Gossip

Starring:James Marsden, Lena Headey, Norman Reedus, Kate Hudson, Eric Bogosian, Edward James Olmos, Joshua Jackson, Sharon Lawrence, Marisa Coughlan, Kwok-Wing Leung, Mif, Poe, Vicky Lambert, Kenya Massey, Noam Jenkins, Stephanie Mills, Raven Dauda, Kristin Booth, Novie Edwards, Shanly Trinidad
Director: Davis Guggenheim
Studio: Warner Home Video
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
Gossip is one of a spate of movies that owe a lot to Cruel Intentions. This time it's rich kids in college, but other than that Gossip stays well within the beautiful-young-people-doing-awful-things-to-each other formula. Lena Heady plays Jones, obviously the Smart Girl because she is briefly seen wearing glasses. Jones hangs out with Arty Guy Travis and Handsome Rich Guy Derrick, who finances their adventures and has a little bit of a lying habit. The three are all in the same journalism class (acidic monologist Eric Bogosian plays the acidic professor) and decide to start and track a rumor for their term papers. They pick rich and beautiful couple Beau and Naomi (Joshua Jackson and Kate Hudson) as the focus of the rumor, and before you know it their juicy story starts spinning out of control into ugly territory and a truly ludicrous climax. There are attempts at making sledgehammer points about the slippery task of finding Truth, but mostly Gossip is about the guilty pleasure of watching pretty young actors be mean to each other. You'll hate yourself in the morning, but watch it anyway. --Ali Davis
Description
College jounalism students plant a trashy rumor about a celibate co-ed, planning to track how the story changes as it burns through the university. But what the students never imagine is that the savagely mutating tale will turn against them.

DVD Features:
Alternate endings
Audio Commentary:Commentary by D. Guggenheim, J. Mardsen
Deleted Scenes:Deleted Scenes - 11:07
Filmographies
Interactive Menus
Music Video
Other:Travis's gossip Interviews "Grab Bag"
Scene Access
Theatrical Trailer

Average customer rating:

Ooky Terri DelCampo loves Steel Magnolias Special Edition
Worst movie ever.
An Outstanding Movie!
Endeering from beginning to end... don't miss it!
Steel Magnolias

Steel Magnolias (Special Edition)
Starring: Sally Field , Dolly Parton , Shirley MacLaine , Daryl Hannah , and Olympia Dukakis
Director: Herbert Ross
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00004TJKK
Release Date: 2000-07-25

Product Description

Six divas of the silver screen -- Sally Field, Dolly Parton, Shirley MacLaine, Daryl Hannah, Olympia Dukakis and Julia Roberts -- come together as bosom buddies in this hilarious and heartwarming story of life, love and loss in a small Louisiana Parish. At the center of the group is Shelby Eatenton (Julia Roberts), newly married and joyfully pregnant, despite the fact that her diabetes could make childbirth life-threatening. Terrified and angry at the possibility of losing her only daughter, M Lynn Eatenton (Sally Field) looks to her four closest friends for strength and laughter as she battles her deepest fears of death in order to join Shelby in celebrating the miracle of new life.

System Requirements:
Starring: Olympia Dukakis, Sally Field, Daryl Hannah, Shirley MacLaine, Dolly Parton, Julia Roberts, Dylan McDermott, Kevin J. O Connor, Sam Shepard, and Tom Skerritt.
Directed By: Herbert Ross
Running Time: 119 Min., Color.
This film is presented in "Widescreen" format.
Copyright 2000 Columbia TriStar Home Video.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Amazon.com essential video

Based on Robert Harling's play, this comedy-drama directed by Herbert Ross (The Turning Point) follows several years in the lives of women who regularly see one another at a beauty shop in their small Louisiana town. The story deepens as Julia Roberts, playing a serious diabetic and the daughter of Sally Field, goes downhill in her health. But as an ensemble piece, this is one of those enjoyably lumpy tearjerkers with many years' worth of stored truths suddenly being shared between the characters, lots of grievances aired, that sort of thing. Daryl Hannah and Shirley MacLaine assume the most eccentric roles, Dolly Parton the most fun, and Olympia Dukakis the most dignified, while Sally Field essentially provides the moral and emotional center of the movie. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Ooky Terri DelCampo loves Steel Magnolias Special Edition.......2007-06-20

Steel Magnolias is one of my very favorite movies. I am replacing my VHS tapes with DVDs and it was one of the first ones I replaced. I love the special edition DVD because it told the story of the writer's sister who died young. It gives the movie even more special meaning knowing that it's based on a real life situation rather than one that's completely fictitious. Five Stars!

Worst movie ever........2007-05-27

Yeah I know, most won't agree.
This is the most useless excuse for a movie I've ever seen.

An Outstanding Movie!.......2007-05-26

This is one of my favorite all-time movies. It's set in Lousiana. Julia Roberts, Sally Field, Olivia Dukakis, Shirley Maclaine, Dolly Parton, and Darryl Hannah are the main stars of the movie. It starts out as a group of women in a beauty salon getting ready for Julia Roberts' character's wedding. We meet Darryl Hannah's character in the beginning as she comes by looking for work and a place to stay. The story goes over a period of time from Shelby's wedding to the birth of her son and her kidney transplant and her death. At the end of the movie, it shows Darryl Hannah's character heading off to the hospital to have her baby. During the movie, Darry's character went to beauty school, fell in love, got married, and became pregnant. Too bad that a sequel was not made.

Endeering from beginning to end... don't miss it!.......2007-05-22

Steel Magnolias is a movie about family, love, and relationships. The plot revolves around a beauty parlor where the main characters go to become beautiful. The character of the beauty parlor owner is played by Dolly Parton.

At Truvy's Beauty Parlor in Louisiana we learn all about these close group of friends and soon learn the secrets these women carry in their hearts.

M'Lynn, played by Sally Fields is married to Drum Eatenton, a playful man who at the start of the film is busy shooting birds that are perched on a tree on his property. This drives us all crazy, especially those of us that firmly believe on the protection of the environment... but they have a very special reason as a motive.

Daughter of Drum and M'Lynn Eatenton, Shelby, superbly played by Julia Roberts is getting married and we soon see these women go to visit the beauty parlor in preparation for the big day. Annelle Dupuy Desoto, played by Daryl Hannah, has just joined the staff as a hair dresser, "a glamour technician," and soon the women are hard at finding all about "her past" because even though she is "the sweetest thing" just live through puberty and you must have a past.

Ouiser Boudreaux, a bitter, ill tempered and outspoken lady, played deserving of an award by Shirley MacLaine joins the women and she puts Annelle through a rather fun and entertainment interview.

Clairee, a recently widowed woman, played by Olympia Dukakis is the only person that truly understand Ouiser... and the give and take of these women is so endearing and captivating, that we soon find ourselves enchanted by this movie.

As the movie develops we find ourselves involved in the pain and heartache of the challenges these women face. We cried, we laughed, and we walked away wishing that our town would have the close relationships these families share. Indeed a movie worthy of becoming part of any collection. Don't miss it...

Steel Magnolias.......2007-05-13

It was a chick movie. It could have been better but I was in Natchitoches so I just had to see the movie.

Average customer rating:

I absolutely Loooooooove this movie
Love it
not quite all there as I would like it
Where is Patrick?
Hello Mr Swazye!!!!

Dirty Dancing (Ultimate Edition)
Starring: Kelly Bishop , Jane Brucker , Thomas Cannold , Max Cantor , and Charles 'Honi' Coles
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Flashdance

ASIN: B0000DIXDR
Release Date: 2003-12-09

Product Description

The summer of 1963 innocent 17-year-old Baby vacations with her parents at a Catskills resort. One evening she is drawn to the staff quarters by stirring music. There she meets Johnny, the hotel dance instructor, who is as experienced as Baby is naive. Baby soon becomes Johnny's pupil in dance and love.

2-Disc Ultimate Edition DVD features

Exclusive sneak peak of the upcoming Dirty Dancing Havana Nights which comes to theatres in February 2004

Newly remastered 16x9 feature

6.1 dts-es digital discrete surround

5.1 dolby-ex digital surround audio

Commentary track with key choreographers, costume and production designers

Interviews with Jennifer Grey, Eleanor Bergstein, Kenny Ortega and Miranda Garrison

Director Emile Ardolino featurette

Jennifer Grey screen test

Trivia track

Format: DVD MOVIE

Amazon.com

As with Grease (1978) and Footloose (1984) before it, Dirty Dancing was a cultural phenomenon that now plays more like camp. That very campiness, though, is part of its biggest charm. And if the dancing in the movie doesn't seem particularly "dirty" by today's standards--or 1987's--it does take place in an era (the early '60s) when it would have. Frances "Baby" Houseman (Jennifer Grey, daughter of ageless hoofer Joel Grey) has been vacationing in the Catskills with her family for many years. Uneventfully. One summer, she falls under the sway (as it were) of dance instructor Johnny Castle (Patrick Swayze). Baby is a pampered pup, but Johnny is a man of the world. Baby's father, Jake (Law and Order's Jerry Orbach), can't see the basic decency in greaser Johnny that she can. It should come as no surprise to find that Baby, who can be as immature as her name, learns more about love and life--and dancing--from free-spirited Johnny than traditionalist Jake.

Dirty Dancing spawned two successful soundtracks, a short-lived TV series, and a stage musical. It may be predictable, but Grey and Swayze have chemistry, charisma, and all the right moves. It's a sometimes silly movie with occasionally mind-boggling dialogue--"No one puts Baby in a corner!"--that nonetheless carries an underlying message about tolerance and is filled with the kind of exuberant spirit that's hard for even the most cynical to resist. Not that they'd ever admit it. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Customer Reviews:

I absolutely Loooooooove this movie.......2007-07-03

What else can I say. I have the VHS, DVD, both soundtracks, I love this movie.
It's a simple story, girl meets boy, girl falls in love with boy, boy takes a little time to fall in love with girl, it all works out in the end.
What's not to love.

Love it.......2007-06-24

I have had the vhs of this movie and out of the blue I was like let me but the DVD. I love it! Its the orginally movie with music videos, trailers and other cool features. Plus it is only $10!

not quite all there as I would like it.......2007-05-15

Kudos for the extras, including the Live In Concert feature. The only 2 things I don't like are: the concert does not have chapters (as it was presented on the Collector's Edition); this version doesn't include the Bill Medley interview (also from the Collector's Edition).

Where is Patrick?.......2007-05-14

I certainly enjoyed watching Dirty Dancing over. The special features are nice. Lots of memory. The only thing is there are no interview with Patrick Swayze...really strange...

Hello Mr Swazye!!!!.......2007-04-03

I have loved this movie from the first time I saw it. The music in this movie is great and I just love the story. If you like romantic movies and you havenever seen this it is a must see.

La Dolce Vita (2-Disc Collector's Edition)

Average customer rating:

La Dolce Vita
Excellent film and edition
Existentialism and Its Limits
Nico is Adorable in La Dolce Vita !
A Parable of Futility

La Dolce Vita (2-Disc Collector's Edition)
Starring: Marcello Mastroianni , Anita Ekberg , Anouk Aimée , Yvonne Furneaux , and Magali Noël
Director: Federico Fellini
Manufacturer: Koch Lorber Films
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00005JKGO
Release Date: 2004-09-21

Amazon.com essential video

At three brief hours, La Dolce Vita, a piece of cynical, engrossing social commentary, stands as Federico Fellini's timeless masterpiece. A rich, detailed panorama of Rome's modern decadence and sophisticated immorality, the film is episodic in structure but held tightly in focus by the wandering protagonist through whom we witness the sordid action. Marcello Rubini (extraordinarily played by Marcello Mastroianni) is a tabloid reporter trapped in a shallow high-society existence. A man of paradoxical emotional juxtapositions (cool but tortured, sexy but impotent), he dreams about writing something important but remains seduced by the money and prestige that accompany his shallow position. He romanticizes finding true love but acts unfazed upon finding that his girlfriend has taken an overdose of sleeping pills. Instead, he engages in an ménage à trois, then frolics in a fountain with a giggling American starlet (bombshell Anita Ekberg), and in the film's unforgettably inspired finale, attends a wild orgy that ends, symbolically, with its participants finding a rotting sea animal while wandering the beach at dawn. Fellini saw his film as life affirming (thus its title, The Sweet Life), but it's impossible to take him seriously. While Mastroianni drifts from one worldly pleasure to another, be it sex, drink, glamorous parties, or rich foods, they are presented, through his detached eyes, are merely momentary distractions. His existence, an endless series of wild evenings and lonely mornings, is ultimately soulless and facile. Because he lacks the courage to change, Mastroianni is left with no alternative but to wearily accept and enjoy this "sweet" life. --Dave McCoy

Customer Reviews:

La Dolce Vita.......2007-06-27

Daring for its time, Fellini's Oscar-nominated "Vita" is often remembered for the zaftig Anita Ekberg's swim in the Trevi Fountain and for the very first shot in the film, of a statue of Jesus being lifted over the city of Rome by helicopter. Yet its almost three hours' running time includes a procession of unforgettable images and scenes, as Mastroianni--in a sublime performance--marches numbly into the vacuous, debauched life of modern-day celebrity in Rome, finally succumbing to the empty, forced frivolity surrounding him. A sharply observed, absorbing study of dizzying decadence.

Excellent film and edition.......2007-06-13

There's not much to add to the laudits for this film. Groundbreaking director in what some consider his most groundbreaking film. The era produced many innovative films that influenced cinema thereafter, and La Dolce Vita is primary in that regard.

More to the point of this review, this Criterion edition meets the highest of the quality standards they have almost solely set for the film DVD. Any DVD today that doesn't have commentary and features are a rip-off for buyers, but the quality varies significantly (I dare you to sit through Rob Reiner's commentary on "When Harry Met Sally").

Criterion truly understands the film lover, the person who wants to know as much as possible about the film, including the how and why of its elements and the who and what behind its making. They realize that not only film students are interested in the process and people of moviemaking. Not cheap, their editions however offer far more value than the usual DVD release.

The commentary by Richard Schickel, a true expert on film, is extremely literate and informative. His command of his knowledge keeps the insights coming non-stop. His purpose is to inform and to interest, and he stays right on the mark throughout.

Enough features are included to require a second disk, and I believe this edition contains more than any other Fellini film edition. Interviews with Fellini himself as well as others involved in the production give excellent background and context to the film and to Fellini and his career.

Film buffs will appreciate the care with which this extensive set of extras has been compiled. Criterion certainly has set the standards for film editions, and this is one of their best.

Existentialism and Its Limits.......2007-06-10

It is difficult to imagine a deeper film than this. Fellini presents several existential choices for his main character, Marcello, played by the marvelous Marcello Mastroianni -- jet-set life (the visiting starlet and its possibilities), intellectual respectability (Steiner and company), religious ecstasy (the children's sighting of Mary), passionate love (the curious fling with Maddalena), bourgeois love (his needy girlfriend, Emma).

As the film exposes each choice as a fraud, a farce, or a disaster, what does it mean to say Marcello is free to choose? He is trapped by too much rather than too little choice -- an elegant encapsulation of existentialism!

So much for my attempt to unpack the film's meaning; the many memorable scenes, and the many subsequent films that allude to them, are the better reason to cherish it.

Nico is Adorable in La Dolce Vita !.......2007-06-08

I watched this classic, but weird film from Federico Fellini, who is noteworthy for his twisted, distorted films I felt it was dull and in line with the rest of his films.

Until happy little Nico (of the Velvet Underground)sparked up onto the screen with the happiness and youth of a sparrow. She is grand in her role. She's in the prime of her beauty and she just fits in with the whole nonsense of the film.

Fellini cast her immediately although most of the footage was already shot, not about to bypass getting this young and giggling beauty into a piece of his puzzle. Talented eye of his !

Unfortunately, her role is quite short in this lengthy movie.

A Parable of Futility .......2007-05-06

The theme of this story is the narcissism that causes a group of dissatisfied "celebrities" and the reporters and journalists who exploit them to create dehumanized lives in the context of hedonistic materialism.
This story is culturally valuable because it shows us the lifestyles of "celebrities" and aristocracy and how standards are formed around those lifestyles. The story reveals a side of "the sweet life" that is often untold and unnoticed. It serves to remind us what is truly important, and to break up common illusions and misconceptions about the life of glamour. The final scene, in which the healthy young girl and Marcello, with his entourage of misguided celebrities, cannot communicate illustrates the distinction between the two and their value systems.
The glamorous life is not the only thing about which Fellini reveals misconceptions: common understandings of love and religion are also shown to be ineffective and harmful. The scene of the planned "miracle" is one such instance that shows religious superficial and superstitious practices. In one instance, we are shown a group of the faithful ripping apart a sapling tree just because the Madonna was alleged to have appeared in its proximity. This story exemplifies many facets of humanity that are universal and timeless.
The way the elements of style are used serves to increase the worth of the film and intensify the force with which its cultural value is presented. Many of the elements are used with such subtlety that we scarcely understand why we are feeling the way we do until the film is over and we have analyzed it. The dialogue is well-written and telling; however, the other elements of film style contribute as much to our sense of what the film means, if not more. The lighting, editing and sound present to us the aura of the film; alienation, loneliness, boredom, self-centeredness and misery.

Average customer rating:

Bravo to all!
Something Bright; Something Blue
SO much better than "Capote"!
Judged solely on its own merits, an excellent film
Extremely Well Done

Infamous
Starring: Sigourney Weaver , Toby Jones , Gwyneth Paltrow , Mark Rubin , and Steve Schwelling
Director: Douglas McGrath
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000M341SC
Release Date: 2007-02-13

Amazon.com

Infamous is inevitably compared to Capote, since it also chronicles author Truman Capote's spiral into chaos while composing his masterpiece, In Cold Blood, a breakthrough non-fictional tale told as fiction. It's a shame that Capote's critical acclaim eclipsed this film's, as Toby Jones is perfectly convincing as Capote, with his small stature and eccentric manner. Infamous mimics the novel's fictionalized non-fiction, opening on "interviews" with Capote's New York friends like Diana Vreeland (Juliet Stevenson) and Babe Paley (Sigourney Weaver). The film, set in 1959, begins with Capote's discovery of the farm family murder story and his trek out to Kansas with confidant, Nelle Harper Lee (Sandra Bullock). Stressing Capote's relationships with Lee, the film justifies Capote's marginal behavior by Lee's speaking about Capote's childhood neglect, which she also wrote into To Kill A Mockingbird. Capote's own description of his rough childhood then serves as a barrier breaker between himself and Perry Smith (Daniel Craig), the half of the Perry Smith-Dick Hickock killing team who is at first unwilling to talk. Infamous makes much of the sexual tension between Capote and Smith, implying that Capote persevered through his project for Smith's love. Based on George Plimpton's oral biography, Infamous deserves a stellar place in Capote-lore, as there is ample room for both competing films. --Trinie Dalton

Description

"Certainly as good [as Capote] and a lot more fun. Toby Jones is so physically right, you'll think Capote is playing himself." - Jack Mathews, NEW YORK DAILY NEWS 1959 Manhattan was a party, and none of the glitterati glittered brighter than Truman Capote. Then he saw a story in The New York Times: "Wealthy Farmer, 3 of Family Slain," and the party ended for Capote. He plunged into the murder case that inspired his great "nonfiction novel" In Cold Blood and led him into a fevered relationship with one of the two doomed killers. But there's more to the story than you know. Toby Jones (as Capote) leads Sandra Bullock, Daniel Craig, Sigourney Weaver and many more stars in a witty, moving and astonishing tale of obsession. What happened to the extraordinary literary talent that burned within Truman Capote? The answer may be found in a story at once famous and Infamous.

Customer Reviews:

Bravo to all! .......2007-07-04

I can not believe this movie did not get more attention ! I was blown away at how all around good this was!
Granted it unfortunately came out after the wonderful Capote and I admit I did not see it at the movies, which is actually a blessing because I would have missed out on the completely engrossing and informative directors commentary! Do not skip that! After you see the movie and the complex meanings have seeped into your consciousness, watch that commentary.
The actor Toby who channeled Capote was mesmerizing. He became Truman, was not simply mimicing.
Sandra Bullock was excellent, absolutely, as was Daniel Craig, Sigourney Weaver, Isabella Rossalini, Jeff Daniels, Juliette Stevenson,Peter Bogdanovich.... Oh! And Gwenyth Paltrow beautifully sang a cole porter song (which was a very telling scene...as explained by the director)
I do not want to give anything away, and I am sure other reviewers have summarized the plot line...but from the writing, to the acting, to the set designs, the music, the costumes, the period feel, the emotional twists of human achievement versus human cruelty...this is a film that is worth experiencing.
Again, make sure to watch the director's commentary!

Something Bright; Something Blue.......2007-06-17

This movie starring Toby Jones as Truman Capote covers almost the same ground as the Academy Award-nominated film "Capote," starring Philip Seymour Hoffman. I'm not sure why two such similar movies appeared at almost the same time. But actually of the two, I found this Jones movie to be the more absorbing. If you only have the time or inclination to watch one dramatization of Truman Capote's writing of "In Cold Blood," I suggest this movie be the one.

It doesn't have the cachet of Hoffman's performance. But neither does it have the sometimes annoying tone of self-importance of that other film. Nor does this movie have some of the anachronistic locutions found in "Capote." It is truer to Capote's wit and way of telling a story.

Best of all though, "Infamous" shows much more of the gossipy society circle that Capote generally inhabited. Juliet Stevenson turns in a priceless and all-too-brief performance as fashion editor Diana Vreeland.

There is also more texture to Capote's relationship with killer Perry Smith here. I'm not sure how much of the more developed romance shown in this movie is conjecture, but it makes for a heartbreaking love story. Daniel Craig turns in a gripping performance as the dark, vulnerable and volatile Smith.

Director Douglas McGrath provides a very interesting, literate commentary on the DVD. His accompanying thoughts run like a polished essay, without being at all pretentious. He becomes another character in the unfolding biography, a character most of us would probably like to get to know better.

All-in-all, we do get to know the wit and wiliness Capote better through this film. We see Capote as that flickering brilliance that Sandra Bullock-playing-Harper Lee describes. She says he had the sunny brightness of a candle flame - but always with that tinge of blue at the center of the burning.

SO much better than "Capote"!.......2007-06-09

After reading "In Cold Blood" I decided to watch both of the recent films about Truman Capote, beginning with "Infamous" and then watching "Capote". My recommendation to others is to only watch "Infamous". Although it covers very grim subject matter, this movie is very watchable and enjoyable, as opposed to "Capote" which is two hours of artsy misery. Toby Jones really becomes Truman Capote in a way that Phillip Hoffman does not even touch. Jones' Truman draws the viewer in and charms, while Hoffman's performance in "Capote" alienates and repulses to the point that it seems that this actor secretly hates Truman Capote. Also, "Infamous" does a much better job at explaining the story to thise who have not read the book, and giving depth to the other characters than "Capote". Watching "Infamous", the dark parts of the story are thrown into sharper relief by the light and humorous parts, and it cuts precisely to the heart of the matter. Whereas "Capote" just bludgeons the viewer over the head with gritty green lighting, long staring pauses and unrelieved gloom.

Judged solely on its own merits, an excellent film.......2007-06-06

I went into this film with only the most basic knowledge about Truman Capote and his writing. I knew he wrote Breakfast at Tiffany's and In Cold Blood, the latter of which was based on a real crime, I knew he was as exceedingly odd little man, and that's about it. I've never read any of his work, and I haven't seen the film In Cold Blood or 2005's Capote. As I first began watching Infamous, I found myself wondering how I could possibly sit through almost two hours of a film about this dandyish, hopelessly pretentious man smarming his way through New York high society. His incredibly annoying voice didn't help, even though it was nowhere near as bothersome as Sandra Bullock's horrible fake Southern accent in her role as Harper Lee. As the film progressed, though, this strange little man began to grow on me. By the mid-way point, I was pretty much engrossed in the story, and the ending clinched all five of the stars I have to give this film (which is pretty amazing given the fact that it includes three of my least favorite actresses: Gwyneth Paltrow, Sigourney Weaver, and the aforementioned Sandra Bullock).

Obviously, Truman Capote is one of the most complex and fascinating of men. I certainly won't define the man by the interpretation on display in Infamous (which is based on Douglas McGrath's 1997 oral biography of the man); after all, this is a fictionalized story of a man known for his own obfuscations with the truth. You can't even look at In Cold Blood with purely objective eyes because Capote relied on memory rather than notes to produce the book. And, from what I gather, 2005's Capote provides a noticeably different perspective on the man as it tells basically the same story as Infamous, focusing on the writing and later publication of In Cold Blood. One thing I am sure of is that Toby Jones turns in an absolutely captivating performance as this most inscrutable of characters. Capote seemed like such a fake in the early scenes, but Toby Jones transformed him into an incredibly human soul long before the end credits began rolling - sympathetic to a significant degree, as some of the flaws in Capote's character manifest themselves, but not without his own emotionally cold-blooded moment here and there. If nothing else, this Truman Capote is not a man you would want to confide in with your darkest secrets.

Infamous gets pretty emotionally complicated once Capote finally gets access to both killers, especially a reluctant Perry Smith (Daniel Craig). It's a bumpy ride, but the relationship that develops between Smith and Capote serves as the lynchpin of this film. Infamous dares call it love, although I imagine that is debatable. Clearly, though, the two men understood one another in ways few others ever did, and that makes the drama of the concluding scenes truly palpable.

I find it somewhat ironic that the actual murder that gave rise to In Cold Blood and these two recent films about Truman Capote doesn't seem to generate much interest at all. Capote, both the myth and the man, towers over his subject matter. I certainly don't feel as if I know the real Truman Capote after watching this film, but I'm intrigued enough to go and seek out 2005's Capote and see the story of In Cold Blood told from an alternate viewpoint.

Extremely Well Done.......2007-06-03

I was having a hard time watching or thinking of watching another "Capote" movie as I liked the last one that came out, but I did anyway and I have to say that I became SO drawn into it, as its done so differently than the other, and drew upon different aspects, ones more close to my heart. The review by the director was extremely helpful, I really wanted to know what was true and not, and it seems most of it was. It was tragic, really, but so well done. Everyone is so carefully and diligently researched and the acting so wonderful, its hard not to be glad you watched it, sad and wild as Truman Capote was.

Average customer rating:

WILD ABOUT WILDE
Excellent
It's a wild Wilde life -- and a fascinating film
History buff
Young talents in a small masterpiece

Wilde (Special Edition)
Starring: Stephen Fry , Jude Law , Vanessa Redgrave , Jennifer Ehle , and Gemma Jones
Director: Brian Gilbert
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
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Maurice - The Merchant Ivory Collection
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Immortality
Brokeback Mountain (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B00005V5NU
Release Date: 2002-03-19

Customer Reviews:

WILD ABOUT WILDE.......2006-12-26

"WILDE"

Wild about Wilde

Amos Lassen and Cinema Pride

Richard Ellman wrote an unconventional biography of Oscar Wilde which looks at the brilliant, witty and tragic life of the Irishman who died a shameless death and has only recently been reinstated to the world of literary accomplishment. This book was in turn made into a wonderful movie which gives us Wilde's rise to fame as an in-demand author and public speaker to his downfall and imprisonment because of his homosexuality. Stephen Fry is amazing as Wilde. Portraying the author as he takes a wife, despite his own sexual bent, and producing children, Wilde comes across even more enigmatic than before. It was while he was married that Wilde discovers his true sexual identity and this leads to a very public affair with the vain and rebellious Lord Alfred Douglas (Jude Law and yes he gets naked). Wilde's private life leads him to downfall and puts him in prison on the charge of "gross indecency", a term for homosexuality at the time.
"Wilde" is a solid and stolid drama about Oscar Wilde, after realizing his homosexuality, Wilde goes through a series of lovers until he finally settles on the pouty, spoiled and good-looking Lord Alfred. With this union, all hell broke loose and this intelligent movie shows the trials and tribulations of one of the world's wittiest authors. Brian Gilbert's direction makes Wilde come beautifully alive in a movie not easily forgotten.
So what is different about this movie as compared to others about Wilde? It shows his creativity, his genius, his obsessions, and his downfall in a tragically beautiful way. It is literate and superior to anything that has come before it and will likely remain a milestone for those who want to learn more about the man. The ironic twist showing Lord Douglas convincing his lover to bring a libel suit ageist his father knowing it is doomed to fail seems to show the whole conviction of Wilde in a new light and that it was Wilde's pride which lead him to self-destruction.
Wilde's attraction to Lord Douglas was the catalyst for his doom. It was this relationship that would destroy his career, his family, his health yet even after it was all done, Wilde returned to Douglas. What was the reason for such appeal? The movie shows it to be a combination of masochism and romanticism. Jude Law's portrayal of Douglas is painful--not the acting, the character. He is a rebellious adolescent who is extremely handsome and sometimes charming. His temper tantrums and verbal attacks against Wilde simply made the author love him even more.
Little is held back in this wonderful film. We see Wilde and Douglas in male brothels and we se Wilde engaging in voyeuristic habits. Wilde is shown as a father who was too much into his own work to pay attention to his children and he refused to publicly admit that he was homosexual and because of this he was doomed to disgrace.
As Wilde, Fry is marvelous--vulnerable and scathing. He showed that even though he knew that his relationship with Douglas would come to no good, he was powerless to resist the man. He captures Wilde's poise and sheer imposing physical appearance. Law is hypnotizing as Douglas and as much as you want not to like him, you can see what Wilde loved him so. In depicting the shadow side of yearning, "Wilde" becomes a classic study of a great Irish writer.

Excellent.......2006-11-10

The film was great, the price was great, it arrived unbelievably quickly. Thank you!

It's a wild Wilde life -- and a fascinating film.......2006-10-01

I have somewhat conflicting opinions about this film, just as I have conflicting opinions about Oscar Wilde himself. No one can dispute the fact that Wilde was a literary genius; ample proof of this is found in the successful rehabilitation of his work in reputation long before the aspects of his infamous lifestyle became acceptable to even a minor fraction of society. If, as hardly seems possible, you aren't aware of the scandal associated with Wilde's downfall, this film spares the viewer few of the most intimate of details (in other words, there is male nudity - and plenty of it). It's a brave film, featuring a most accomplished class of actors and actresses turning in terrific performances, but it doesn't feel perfectly complete to me. Rather than delivering a flamboyant Oscar Wilde who truly reveled in his own audacity, this Oscar Wilde seemed subdued and sometimes even haunted by the lifestyle he led. While his wit is demonstrated quite often, this didn't quite seem like the young man who became the toast of London before he met with his first literary success and reveled in the danger inherent in his forays into the London underworld of homosexuality. Maybe it's just impossible to capture the true spirit of this most singular of men, but I just felt as if this film tried to cast Wilde as something of a victim led astray by all these pretty young boys and a man doomed by his own nature, and I don't completely buy into that.

I was also somewhat disappointed by the fact that Wilde's writing played only an incidental role in this story. We don't get a very good sense of the shocking nature of The Picture of Dorian Gray to Victorian society, apart from the comments of young Lord Alfred "Bosie" Douglas (Jude Law) upon his introduction to the author, and Wilde's successful plays provide little more than short moments in the sun for Wilde to receive the cheers of appreciative audiences on opening nights. There's basically no commentary on the relationship between Wilde's writing and his life.

I don't want to sound too negative, however, as I think this is a wonderful film. Stephen Fry makes for a wonderful, albeit subdued, Oscar Wilde, but Jude Law turns in a much more memorable performance as Bosie. With his flamboyant nature, sudden mood swings between devil-may-care flamboyance and taciturn childishness, and natural coquettishness, he dominates one scene after another. Wilde, in fact, becomes something of a pathetic creature at times, a helpless instrument in the hands of a young seducer whom he must suspect will ultimately lead to his downfall and disgrace. Certainly, there was little chance of keeping this extended dalliance a protected secret, but one cannot blame Bosie's father - evil brute that he was - from seeking Wilde's destruction. The irony, of course, is that Wilde engineered his own downfall, as it was his decision to sue the Marquess of Queensberry for libel (and to thereby perjure himself in court) that led to his arrest for gross indecency.

I certainly can't admire anything about Oscar Wilde's personal life beyond his brave determination to be nothing less than who he truly was, even when that meant facing two back-breaking years of manual labor in prison. I do admire his genius, however, and I don't think there's any doubt that his exploits influenced the society of his day and age.
He helped define one era and ushered in the dawn of a new one. Most of all, he was just bloody fascinating. Any movie about his life would be noteworthy, and this one is certainly that.

History buff.......2006-08-11

Great performance and direction. Very fair treatment of Oscar Wilde during a period of social upheavel unrecognizable in informed cultures.

Young talents in a small masterpiece.......2006-06-12

This is the movie where Orlando Bloom got his big break.He has an important,but brief scene,with the brilliant Stephen Fry.It's crucial to the plot,so I won't give it away.Orlando has a bowler hat instead of pointed ears---need I say more?

Ioan Gruffudd,of the Horatio Hornblower series,plays Wilde's first boyfriend.In his first scene,he wears a spectacular fez of questionable taste.Ioan Gruffudd shows his talents.

It's hard to tell who steals the show--the wonderful Stephen Fry,or the handsome Jude Law.This movie should be on any "must see" list.

Average customer rating:

Okay, I Can't Stand Anything Lindsay Lohan ANYMORE!!!!
A n ice lark of a Movie for the Teen Set
Keeps growing on me
so bad it's almost fun to laugh at it...almost
Get a clue it's there inside of you!

Get a Clue
Starring: Lindsay Lohan , Bug Hall , Ian Gomez , Brenda Song , and Ali Mukaddam
Director: Maggie Greenwald
Manufacturer: Buena Vista Home Entertainment / Disney
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ASIN: B0007LXPBS
Release Date: 2005-05-31

Description

Teen sensation Lindsay Lohan stars as Lexy Gold, budding journalist and fashion queen of Millington Preparatory School in Manhattan. Together with her best pal Jennifer (Brenda Song), Lexy's always on the lookout for the latest scoop and the latest style. When one of her teachers mysteriously disappears, Lexy goes from school advice columnist to determined investigative reporter. And with a little help from her friends Jennifer and Gabe, and her street-smart editor Jack, Lexy vows to get to the bottom of the mystery. Before they know it, they find themselves hot on the trail of a story bigger than they could have ever imagined!

Customer Reviews:

Okay, I Can't Stand Anything Lindsay Lohan ANYMORE!!!!.......2007-06-04

I'm cured, I have just found out that I hate anything from Lindsay Lohan; any movies, music, calendars, pictures, etc. I need to go to a 12-step group for people suffering from a world with Lindsay Lohan in it... God knows that Lindsay Lohan needs to go to a 12-group for people suffering from people who have lied to them by telling them that they have talent, that people love them regardless of how stupid they are and act, that they are dangerous to society, and, that they are NOT hypersensitive to drugs and alcohol...

A n ice lark of a Movie for the Teen Set.......2007-03-17

An OK plot with Lindsey Lohan sluething a missing teacher with a nice twist to the plot. Teens finding out while adults have problems. Oh well- it's a entertaining and fun Lark if you like that kind of movie.

Keeps growing on me.......2006-09-16

I know this is a Disney movie for a certain audience but I have to say I rented it one night and really liked it. My reading choices are all very serious so I like a break when I put on a dvd. I appreciated the charm of this movie but what I noticed that I like a lot is how it has the feeling of a play in the writing. I felt like I was watching a decent high school production of a story. The acting is quite good in the context of this movie, I think Brenda Song has a long future as a comedic talent. It took me a couple of viewings to figure out why the city scape looked familiar, it's Toronto!

so bad it's almost fun to laugh at it...almost.......2006-07-27

You could just tell this movie wanted to be a combination of Clueless and Nancy Drew. It fails miserably. First of all, the fashion looks like thrift shop trash. It is completely hideous and it is kind of funny when Lindsay and her friend act like they're so styling when they are wearing the outfits. You'll feel vomit rising in your throat just looking at the fashions. The funniest outfit was the white pants with the red cherries place randomly on them. It looked like she had just gotten her period. That was the funniest thing about the entire movie which is kind of sad, if you think about it. The mystery fails because it makes no sense. Lindsay takes a picture of her teacher for the SCHOOL paper and then he vanishes. Everybody believes he's died but he hasn't. Turns out this dude has faked his death more than once. Maybe he got the idea from hearing all the Elvis conspiracy rumors, lol. Anyway, Lindsay and her 4 friend start to get to work on the mystery and for them, it means having more spy gadets than any little kid would ever have. They also don't look like very convincing spy gadets. One of them looks like a remote control off a little kid's toy car. No big surprise but they solve the crime but not without the "wacky" slapstick chase that was just embarrassingly bad. Oh and then the movie has a fat principal who's says hardly anything and is not really part of the plot but I suppose she was thrown in so that they could have her walk, put it in slow motion and hope people laughed at the big fat lady more than at Lindsay's clothes and weird hairline. Watch it only if you want to make fun of it, it's not good for anything else.

Get a clue it's there inside of you!.......2006-03-05

Love Lindsay Lohan Lohan, Love Disney Channel, Love this Movie! This movie is part of the Disney Channel Original Movie series. It stars teen sensation Lindsay Lohan and rising star Brenda Song. . Lexy (Lohan) plays a teen reporter for her school and her gossip leads to bad things. Her teacher goes missing and it's up to Lexy and her friends to crack the case and find him. The dvd also feature's an alternate ending and awesome previews for other Disney Channel Original Movie's (DCOMS). The only problem is they don't include behind the scenes and the Simon and Milo music video. Other than that the dvd is so fun to watch at a sleep over or just sit around with your family.

Stars-
Lindsay Lohan (The Parent Trap and Mean Girls)
Brenda Song (Stuck in the Suburbs and Disney's The Suite Life of Zack and Cody)
Bug Hall (Little Rascals and The Big Green)

Average customer rating:

Finally a romantic comedy that doesn't conform to the same old Hollywood mold!!
Really sweet and easy to watch
Ellen Degeneres makes this movie!
Follow Your Heart
Picture a summer day in a provincial New England town . . .

The Love Letter
Starring: Kate Capshaw , Blythe Danner , Ellen DeGeneres , Julianne Nicholson , and Tom Everett Scott
Director: Peter Chan
Manufacturer: Dreamworks Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: 0783239416
Release Date: 1999-11-23

Amazon.com

Its ads portrayed it as a wacky farce, while critics largely ignored it, presuming it to be a vanity project from Kate Capshaw (better known as Mrs. Steven Spielberg). But The Love Letter is neither; on the contrary, it's a low-key but surprisingly rich and touching film about love, illusions, and regret. Helen (Capshaw), a bookseller in a small seashore town, discovers an unsigned love letter that's fallen into the cushions of a couch in her store. The letter doesn't say who it's for, but Helen assumes it's for her and starts wondering who sent it. One would expect this to lead to a whirling comedy of mistaken identities, but after some amusing daydream moments, the movie follows its story with subtlety and nuance. The characters behave according to their own needs and desires, rather than the demands of standard Hollywood goofiness. The performances--from a cast including Tom Selleck (In and Out), Tom Everett Scott (That Thing You Do), Ellen DeGeneres (EDtv), newcomer Julianne Nicholson, and others--are uniformly unforced and natural. Viewers weary of the hyped-up, absurd emotional climaxes of most so-called romantic comedies will find a respite here. The Love Letter is a genuinely charming film. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews:

Finally a romantic comedy that doesn't conform to the same old Hollywood mold!!.......2006-07-16

Don't get me wrong...I'm as likely as anyone else looking for a "chick flick" to watch the latest Meg Ryan movie with the cute leading man....but this movie adds something extra. Instead of just dishing out the same old blather that most romantic comedies spout (girl & guy meet, girl & guy go through some conflict, but eventually guy & girl get together and live happily ever after) this movie actually takes the time to explore what makes a relationship between two people special and unique, whether that relationship is between two friends, lovers, or family members.

This movie is also great because it expounds upon the HUGE role that a person's mind plays when it comes to love and sex.

Kate Capshaw's character, Helen, is great for audience members who still haven't figured out that women are sexual beings and that it's OKAY for them to enjoy sex! (Even with a much younger man!)

All the characters remind us that even though we may not have everything figured out, you can always learn some new tricks, no matter what your age.

If you're in the mood for mindless entertainment, I wouldn't recommend this movie. However, if you're ready for a touching and romantic but still lighthearted flick, this is a good one!!

Really sweet and easy to watch.......2006-07-13

Surprisingly good, and Kate Capshaw is very engaging. The romance between her and the younger man is totally beleivable (the absence of any other younger beauties is conspicuous, however). That aside, it's a great comedy with just a touch of bittersweet--one of my favorites.

Ellen Degeneres makes this movie!.......2006-03-25

I'm so happy to see Ellen in a movie. All in all, the movie is full of romance and laughter. The all around cast is great to watch.

Follow Your Heart.......2005-10-21

This quirky romantic comedy is filled with surprises. The entire cast is wonderful and the small town seaside setting with all the entanglements of small town life makes this a fun movie.
I've watched this several times and never tire of the unique storylines of lost loves and the people who find happiness when they follow their hearts.

Picture a summer day in a provincial New England town . . ........2005-07-26

in a small, quaint bookshop, in which the paint is peeling from the mismatched bookcases, and the view of the sea below is as crisp and clear as it possibly can be from the wavy, leaded glass windows. Now picture coming back to this town every summer, visiting old friends, spending your Fourth of July evening at the local park. This movie is more about mood to me than anything. I watch it over and over every summer, wishing I could be a bookseller in Loblolly-by-the-Sea. I can almost smell the salty air and taste the lobster in the local restaurant. This film is a love letter to the romantic in all of us who wishes to spend time curled up with a good book (or movie) on a lazy summer day.
Capshaw is a perfect Helen. DeGeneres, a perfectly hilarious best friend. And Selleck is wonderful in this film, capturing the sensitive George. It makes me wonder why he doesn't take on more roles.
The only fault I find with this film is in the casting of Thomas Everett Scott ("That Thing You Do") as Johnny. He's a bit too mature-looking to play Helen's impetuous summer fling. No matter how many times I watch this movie, I'm never thorougly convinced he's right as the young college student.
Anyway, enjoy the film, soak up the mood, and I'll bet you'll come back again and again.

Average customer rating:

I absolutely Loooooooove this movie
Love it
not quite all there as I would like it
Where is Patrick?
Hello Mr Swazye!!!!

Dirty Dancing (Collector's Edition)
Starring: Kelly Bishop , Jane Brucker , Thomas Cannold , Max Cantor , and Charles 'Honi' Coles
Manufacturer: Live / Artisan
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ASIN: B00000F566
Release Date: 2001-08-14

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

I absolutely Loooooooove this movie.......2007-07-03

Love it.......2007-06-24

I have had the vhs of this movie and out of the blue I was like let me but the DVD. I love it! Its the orginally movie with music videos, trailers and other cool features. Plus it is only $10!

not quite all there as I would like it.......2007-05-15

Where is Patrick?.......2007-05-14

I certainly enjoyed watching Dirty Dancing over. The special features are nice. Lots of memory. The only thing is there are no interview with Patrick Swayze...really strange...

Hello Mr Swazye!!!!.......2007-04-03

I have loved this movie from the first time I saw it. The music in this movie is great and I just love the story. If you like romantic movies and you havenever seen this it is a must see.

Average customer rating:

romantic soap of the 50s
Great sequel to Peyton Place
Good follow-up on its own merits
Classic - Peyton Place
Gossip, Gossip, Gossip

Return to Peyton Place
Starring: Mary Astor , Joan Banks , Helen Bennett , Bill Bradley , and Harry Carter (II)
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
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ASIN: B00074DY16
Release Date: 2005-02-22

Description

Carol Lynley stars as Allison, whose book about her neighbors at Peyton Place creates problems for her family. Tuesday Weld, Jeff Chandler co-star.

Customer Reviews:

romantic soap of the 50s.......2007-06-03

no lana turner but whit eleonor parker and mary astor.
romantic nice movie of the 50s

Great sequel to Peyton Place.......2007-02-15

Return to Peyton Place begins with Rosemary Clooney singing the beautiful title song,(she sings it faboulously, and she is featured here because her then husband Jose Ferrer is the director (also see his State Fair..a hilarious mess) the Franz Waxman melody that enhanced so much of the 1957 film, Peyton Place. Then you get a whole new cast, and Carol Lynley, writing a book about Peyton Place with Jeff Chandler. She and he are 'artists", and they have to deal with Mary Astor, a pillar of morality in Peyton Place. Her performance is not to be missed; it is a thorough lesson in screen acting, lessons she shared with Bette Davis years before. If you are curious about how to dominate a low end script, watch Ms. Astor do it.

Then there is Tuesday Weld, who should have been cast as Allison but is Salina Cross and very good in her scenes with Mary Astor. She(Weld) has some harrowing moments in trying to defend herself from charges of lustiness with certain folk in Peyton Place. Eleanor Parker is the new Connie and she is not as good as Lana Turner, but she has moments with Lynley that define a new kind of melodrammatic acting..so over the top Everest would be a mole hill here. . Also, Lucianna Paluzzi is here, with her Italian ways,her accent is so thick she is mostly incomprehensible, and she is driven to ,literally, the heights and depths of despair.Her scenes with Mary Astor are seering moments of sado-masochistic behavior. Bret Halsey, an actor with incredible limitations, is puddy for Mary Astor, who plays his mother. Robert Sterling as Parker's officious husband, and principal of Peyton Place High School, is an unintentional bore and has odd facial expressions and an aversion to E. Parker that makes one wonder.

The ending of Return To Peyton Place is a treasure of great and bad acting..terrible direction, and incredible style and talent, complments of Ms. Astor, on how to do the whole thing and take the film away from everyone.

There's a lurid quality to it all, and this sequel is not as polite as the first Peyton Place(a very good film). This sequel shows Peyton Place to be a really disturbed town within, like Black Rock in Bad Day At Black Rock.
The mentality of all of them is small and pornographic, and Allison's book about the past goings on is the sum total of the town itself,illiterate, mean spirited and low vibration, and Allison is like this herself, splitting infinitives, her verb tenses all mixed up, and her continuous pouting and constant referral in every crisis to sexual repression. The book (written in the film)is, in an odd way, the best the town could ever do in this regard. In this sense Allison is more Peyton Place than anyone else; she is proud of her bad book, and wants to build a new Peyton Place on it.

See this film on DVD, and enjoy all of its craziness. You will not forget Mary Astor. Also check out the talk shopw scene with Lynley and the dubbing of the host by Jose Ferrer..unbelievable, and this man worked with David Lean.

Good follow-up on its own merits.......2007-02-13

I thoroughly enjoyed this film. It has a stellar cast & is an engrossing sequel to the original. The plots are interesting & the actors are talented & enjoyable to watch. It isn't fair to compare it to the original. The original was great, but then so is this contribution to the film series. I would recommend it to be watched back-to-back on a sunday afternoon, it would make for a fun marathon. Myself, I'm not at all a fan of sequels, but Carol Lynley, Jeff Chandler, Mary Astor & Brett Halsey deserve kudos for their meat & potatoes performances in this production. I'm very pleased it's finally on DVD.

Classic - Peyton Place.......2006-11-05

If you liked Peyton Place, you will love this movie. Jeff Chandler does a great job portraying "the publisher" of Allison's book as well as her lover for the moment. This also has a variety of things happening in Peyton Place that you will find interesting.

Gossip, Gossip, Gossip.......2005-11-07

It isn't mandatory that you watch Peyton Place before Return To Peyton Place as the actors are different and some of the characters did not reappear in the sequel. I watched both back to back and Return To... was just as glossy, trashy and colourfully slick as its predecessor. With a story like this, taking place in a small town full of characters, there are more than enough stories to interweave. The audio commentary of Sylvia Stoddard is a great supplement to this dvd. (see also The Best of Everything) She related stories about Tuesday Weld, Mary Astor and Grace Metalious among many others. This is a well-produced melodrama and I recommend it on that basis.

Average customer rating:

Neil Jordan's brilliant, overlooked gem.
Francie Brady, Saint Of The World!
the butcher boy SLAYS, ha ha ha.
masterpiece
It's about time

The Butcher Boy
Starring: Eamonn Owens , Sean McGinley , Peter Gowen , Alan Boyle (II) , and Andrew Fullerton
Director: Neil Jordan
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
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ASIN: B000JYW5AK
Release Date: 2007-02-13

Amazon.com essential video

You can't write off Francie Brady, apple-cheeked hero of The Butcher Boy, as a bad seed and have done with him. In Irish director Neil Jordan's often-surreal fairy tales, bad seeds grow the fruit of subversive knowledge: A master of blending the everyday with the truly mad and wonderfully weird, Jordan loves to encourage charismatic anarchists--driven by amoral energy and imagination--to attack the status quo with extreme prejudice. Exuberant Francie (Eamonn Owens, making a splendid debut) is a thorn in the side of rural Irish repression and hypocrisy. Better to call this smart, too-sensitive brat an ambulatory Rorschach, an uncensored billboard of his disapproving society's uglier truths and fears. A nonstop standup comedian ("And the Francie Brady Not a Bad Bastard Anymore Award goes to--Great God, I think it's Francie Brady!"), he projects fantasies of '60s cold war paranoia (atomic warfare leaves his village a graveyard of charred pigs), American "cowboys and Indians" pop culture, and Catholic Madonna worship (Sinead O'Connor appears as an earthy Virgin Mary). But Francie's rich fantasy life is no match for reality's "slings and arrows": His abusive da (Stephen Rea) pickles himself in drink, his fragile mother edges closer to suicide, "blood brother" Joe turns Judas, and a punitive stint at a Catholic reformatory ends with our Gaelic Holden Caulfield tricked out in girlish bonnet and ruffles, plaything of an addled old priest (Milo O'Shea). No wonder Francie's ultimately driven to exorcize his own Wicked Witch of the West. (He sees Mrs. Nugent (Fiona Shaw), self-righteous pillar of a callous community, as the cause of his cursed life.) Laced with tragedy and hilarity, great beauty and horror, Jordan's adaptation of the Patrick McCabe bestseller mutates the adventures of Francie Brady--psychotic killer, performance artist, and purest innocent--into a sort of saint's life. --Kathleen Murphy

Description

Hailed coast-to-coast as one of 1998's best films! The director of The Crying Game and Interview with the Vampire crafts this inventive tale of a boy who uses humor, hooliganism and horror to cope with the world around him.Year: 1998 Director: Neil Jordan Starring: Stephen Rea, Fiona Shaw, Eammon Owerns

Customer Reviews:

Neil Jordan's brilliant, overlooked gem........2007-05-27

The Butcher Boy (Neil Jordan, 1999)

Neil Jordan has always struck me as having a thing for deep, meaningful pictures that are, in general, neither terribly deep nor terribly meaningful. The Butcher Boy is the exact opposite of everything Jordan usually does, and almost by definition, it packs more of a punch in the deep-and-meaningful department than anything Jordan's done to date. Needless to say, it went entirely unnoticed in the States. I strongly suggest you rectify that as soon as possible.

The Butcher Boy himself is Francie (Eamonn Owens), a rowdy kid who, as we open, is on the verge of descending into a life of petty crime. His best friend, Joe (Alan Boyle), does his level best to keep Francie on the straight and narrow, but as is usually the case, Francie's particular brand of temptation usually wins out, and the two find themselves forever getting into scrapes. More and more, these revolve around Mrs. Nugent (Fiona Shaw), the town busybody, who really does have it in for Francie. It doesn't help that Francie's home life is the very definition of dysfunctional, nor that the town's old ladies are so willing to fall for his charms. Eventually, though, things come to a head, and the inevitable chaos results. From there, however, it's quite a bit farther to the ultimate ending of this tale (of which we get a taste in the film's opening scene), and if anything, Jordan's depiction of Francie after the decline and fall is even better than his depiction of the rise. This is where we find out that Francie is not just a kid we can laugh at, but one we can empathize with. (And if you're not cheering when the bad guy ends up getting hers, well then, you probably weren't meant for this movie in the first place.)

I loved this movie far more than I expected to. Highly recommended, even (perhaps especially) for those who've always found Jordan an overblown windbag who takes himself too seriously in the past. ****

Francie Brady, Saint Of The World!.......2007-03-20

Francie Brady (amazing debut by actor Eamonn Owens) is a charismatic, hyperactive, highly imaginative Catholic boy that is prone to visions of the Virgin Mary (Sinead O'Connor). Subjected to a life with a suicidal mother and an alcoholic father, Francie darts and prances about his life in small town Ireland laying to truth all that there is about the hypocrisy of the village and the Catholic Church. His imagination goes from fantasies about atomic bombs to cowboys and Indians. His manic behavior lands him a stint in a Catholic reformatory where he meets the pervert priest and rallies the boy's hilarious jinks. Pity his neighbor, the overtly self-righteous Mrs. Shaw, who becomes the target of his psychotic retributions and path to his own righteousness in the name of the Virgin Mary. This film is shocking, hilarious and horrific all at once. Frankie somehow becomes a saint by the end of the film, and it's the slyest, most ironic expose on the Irish Catholic church in years.

the but