Reviews (4)

wasnt that bad of a movie
Nastassja Kinski(Cold Heart, Cat People) hires Billy Zane(Zoolander, Tombstone), Dan Aykroyd(tv's Psi Factor, Ghostbusters 1 and 2), Lara Flynn Boyle(tv's The Practice, Afterglow), Michael Biehn(The Rock, The Art Of War) and Rob Schneider(Hot Chick, The Animal) into a plan that would kill her ex-husband Adrian Paul(Highlander Endgame, Christine)...Biehn and Schneider shoot Paul three times but he doesnt die....this is a good black comedy with some funny ass moments...a lot of dreaming and waking up though...Zane is hilarious...Kinski is hot and Biehn as Dave is just a plain dumbass...mainly Biehn in his movies plays a cop or a seal or a badguy. other actors are Joey Travolta, Lisa Eichhorn, Bill Duke(Predator, Commando) and Thomas Haden Church(Demon Knight, George of the jungle).

Hated the Movie, Loved Adrian Paul
I knew this movie was going to be terrible before I bought it, however, I'll watch anything with Adrian Paul in it. Huge fans of Paul's will probably do the same. If you're not a huge fan, I'd recommend skipping this movie and getting "Premonition" instead.

Abyssmal
I thought with the director and cast that this movie might be worth viewing so I rented it. WHAT A WASTE OF MONEY! If there is a plot it is miniscule. The cast must have had overdue mortgage payments to agree to be in this abomination. One sees more useless scenes of the Hollywood sign; Hollywood landmarks and CA traffic than anything else. Do Not waste time by viewing the film. If someone offers it to you for free, refuse.

What happened?
This movie is so bad it hurts to watch it. With the cast, and John Landis directing, I expected at least modest entertainment, but this movie didn't deliver. Not only does the plot make no sense..Adrian Paul as the rich ex-boyfriend hasn't changed his will to cut out Natass after THREE years? but it has all these super irritating scenes that look like they are happening...I am a fan of Adrian Paul, I should have realized when he doesn't get mentioned on the jacket that his part was small..like 45 seconds. My recommendation..watch an old highlander episode and save your $. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Two cool guys head out on motorcycles in search of... well, America, but they'll settle for sex and drugs and rock & roll. There's plenty of each as Captain America (Peter Fonda) and paranoid Billy (Dennis Hopper) encounter a commune, convert a small-town drunk (Jack Nicholson) to the Grin Reefer, pick up two pretty lilies of the alley, Karen Black and Toni Basil (who hit the pop charts in the '80s--check out "Mickey"), and get shot for having long hair. Nicholson won an Oscar nomination and Best Supporting Actor nods from the National Society of Film Critics and the New York Film Critics Circle, but his acting was better than they knew: he had to pretend to be straight and gradually get plastered in many, many takes using real weed. Find out the far wilder, funnier story behind the film in the book Easy Riders, Raging Bulls and Peter Fonda's Don't Tell Dad. --Tim Appelo ... Read more

Reviews (102)

"Helmut? Oh, I got a helmut..."
Easy Rider is a truly landmark film in the true sense of the meaning of the term. Produced on a very low budget and set in the late 60's it was, in my opinion, the first movie to really capture a particularly interesting moment in time. While many films sort of used the notion of the late 60's, drugs, sex, rebellion, idealism, as a means to make money, this seemed really the first film to accurately reflect a realistic image of the time period with an unflinching eye.

Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper play Wyatt, or Captain America, and Billy, two free type spirits who, after a making quite a bit of money through a sale of drugs, decide to hit the road and drive cross country to Mardi Gras. Along the way, they pick up George Hanson, a southern lawyer, played by Jack Nicholson.

While watching this movie, you may get a sense that it is sort of a western, with the western landscapes and the main characters riding 'iron' horses. This was the intention of the filmmakers, especially the director, Dennis Hopper. One of my favorite scenes was at the beginning, right before Wyatt and Billy are about to embark on their trip, Wyatt removes his watch and throws it on the ground. This symbolized a sense of throwing off the constraints of the old world and an effort to embrace true freedom, if there is such a thing.

Nicholson tends to steal the scenes he is in, and gives a particularly wonderful piece about what freedom is, and why people are so afraid of it. He sort of represented to me one who has been fed many misconceptions about the individuals and movement Wyatt and Billy represent, but once in their company, finds that much of what he has been told may not be true. A sort of individual caught between the generations.

The film is dated, but that didn't detract anything for me. The only scene I really didn't care for was when Wyatt, Billy, Mary (Toni Basil), and Karen (Karen Black) drop acid in a Louisiana cemetery and proceed to trip for an extended period of time.

Along with wonderful performances, much credit must go to the cinematographer, as the landscapes are beautiful, especially the wide shots of the western scenery. They are truly breathtaking. And the music used was exceptionally good, fitting each scene and helping to create the proper mood throughout the film.

The movie presented here looks excellent, in anamorphic wide screen, and includes a commentary by Dennis Hopper. Also included is a wonderful 'Making of' featurette called Easy Rider: Shaking the Cage which really helps to illustrate all that went into making this film. The production, at time, often reflected the turbulent times of when the film was made, and helps to give more flavor to the movie, really enhancing the overall effect. All in all, Easy Rider is a wonderful slice of outsider Hollywood that captured the true essence of an exceptionally turbulent time in America.

Wholly overrated
"Easy Rider" (1969)

"A classic...a great film for its day...everyone is sure to love it", those were the comments I had been hearing about Easy Rider before I rented it. I expected this movie to be great because it was called a counterculture classic and topped many people's lists of the best film of the 1960's. In my opinion, Easy Rider is a case of don't believe everything you read.

Sure, the movie has its good points. The music is fantastic. The songs are all very memorable and suit the road theme, styles of the film and the time in which it is set very well. Many of the songs of the movie have become classics since the films release. Easy Rider is also shot gorgeously, with heaps of great sunset shots and motorcycle journeys.

The performances in the movie are also very good. Jack Nicholson is the stand out as the innocent comic relief Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda meet when they go to jail. Nicholson deserved another Oscar for this role! Hopper clearly put a lot of effort into the film being a writer, director and lead actor, but his continuous "man's" and hippie references annoyed the heck out of me, as did his monologues about what he "sees" after he takes drugs. Peter Fonda was hailed as the leading actor of the movie but he really doesn't say that much and he has very little facial expression. His acting definitely got better.

There was also way too many drugs in this movie. In the film, this is basically the story: these 2 guys take drugs, encounter people, take drugs, make the people they encounter take drugs, take some drugs, sleep, take a couple more drugs, have sex, and then take drugs. And apparently this story is all about "freedom" according to Dennis Hopper. Yeah right. Also, Easy Rider doesn't present any ideas why or why not the characters should be doing this. Why are they doing it in the first place? Is taking drugs a way to make people free and express freedom? No. I found the use of drugs both pointless and excruciatingly unrealistic in this film.

So, the movie does have its good points - the cinematography, bikes and Jack Nicholson - but not enough to overcome the whole pointlessness of the entire production. This is one big disappointment for me, and I can't believe such a film that was hailed as a "classic" could be so banal and stupid.

MY GRADE: C-

The best portrait of a hopeless generation!
Dennis Hopper made a cathartic movie. I 've always recognized his talent as actor and film maker . He's an outsider artist , in all the sense of the expression.
This picture, is reflect of his own character. The tale about two renegades , every one of them trying of seeking his destiny, decide to make a journey (the mythical approach) to New Orleans Mardi Grass (evasion once more) , in his powerful motocycles .
This journey will allow Hopper to express the alienated existence of these guys and the people who surrounds in every point they decide to rest. The violence is free ; and you watch in the visual language of the people who simply don't accept their way of living , the way they dress ; they establish a spiritual rapport with that hippie community in the middle of the road, where the psichodelia images suggest you what's going on.
This film was a low budget . 394.000 bucks , but the script depicted as any other american film of its age the sense of going to nowhere abaout a generation tired of waiting for a change.
The increase dark shadows will cover the landscape and will carry to that magnificent and poetic ending.
I still have the original vynil soundtrack of this picture. If six was nine of Hendrix, Born to be wild and the Pusher of Steppenwolf , or the weight were emblemeatic songs of its age which reflected wise and sincerely , the expecatations of a generation just in the year in which the man reached a superb scientific and technological triumph in Jul 29 1969 .
In a certain way this outlaw couple behaves in similar terms that Butch Cassidy (Western) , Scarecrow (existential mood city) , Midnight cowboy (outsiders in New York).
May be the film age a bit but its descriptive script from its release became in a cult movie.!

Still an Important Film
Every reviewer who has commented on the dated-ness of this film is accurate. However, just because the film cannot be enjoyed in its original context does not mean that it cannot be enjoyed in another -- especially by people who did not live during or do not remember the late '60s. There are different battles to be fought, but the film is still pertinent in this current era of engaging the amorphous "war on terror" and its subsequent erosion of our civil rights, and the continued corporatization of America. Everybody who said that this film doesn't really have a plot is also accurate, but so what? The point isn't to give the viewer a story with a bunch of twists and turns, but to simply show the lives of two cultural rebels (who probably seem quite tame by contemporary standards) as they trek across the southwest to New Orleans for Mardi Gras. The cinematography is excellent, especially considering the age of the film and its budget. The acting is really good and Jack Nicholson gives one of the best performances of his long career. He would have completely stolen the show had his character's screen-time not been cut short.

Here's why the film is still important: despite there no longer being a widespread, vicious divide in the nation between people like Fonda and Hopper and mainstream America, the themes of the film (freedom, freedom of expression, and how some are more free than others) remain totally relevant and Fonda and Hopper's characters can be seen as even more iconic than they were in 1969, because now that they don't actually represent you or me (as they could in 1969) they achieve larger-than-life status.

The scenes at the commune may elicit confusion or even a giggle from younger members a contemporary audience, but hopefully these people will look a bit deeper than the long hair and the funny clothes to realize that these characters represented a very real subculture in the late '60s; a movement that not only decided that the ballooning consumer culture was eroding their freedoms, but who also decided to do something about it. How many people today would be brave enough leave behind most of their possessions and live off the land, to protect the values they hold dear? Virtually none.

"They're gonna make it," declares Fonda about the food-strapped commune, and in 1969 it was possible for this line to be legitimately optimistic and to have enough strength and resonance to encompass the entire countercultural movement. Today, we know that they didn't make it. What did America lose by Fonda, Hopper, Nicholson and the commune not making it? That is for the viewer to decide, and that is why the film remains very important. In its day, the tragedy that befalls Fonda and Hopper could have been intended as a rallying cry. Today, it is reason to pause for introspection on the larger issues: What is important to us? What has been taken away? How much have we willingly sold away? And, most importantly, what would we sacrifice to get it back?

Two for the road
Revolutionary in its time but appearing somewhat dated now, "Easy Rider" was the ultimate road trip: two bikers on a cross-country ride from the west coast to Mardi Gras in New Orleans after scoring big in a drug deal. Produced and directed by, and starring Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda, and almost stolen by a then-unknown named Jack Nicholson playing a hippie lawyer, "Easy Rider" follows its two heroes across some of the most stunning scenery in the Southwest as they head towards Louisiana in search of "freedom", whatever that means. "Easy Rider" not only brings us two (or three, counting Nicholson) of society's dropouts, we also meet a community of hippies, some narrow-minded small-town lawmen, and some rednecks in Louisiana who seem to have a more-than-passing relationship to Neanderthals. We wonder if the film's perhaps unwitting message is that the search for meaningless "freedom" results in meaningless and wanton death and destruction. More than any film of its time, "Easy Rider" caught the mood of the late 1960s in America and the fear of the "establishment" for society's rebels. It may be of its own time, but its timeless rejection of mindless conformity echoes down to us. ... Read more

Reviews (65)

Body Snatchers Invade Video Collection
Don Siegel's Invasion of the Body Snatchers proves to be a classic of the science-fiction genre. Usually bored to death of sci-fi films, I quite enjoyed this film of pods taking over and transforming themselves into the citizens of Santa Mira, while they sleep, in the hopes of soon engulfing the entire world. Brilliantly acted by Kevin McCarthy in the role Miles Bennel, and Dana Wynter as Becky Driscoll, with a wonderful supporting cast, the film is easily believable. With Milt Rice in charge of special effects, the entire collaberation is a marvel for its time. Upon returning home from a trip, Miles finds the Santa Mira townspeople to be acting a bit unusual, but little does he know that one by one the townspeople are being taken over by pods from another world. Miles and Becky, Miles' girlfriend, attempt to warn the town and save the others, but it soon proves to be no easy feat for them to save themselves. The two drive, and then literally run, for their lives through the California hills. If they can make it to the highway and then to the neighboring town, perhaps they and the world can be saved. With impressive cinematography by Ellsworth Fredericks, notably the highway scene late in the film, and a striking musical score by Carmen Dragon, this film has quickly become one of my favorites. To occupy a place on the shelves amidst my usual favorites is not an easy thing for a film to do, especially for one that is science-fiction, but this brilliant sci-fi film, which hints a bit at McCarthyism, is a can't miss for any film lover.

They're coming, and you're next!
Wonderful science fiction classic that concentrates on Kevin McCarthy's growing sense of fear and isolation. If anybody doesn't know the plot of this movie, its basic premise is that people are being replaced with alien replicas, with the only clue being a lack of emotion in the new versions. Paranoid people should not watch this film, which has also been classed as a horror film. I think it would have been better in a "Director's Cut" - originally there were no voiceovers, and the film ended with McCarthy standing in the middle of a highway, desperately trying to get someone to stop and listen to him, but the studio decided that was too bleak and demoralizing. Still, this is a great movie, only slightly less shocking for the additions. This version is presented in crisp B&W, in both widescreen and pan and scan. Also included is the original trailer and a short interview with McCarthy on some local TV show from the Seventies. I give the movie itself 5 stars, as it is one of the true classics (better than the 1978 version, and FAR better than the 1997 version), but the DVD gets 4 for its rather bland presentation.

It's alright but I probably missed the political point
Having been born well after the McCarthy era the political sub-text was lost on me. I just thought it was another one of those 50s sci-fi b movies made. Of course I had vague ideas of America at the time and how they were run but I didn't exactly join the dots together and link them up. What I saw was a sci-fi b-movie - nothing else. Still it wasn't bad

I got this really cheap in a store ( 5 euros ) and basically what I got looked like I bought a copy of some guy's video. I'm not complaining about it considering 5 euros for a DVD is alright and besides - it was nothing major. It was in colour and it started off bizarrely. Bizarre in the sense at how the music was so strange and how for the first 15 minutes of the film it was all just people falling down a hole somewhere out in the fields. Seems fairly stupid so far but I do admit that it was quite frightening when the dad lashed out at his son. The realism in that shot was something I hadn't seen before.

Basically you can get the story now about what's about to happen and I won't want to say anymore in case I might ruin the film for you ( nobody likes that do they ). But I will say that I found the Martians and their underground lair to be rather pathetic. OK just the lair then. When the men in green suits start undertaking their tasks it's pretty funny to see white balloons just sway a little as if a little gentle breeze had passed. And the amount of times you had to hear " Let me go let go let me go " it really begins to get on your nerves.

Historically you could say that this is a good film if you know your history. If you just want a bit of an enjoyable sci-fi movie then this can also be achieved. Either way you get enjoyment out of it.

Keep awake, keep awake!!!!.
This is a remarkable movie in many ways. With a relatively small budget a very interesting Sci-Fi / horror film is made. No big visual effects, no Big Stars in the cast, black n' white photography and still a griping story. There are two remakes of this story, they can't stand against the original one, even if they were produced with a bigger budget and known actors.

This is the plot: Dr. Bennell (Kevin McCarthy) returns to his small home town ready to attend patients. Different consultants tell him of a paranoid syndrome: their relatives seem somehow changed. A couple of days after that, they return to his office and tell him "Everything is OK".
Dr. Bennell and her old times girl friend Becky Driscoll (Dana Wynter) soon realize the town is being subject to an alien invasion plot. Huge seed are "planted" in basements or garages and evolved in a duplicate of a person (a clone will be called today). As soon as the victim fells asleep is "transformed". The tension grows up as time pass and the characters need to sleep.

Some comments issued around the film pointed out that it may be taken as a parable of the Cold War raging at the time it was released (1956). I think that there are more films of that period, alluding the frightful issue of "They are like us but they are NOT us and they are dangerous", as in "The Thing from another World" (1951) or "I Married a Monster from Outer Space" (1958).

The actress Carolyn Jones (later best known by her impersonation of Morticia at the "Addams Family" TV serial) play a short, but very well enacted, role
A very enjoyable film to be seen.
Duration: 80 minutes

GREAT
This is a GREAT transfer of the original film! The sound is good, the picture is good, it's simply a grand dvd! The film here has good acting and casting. Good story and good ending. What more could a sci fi junkie need? This film was made countless times after but this is the original and the best.Kevin did great as the main character here. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Shinya Tsukamoto draws on the marriage of flesh and technology that inspires so much of David Cronenberg's work and then twists it into a manga-influenced cyberpunk vision. A man (Tomoroh Taguchi) awakens from a nightmare in which his body is helplessly fusing with the metal objects around him, only to find it happening to him in real life... or is it? Haunted by memories of a hit and run (eerily prophetic of Cronenberg's Crash), the man knows this ordeal could be a dream, a fantastic form ofdivine retribution, or perhaps technological mutation born of guilt and rage. Shot in bracing black and white on a small budget, Tsukamoto puts a demented conceptual twist on good old-fashioned stop-motion effects and simple wire work, giving his film the surreal quality of a waking dream with a psychosexual edge (resulting in the film's most disturbing scene). The story ultimately takes on an abstract quality enhanced by the grungy look and increasingly wild images as they take to the streets in a mad chase of technological speed demons. This first entry in his self-titled "Regular Sized Monster Series" is followed by a full-color sequel, Tetsuo II: The Body Hammer, which trades the muddy experimental atmosphere for a big-budget sheen but can't top the cybershock to the system this movie packs. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (43)

A feast for the eyes
I gave this film 4 stars mainly because I don't like to say anything is perfect. This is one film that anyone interested in disturbing cinema should see. Unlike any post Erasure Head film by David Lynch, this film is not wierd for wierds sake.

With very little dialogue this Black and White film is a visual overload. Simple to follow, and at times almost unwatchable. It is a halucinatory trip through the mind of a madman slowly and involuntarily turning into a machine. A must for anyone interested in the strange side of Asian Cinema.

Thank goodness the movie is only 60 min long. It will leave you with a gut punch that you will not soon forget. I wish they still had drive through theaters so that it could be a double feature with Erasure Head.

Beware of the Sequel Tetsuo II: The Body Hammer. Its not as good of a story and it loses something with the addition of the color. The VHS version comes with a short entitled Drum Struck, another delightful little gem. Highly recomended for those who like this sort of thing. Kinda like a Nine Inch Nails video but without the...soundtrack.

violence is a little over the top, but a real experience
let me start out by saying that most people should not see this movie or even try to. if you think that you can just turn it off when it gets disturbing and forget about it, you're sadly mistaken, because when you've seen just one sick part you'll be pretty revolted for a good amount of time even if you shut it off that second. this is only for people who enjoy art that is basically a shot at convention and a sort of revelry in surreal and disturbing imagery without necessarily needing a coherent or logical storyline, and if you're not among those people, stay far, faaaaaar away. for film students and people inclined to surrealistic/philosophical/absurdist art, this is an absolute necessity. the thing i loved about 'tetsuo' is that after the whole admittedly odd film, i came away with a feeling of having really aesthetically experienced something:a descent into the bizarre and the taboo that i felt concluded on a note of vitality and defiance that is touching. "we can put an end to this...world!", one of the 'metal men' screams to the other. it is not a pointless exercise in gore or depravity, but a frantic and urgent exhortation to fight against the dehumanization that is inevitable in a mechanistic, nightmarish, high-tech civilization. in a sense these two unfortunate victims of an insane and impersonal society do something positive with their horrendous fates, in that they set aside their petty personal battle and heroically turn what has destroyed and mutilated them against itself and thereby become more human than when they were both simply flesh and blood. of course, this is only my individual interpretation, but i feel pretty certain that the message of this movie is along those lines. one the other hand, i did feel some of the scenes were needlessly disgusting and that the director inadvertently made a lot of the movie so repugnant that what could have been a real, universally recognized cult classic will only be accessible to the toughest and most philosophically sensitive people out there, which are few indeed--too few for 'tetsuo' to ever gain even the slightest notoriety or communicate it's worthy message to the majority of viewers. even lynch, who i also have a great deal of admiration for, knows that while he can get away with a great deal of scenes that are utterly perverse and sadomasochistic because of his incredible flair for the surreal and mysterious, he has to let his viewers come up for air every once in awhile and take that unfortunate but absolutely necessary reversion to the mundane without which the subtlety indispensable to a great film is lost. but for those who love the artistic creation of really disturbing but beautifully artificial realities, this movie will be a gem and certainly a must buy. so in that sense, 'tetsuo' is one of the best movies of our time.

Social commentary in its own right
Watching this film reminded me of The Thing by John Carpenter. In that sci-fi classic, the man's body, taken over by the thing, is hideously twisted and transformed beyond our wildest imagination, which imparts a certain sense of sexuality to the proceedings.
In Tetsuo by Shinya Tsukamoto, the body is taken over by iron. Again the question of sexuality is high on the agenda as is evident in the scene where you see a male sex organ shaped like a huge iron drill spinning ferociously, hinting that love in our day often consists in the realm of the senses generated by genitalia and that a man's sex organ is nothing but a machine in such a context. We are just as inorganic as the machines that surround us and the iron and metals that make up those machines. As the man slowly transforms into iron, he experiences excruciating pains, to which we have grown so much numb. It seems to me that Tsukamoto's primary concern is the recoverty of the body, which in his case is almost always expressed with the imagery of sex, violence and pain.

Surreal Mechanical Horror...
Tetsuo is a surreal horror film about a hit and run accident where the driver begins to grow metal objects on his face. The metal objects are physical reminisce from the accident and it begins to physically haunt him. This metal curse grows worse, and the driver seem incapable of escaping his faith as he becomes dangerous for those around him. Tetsuo is a daunting cinematic experience with an interesting story and at moments the cinematography is remarkable. However, the very same cinematography uses several still shots put together to a continuous shot in order to create movement, which becomes repetitive and clumsy. This visual awkwardness creates a music video atmosphere that lowers the overall cinematic experience.

Ok.......
Lemme see here. You have some weird guy shove a piece of metal in his leg, he sees maggots all over it (ICK) runs out into the street gets hit by a car, then thus the driver turns into.... An iron man basically while the dude who got hit by a car is planning his death or something. Man this film is one hell of an acid ride through his transformation into this iron man. Very bizarre and twisted with the constant slash off to the heavy pumped industrial score while you try to focus on what's going on, many times I thought this was to absurd and wanted to turn it off but I wanted to see where it was going. It's visually breathtaking and not a very pleasant thing to sit through, but I can't give this five stars because quite frankly I don't know who would. This is followed by equally messed up sequel "Body Hammer" but that one made no sense really.... This is made by Shinya Tsukamoto who is a very good director and actor as well, if you've seen Ichi The Killer he's in there as a character, I want to check out his movie Tokyo Fist but I'm kind of scared too...... This is worth checking out only if you handle it. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Clint Eastwood's second film as a director (and his first Western) is a variation on the "man with no name" theme, starring Eastwood as the drifter known only as "the Stranger." He rides into the desert town of Lagos and is quickly attacked by three gunmen. Recovering with the aid of a local dwarf (a memorable role for Billy Curtis), the Stranger is hired by the intimidated townsfolk to fend off a band of violent ex-convicts. After teaching the citizens self-defense and instructing them to paint the entire town red and rename it "Hell," the Stranger vanishes. He reappears when the marauding criminals arrive, and delivers justice and teaches the townsfolk a harsh lesson about moral obligation. Is he a figure from their past or a kind of supernatural avenger? Combining humor with action, High Plains Drifter is both a serious and tongue-in-cheek tribute to the Westerns that made Eastwood a household name. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (53)

The "Man with No Name" returns
This movie is one of the best Eastwood Westerns that I have seen and is right up there with "Pale Rider" is supernatural quality. Clint plays almost an avenging spirit who returns to seek justice for a past crime and does so with his usual coolness. The movie offers a red painted town named "Hell", flashbacks showing a crime committed against Clint in the past and some awesome action scenes. Eastwood is wonderful throughout the whole film and even sports a pistol with a Cobra painted on the handle (cool! ). This is a great Western to add to any collection.

Last of the Spaghetti Westerns
Once again Eastwood does it with great style. The man with no name rides into town and wreaks havoc on the bad guys. An unusual dream of a sheriff that was whipped to death haunts him. As the story unveils itself we are drawn further into the past of the towns people. Not quite like his previous spaghetti westerns but still a hint of his character remains like a ghost that has come to see that justice is metered out. The fact that he rapes and kills does not seem to make us hate him, just accept him and know his final goal is as close to justice as we will see. The supporting cast is very good and the sets and music are great. Well worth adding to anyones western DVD collection. The quality of the picture and sound is excellent. Extras include notes, bios, highlights, and theatrical trailer.

Excellent!
I remember seeing this for the first time back in the day. It was probably the fascination with the "man with no name trilogy" but this film is just as classic as those. The story is your typical "revenge" tail but this adds a bit more to it. First of all the character is dark and aloof which really helps set the mood for this film. Its dark its fun its ultra cool! If you liked the man with no name trilogy, hang em high or pale rider see this!

Vengence rides into town
In "High Plains Drifter", Clint Eastwood stars and directs this really dark western. He plays an amoral drifter known only as 'The Stranger". He rolls into Logo and quickly kills three losers and seemingly rapes a local lady. He is then asked to be sheriff to protect the town cowards (the whole population) from three killers the town wronged years ago. Who the Stranger is is a major part of the mystery of the movie. Eastwood is pretty good as 'the man with no name' taken the millionth degree. He is cold and eccentric as he's givin free reign, then leaves at the moment they need him mst. The town's people are horrible people, who's corruption reaches into the collective conscience; not only is it rotting them to death, they have gladly sold their souls for gold. The vengence at the end is grim, but then so is the whole movie. It is not your John Wayne western; in fact Wayne himself walked out of the movie saying Eastwood owed his fans an apology. But that is not so, it wasn't that bad. But they still don't make movies this grim ofter. Not for everyone, but OK.

Eastwood turns in his typical performance

This gives the old saying, "painting the town red," a whole new meaning.

Eastwood is portraying a gunman wreaking vengeance on an entire Western town for standing by while a gang of nasties brutally kills the sheriff. One gets the impression, at the end, that he is the reincarnation of the murdered sheriff, himself.

This is, in no way, intended as a criticism: Eastwood, like John Wayne, Humphrey Bogart, Clark Gable and a host of other fine actors, always plays himself. His stock in trade is his "tough guy" impression, and he does it flawlessly.

His films are always well-done, and he always plays the same basic part, which his audience obviously loves.

Joseph (Joe) Pierre

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

Book Description

Vincent Price lends his distinctively chilling voice to this spine-tingling collection of tales, spells, and things that go bump in the night. This hair-raising audiotape features classic horror stories by Edgar Allan Poe and John Cllier, as well as more practical tales such as ‘How to See Ghosts and Surely Bring Them to You.’ So turn down the lights and turn up the volume . . . if you dare!

... Read more

Reviews (19)

One of the Creepy Corman Classics
Directed by the venerable king of quality low-budget filmmaking, Roger Corman, and scripted by the prolific and popular SF and horror writer Richard Matheson, TALES OF TERROR is comprised of three vignettes based on stories by Edgar Allan Poe. The incomparable Vincent Price stars in all three, with Peter Lorre and Basil Rathbone each co-starring (separately, alas) in one of the others. Any knowledgeable horror fans should be nearly euphoric after reading the credentials behind this flick--and they won't be disappointed!

The first story is based on Poe's "Morella," but Corman and Matheson take great liberties to make the tale darker and scarier than the original. Unfortunately, the altered plot and its resolution (?) are a bit hard to follow, and it is therefore the weaker of the three plays.

The second--and best!--vignette, "The Black Cat" is actually a composite of Poe's story of the same name and his "The Cask of Amontillado." Peter Lorre hilariously hams it up as the cuckolded Montresor Herringbone, and Vincent Price is also a riot as Herringbone's nemesis, Fortunato. In spite of the humor, however, there are still plenty of chills when Lorre builds a wall around his "problems."

The final vignette, based on Poe's "The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar," features the wonderful Basil Rathbone as the hypnotist who uses his powers to put the titular character, Valdemar (portrayed by Price), in a sort of limbo between life and death. Again, Corman and Matheson have taken liberties with the original story (e.g., making the hypnotist malevolent and self-serving), but this time it's to great effect, as Rathbone makes a delightfully devilish villain. The make-up job on Price in the final scene is pretty creepy, too, in spite of the film's low-budget effects. Good old-fashioned frights in this one.

The DVD edition of TALES OF TERROR is short on extras (trailer only)--it would've been great to have a Corman commentary on this one, which many of the other MGM releases of Corman's films DO have--but seeing this film in widescreen makes it well worth the reasonable cost. A worthy addition to any fan of classic horror.

Five Stars...
Being a fan of Vincent Price and Peter Lorre for that matter, this was just priceless (no pun intended). Aside from Peter Lorre not aging well at all, this just makes his "tale" all the more realistic.
The first tale is called Morella where Vincent Price blames his visiting daughter for the death of his wife. Yet there is a twist to the story regarding the daughter. Really well done.

The second tale is The Black Cat with Peter Lorre as the main character here in one of the best parts I've seen him play.
He puts pathetic, mean and humorous into one role and is hysterical doing the classic wine testing scene with Vincent Price. I was truly laughing out loud. The facial expressions that Price has in this one when acting with Lorre are worth this DVD alone.

The third and last tale is the scariest in my view. It is called the Case of M. Valdemar where Basil Rathbone plays a man who tries to gain control over a dying Vincent Price. This is a pretty scary one, and Rathbone completes his role nicely.

The ladies in these tales (Maggie Pierce, Joyce Jameson and Debra Paget) are all absolutely stunning. You just can't compare the beauty of that day with today.

Get this DVD, especially if you like Price and Lorre....not to mention Poe. I promise you it is something you will watch over and over again.

A wonderful horror anthology
Vincent Price leads an all-star cast in this horror film. Price appears in all three segments. In the first, he plays a man named "Locke" who blames the death of his wife on his daughter who's just came back after 26 years. This is great, verbal horror sort of like a throwback to "Night Gallery" or other dramatic anthology shows, where the horror is in the character's personality and not in the graphics. only the final minutes does the story turn into what AIP movie goers expect. The second story, as has been voted by mostly all on here, is the stand-out. Peter Lorre and Joyce Jameson team up with Vincent in a re-telling of "Cask of Amontillado" but re-titled "The Black Cat". If you've heard or read the story, you pretty much know what's going to happen...the wine tasting scene is hilarious. The final segment offers Basil Rathbone and Vincent although Rathbone has the most action as Price's character, Valdemar, is bed-ridden. Rathbone plays an evil mesmerist who mentally tortures Valdemar's wife and keeps Valdemar in suspended animation you could say in an effort to kill him and run off with the wife! The segment ends with a memorable scene that isn't really sick...but it's not for the squeamish, either! It's one of Rathbone's finest roles, aside from Sherlock Holmes and the hilarious nut-case character in "Comedy of Terrors". This film came along in 1962. At 85 minutes in length, it's short for a feature-length film...but the material and the first-rate acting by everyone make it seem even SHORTER!!

GARBAGE
Don't waste your time or money with this DVD. The best part of the DVD is probably the Trailers and most of those are Garbage also. My DVD came loose in the package and scratched, too bad it didn't do any damage to ruin the Movie. I couldn't wait until the Movie was over, I would have stopped it earlier, but wanted to see if any damage was done. You'll be counting the minutes and seconds after watching the first half or even earlier. The last story was stupid and horrible and should have been left off. Don't waste your money, spend it on the cheap $5-6 horror DVD's, because at least those can be somewhat entertaining.

Tales of tepid terror
What happens when you take great actors (Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, Basil Rathbone), a great writer (Richard Matheson), great source material (E.A. Poe) and a passable director (Roger Corman) and have them make a movie? Nothing very good, as it turns out.

This movie is actually three short movies linked by Price's narration. The first story deals with a young woman who returns to the home of her father, a recluse tormented by the death of his wife; how she died is not really clear, but she is nonetheless intent on revenge. The second story - the best of the three - is a take-off on the Cask of Amontillado with Lorre as a murderous drunk. The final story has Rathbone as a mesmerist who traps Price in a state between life and death.

All three stories have potential, the first and last for horror, and the middle one for humor. Unfortunately, none of the stories are executed well, a fault that seems to lie primarily with Corman. For fans of the Poe movies of the sixties (directed primarily by Corman), this might be worth watching, but for horror fans, it is best to look elsewhere. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Too Good to be True. Breathtaking.
Mothra is perhaps one of the best movies Toho co has ever made. I admit, the specail effects aren't all that great, however I gave Mothra a five because of its epic story. This movie will be enjoyed by people of all ages but to young children it teaches a lesson to not get greedy or be punished ( like how Nelson was by causing the twin girls to call Mothra ). I really think Godzilla fans will enjoy this a lot because Mothra appears in G-Films such as Godzilla vs. Mothra, Ghidra the Three- Headed Monster, Destroy All Monsters, and Godzilla and Mothra: The Battle for Earth. No matter how films progress, Mothra will always be one of the greatest Toho films ever made.

Tinkerbell's cousins.
A giant moth flips its lid and attacks Japan. If Walt Disney ventured into the realm of Japanese sci-fi, this movie could have been the result. Chuckle-headed, camp humor is evident, but another wacky monster fest is not the director's real purpose. The emphasis is on a juvenile fantasy story that features "The Peanuts," petite female fairies. Tinkerbell's cousins. Twins, no less. (If this was a fantasy film of another kind, the mathematical possibilities would be endless). The Peanuts serve as high priestesses to Mothra, a primitive deity. Their haunting rendition of Mothra's theme song holds a special place in the Japanese sci-fi hall of fame. When ruthless men kidnap the girls, Mothra follows them to Japan. Mothra first appears as a giant caterpillar that scoots across the countryside like an electric train. The most thrilling part of this epic is the attack on Tokyo. In the midst of the fiery destruction, the caterpillar attaches itself to Tokyo Tower, and spins a huge cocoon. Atomic heat ray machines fail to destroy the cocoon, and a giant moth emerges. The wind from Mothra's flapping wings gives off typhoon type wind. Buildings crumble, fire rages, and vehicles whip around like toys. Of course, the cars and trucks really are toys, but don't get technical. The military fights back with tanks, rockets, and planes, but to no effect. Considering the lousy track record of the Japanese military in these monster epics, the government of Japan might want to re-think its military resources. The special effects reflect the limitations of the budget and the era. Don't expect computer-generated razzle-dazzle. Suspend disbelief and go with the flow. Good for kids under seven and hard core Japanese sci-fi fans. ;-)

Mothra the Original
This Mothral flick was indeed boring when I saw it but the reason I rate it high because for one it teaches you a lesson
in this movie and the other reason Its the original mothra black and white film!!The original twins in this movie gets capture and taken on display for money not until they call on mothra to come help them.Overal this movie is alright but dont expect a lot of mothra action cus overal its a good story rather then a cheesy monster flick.

The other film with those unforgettable twins....
...which another viewer asked about was, I believe, Ghidrah: the Three-Headed Monster.

This one is Great, but searching for my all time favorite
This is the first Mothra movie I saw a a child and remains one of my favorites. I like the plot where the girls get kidnapped from Infant Island by the greedy bad guys, they sing for Mothra, and Mothra of course comes to their rescue. I have never seen the new Mothra movies, nor do I care to - I prefer to honor the oldies but goodies.

There is another fabulous Mothra movie for which I am seeking but cannot seem to find. Unfortunately, I do not know the exact title. It is a Mothra v Godzilla (Godzilla v Mothra?) movie where there is a third (flying) monster in it as well. It is NOT the 1964 Godzilla v Mothra movie that is currently advertised on the Internet for sale (where Mothra dies but has offspring that team up against Godzilla), however some parts of it sound similar and it must have been made around the same time.

The twins are also in the version I am seeking and sing the Mothra song longer, more beautifully and with better stereo sound than the "Mothra" movie featured here. They live in a dollhouse built especially for them while captured, wear beautiful outfits and walk past a tropical fish tank while singing their Mothra song. As a girl, I enjoyed seeing Mothra and Godzilla fight, however I loved and watched the movies expecially because of the twins and their song.

Anyway, the plot, from what I recall is:
There is an earthquake and/or hurricaine, the Mothra egg on the Island is exposed. It is discovered and stolen from the Island, the twins are kidnapped, Godzilla is awakened, a third flying monster comes into play somehow (I don't recall the details)... Eventually, all three monsters are fighting and Mothra almost gets defeated. He retreats, but returns to team up with either Godzilla against the flying monster -or- with the flying monster against Godzilla (I don't remember). He saves the planet and leaves with the girls, of course.

Unlike the 1964 Mothra vs Godzilla version currently featured on the Internet, Mothra does not die, there are no Mothra offspring...etc. It is definately not the same movie.

Does anyone know the version I am describing? What is the title? Is it for sale? I definately want this one in my collection. Thank you!!!!! ... Read more

Reviews (30)

Actually quite a good movie.
Okay so it's early Saturday morning, say about 3am. Your flipping through the channels and all that is on are those darn infomercials. Then you strike gold, a good old seventies horror flick. Yup, that about sums my life up, for excitement. In all seriousness, this movie is very good. Scary as hell and pretty grotesque for a PG rated movie. Yes the plot is kinda bleh, but who watches it for it's "save the environent" attempted message. Once you get by all that crap then your down to the "bear" necessities. This is your basic creature feature. Acting comes at a premium, and the characters pull some really idiotic stunts. One such stunt has our few remaining survivors stand, dumb-founded, watching rhe mutant teddy-bear cross the lake. Thinking that it may drowned. Duh??? I think that I would be running like hell. Oh well. The mutant teddy-bear is very cool, kinda cheezy at times, but overall does a good job at making ya jump. Hey, for the seventies the special effects are good. I can understand why the critics would pulverize this movie with negative remarks. Some may say it's cheap and it isn't worth the powder to blow it to hell with. I say otherwise, good for a scare and worth a rent or a latenight looky-see. I would probably stop short from buying it, however.

bear's a wimp- he should've done that to THEIR faces
the title of this message sums it up. All 70's-80's horror flicks suck big time. This bear should have done that to THIER faces he is a bear after all. Grizzly bears(esp mutant ones) can pretty much win every fight and would maim the victim eventually. A human cutting up a bear with a knife and drowning it? c'mon, man! Watch "Grizzly" instead. Yeah it's early 70's feldercarbon, but it is very disturbing to the eye(s).

And Sometimes The Bear Gets You...
Robert Foxworth and Talia Shire are a socially concerned husband and wife, lured to the forests of Maine in order to study the environmental effects of a paper mill. Upon arrival, they find themselves in the middle of a dispute between loggers (led by Richard Dysart) and indians (led by Armand Assante). One evening, Foxworth and Shire are assaulted by a crazed raccoon! Later while fishing, Foxworth sees a duck get swallowed by a five foot long salmon! Does he grab Talia and run back to the plane? Nah, he scratches his head and moves on. Then, he discovers tree roots growing above ground and a twenty pound pollywog! Does THIS force him to reconsider his mission? Nope, he's dead-set on getting to the bottom of this mystery. Foxworth discovers that the paper mill has been pumping mercury into the river for twenty years, causing hideous mutations like the terrifying tadpole and Armand Assante indians. Meanwhile, a dad and his two kids are camping, when suddenly, something huge and ugly attacks! The next thing they know, dad and sis are screaming and junior is flying through the air in his sleeping bag, exploding against a boulder like a down-filled H-bomb! Foxworth, unaware of this, presses on. Talia finds a mutated bearcub in a net and they simply must keep it as evidence. Then, one night while investigating, Foxworth and company are attacked themselves! We finally see the giant, winnie-the-goo, and man is it frightening! Fifteen feet of hairy, drippy, bone-crushing terror! Run away Rob Foxworth! Run away! Too late! The creature is snorting and sniffing it's way through the campsite, looking for it's cub! Oh my! Can our heroes possibly defeat this ecological horror? Watch in wide-eyed wonder! Recommended for fans of fifties mutant movies and the legions of Robert Foxworth followers out there ...

When giant, mutant sausage bears attack!
A medical doctor is sent into the Maine woods to do a scientist's job. Study the environmental impact the local paper mill is having on the land and people. His findings will help settle a violent dispute between the lumberjacks and local native americans regarding ownership of the land. What he uncovers is a monster that chews up more scenery than he does. Director John (The Manchurian Candidate) Frankenheimer crashed and burned with this eco-horror film scripted by David (The Omen) Seltzer. The story is standard b-movie stuff, but the pacing is way too slow and the monsters are not the least bit frightening. Their attacks will cause screams of laughter, not of terror. The only good thing here is that the movie is restored to its widescreen image, which only shows just how poorly Frankenheimer staged the attacks and suspense sequences. Prophecy used to be one of my favorite guilty pleasures and I really wish I could give it a higher rating, but this movie is only for the most devout of monster movie fans.

What¿s that Huffing Sound in the Woods?
I first saw Prophecy as a 10 year old in 1979 and it scared the ** out of me and caused nightmares for a few months. Looking back after seeing it again today, the shambling mutant bear doesn't pack quite the same punch effects wise; but this is still a decent horror flick. The Mambo King plays an Indian and Adrian is the weak pregnant wife along for the ride as a inner-city class conscious doctor attempts to study the environment in Maine and gets wrapped up in a tribal dispute with the local paper mill who has been logging near the village and yes, dumping mercury into the water supply for the last 20 years. This of course has an adverse affect on the flora and fauna, not the least of which is the 12 foot bear that is now chomping down on would be hikers. The exploding sleeping bag w/ feathers floating down is still an image that stays with you, as is the bear slowly sinking across the foggy water trudging towards its victims. The woodland setting is beautiful and Dysart makes a nice company man villain. A nice afternoon time killer. ... Read more

Reviews (663)

Watch Out For That Wascally Wabbit...
Donnie Darko has quickly become one of my all time favorite movies. How can I describe it? It is strange, dark (of course), cool, mysterious, enigmatic, scary, funny, serious, sarcastic, bleak yet hopeful, mystical, and even charming. Jake Gyllenhaal is Donnie, who is absolutely believable no matter what he says or does. Time travel? No problem! A seven-foot rabbit named Frank who predicts the end of the world in 28 days? No problem! Donnie's earnestness is mesmerizing. The rest of the cast is an incredible ensemble of big stars in small, crucial roles. Drew Barrymore (E.T., The Wedding Singer, Charlies Angels) plays the only teacher in Donnie's school who seems to realize that what's being passed off as an "education" is actually a long, dull course in mind-numbing mediocrity (hmmm... sounds like my highschool). Noah Wyle (ER) is the science teacher who has wild theoretical conversations with Donnie about time travel, then cuts him off competely when Donnie asks if God might be involved. Donnie's mom is played by Mary McDonnell (Dances With Wolves, Grand Canyon). She loves him while being frustrated and afraid of his condition. Katharine Ross (The Graduate, The Stepford Wives) is Donnie's psychiatist, trying to probe his mind and help him. Patrick Swayze (Dirty Dancing) plays Jim Cunningham, tele-guru and local self-help author, who is exposed by Donnie (and Frank) for who / what he REALLY is. Jena Malone is Donnie's new girlfriend Gretchen. She's got problems enough of her own. Together, this cast of characters orbits perfectly around Donnie's dark center of gravity. Do not expect the typical hollywood bucket of swill here! Donnie Darko took actual thought to create. It's style and story are unique. I had never even heard of it due to a less than half-hearted ad campaign (I'm a TV addict, yet saw not one DD commercial). I just happened to see the DVD on the shelf and took a chance. You should too...

Gyllenhaal is outstanding in this haunting film
How to describe "Donnie Darko," the dark psychological drama written and directed by Richard Kelly? After seeing it I thought of the film as a sort of "Ordinary People" meets "Being John Malkovich," with a touch of "Pi" and "American Beauty" thrown in. But ultimately that equation is unfair; "Donnie" is, in the end, a true original.

The film takes place in 1988. Jake Gyllenhaal stars as the title character: a troubled, sleepwalking teenager who has recurring, frightening visions. Donnie is a quest to understand the forces that are affecting his life and sanity.

Gyllenhaal's outstanding performance helps to hold the film together. He is a quirky, offbeat leading man; at times frightening, at times appealingly vulnerable. Gyllenhaal's work is superbly complemented by that of an eclectic ensemble cast which includes Katharine Ross, Drew Barrymore, and Noah Wyle. I was particularly impressed by Patrick Swayze's turn as a creepy, oily motivational speaker.

"Donnie" defies genre classification. It blends together elements of serious family drama, 80s period piece, horror, satire, and science fiction. In a sense, it is a deconstruction of the whole 80s teen movie genre. The script makes intriguing use of 80s pop culture.

"Donnie" has scenes of weirdness and absurdity, and is often punctuated by bizarre dialogue and strange, frightening imagery. And there are some really moving scenes that tap into the universal experience of human loneliness and the need for love. If there was ever a movie that had all the elements to make it a cult classic, it's the haunting "Donnie Darko."

Undoubted young talent produces pretentious film-making
I have high hopes for Richard Kelly as his talent, ideas, motivation, enthusiasm and everything you need for a good career in directing is evident in this movie.

Sadly, this time around, its a painful experience for the viewer, unless you are so into puzzles, sci-fi, symbolism and finding out what a movie means AFTER watching it that you can forgive what is, after all, really poor storytelling.

Hint - A really good movie doesn't need multiple websites stacked with backstory and explanations.

And, as usual, its all the fault of the script, which isn't a film script at all. Its a / Philosophy/ Religiousy / Science Fictiony puzzle (although I left out a few things there). This puzzle unfolds as a series of vignettes masquerading as scenes, related by Kelly's 'themes' but little else.

The majority of the characters are little more than pawns whose job is just to move the puzzle plot on... nice..... and.......... slowly (with the odd music montage and cute-dialogue sketch thrown in, as if they were ad breaks).

The main character was ok and most of the actors did well with what little they had to work with, but the MAJORITY of them should have been cut from the finished film, they are so redundant.

There is no drive in the film and little sense of progression. We know loosely what the main character is ultimately facing, but never immediately so there is never any sense of anticipation, suspense, hope or fear for the viewer. We are simply passed more information and explanations to debate and question later with our fellow sci-fi-symbol buffs.

I'm not saying you sit there waiting for things to happen because things do happen (to be fair some of the "scenes" are entertaining in their own way). But you do sit there waiting for a STORY to develop so you can start experiencing something (which is what we pay our money for, isn't it?).

But there is no drama, no connection and NO STORY.

All you get is a cool song and a plot twist (explained). Some people are happy with that I guess

Lagomorph Odyssey
The young Richard Kelly, director of this film, graduated from USC Film School in 1997. This was his first feature film. He has spun a dark multi-layered vision, part dramatic comedy, part science fiction, part fantasy and allegory. The movie almost needs to be classified as three genres stirred gently. He set the world of the film as autumn 1988. It is, in part, a story of adolescent teenae angst, the familiar turf of a John Hughes project, but actually it is more like John Hughes meets David Lynch meets Steven Spielberg. Kelly has put several interesting twists into the high school yarn. It is like a hip FERRIS BEULLER'S DAY OFF.

Jake Gyllenhaal, from MIDNIGHT MILE & OCTOBER SKY, played Donnie Darko brilliantly. He was a young man smarter than his teachers, his parents, and his friends. An intrepid curious lad who could ask those questions very few wanted to answer. He is a kid who is being treated for mental illness, even though he may not have been clincially ill. He was outspoken, outrageous, and socially boorish...like most smart teenagers. Roger Ebert wrote," Donnie is appealingly smart yet sarcastic, more quixotic than eccentric, more curious than frightened.

The film's prologue is bang on target. A bright sunrise on dark foothills, suddenly interrupted in the frame by the insertion of the black silhousette of a young man's head. Donnie Darko, there on the hard ground near his bicycle, far from home. After he cycles home, his arrival is treated as familiar behavior; sleep sojourns, adventurous forays into the darkness. That very next night, we witness him roused from his slumber by someone calling his name. He slips outside and we meet the presence that has beckoned him...a medium longshot of someone in a rabbit suit...someone named Frank. But this rabbit, tall as HARVEY, is not a benign companion. Its face is twisted into a demonic death mask. With Darko away from the house, we see an accident happening. Something has fallen out of the night sky, and crashed directly into Donnie's bedroom; a 707 jet engine. If he had been there when the engine came acallin', he would have died instantly. Frank sends Donnie off to do devilish chores; flooding the school, and burning down a house.

Nothin is linear or logical in Darko's dreamlike world. His parents are too understanding. His new girlfriend, Jena Malone, is really too easy to get to know. Physical laws, like an axe being buried in a bronze statue, are tweaked and violated. The film can only approach some level of cohesiveness if one is able to conjure up a premise, a through line. For me, most of the characters presented are probably actually a part of Donnie's
"real" life, but as they were mostly presented in the bulk of the narrative, they were peopling his "dream" life. One possible explication for the whiplash lunges from drama to comedy to satire to science fiction and fantasy, was that most of the film's narrative occurred from the time Donnie was awakened in his bed, either by Frank's voice, or the faint sound of the 707 engine whistling and plummeting down toward his bedroom. Time was compressed, like in THE INCIDENT AT OWL CREEK BRIDGE on the Twilight Zone, a sort of Alice through the Looking Glass dream squeezed into those precious elongated seconds.

This film poses more questions than it offers answers for. There are theories that we, as spiritual entities, can sustain more than one version of our "Self" in parallel dimensions similtaneously. Somehow, it seemed that Donnie called on one of his alternate selves to swing through those last few brief moments, those seconds that stretched out into 30 days. Perhaps time is relative, and does not exist on the other side. I think this movie requires several viewings to begin to be fully appreciated. It is an original vision, bizarre yet strangely familiar, and immediate with it's punch to the emotional gut. It is eccentric, yet appealing.

AMAZING
i didn't know a movie could change your life, 'till i saw donnie darko. this movie is stunning, it grabs you, i highly reccommend it. unbelievable soundtrack too, gary jules, joy division, echo in the bunnymen, 5 stars. see it. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Half screen tests, half film clips
This film is aimed at those who may have wondered where Surrender Cinema finds their actresses. Alongside a few film clips, Auditions From Beyond contains the screen tests of a few girls who made it and a few who did not; it's amazing to see how many Eastern European ladies with little grasp of the English language come in seeking parts. Of course, the producers clearly do not place acting ability and dialogue at the top of their list of requirements. The body check is so important that the guys sometimes just skip the reading and go straight to the ... dancing part of the tryout. Jacqueline Lovell certainly makes an impression on the producers, but the most memorable and unusual screen test definitely goes to Nikki Fritz, earning her inclusion in two of the film clips interspersed throughout this tape. Having been impressed by Vanesa Taylor's performance in Femalien, I was hoping to see some new material from her included here, but she only appears in a film clip from the aforementioned movie. If you've seen several of Surrender Cinema's movies (including Femalien and Virtual Encounters), you can safely pass this item by because the only original content you will find here are several humorous but far from mesmerizing auditions from relative unknowns.

GET THE UNRATED VERSION
The 5 stars rating is for the unrated version which is available through the auction shops

Really Bad Retread
I recommend avoiding this one. It's just the audition tapes of the "Surrender girls" with old footage from previously released movies mixed in.

NIKKI FRITZ RULES
Although it's true that this is a compilation DVD, the sequence with Nikki Fritz alone is worth the price of this, or at least a ren tal.

Auditions or SUbtractions from Beyond?
The previosus fils produced by this house like Femalien 1 etc. can be ranked good production. However in this case it seems to be just a rehash of old tape. Any number of girls, some recognizable and others not are in this film in all stages of nudity. There are also several clips from other films which are outstanding, unless you've seen those other films. There are a number of solo nude scenes doing a number of things, some playing basketball, others talking, still others playing with themselves. The only thing of value in this tape is the very last scene, a short but erotic girl-girl scene with a very enthusiastic and enjoyable Sandy Wasko and a more subdued Tammie Hainum. Not highly recommend ... Read more

Amazon.com

The fantastic visions of Belgian filmmakers Marc Caro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet find full fruition in this fairy tale for adults. Evoking utopias and dystopias from Brazil to Peter Pan, Caro and Jeunet create a vivid but menacing fantasy city in a perpetually twilight world. In this rough port town lives circus strongman One (Ron Perlman), who wanders the alleys and waterfront dives looking for his baby brother, snatched from him by a mysterious gang preying upon the children of the town. Rising from the harbor is an enigmatic castle where lives the evil scientist Krank (Daniel Emilfork), who has lost the ability to dream and robs the nocturnal visions of the children he kidnaps, but receives only mad nightmares from the lonely cherubs. Other wild characters include the Fagin-like Octopus--Siamese twin sisters who control a small gang of runaways-turned-thieves--Krank's six cloned henchmen (all played by the memorable Dominique Pinon from Delicatessen), and a giant brain floating in an aquarium (voiced by Jean-Louis Trintignant). Caro and Jeunet are kindred souls to Terry Gilliam (who is a vocal fan), creating imaginative flights of fancy built of equal parts delight and dread, which seem to be painted on the screen in rich, dreamy colors. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (172)

Yes, Urban Fairy-Tales Do Exist.
The first time I heard of CITY was after I saw ALIEN: Resurrection (another neo-classic stoner fantasy); I wanted to see more movies by this young French director (or wherever the Deuce he's from). The title impressed me immediately.

THE CITY OF LOST CHILDREN

How can you deny the appeal of such an interesting title? Even better, one of my favorite actors was in it: Ron Perlman, among the top five most versatile American actors. It was a year after hearing about the movie that I actually saw it; believe it or not: It was worth the wait.

Essentially, someone's stealing kids and when those someones steal the wrong kid, D'Henri, the "little brother" of circus strongman, Mr. One (Perlman), it sets into motion a series of events culminating into a beautiful street fairy-tale. It's got a group of child-thieves and a Siamese Twin ring-leader, a Mad Scientist and several clones, a disembodied brain and a midget wife, a group of blind zealots collectively known as the "Cyclops," hypnotizing fleas, and a little boy who can't stop eating. Who can resist all that?

Great color and surprisingly good special effects. It should come out on DVD, if it isn't already. (Hey, I'm talking to you, people who make DVDs. Whoever you are.)

The Greatest Film of all time!
The City of Lost Children is absuloutely the greatest film ever made. From Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro comes a twisted fairy tale with a load of villains and heros. It bases in a strange, twisted, floating city. Where a carnival strongman takes a poor, homeless boy into his home. But the evil Cyclops that terrorize the city kidnap. That's when the adventure begins. He then goes searching for him and teams up with a small girl named Miette. Together, the strong man (One) and Miette. Go searching for the lost boy. They soon enter a strange underworld. Learning that a madman played perfectly by Daniel Emilfork, a Princess, and six bumbling, clumbsy clones are kidnapping childre because the madman(Krank) was created with the others by a perfessor and Krank can't dream. So now they kidnap children and steal their dreams. But all the children fear him and have nightmares. Krank soon buys One's child from the Cyclops and uses him in his master plan. Now Miette and One bind a relationship while two evil twins hunt them down, while meeting a strange scuba diver, a psychotic circusman, and the Cyclops layer. All of the adventure is jammed pack into one movie. It's my favorite, I can't take my eyes off of it. See this film! The Directors and great and also directed a similar film, Delicatessan.

jacque le blew- this blew!!!!!!!!
i take back my title , maybe this movie just wasn't for everyone. the dubbing was awful, and story just dragged on for too long. but all isn't lost........ the movie is visually stunning!! thats it take it or leave it!

The wierdest movie I've ever seen!
This was one of the most bizarre and well done movies I've ever seen. It took me about three times watching it to understand the plot completely, but it was well worth it. The children in the movie are fabulos, and the visuals are really amazing. If you have not already seen this movie, I would highly recommend it.

One of the best
So few movies these days really capture my mind. This is one of those movies from start to finish hands down one of the best. City of Lost Children is not for everyone but it's smart creative storytelling is all there. Dark humor and twisted effects set the tone for this film. if your a fan of a sweet films and dark humor than give this movie a try ... Read more

Amazon.com

This curiosity from the mid-1970s is breathtaking in its dreadfulness. Directed by Hal Needham, this was an attempt at creating a Roadrunner cartoon with live actors--except that instead of a live actor they got Arnold Schwarzenegger, before Hollywood smoothed his rough edges (and his Austrian accent). He plays the invulnerable sheriff who rides blithely through life, unaware that the evil Kirk Douglas wants to kill him and kidnap his squeeze, Ann-Margret. The stunts are cartoony without being funny and Schwarzenegger shows exactly why he was known as "the Austrian Oak." Douglas works extra hard but effort alone isn't enough to elevate this script. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (36)

Live-action cartoon
What fun! I stumbled onto this movie in progress on a program called "Golden Age of Comedy Movies." I paused when I saw Arnold and Ann-Margret in an old western, curious as to what this was. When Ann-Margret leaned out of the train and handed Arnold her bags, nearly falling out of her low-cut dress in the process and saying, "Take hold of these," I knew this wasn't a serious drama I was watching. When Kirk Douglas showed up, I was hooked. It's impossible not to make comparisons with The Roadrunner cartoons as Kirk Douglas performs impossible leaps and survives intact after being crushed by a giant boulder and hit by a train. His trusty sidekick, Whiskey the horse, is a pure delight. It's odd to see Arnold in cowboy garb. His job is mostly to look studly and his lines mostly consist of, "I really don't know!" delivered with a bewildered look. Definitely a one-of-a-kind movie. Don't watch it if you're expecting great acting and writing, but if you just want to get in on the fun of big name stars acting very silly, you'll love it.

A Live-Action Road Runner Cartoon!
The fun starts fast, and never ends in this live-action version of a Road Runner cartoon! Kirk Douglas stars in a role unlike any he's ever done, as Cactus Jack Slade; who undergoes the same troubles that the Coyote would endure. His horse (Whiskey), however, steals the show as he puts Cactus Jack into some really awkward situations throughout the movie. Arnold Schwartzenegger is Handsome Stranger (another unlikely role for him), the hero that escorts Ann Margaret's character from "point A" to "point B" safely (or is she safe?) If you're looking for a serious western, put this one down; however, if laughter is what you're looking for... "just push PLAY" on this outrageous comedy!

cactus jack the early years
The Movie advertised is wrestling NOY A MOVIE = no Ann Margaret , NO Krik Douglas- the description belongs to The Villian not the Title listed

an all time favorite
This is one of my most favorite movies. It actually is a family favorite. We made our original "beta" copy when it 1st appeared on cable in the early "70's-. Arnold, Mel Tillis- Ann Margaret, Ruth Buzzy-- Kirk Douglas - (he was amazing) Paul Lynn- Who am I missing-- Oh yeah the horse Whiskey - and road runner- This was hilarious in the 70's and still is. - As we showed it to all of our friends in the 70's-- we present it to all of our friends now- every one must see "The Villain" over and over and over.- cant get enough of it.

"A tale told by an idiot . . ."
No, no. This movie is far from being Shakespearean. In fact, The Villain is quite possibly the worst movie I've ever seen. This comes as no surprise as it was recommended by my grandmom, whose taste in movies has always been viewed as dubious by the rest of my family. What's even more hilarious is that she once heard that Arnold would be on The Tonight Show, and-- get this-- she said, "I wonder if he's going to talk about The Villain..." Sure, grandmom... He's really going to tarnish his reputation as a respected movie star by reminding everyone of this late-seventies bomb! Anyhow-- you probably get the point. Plainly stated, The Villain is parody at its worst, so don't even think that it's going to make you laugh. ... Read more

Description

Nancy Archer has had an alien encounter and it's left her 50 ft. tall! Now she sees the men in her life from a new angle--looking down on them--and it's time to fight back! Year: 1993 Director: Christopher Guest Starring:Daryl Hannah, Daniel Leroy Baldwin, William Windom ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Attack of the 50ft Woman...er...for 15 minutes anyway
Although a weak movie in it's own right, it is actually a B-Movie classic. Allison Hayes is perfect for the towering Nancy Archer on the rampage in search for her cheating husband, Harry. But the actual 'attack' is only at the last 15 minutes of the film and Hayes barely scratched the actual city and just scares people off. As many people have heard, the special effects are an absolute joke, what with the huge rubber hands and when Hayes, with all her strength, picks up...er...a cotton woll doll (which was meant to be Harry). The movies not really worth buying but may be worth recording from the TV.

fun cinema stuff
This movie was great fun, terrific acting, amusingly poor special effects but a camp 1950s scary movie classic that would definitely would be worth the purchase if it had been restored and presented in widescreen. I've seen this film many times but now I'd like to see the complete film.

Hey, it might be bad but a giant Allison Hayes ain't boring