicago Fine acting by all.

A Search For Truth...and Justice
Jimmy Stewart is a Chicago newspaper reporter who does a small human interest story about a woman who runs a newspaper ad offering reward money to anyone who will help clear her son of a murder charge. Stewart's editor thinks there is more to the story and Stewart begrudgingly starts prying it open. Through much of the film Stewart has to struggle with himself wondering if he is righting a wrong or helping to free a cop killer. In the second half of the film, now convinced of the man's innocence Stewart turns from reporter to crusader. We go along for the ride as Stewart meets dead ends, cautious politicians, and cynical prosecutors. There are good scenes between Stewart and Helen Walker as his spouse as well as with Kasia Orzazewski playing the mother of the convicted man. The real strength of the film however is its knowledge of Chicago, especially the Polish immigrant experience. Based on a true story, written with genuine feeling and suspense. Excellent viewing for an entire family.

Stop the Presses
For my money this is the best film ever made about American journalism. James Stewart is a staff writer made cycnical over the years by the grubby sensationalism and shallow hackwork that fills most American newspapers. When he actually latches onto a case of genuine injustice it's an episode that transforms his life almost as much as that of the convict he's trying to free. This is certainly director Henry Hathaway's masterpiece and he has never been given sufficient credit for it. The straight-on realism he achieved filming on location in Chicago has rarely if ever been equalled in the American movies in my view, and no effort was made to clean up the untidy skeins of the story either as Hollywood was wont to do. For instance, nothing was done to free the man unjustly convicted along with Richard Conte's character, around whom the story revolves. If you were to make a list of Stewart's 4 or 5 greatest performances this would have to be on it. He uses methods both praiseworthy and ugly to get what he's after and no American movie actor ever brought home that kind of mixed morality better.

ignore John Grave`s review
This is a good film for any jimmy stewart fan.His acting is top-notch as usual.

No passion, no surprises
Realistic, documentary-style recreations are one thing, but call Northside 777 falls off the mantle.

Sorry, guys, I give thumbs down on this one. This film is directorially unimaginative, the dialogue is lousy and lacks spontaneity, and a stone cold soundtrack almost totally devoid of music make Call Northside 777 a film I would rather have missed.

I am a serious fan of Lee J. Cobb and James Stewart, so I really can't fault the casting at all. The actors are appropriately cast in their roles; they make a great pair. But the director kind of plods along, the first half of the film so cumbersome, so utterly predictable. The emotional impact "hits" seem especially ill timed.

Henry Hathaway fails to plant any questions in the audience. In short, Call Northside is not a "whodunit", but rather a "Who- didn't-dunit"

Maybe the film editor blew it. But more than anything else, it's the lack of a score, a lack of passion, a lack of flow; cold, analytical, sluggish. Maybe this film could have been great if Alfred Newman had been cut loose to do something creative. But this time out, the composer seems to be in a straightjacket, and I doubt it was his choice. Someone taped up Newman, I swear it.

What this film needs more than anything else is a score. A score to richly stir the emotions: paranoia, loathing, suspicion, determination, insinuation. Instead, we have only the persistent crackling of the optical sound.

The best thing about this motion picture may be the locations, especially the rounded penitentiary location, which is stunning.

-John ... Read more

Reviews (44)

Before there was "Passions," there was "Dark Shadows"!
To those of you spending your days bewitched by the misadventures of Tabitha and Timmy on "Passions," there are those of us who are here to remind you of "Dark Shadows," the cult soap opera hit that ran from 1966-71. The Gothic soap was floundering in the ratings when the character of vampire Barnabas Collins (Jonathan Frid) was introduced. Producer/Director Dan Curtis provided this 1970 introduction to the wonderful world of "Dark Shadows," so late comers could get up to speed. Barnabas is freed from his crypt after nearly 200 years by a thief stealing treasure and returns to the family home Collinwood pretending to be a distant English cousin who just happens to be named for the infamous "ancestor." Barnabas discovers that the family governess, Maggie Evans (Kathryn Leigh Scott) is the spitting image of his former love Josette, who killed herself when she learned he had become a vampire. Meanwhile, the family physician Dr. Julia Hoffman (Grayson Hall) learns of Barnabas' true identity and develops a treatment that will reverse the curse. Able to walk in daylight again, Barnabas plans on marrying Maggie. Unfortunately, Dr. Hoffman has fallen in love with Barnabas and sabotges the treatments, which results in quite a bloodbath.

"House of Dark Shadows" certainly stands on its own if you have never seen the soap opera, although the effort to give everyone in the cast some screen time does get in the way from time to time. For those who remember the show, it is nice to see Louis Edmonds, Nancy Barrett, Joan Benett and the others again. The script by Sam Hall and Gordon Russell is actually quite innovative, coming up with some new twists for the love triangle while working in notions of reincarnation and scientific approaches to curing vampirism. At the heart of the film is Frid's portrayal of Barnabas Collins, which offers considerably more depth to the character than we were getting at the time from Christopher Lee's Dracula in all those Hammer films.

the shadows are dark
if your a fan of the series dark shadows you will be in for a great big surprise when you first view "house of dark shadows" one thing is the movie is well made and so is the script well written. all the cast is wonderful especially kathryn leigh scott,joan bennett,jonathan frid,and the late louis edmonds. it has a lot of gothic look and even plays like a true hammer filmshould be when i was a child this film scared the he double hockey sticks outta me. even grayson hall is great i this movie dispite she dies before the film ends. nancy barret once again plays carolyn stoddard but has a rather misfortune to her,her cousin turning her into one of the undead,but miss barret is a great actress as well as the others i mantioned above,too many good actors in this film. the mansion that is in tarrytown new york is a great spooky place to film dark shadows
even the cematary there is a great place too. "house of dark shadows" plays well and whenevr the missing scenes are found and restored hey it will be a better movie but once again the movie is great no matter what. dan curtis is a perfect director for this kind of movie he has since done a lot of other spooky films like "night of dark shadows" "burnt offerings","trilogy of terror" "dracula"(with jack palance),and "tirlogy of terror 2" if you dont have house go rent or buy it ...john karlen is great too.

Stylish feature film of a popular TV classic!
This vivid, well-crafted feature version of the '60's supernatural soap opera "Dark Shadows" recounts the resurrection of 200-year-old vampire Barnabas Collins(superbly portrayed by Jonathan Frid) who is released from his chained coffin by an imbecile handyman(John Karlen), then proceeds to wreak havoc on his modern descendants. The film features a number of the series regulars, including Joan Bennett as the aristocratic and very beautiful matriarch Elizabeth Collins Stoddard, and is very well directed by the original series creator Dan Curtis, who produced the picture as well. Fans of the ever popuar show will indeed find a great deal to like here as the film is shot on a much bigger budget featuring more sex and violence than those blasted censors would allow on the small screen. If you like this film, you may also want to check out its sequel, "NIGHT OF DARK SHADOWS".

A Good Horror Film
One of the first times a television program was brought to the big screen. The movie takes one of the most popular story lines from the tv program and goes way beyond it. Characters, who never die in the series, do so in this film with a heck of a lot more ketchupy bloody scenes.

The movie is complete by itself and it is not necessary to have every watched the tv series to understand and enjoy this film.

Some very eerie and tense scenes. Excellent directing and great mood music. The acting also far exceeds what we saw on the tv series!

Excellent!
This movie is definitely bloodier than the daytime Dark Shadows you might be used to, but it an excellent horror movie -- and proof of how talented and versatile the DS cast was. Jonathan Frid is really the reason to see this, his Barnabas ranks among the pantheon of classic vampires. He is much more evil in this film as opposed to the dapper, mysterious gentleman on TV, but just try to look away. He is wonderful, as are the very talented Nancy Barrett as the doomed Carolyn, and beautiful Kathryn Leigh Scott as Maggie. John Karlen, Thayer David and Grayson Hall all add their magic to the mix, and Joan Bennett never looked more grand and glamorous. Really a fun scary movie and a treat for fans! ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

This irresistible Oscar winner from writer-director Leo McCarey (An Affair to Remember) stars Bing Crosby as a low-key, crooning priest who joins the parish of a no-nonsense but sweet old Irish man of the cloth (Barry Fitzgerald). While Bing turns local toughs into a choir, the elder priest worries over the church building fund and whether he'll get a chance to see his old mother back in Ireland before she dies. One would have to have a heart of stone not to be won over by this charmer, with a lovely ending guaranteed to make you bawl for a week. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Bing Crosby helps a Catholic church and the older priest.
Paramount Pictures. Bing Crosby plays "Father O'Malley who has been sent to the Church of Saint Dominic to assist with the older priest Father Fitzgibbon (dearly played by 5 foot 3, born in Ireland, actor Barry Fitzgerald) who has been there for 45 years. Young Father O'Malley is in charge of straightening out Saint Dominic since it is in the worse way without hurting the feelings of the old priest. However, with the Bishop's understanding, Father Fitzgibbon is to stay there as the Pastor. Father Timothy O'Dowd (Frank McHugh) of the nearby Saint Frances, drops by to offer support to his St. Louis childhood friend. O'Malley is able to take care of the church mortgage, get the boys interested in baseball and begin a boys chior with Carl Switzer ("Alfalfa" of Little Rascals/Our Gang) and O'Malley plays golf too. Won Academy Award for Best Picture, Both Bing Crosby and Barry Fitzgerald won their own Academy Award and the new song "Swinging On A Star" also was a winner. "Silent Night" and "Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo" are also sung. William Frawley has a good role (nearly eight years before he did the "I Love Lucy" tv series). April 27, 2004 marks the 60th Anniversary of this fine film. Followed the next year by the sequel: THE BELLS OF ST. MARY'S (1945).

This great enduring film is my favorite.
I cannot image anyone else portraying Father O'malley except Bing Crosby, but a great mistake almost occured. Pat O'Brien was almost given the part, because of his performance in Angels with Dirty Faces as Father Jerry Connelly. The studio executives felt that the public would not except Bing Crosby (legendary crooner) as a preist, and they took a chance and the rest is history. The film won academy awards for best picture, best actor and other awards too. The film is about a priest who helps people any way he can. "Would you like to swing on a star" is the title song in the movie, which he sings along with the Dead End Kid's. His unmistakeable voice and his demeanor captivates me everytime I see this film. Father O'Malley is the type of person I strive to be like and I wish more people would do the same. He is content with who he is and looks for the good in everyone. The final scene where Father O'Malley walks away from the church in quiet dignity, without the need to be thanked epitomized the type of person he was, a great human being. I was so touched by that gesture and by Fitzpatrick's performance I cried. It is a beautiful ending to a great film.

Vintage Crosby
At the height of his wartime fame, Bing Crosby plays a hip young Catholic priest who arrives to help a troubled parish struggle back to its feet. Of course, what passed for young and hip back then, in this lily white, family-friendly comedy-drama may seem pretty silly these days -- Bing is convincing, though, as he use his suave social skills to listen to and help out those in need. Veteran scene-stealer Barry Fitzgerald plays the doddering, crusty old Irish priest who runs the church before Crosby's arrival... The rest of the supporting cast isn't as strong, but the film still has its charms. Mostly it's just a great chance to observe Crosby at his most magnetic and self-assured. The film also previewed hits like "Swinging On A Star" and Bing's version of "Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ra," both of which are longtime favorites.

a great film! very inspiring.
I think this desrves all the stars it can get and is very wonderful!

A Great film!
This is a must see film It's uplifting good, and fun to watch. All of the songs Bing Crosby sings are lovley. Rese Stevens rendition of Ave Maria, is very beautiful. Bing is great as a priest and plays the role so convincingly. If you buy this movie you wont be sorry. You will be in for a real treat. They don't make films like this anymore. It's a classic! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Movie Lover's Delight
While it takes many liberties with the Baum story, it is a great movie. For Oz purists like myself, it would have been nice to see more of the original story in this movie (like Oz being real and not a dream!), but this movie is, on its own, wonderful. With a beautiful score (including "Over the Rainbow"), very funny dialogue, an amazing cast, special effects, and a charming story, who can ask for anything more?
What the movie does not lose is the magic of the Oz books, and it is this magic that has kept the movie fresh for over 60 years. And it almost wasn't this way. The movie, in its planning stages, almost turned into a starring vehicle, with Shirley Temple as Dorothy, and Fanny Brice or a similar commedienne as Glinda, at another time an operetta; in both cases it would have certainly lost any of the original Oz material.
Anyone who likes this movie should purchase the "Making of" video, which sheds light on the creation of this classic, and includes tons of deleted footage, home movies of backstage goings-on, and more! ... Read more