A Better Tomorrow

Starring:Leslie Cheung, Yun-Fat Chow, Emily Chu, Waise Lee, Yangzi Shi, Fui-On Shing, Lung Ti, Feng Tien, Kenneth Tsang, Hark Tsui
Studio: Anchor Bay
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

Justin Lin's well-received 2002 independent feature, Better Luck Tomorrow, is a strangely appealing story of the mysterious, somehow inexorable drift of an ultra-conscientious, Southern California high school senior, Ben (Parry Shen), toward a fateful interlude with crime. Though highly focused on impressing colleges with his thoughtful balance of excellent grades, energized volunteer work (as a translator), and varsity sports (warming the bench during basketball games), something about Ben appears to be unraveling. Perhaps it is an attraction to his out-of-reach lab partner (Karin Anna Cheung), or his growing attachment to hard cash, or simply the malaise that coats his every act of self-denial. In any case, he and a brood of fellow Asian American overachievers metamorphose into the local go-to gang of black-market thievery--all while keeping up their classes. Lin brings a fresh angle to the exhausted youth-crime genre, and clarifies, with no small wisdom, the distinction between building a future and living one's destiny. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

A microcosm deserves to be seen, with moral issues of certain school behaviors.......2007-06-30

BETTER LUCK TOMORROW (2002) is a remarkable independent film, highly
realistic and original in the story that it tells. It brings forth,
as well, multicultural aspects as it has viewers mulling over that
and other moral and faith implications and foundations important to
each person. These too often are not taught, are forgotten or
dismissed as a pointless "overhead" needing eliminatation in the
final "profit analysis " in many people's lives.

Although the events occur in high school, the audience will surely
empathize with quite a bit of the storym as youngters build and
solify their character during those school years, from taking on new
life experiences.

In this tale, just as food cooks faster in a pressure cooker, and so
do the characters in this movie, aging faster than otherwise, by
taking on a large number of obligations, activities and social
interactions, beyond what many students do. The protagonists are
extraordinarily self-aware of what is needed in landing a
scholarship in the most expensive, brand name US universities, thus
ambitious objectives, in terms of a resume-building, such as
volunteerism, exam results, sports team membership, work experience.

A handful of school colleagues become friends, and thru exterior
influence, adopt small time scams, evolving to bigger ones, for
monetary profit, egomaniacal reasons (social status, self-worth) and
for the challenge. Examples shown include exam cheating, shoplifting
and simulating a return of merchandise, narco-trafficking, outright
theft of goods from their own school, etc.

A number of parallel issues, not edited out, are raised such as the
discomfort of affirmative action among those who are minorities who
obtained their jobs by merit. Another is the ghetto aspect to this
group of friends, all Asian yet all fully immersed in American
culture, well adjusted.

The flaw of this work, is that the moral aspects are brought out
into the open, in a clumsy, very vague, generalized manner, without
any familiarized notion of any organized existing religion or life
philosophy, irrealistically. The confusion, hesitance, remorse, pain
and self-doubt shown by the lead character, from a murder, sexual
excesses, simulated burglary, participation in the scams perhaps
could have been clarified, assisted by popular faiths. All students
are shown as atheistic or totally clueless about this, which seems
implausible, even unrealistic.

The picture is filmed with talent, very well edited, until the
cadence of action seems to flounder at the 75 minute mark, in the
plateau of the events, preparing the public for a relatively short
ending sequence. There's a sharp, clear DVD transfer, not quite a
widescreen. The soundtrack is original, and skillfully couples
various musical selections with the proper moods.

Undoubtedly, this work deserves to be seen, for the microcosm that
is laid out bare on screen, with events entirely realistic, and from
the action that maintains viewers attentions throughout as well as
from the aspects already mentioned (moral, multicultural) if not the
natural charisma of the actors.

Interesting Flick.......2007-02-21

Better Luck Tomorrow is an unusual little movie in that it is both a creation of Asian Americans and, most significantly, a film with Asian male characters who are not martial arts experts. In fact, it does not appear that any of the characters in this production are into martial arts at all.

The main characters are a group of Asian American students in Orange County who are generally academic standouts. After a fight with a white football jock who took exception to an Asian American tennis player wearing a letterman's jacket, the tennis player becomes studly in the eyes of the other students. The other Asian American male youths see adopting a violent pose as being the ticket to respect. Even so, they still must pay attention to their grades and the upcoming SAT's. Also, they are still unable to score any dates.

This latter point leads us to the true context that this movie needs to be seen in. Young Asian American males find it difficult to get dates. Many Asian American females seem to prefer white guys so much so that for every 1,000 married Asian American women, there are only 860 married Asian American males. Meanwhile, females of other racial groups seem to have little to no interest in Asian American male youth. Hence a great deal of frustration among many young Asian American males who cannot get dates.

This is a most interesting movie that hopefully presages more movies down the line pertaining to the Asian American experience that are made by Asian Americans.

A breakthrough for Asian American cinema........2007-01-14

Like many of you who have read the on-line reviews, "Better Luck Tomorrow" is a breakthrough film for Asian Americans. This is the film that helped put Justin Lin on the map, and I loved it for its respect in showing the pressures of high school life in the United States from the Asian American perspective. It is a groundbreaking film with a well-written script, and I commend it for the strong performances of its lead actors Parry Shen, Karin Anna Cheung, John Cho, and Sung Kang.

"Better Luck Tomorrow" is the first full-on Asian American feature film I have ever seen. Just imagine how I must have felt after years of watching my people portrayed as 1-dimensional stereotypical caricatures on screen for us to finally see a film that accurately portrays Asian Americans. Lin, arguably, understands the Asian American ethos better than any other Hollywood filmmaker out there. He's still a rising filmmaker in Hollywood who is making a name for himself in an extremely racist industry; I hope that in a few years, there will be more films by Lin and many other Asian American filmmakers that dispel a lot of the negative stereotypes perpetuated upon Asian Americans by mainstream American society for the past 150 years.

Most other Asian American filmmakers never got a shot at the brass ring, and I am sorry to hear that, but Lin did through his chance meeting with M.C. Hammer, who was impressed by the well-written quality of Lin's script for "Better Luck Tomorrow." This came at a time when Lin had no funding left for his independent film production company and was on the verge of shutting down. It was M.C. Hammer who helped fund Lin's film ($250,000 to produce "Better Luck Tomorrow"), and helped arrange Lin to meet with MTV executives to promote and distribute it through Paramount Pictures Studios. The only "luck" involved throughout the film's funding, production, and distribution was in its title. Lin put his heart and creative energy into this film like the way John G. Avildsen did with the original "Rocky."

I want Justin Lin to succeed in Hollywood, and his success allows more doors to be opened for Asian American filmmakers and Asian American actors who want to work in Hollywood. Lin got his foot in the gate, and he's prying it open. He has clearly shown to the American mainstream that Asian Americans can be portrayed as all-around human beings who can love, hate, think, feel like everyone else. At this point, Asian American filmmakers are still trying to find "a voice" in the Hollywood community. It's still in the "trials and tribulations" stage, and they have to take the lumps with the praises. We have to work with what we've got until that day arrives. It is good to know that we were able to establish that first breakthrough with "Better Luck Tomorrow."

As for martial arts, leave those films to Chuck Norris...

Better Luck Tomorrow.......2006-02-22

I love this movie, this is the movie I leave in the DVD player on REPEAT....haha.

Thoughtful, Disturbing, With A Fine Performance By Parry Shen.......2005-07-31

It's a hot Southern California afternoon. Two high school students, smart, from affluent families, are sitting in lawn chairs in the back yard of a home. They are Ben Manibag (Parry Shen) and his best friend, Virgil Hu (Jason Tobin). A cell phone rings. Ben checks and it's not his. Virgil looks at his phone; it's not his. The phone keeps ringing and the two look at each with increasing panic. They run to a section of the backyard and press their ears to the dirt. Then they begin frantically digging with their hands. The ringing cell phone is on the body of someone they and two other friends had recently killed and buried.

"It started with a pack of baseball cards," says Ben in flashback. "Then it snowballed. I guess it just felt good to do things I couldn't put on my college application. Besides, it was suburbia. We didn't have anything better to do. Our straight A's were our alibis, our passports to freedom. Going to a study group would get us out of the house until 4 in the morning. As long as our grades were there, we were trusted. We had it all. Well, almost." From trading in cheat sheets the four moved into whatever scams paid well and provided thrills, then into drug dealing. And they worked hard to get all A's, to list carefully considered volunteer community activities on their college applications, to have perfect scores on their SATs. They drifted further into the moral vacuum that led to the murder of another student, just as affluent and bored as they are.

I don't want to leave the impression that this is one more movie about teen-age angst. In many ways the first half of the movie is funny and sympathetic as it sets the scene with this vision of affluent suburbia, a huge, bland high school, and students who, as long as they have top grades and don't cause problems, are pretty much invisible to their teachers and parents. Parry Shen who plays Ben is the heart of the movie. He's an enormously engaging actor, not particularly handsome but with an open and thoughtful look about him. Ben is smart, knows what his future will hold (acceptance in one of the top Ivy League colleges and a major in biology), and has a crush on a cheerleader played by Karin Anna Cheung that he's too shy to do much about. As the movie progresses, however, we start to see decisions being made that get out of hand. Ben might be having second thoughts but it's unclear if the other three are. The end of the movie brings us to the present. Virgil has shot himself and lies in a coma in a hospital. The remaining three don't know if he'll live, if he'll talk about what happened, or what will happen to them. We don't either. "For the first time in my life," Ben says, "I don't know what my future will hold. I don't even know what the other guys are going to do. All I know is that there's no turning back."

This is a well-made movie. It's thoughtful and disturbing, with some very good performances. The DVD picture is just fine, with a commentary by the director and the two writers.

Average customer rating:

Woo's International Calling Card
My favorite of John Woo
"It's easy to become a ganster, but it's hard to get out..."
One of John Woo's best!!!
Don't Make this your first John Woo flick.

A Better Tomorrow
Starring: Leslie Cheung , Yun-Fat Chow , Emily Chu , Waise Lee , and Yangzi Shi
Manufacturer: Anchor Bay
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

A Better Tomorrow II
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ASIN: 6305972532
Release Date: 2001-01-16

Amazon.com essential video

The John Woo gangster classic that started it all, a romantic, violent, swirlingly stylish melodrama about dueling brothers--with a mesmerizing lead performance by Hong Kong's favorite actor, Chow Yun-Fat. In repose, Chow's sleepy magnetism recalls the glory days of Robert Mitchum, Steve McQueen, and Takakura Ken; when he's stepping high, Chow has a unique, ebullient star presence, a man who embraces life so unselfconsciously that he becomes vulnerable to all kinds of suffering and heartache (he endures masochistic megadoses of violence here). The sequence in which Chow's Mark avenges his betrayed best friend---by blasting his way into, and then out of, a Chinese restaurant, twin .45s blazing---is a swashbuckling standout. Woo's film technique may have been more polished in later efforts, but Tomorrow has a direct emotional power that is still unique. Kung fu star of the 1970s, Ti Lung is also terrific here as the 40ish established mobster, relied upon by all, who allows conflicting loyalties toward Mark and toward his younger brother, now a cop, to undermine the stability of his position. --David Chute

Customer Reviews:

Woo's International Calling Card.......2007-03-30

This is the Hong Kong action/crime film that kick started the flagging careers of director John Woo and actor Chow Yun Fat. Prior to this, both were relatively small players in the Hong Kong New Wave, Woo at one point was even seconded to Taiwan to direct desultory comedies and romances, similarly Chow was hardly box office gold. The success of the film lies in its energetic synthesis of local allegorical concerns (the 1997 handover to China, and urban dystopia), its aesthetic merits (Woo's balletic, beautifully composed action sequences) and its referential attitude to western forms (the French new wave, the Hollywood action film.) This potentially unwieldy and fragmented fabric to the film is masterfully controlled by a director and cast who rise wonderfully to the hyper-kinetic challenge of the film. "A Better Tomorrow" single-handedly created a new generic hybrid known as "the hero" film, as well as presenting action in a new and innovatively edited way, the film also weaves in a nostalgic subtext which endeared it to local audiences. The themes of friendship, loyalty, forgiveness and reconciliation are strong in the film, especially in the light of the familial and institutional breakdown that the films protagonists are surrounded by. The themes of social and urban dissolution are taken to further extremes in later films, most notable "Hard Boiled". One could argue that Woo made more polished later examples of "the hero" film, but for me "A Better Tomorrow" has a special original quality of its own, which has been remarkably popular in the global exchange of filmic images.

Anchor Bay's DVD is devoid of the special features one has become accustomed to from this fine company, however slight compensation is made by the picture and sound restoration. A definitive release of this Hong Kong classic is still required.

My favorite of John Woo.......2006-10-18

I still have to see Bullet In the Head but this movie is just flat out awesome. Ti Lung starts out as a guy who prints fake money. He ends up getting screwed over by somebody and has to go to jail for 3 years. When he gets out he is expecting a warm reception from his brother(Leslie Cheung)but he doesn't know that his release from prison is jeopardizing his brothers job as a cop. He then meets his gangster friend again and things have changed big time. His friend(Chow Yun-fat)who was on the top of world with him now has a brace fom a leg after a great shootout where Chow went to take revenge for Ti. He is a bum now that earns money by opening the door for the new boss of their crime business to his car. He then goes home at to a parking garage. Ti Lung ends up being the most miserable person on the planet after finding all of this out. Literally nothing will go right for him. Finally after being harrassed over and over again by the gangsters on top of evrything else, Ti has had enough. The finale is one of my favorite pieces of cinema history. I am not really a big Chow fan though I always thought he was OK but he puts on one of the greatest performances ever in this movie.

The DVD is not remastered but still has MUCH better picture quality than pretty much every Hong Kong movie released from this time. It even has an English dub on it though it is not recommended.

"It's easy to become a ganster, but it's hard to get out...".......2004-08-23

"A Better Tomorrow" is John Woo's first tense, bloody gangster epic, and while it wasn't his best it certainly shows the potential that would be fully realized later. It's here that Woo started developing the themes that he later explored further in "Hard Boiled" and "The Killer." Like those movies, "A Better Tomorrow" is a compelling tale of honor, loyalty and devotion set against the unlikely backdrop of the criminal underworld. The movie's principal plot, the relationship between an ex-gangster and his detective brother, is ideal for the sort of Shakesperean moral conflicts that are always at the center of Woo films. And like any movie, this one benefits immeasurably from the brooding, intense presence of Chow Yun Fat, even if his character is often in the background in this movie. Fat isn't quite the indelible leading man he would become a few years later, but his Mark does have his moments, most notably when cutting down a room full of enemies early on and later during the obligatory climactic shootout.

Strangely, though, "A Better Tomorrow" isn't quite as violent as I was given to expect after having previously seen Woo's later classics. Aside from the two aforementioned shootouts, the film is generally pretty subdued for something with Woo's stamp on it. Fortunately, the plot and characterization are more than sufficient to carry things along during the down time. Much of "A Better Tomorrow" explores the relationships among its three central characters. There's Ho, the ex-gangster and extremely tortured soul who gets out of prison three years after being betrayed by his apprentice to find out that going straight isn't going to be easy. There's his detective brother Kit, the kind of guy that practically squeaks when he walks, sees everything in black and white, and still bears a grudge against Ho for his criminal past. And of course, there's Mark, crippled during the aforementioned shootout scene and none too happy about it. This guy's got plenty of rage bottled up inside him, and you know it's just a matter of time until some unfortunate people wind up on the receiving end.

Unfolding around these three guys, the movie's action is vintage Woo, plot twists and all, as Ho's cartoonishly evil ex-protege Shing tries to consolidate his power in the underworld. Allegiances shift, the line between good and bad is repeatedly blurred, and bullets fly everywhere. Played in a sufficiently brooding manner by Ti Lung, Ho eventually emerges as one of the most compelling characters in action movie history, a guy who struggles mighty hard to maintain his dignity and his principles even after his old life has been pulled out from under him. Kit's sanctimony occasionally gets so irritating that even I wanted to punch him in the face, but Ho still manages to remain loyal to his brother. The naive Kit doesn't want to see the world in shades of grey, but of course his brother knows better.

In any Woo movie, the plot is all but bound to be resolved with a frenetic shootout, and this one is no exception. Apparently, there's nothing to help two feuding brothers get over their problems like being in a sustained gunfight together. Anyway, while not as impressive as the legendary church battle in "The Killer" or the full-scale war in a hospital that ends "Hard Boiled," this movie's final standoff does provide an early glimpse at the talent for staging ultraviolent gun battles that would make propel Woo (and Fat) to international renown. At a mere ninety-four minutes, "A Better Tomorrow" is a bit on the short side, and occasionally somewhat amateurish, but it still showcases all of the elements that Woo fans would come to know and love. It was up to later movies to do a sleeker and more professional job, which they certainly did.

One of John Woo's best!!!.......2003-12-30

This classic Hong Kong flick is one of John Woo's best films!!! 2 sequels followed!!! This is the first and the best of the series!!! The action is intence!!! Anchor Bay did a top notch job with this DVD!!! I'ts in 16:9 Widescreen and has multiple language tracks and great subtitles!!! Some trailers and production notes round out this awesome DVD!!! Two thumbs up!!! A+

Don't Make this your first John Woo flick........2003-10-30

This is my second favorite John Woo movie with great touches of action and drama, When I first saw this film (about 5 years ago) I wasn't used to seeing this much violence on screen (And I thought Lethal Weapon was extremely violent at that time) I was in shock and more then once my jaw dropped. This film is VERY violent But compared to other action films this is REALLY tame nowadays. The minor points of this film would be some bad acting to some worse acting in some spots, some weird cuts and editing, the subs were terrible, as the same with the audio quality and some of the camera work is bad, but this is John Woo's first (if you can count heroes shed no tears) landmark heroic bloodshed film so we all know he could have done worse MUCH worse. Yun fat chow, Ti Lung and Leslie Chung have their good moments to bad moments, most of the good moments goes to Chow and Ti while Leslie had only one or two moments. The plot is like this A cop must confront his criminal brother. That's it. If your the typical Hollywood action goer this is your perfect find. But as I said if your new to the heroic bloodshed films don't make this your first one, I'll say stick with the killer and hard boiled for a few weeks then move on. But if your the Hollywood action movie goer make this your first if you can handle it move on to the other heroic bloodshed films and so on. This film is a big landmark in the action genre and a even bigger landmark to the underground action genre. I really recommend this film to any action fan!!!!!

Average customer rating:

The sequel to A Better Tomorrow
DVD purchase
great gunfights and great movie
John Woo's best volume 2!!!
A MUST OWN

A Better Tomorrow II
Starring: Dean Shek , Lung Ti , Leslie Cheung , Yun-Fat Chow , and Emily Chu
Director: John Woo
Manufacturer: Anchor Bay
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Crime | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

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A Better Tomorrow
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ASIN: 6305972729
Release Date: 2001-01-16

Amazon.com

"I won't give you nothing, man; I give you shit," sneers charismatic superstar Chow Yun Fat, speaking English (with a De Niro accent) in his role as a New York restaurateur who won't knuckle under to the (Italian) mob. Chow plays the twin brother of the character he played in the original Tomorrow, the ultraviolent, ultraromantic ultrapopular Hong Kong gangster melodrama. And the blatancy of that device is a fair indication of the sequel's shortcomings--and of its screwy charm: this is a film that knows no shame. The bond between the natural siblings played by Ti Lung (as a reformed mobster) and Leslie Cheung (as a hot shot cop) still resonate tellingly. As a good-guy ex-thug driven batty by the slaying of his only daughter, real-life Cinema City studio chief Dean Shek gets to play a garishly extended "mad scene," foaming at the mouth, chewing on soup bones. A later episode in which a dying man crawls to a phone booth to call his wife (and newborn daughter) in the hospital must also be some kind of lurid first in the soap sweepstakes. The final 15 minutes could be the bloodiest single shoot-out sequence ever committed to celluloid. The story line hasn't been shaped to any particular purpose here, but the images have a golden Godfather-like glow, and this faintly anachronistic, all-stops-out wish-fulfillment approach to moviemaking still has a lot of power. --David Chute

Customer Reviews:

The sequel to A Better Tomorrow.......2007-06-07

The movie starts out showing Ti Lung in jail. He is given an offer to go undercover to bring down a counterfeit money operation. He says no, but immediately changes his mind when he finds out his brother (Leslie Cheung) is working on the case. The crime boss that Leslie Cheung is after is played by Dean Shek who gives a great dramatic performance. Dean Shek is best known for playing very goofy characters in Drunken Master, Snake in the Eagle's Shadow and Dirty Tiger, Crazy Frog. When Shek is framed for murder, he must hideout with a friend in New York. Leslie Cheung and Ti Lung also head to New York when they find out Mark (Ti Lung's friend from the last movie) has a twin brother. If you have seen A Better Tomorrow, then you know that Mark (Chow Yun Fat) couldn't come back for this movie, so they just say he has a twin brother. This would be fine if it was the only part of the story that seemed to be hastily glued together, but there are too many things that fall into place unnaturally. Some scenes must have been cut out and the movie is just a mess. There are a few good action scenes and the end is very exciting, but sadly this is not one of John Woo's better efforts.

3/5

Picture and sound quality on the Anchor Bay DVD are good. Subtitles are well written and there is also a really bad English dub.

DVD purchase.......2007-01-29

I ordered A Better Tomorrow II on DVD and received it so fast that I just couldn't believe it. I bought it as a gift and it was extremely well received. The quality was so good that it has been played over and over again. Thank you for your prompt and contientious response to my order.

great gunfights and great movie.......2004-03-06

This movies is cool. I like the scence when chow yun fat is about to shoot a man in the head if he does not eat the rice.The last 40 or 30 minutes is when it start to get good. If you love voilence as much as I do buy this movie. The one I brought is not in english but it has subtitles. There is to parts where chow yun fat speakes in english in this movie. I like when he take the shotgun and start blow the men all away. then he takes the pistols slides down the stairs shooting a man. There are two good action scence but they last for 3o minutes. The last 15 minutes will have you supised it is the best part of the movie.That about all.

John Woo's best volume 2!!!.......2003-12-30

This is another one of John Woo's finest films!!! This is the second volume of the Better Tommorrow series and it's action packed!!! Will make a great companion to volume 1!!! Anchor Bay's DVD of this clasic Hong Kong film is awesome!!! 16:9 widescreen,2 trailers,multiple language tracks,great subtitles and production notes round out this grea DVD!!! A+

A MUST OWN.......2003-12-18

The Hong Kong Godfather. Without a doubt this movie proves that John Woo is the best action director of all time, the vision, style, and the sher genious that he (Woo) uses in the direction of this movie is what sets it apart from and american action movie ever made. The action in this movie plays out like a ballet, a dance with bullets and blood. So put down those typical american action movies and pick up the movie that they want to be. You will not be dissaponted by this movie, one of if not the best hong kong action movie.

Hubert Selby Jr: It/ll Be Better Tomorrow

Average customer rating:

Hubert Selby Jr: It/ll Be Better Tomorrow - Authentically presents THE SECRET
Applause for this film...
Hubert Selby, Jr. : Ten Times More Life-Affirming Than Anything Authored By Mitch Albom
Hubert Selby Jr. One Not To be Overlooked

Hubert Selby Jr: It/ll Be Better Tomorrow
Starring: Hubert Selby Jr. , Ellen Burstyn , Lou Reed , Richard Price , and Nick Tosches
Director: Michael W. Dean , and Kenneth Shiffrin
Manufacturer: Eclectic DVD Dist.
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B000LC4ZK8
Release Date: 2007-03-13

Amazon.com

One of the greatest American writers of the 20th century is duly honored in Hubert Selby Jr: It/ll Be Better Tomorrow, an exceptionally well-made documentary that does ample justice to Selby's literary legacy. The film's title indicates the respect that codirectors Michael W. Dean and Kenneth Shiffrin have toward the author of such gritty classics as Last Exit to Brooklyn and Requiem for a Dream: As literary critic Michael Silverblatt observes in one of many illuminating interviews, Selby was known for using "eccentric typography" in his work (eschewing the use of commas and other punctuation, for example, or using slashes instead of apostrophes, etc.), and the film's title is a reverent reflection of Selby's unconventional technique. Functioning as an in-depth biographical profile and cogent literary analysis, the film gathers revealing, eloquent, and frequently amusing interviews with Selby (prior to his death in 2004 at age 76) and many of the writers, artists, editors, and scholars who were inspired by Selby's life and fiction. And while the choice of Robert Downey Jr. as narrator is an obvious one (because both Selby and Downey suffered and recovered from similar drug-addiction problems), Downey's voice lends greater resonance to Selby's compelling history of chronic illness, addiction, and stubborn survival. After getting permanently clean at the age of 40, Selby expressed his rage through literature, railing against a godless world with uncompromising ferocity, wonderfully contrasted here with Selby's own warm, sarcastic, and instantly appealing personality.

In addition to interviews with Selby admirers like Henry Rollins, Lou Reed, Amiri Baraka, Nick Tosches, Richard Price, Jerry Stahl, and others, particular emphasis is placed on the unusually high quality of films based on Selby's novels (notably Last Exit to Brooklyn and Requiem for a Dream), with directors Uli Edel, Darren Aronofsky, and Nicolas Winding Refn describing the importance of Selby's work in their own artistic endeavors, while actress Ellen Burstyn offers her own touching reminiscence of meeting Selby while working with Aronofsky on Requiem. Best of all are the interviews with Selby himself, which are generously excerpted in the film and included in their entirety (along with full-length interviews with Silverblatt and Edel) as audio-only bonus features. Fierce, funny, and worthy of mention alongside the likes of Hemingway, Burroughs, and Kerouac, Selby was a force to be reckoned with, even as a lifetime of tuberculosis withered him down to a skeletal frame. For many years to come, It/ll Be Better Tomorrow will stand as a worthy appreciation of the man and the impressive body of work he created. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Featuring: Lou Reed, Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Darren Aronofsky, Uli Edel, Henry Rollins, Jerry Stahl, Richard Price, Nick Tosches, & narrated by Robert Downey, Jr. This documentary is a harrowing and engaging exploration into the life and art of the renowned author Hubert Selby Jr, who, against all odds, overcame tuberculosis, drug addiction and financial ruin to reach international acclaim with his controversial novels. His canon of work represents 7 of the most remarkable and distinctly American books ever written. His novels LAST EXIT TO BROOKLYN and REQUIEM FOR A DREAM went on to gain the literary respect they deserved and both become major motion pictures.

Customer Reviews:

Hubert Selby Jr: It/ll Be Better Tomorrow - Authentically presents THE SECRET.......2007-06-28

I saw this film in the theater and I couldn't wait to be able to purchase it on DVD. It would've been nice to have been able to meet Cubby Selby in person - the directors, Kenneth Shiffrin and Michael W. Dean, did more than deliver a film - they create an outlet for us all to spend a moment with this unsung artist.

The insight this movie gives into the world of Cubby Selby is pretty astonishing. I certainly wasn't expecting to be handed keys to his creative process while simultaneously being uplifted by the journey of this absolute spiritual being who was unapologetically human.

Cause for both tears and laughter... this film will touch your heart.

Applause for this film..........2007-05-27

This is a truly great film - actually drove me to tears, which does not happen very often these days. Of course, I had already seen "Last Exit To Brooklyn" and had been severly affected (er, shocked) by it, but I had never bothered to take a look at the human being behind the script.

Dean and Shiffrin have done an amazing job of telling a story that was no doubt fairly overwhelming to piece together. So much happened to Selbert during his life that it's hard to imagine being able to distill it all down into seventy-nine minutes. (It's worth noting that the DVD comes with much additional interview footage that did not fit into the final cut. The directors should be applauded for including all of this seminal commentary for the viewer and not just leaving it on the cutting room floor)

I was so impressed by this film that I went online and ordered a copy of Selbert's book: "The Willow Tree".

I am hoping that colleges here in the US will begin to include this film as part of any course on modern American literature, as it sure portrays one man's honest view of the American experience, a view that is not necessarily the most evident anymore (and which has been all but swept under the rug by modern American advertising).

-->S.

Hubert Selby, Jr. : Ten Times More Life-Affirming Than Anything Authored By Mitch Albom.......2007-03-28

Most people probably know Selby through the (justly-acclaimed) film versions of his two most famous novels, LAST EXIT TO BROOKLYN and REQUIEM FOR A DREAM. But the excellence of these two movies will never replace the jaw-droppingly-amazing achievements of Selby's prose -- as this documentary ably and evocatively proves. Fearless, passionate, and wildly experimental (the very title of this documentary is a reference to Selby's completely original style of punctuation/grammar), Selby -- somewhat surprisingly -- was also a writer who, while wallowing among the dregs of society and dredging up its truths, somehow emerges, at the end of the day, as the most life-affirming literary personage imaginable. It's an alchemy that was all Selby's own, and this documentary is a must-see for anyone and everyone intrigued by the intermingling of words, storytelling, and spirituality in our contemporary world.

Hubert Selby Jr. One Not To be Overlooked.......2006-12-08

Hubert Selby Jr. It'll Be Better Tomorrow is a fascinating film. How could an author of such overwhelming influence have become so overlooked for so long. Controversy and drugs derailed this genius but when you hear those he influenced tell it, it was the mainstream that passed him by not the artists. Selby's battles with TB, heroin, and everything else belie the spiritual giant he seems to have become. Lou Reed tells how 'Last Exit To Brooklyn' spun his world, Lou Reed goes on to spin the world of music, the impact is profound. Writing when books could still be banned 'England banned Last Exit', Selby triumphed and didn't bow. Amazing film, well crafted and concise, a great look into the soul of the artist

Average customer rating:

The sequel to A Better Tomorrow
DVD purchase
great gunfights and great movie
John Woo's best volume 2!!!
A MUST OWN

A Better Tomorrow II
Starring: Dean Shek , Lung Ti , Leslie Cheung , Yun-Fat Chow , and Emily Chu
Director: John Woo
Manufacturer: Tai Seng
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ASIN: 6305020841
Release Date: 2000-02-22

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Customer Reviews:

The sequel to A Better Tomorrow.......2007-06-07

DVD purchase.......2007-01-29

great gunfights and great movie.......2004-03-06

John Woo's best volume 2!!!.......2003-12-30

A MUST OWN.......2003-12-18

Average customer rating:

Woo's International Calling Card
My favorite of John Woo
"It's easy to become a ganster, but it's hard to get out..."
One of John Woo's best!!!
Don't Make this your first John Woo flick.

A Better Tomorrow
Starring: Leslie Cheung , Yun-Fat Chow , Emily Chu , Waise Lee , and Yangzi Shi
Manufacturer: Tai Seng
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ASIN: 6305020817
Release Date: 2000-02-22

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Customer Reviews:

Woo's International Calling Card.......2007-03-30

My favorite of John Woo.......2006-10-18

"It's easy to become a ganster, but it's hard to get out...".......2004-08-23

One of John Woo's best!!!.......2003-12-30

Don't Make this your first John Woo flick........2003-10-30

Average customer rating:

More Bang For the Buck
Better Tomorrow - Chow Yun-Fat's Best Work
Often imated, never matched
insane action

A Better Tomorrow/A Better Tomorrow II
Starring: John Woo , and Chow Yun Fat
Manufacturer: Anchor Bay
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The Killer
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Full Contact

ASIN: B0001BKBDO
Release Date: 2004-03-02

Amazon.com

A Better Tomorrow is the John Woo gangster classic that started it all, a romantic, violent, swirlingly stylish melodrama about dueling brothers--with a mesmerizing lead performance by Hong Kong's favorite actor, Chow Yun-Fat. In repose, Chow's sleepy magnetism recalls the glory days of Robert Mitchum, Steve McQueen, and Takakura Ken; when he's stepping high, Chow has a unique, ebullient star presence, a man who embraces life so unselfconsciously that he becomes vulnerable to all kinds of suffering and heartache (he endures masochistic megadoses of violence here). The sequence in which Chow's Mark avenges his betrayed best friend---by blasting his way into, and then out of, a Chinese restaurant, twin .45s blazing---is a swashbuckling standout. Woo's film technique may have been more polished in later efforts, but Tomorrow has a direct emotional power that is still unique. Kung fu star of the 1970s, Ti Lung is also terrific here as the 40ish established mobster, relied upon by all, who allows conflicting loyalties toward Mark and toward his younger brother, now a cop, to undermine the stability of his position.

"I won't give you nothing, man; I give you shit," sneers charismatic superstar Chow Yun Fat, speaking English (with a De Niro accent) in his role as a New York restaurateur who won't knuckle under to the (Italian) mob in A Better Tomorrow II. Chow plays the twin brother of the character he played in the original, and the blatancy of that device is a fair indication of the sequel's shortcomings--and of its screwy charm: this is a film that knows no shame. The bond between the natural siblings played by Ti Lung (as a reformed mobster) and Leslie Cheung (as a hot shot cop) still resonate tellingly. As a good-guy ex-thug driven batty by the slaying of his only daughter, real-life Cinema City studio chief Dean Shek gets to play a garishly extended "mad scene," foaming at the mouth, chewing on soup bones. A later episode in which a dying man crawls to a phone booth to call his wife (and newborn daughter) in the hospital must also be some kind of lurid first in the soap sweepstakes. The final 15 minutes could be the bloodiest single shoot-out sequence ever committed to celluloid. The story line hasn't been shaped to any particular purpose here, but the images have a golden Godfather-like glow, and this faintly anachronistic, all-stops-out wish-fulfillment approach to moviemaking still has a lot of power. --David Chute

Customer Reviews:

More Bang For the Buck.......2005-10-01

The price is right for this terrific set. I rate these two film's equally because they flow together flawlessly as a satisfying epic. The beauty of these film's are that they do not sacrifice characterization for the sake of pyrotechnics. The connecting thread of the films is the complex relationship between two brothers, one an upright Hong Kong police detective(Leslie Cheung) and the other a criminal with principles(Ti Lung). The one thing they share is a distaste for the more unsavory elements of the Hong Kong crime syndicate but part as to the method in which to bring them down. The selling point of these film's is the presence of Chow Yun Fat who is essentially a supporting player in these films. That said, whenever he appears on screen the wattage of his charisma lights up the screen as good as any actor on the world stage. Both film's feature dynamite climactic showdowns as staged by John Woo that surpass anything concocted by Western filmmakers(send a thank you note, Quentin). I would have rated these films five stars but I felt that some of the more melodramatic elements in the scripts bogged down the precedings.

Better Tomorrow - Chow Yun-Fat's Best Work.......2004-12-10

I have to say, Better Tomorrow I&II are Chow Yun-Fat's best work. His acting is extraordinary in these two movies. He really portraited his role with great amount of passions. I strongl recommend these two movies!

Often imated, never matched.......2004-11-20

These two movies together stand as a milestone achievement of not only Hong Kong cinema but movies in general. John Woo is a god and Chow Yun Fat is justly celebrated for these performances. People who don't like subtitles need to get past their hang-up and view these two landmarks of action moviemaking. All the signature moves now common in action films in the past decade (yes i mean you Keanu Reeves) were copyrighted in these two movies by director John Woo, who has to be the most imitated director since Hitchcock.

insane action.......2004-03-14

these two movies are awesome,
especially when watched with subtitles. some of the best action ever- especially the climax to ABT2. breathtaking.
Woo is a genius. I have 1 on DVD but have yet to watch 2, i cant wait.

CARTOONS for a BETTER TOMORROW - Propaganda - Education - American - Educational - Cartoon - AN AMAZON EXCLUSIVE SPECIAL PRICE!

Average customer rating:

Is it wrong to laugh at something that tries to be serious?
SCHLOCK-O-RAMA

CARTOONS for a BETTER TOMORROW - Propaganda - Education - American - Educational - Cartoon - AN AMAZON EXCLUSIVE SPECIAL PRICE!
Director: Maurice Noble, Gerald Nevius, Edgar Starr, George Gordon Carl Urbano
Manufacturer: Bondo! Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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11 cartoons from Sutherland Studios
1 hidden bonus cartoon
Includes insert booklet with additional information, contents and liner notes
Top of the line animators, directors and artists, borrowed from Disney, Warner and other top animation studios
Additional facts and historical details for each and every cartoon.

ASIN: B000S9KD46

Product Description

Official Page: http://www.bondomedia.com/bondofeature/home.htm - - - - - AN AMAZON EXCLUSIVE, SPECIAL PRICED ITEM!! COLLECTED ON DVD FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER! - - - - - - - - - - CONTENTS : A is for Atom - - Destination Earth - - Going Places - - It's Everybody's Business - - Make Mine Freedom - - Meet King Joe - - What Makes Us Tick - - Why Play Leap Frog? - - Working Dollars - - Wise Use of Credit - - Your Safety First - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - From John Sutherland Studios comes this rare collection of 11 post-war cartoons. From 1948 to 1961, these corporate sponsored cartoons used fun storytelling and groundbreaking animation to sell good old-fashioned American know-how. Mix one third education, one third patriotism and one third entertainment. Pour contents into a big bowl and spoon feed to the working man. From the liner notes: These were no mere kiddie cartoons, but cartoons aimed right at the adult, middle-class worker. Cartoons about investing, business and work ethics, the pitfalls of Communism and the power of the atom. These cartoons had to be interesting, funny and educational for an adult to watch during his work lunch break. Not an easy task for a producer, but John Sutherland more than met the challenge. For along with the educational, motivational messages, Sutherland wove into this tapestry a fine thread of good, old fashioned, American propaganda. A subtle hint of flag waving, freedom hugging assurance that everything is going to be just fine...as long as you do what the cartoons tell you.

Customer Reviews:

Is it wrong to laugh at something that tries to be serious?.......2007-06-28

The one about the oil had me nearly in tears. I mean, it's from the American Petroleum Institute! Oil is good! Oil is great! Cheap oil and competition will bring wealth to everyone. Oil brings down dictators.

Or so the American Petroleum Institute would have you believe.

The only thing missing from this DVD is a good old Bet the Turtle cartoon teaching us how to duck and cover. Then, I'm hoping there will be a sequel to this DVD.

SCHLOCK-O-RAMA.......2007-06-28

NOW THIS IS WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!!! After 50+ years, these classic Info-Toons are finally available on DVD. This set is stuffed to the gills w/ schlocky goodness!! If you are fan of classic animation, post-war propaganda, hygiene films or just sitting around the tube with a few peeps enjoying some "pops" -then this set is for you. I should mention that some of these cartoons are not as crisp as most major company releases; some dust here, some lines there and I'm sorry but no Dolby 5.0. PLEASE NOTE: Although there is some visible wear to these classics shorts, they are indeed uncut, unedited & un-restored; As of late, many major commercial releases from the big studios (Tom & Jerry & The Tex Avery Collection come to mind) are de-saturated, edited & hollowed out. This collection is true to vision of their creators. In short, this set is worth both your time and your money.

THANK YOU BONDO!

Average customer rating:

A weak sequel, but not such a bad film
Prequel Best In the Series
not the best, but a classic none the less
BETTER TOMORROW III
hmmm ??

A Better Tomorrow III
Starring: Yun-Fat Chow , Tony Leung Ka Fai , Anita Mui , Kien Shih , and Saburô Tokitô
Director: Hark Tsui
Manufacturer: Tai Seng
ProductGroup: DVD
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Similar Items:

A Better Tomorrow/A Better Tomorrow II
A Better Tomorrow
Hard Boiled - Criterion Collection
A Better Tomorrow II
Full Contact

ASIN: 6305020868
Release Date: 2000-02-22

Amazon.com

A prequel, set in Saigon during the fall, and the weakest link in the trilogy, unacceptably restrained in both action and emotion. Chow Yun-fat plays a younger version of Mark, his original character, a hesitant young man digging for his roots in Vietnam, which was also Tsui's birthplace, and we get to watch him assemble his totemic trappings: the duster overcoat, the French shades, the twin .45s. The surprise is that he gets most of them from a torchy dame played by Anita Mui (the seductive singing ghost from Rouge), who's a more-than-worthy high-noir love object. She can perforate miscreants with the best of them. (John Woo wrote the original script, only to be supplanted as director by his boss and supposed pal, Mr. Tsui; much of Woo's original material ended up in his later magnum opus Bullet in the Head.) --David Chute

Customer Reviews:

A weak sequel, but not such a bad film.......2006-06-21

As a big fan of the first two films in the series, I had been wanting to see Tsui Hark's A BETTER TOMORROW III for a while. I had mixed expectations for the film. I'd heard that it wasn't too good, that the series was nothing without John Woo. But I was also very intrigued by the storyline and the fact that the film was a prequel.

The film is set at the end of the Vietnam War. Young Mark Gor (Chow Yun Fat, reprising his role from A BETTER TOMORROW) travels to Saigon to bring his cousin, Mun (Tony Leung), and his uncle back to Hong Kong. Once there, Mark finds Mun - and everyone else - caught up in the war, forced to involve themselves in shady underworld crime. As Mark is drawn into the criminal underworld, he meets Chow Ying Kit (Anita Mui), a beautiful gangleader who quickly grows close to Mark and Mun. Though both Mark and Mun are in love with Kit, Mun realizes that she loves Mark and lets him have her. Just when it seems their problems are solved, along comes Kit's old flame, criminal lord Ho Cheung Ching (Tokito Saburo).

Everyone knows that Tsui Hark, though a talented director, is nowhere near as skilled as action master John Woo. Under the direction of John Woo, action sequences seem beautiful, almost like dancing; under the direction of Tsui Hark, they seem dull and hokey. Though Hark fails to make A BETTER TOMORROW III's action sequences interesting, he does a fine job with the dramatic/romantic scenes, of which there are many. Anita Mui and Chow Yun Fat are both talented actors, and they each perform very well. The script lags just a little at times, but for the most part, it's very well-written. The best parts of the film were the "origin" scenes, explaining how Mark Gor became the super-cool killer he was in A BETTER TOMORROW - Mark getting his sunglasses, Mark getting his trenchcoat, Mark becoming hardened from all the violence. I would've liked to see more of those.

As a sequel, A BETTER TOMORROW III is rather weak, but it's not such a bad film. It's a poor action film, but an intriguing romance-drama. Fans of the first two films should give it a shot.

Prequel Best In the Series.......2005-11-16

I purchased this film hoping for an action film along the lines of the first two entries in the series. What I got was an epic love story set during the waning days of Saigon. And I liked it! The emotions in this film are real and the response to the them are earned. As a fan of the John Woo films I hate to say it but the gunplay in this film interfered with the human interactions. As a Chow Yun Fat fan I was really impressed with the range he displays here. Instead of the brash cowboy he played in the first two films he shows, gasp, vulnerability. And what can you say about Anita Mui: beauty, brains, brawn, and charisma. A perfect capper to a terrific series of films.

not the best, but a classic none the less.......2002-08-07

As a fairly big Chow Yun-Fat fan I'd have to say this is my least favorite. I think it's a lack of John Woo. The story never really caught my attention like the first two. Even thought there was more of a love sceen for Chow Yun-Fat, I don't think it showed enough of his passion as did this first one, or even the second one. if you have the first two, or even one you have to buy this movie, just to keep the collection together.

BETTER TOMORROW III.......2002-03-02

I OWN ALL OF THE BETTER TOMORROW SERIES, ANY CHOW YUN FAT FAN WOULD NOT OWN JUST ONE, THEY FIT TOGETHER, BUT BETTER TOMORROW III IS MY FAVORITE OF THE THREE. THERE IS A GREAT LOVE STORY, QUITE UNLIKE 1 AND 2(THOUGH THEY ARE REALLY GREAT MOVIES). ONE OF CHOW'S BEST PERFORMANCES. THE LAST SCENE OF THE MOVIE HAS ME IN TEARS NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES I WATCH IT. A MUST HAVE!!

hmmm ??.......2001-12-04

Now, better tomorrow series made people all over asia bowing down to chow yun fat as he played as mark. a smooth, laid back gangsta cappin everyone...

However, this one was the worst out of the series. unique storylines.....but actions were so weak, it's like chow yun fat's old movies has more actions and better storylines...

Customer Reviews:

I'd give it less if I could.......2001-06-06

Terrible. Just a bad movie. I'm a Lau Ching Wan and Ekin Cheng fan and the title drew me in thinking John Woo. Not even close. Ekin was like driftwood, and Michael Wong cameos in his not so glory days of acting. Lau Ching Wan's performance was the only enjoyable part of this movie. Go watch the original Better Tomorrows, Full Contact, Big Bullet.

Cool Action.......1999-09-19

Watch it. you won't come aroun

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Legends of Wimbledon: John McEnroe

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