The Nest

Starring:Samy Naceri, BenoÃ®t Magimel, Nadia FarÃ¨s, Pascal Greggory, Sami Bouajila, Anisia Uzeyman, Richard Sammel, Valerio Mastandrea, Martial Odone, Martin Amic, Alexandre Hamidi, Angelo Infanti, Grigori Manukov, Paul Hervet, FrÃ©dÃ©ric Kontogom, FrÃ©dÃ©ric Maranber, Eric Franquelin, Bibi Naceri, Jean-Yves Chatelais, ThÃ©odul CarrÃ©-Cassaigne
Director: Florent Emilio Siri
Studio: Lions Gate
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Pretty good, awesome acting, but things kind of fell apart towards the end
i read the book first
It's a Mad, Mad World...
Insane in the Membrane

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Starring: Jack Nicholson , Louise Fletcher , William Redfield , Michael Berryman , and Peter Brocco
Director: Milos Forman
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Chinatown
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ASIN: 0790732181
Release Date: 1997-12-17

Amazon.com

One of the key movies of the 1970s, when exciting, groundbreaking, personal films were still being made in Hollywood, Milos Forman's One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest emphasized the humanistic story at the heart of Ken Kesey's more hallucinogenic novel. Jack Nicholson was born to play the part of Randle Patrick McMurphy, the rebellious inmate of a psychiatric hospital who fights back against the authorities' cold attitudes of institutional superiority, as personified by Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher). It's the classic antiestablishment tale of one man asserting his individuality in the face of a repressive, conformist system--and it works on every level. Forman populates his film with memorably eccentric faces, and gets such freshly detailed and spontaneous work from his ensemble that the picture sometimes feels like a documentary. Unlike a lot of films pitched at the "youth culture" of the 1970s, One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest really hasn't dated a bit, because the qualities of human nature that Forman captures--playfulness, courage, inspiration, pride, stubbornness--are universal and timeless. The film swept the Academy Awards for 1976, winning in all the major categories (picture, director, actor, actress, screenplay) for the first time since Frank Capra's It Happened One Night in 1931. --Jim Emerson

Description

A nice rest in a state mental hospital beats a stretch in the pen, right? Randle P. McMurphy (Jack Nicholson), a free-spirited con with lightning in his veins and glib on his tongue, fakes insanity and moves in with what he calls the "nuts." Immediately, his contagious sense of disorder runs up against numbing routine. No way should guys pickled on sedatives shuffle around in bathrobes when the World Series is on. This means war! On one side is McMurphy. On the other is soft-spoken Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher), among the most coldly monstrous villains in film history. At stake is the fate of every patient on the ward. Based on Ken Kesey's acclaimed bestseller, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest swept all five major 1975 Academy Awards: Best Picture (produced by Saul Zaentz and Michael Douglas), Actor (Nicholson), Actress (Fletcher), Director (Milos Forman) and Adapted Screenplay (Lawrence Hauben and Bo Goldman). Raucous, searing and with a superb cast that includes Brad Dourif, Danny DeVito, Christopher Lloyd in his film debut, this one soars.

DVD Features:
Production Notes
Theatrical Trailer

Customer Reviews:

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.......2007-07-04

A landmark film of the '70s, Forman's "Nest" is the anti-establishment film par excellence--and perhaps the finest showcase ever for the blazing talent and wild-man antics of a certain Jack Nicholson. Organizing illegal card games, playing hoops with the nutters, sneaking whores into the lockdown ward, McMurphy represents the zeal and passion of a truly free spirit. His interactions with Christopher Lloyd, Brad Dourif, and a young Danny DeVito are both hilarious and tragic, but it's his conflict with fellow Oscar winner Fletcher, as the hateful, repressed, order-obsessed Nurse Ratched, that ultimately seals his fate. Based on Ken Kesey's mordant novel, "Nest" is a grimly funny movie about madness and our irrepressible need to challenge authority.

Pretty good, awesome acting, but things kind of fell apart towards the end.......2007-06-24

Some aspects of the movie were excellent. Nicholson did a hell of a job, like always. He is just as believable as he wants to be. He is just crazy enough for the viewer to wonder if he belongs in the mental facility or if he is just faking to stay out of a labor-yard or the state penitentary. Some of his interactions with the head nurse and the other patients are unforgettable, like when he pretends he is watching baseball and starts the play by play announcing when the head nurse refuses to let the patients watch the world series.

I liked most of the movie and the plot development seemed to be right on cue. But once the movie started winding down, things stopped being believable. McMurphy seems to leave and enter the facility whenever he wants, cleverly eluding security, he bribes the guard with a box of liquor, and convinces his girlfriend to sleep with one of the patients. After the entire routine of trashing the mental facility at the cover of night, he decided to STAY instead of escape, when he could have easily escaped. This was just absurd and the movie lost its purpose at that point.

In typical, depressing fashion, everything falls apart, when the innocent young man commits suicide, McMurphy forsakes another attempt to escape. I won't give away the ending, but its not satisfying and not what I was hoping for, it made me feel that I wasted 2 1/2 hours of watching the film.

There were few enduring lessons; other than the motif of individuals who are on power trips, personified by the head nurse. The book is a classic and is known for developing this relationship masterfully. But in a 2 1/2 hour movie, it is hard to accomplish this dense character development. It just didn't work in my eyes.

This film usually gets great ratings, but it just didn't fly for me. I like classics, like Cool Hand Luke and the Godfather. But I don't like depressing, meaningless endings. Death, depression and failure don't necessarily make a "good" movie in my eyes. There needs to be more purpose behind it. The conversations and acting were great, but the last half hour of the movie was disappointing.

It seems as the writer of the script, and the author for that matter, had excellent material but really didn't know how to wrap it up for a memorable ending.

i read the book first.......2007-06-16

the book was much better, so it was hard to watch it. other than that it is an awesome movie.

It's a Mad, Mad World..........2007-05-29

Throughout my lifetime, I don't think I have ever met a red-blooded human being who did not appreciate the tragic charm of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest."
The amazing thing about this movie is that one does not need to be institutionalized to see that life itself is filled with "slightly off" people. No matter who or where you're from, we are all aware of how the term "crazy" has officially ingrained itself as a "normal" term in our daily vocabulary.

Frankly, I don't believe any of these characters were clinically insane.
I am confident quite a few people would agree with me in that statement.

What I found the most heartbreaking was the fact that the craziest of them all was the control-freak Ratched nurse who was supposedly there to help these people. It truly sickens me when such villains feed off of the fragility of the vulnerable. Talk about snatching a candy away from a poor, helpless baby...

To be honest, I've only seen this movie about three or four times.
But it has been one of those movies that really left an imprint in my mind by inspiring me to accept the fact that nobody is perfect -
and that sometimes, striving for perfection can indeed drive the most normal person insane.

I do believe - that when a single movie can possess such power,
it deserves nothing less than 5 complete stars.

Insane in the Membrane.......2007-05-15

This is the worst of the Danny DeVito comedies released in the mid-80s, and is far, far inferior to funnier flicks like "Down and Out in Beverly Hills," "Ruthless People," and "Other People's Money." Compared to them, this one is a comic stinker.

The premise is a good one-- a couple of wackos played by Danny DeVito, Jack Nicholson, Christopher Lloyd, and an Indian perform hijinks in an asylum and they plot to break out. The laughs, however, are few and far between and at times the only things that are funny are Jack Nicholson's hat and the fact that Michael Douglas directed this.

My biggest problem is that Jack Nicholson, who is great as The Joker (Batman), the Devil (The Witches of Eastwick) and a Wolf (Wolf) isn't very gifted at comedy. Imagine how much crazier it would have been if the crazy people were led by somebody like Tim Allen or Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan!

There is some funny business with a water fountain and a pillow at the end of the movie, but too little too late, if you ask me. Only rent this movie if you hate laughter.

Fiddler on the Roof (2-Disc Collector's Edition)

Average customer rating:

My most favorite movie
Fantastic!
Sounds is a joke
FIDDLER ON THE ROOF
introduce a classic to your family

Fiddler on the Roof (2-Disc Collector's Edition)
Starring: Topol , Norma Crane , Leonard Frey , Molly Picon , and Paul Mann
Director: Norman Jewison
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000KX0IQS
Release Date: 2007-01-23

Amazon.com

This rousing musical, based on the stories of Shalom Aleichem, takes place in pre-revolutionary Russia and centers on the life of Tevye (Topol), a milkman who is trying to keep his family's traditions in place while marrying off his three older daughters. Yet, times are changing and the daughters want to make their own matches, breaking free of many of the constricting customs required of them by Judaism. In the background of these events, Russia is on the brink of revolution and Jews are feeling increasingly unwelcome in their villages. Tevye--who expresses his desire for sameness in the opening number, "Tradition"--is trying to keep everyone, and everything, together. The movie is strongly allegorical--Tevye represents the common man--but it does it dexterously, and the resulting film is a stunning work of art. The music is excellent (it won Oscars for the scoring and the sound), with plenty of familiar songs such as "Sunrise, Sunset" and "If I Were a Rich Man," which you'll be humming long after the movie is over. Isaac Stern's violin--he provides the music for the fiddler on the roof--is hauntingly beautiful. And despite the serious subject matter, the film is quite comedic in parts; it also well deserves the Oscar it won for cinematography. --Jenny Brown

Description

"An outstanding accomplishment in every category" (Boxoffice), this lavishly produced and critically acclaimed screen adaptation of the international stage sensation tells the life-affirming story of Tevye (Topol), a poor milkman whose love, pride and faith help him face the oppression of turn-of-the century czarist Russia. Nominated* for eight Academy Awards(r), including Best Picture and Best Director, and featuring such classic songs as "If I Were A Rich Man," "Matchmaker" and "Sunrise, Sunset," Fiddler on the Roof is a universal story of hope, love and acceptancea "stunning, joyful and jubilant" (New York Daily News) musical masterpiece. *1971: Actor (Topol), Supporting Actor (Leonard Frey), Cinematography (winner), Art Direction/SetDecoration, Sound (winner), Music (Scoring: Adaptation and Original Song Score) (winner)

Customer Reviews:

My most favorite movie.......2007-05-13

I love this musical, it is probably my most favorite of all time. I love the way it was filmed and all the characters.

Fantastic!.......2007-03-25

Fantastic musical. Fiddler on the Roof tells the story of Tevya, and his family, coming to grips with changes in a small village Tzarist Russia. Changes to the vaunted Tradition first come small, in the form of his daughters wanting to pick their own spouses. It gets worse as the village confronts anti-semitism.

The music is classic - hard to imagine anyone not knowing at least half the score already. Tradition, Sunrise Sunset, L'haim to name a few... And Topol... It is safe to say he was born to play Tevya.

The irony is dark, and much is shown, but not told. Is the breaking of tradition good or bad? Where do traditions come from? Is moving on ultimately a bad or good thing?

DVD add-ins include extensive commentary from the director, Norman Jewison, who adds light and historical context to the story and it's making. Well worth catching those as well.

Sounds is a joke.......2007-03-24

Love this movie but this "special" edition is NOT. The sound a remastered 5.1 is actually 2.0 returned the product once and received more of the same. Buy it for sentimental values only

FIDDLER ON THE ROOF.......2007-03-13

EXCELLENT PRINT, AND NOW IN A DELUXE TWO DISC EDITION, WELL WORTH THE MONEY AND ALSO THE TIME SPENT VIEWING. IT IS PRESTINE, AND WELL WORTH THE EFFORT TO PURCHASE AND SEE. MANY THANKS.

introduce a classic to your family.......2007-03-11

Our entire family (including kids ages 9 & 12) LOVED this movie.

Average customer rating:

Beautiful, Beautiful, Beautiful
Musical Masterpiece
Fantastic!
Fiddler on the Roof DVD
Matchmaker, Matchmaker. . .make me a match!

Fiddler on the Roof (Special Edition)
Starring: Topol , Norma Crane , Leonard Frey , Molly Picon , and Paul Mann
Director: Norman Jewison
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005N7YZ
Release Date: 2001-10-02

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful, Beautiful, Beautiful.......2007-06-14

I don't know what I like better, the story or the music. The performances are absolutely riveting, convincing, hysterical. This movie gives the viewers a juicy taste of Jewish culture, with classic signature songs like "Rich Man" and "Sunrise, Sunset." I love it for its flawless humor. Fiddler on the Roof is definitely a keeper!

Musical Masterpiece.......2007-04-18

One of the last great musicals Hollywood has given us. Topol shines brightly in this Norman Jewison directed marvel. Visually and musically stunning, A perfect film to make one laugh, cry, sing-along and think. Why don't we get many others like it today? One of my very favorite musicals. Favorite films for that matter. Cast to perfection.

Fantastic!.......2007-03-25

Fiddler on the Roof DVD.......2007-02-21

A classic digitally restored. Who doesn't love Topol? Best of all...you don't have to be a "wealthy man" to enjoy it!

Matchmaker, Matchmaker. . .make me a match!.......2007-02-20

The plot of this musical motion picture touches the home base in just about everyone's life, regardless of politics, gender, view, or religion.
The basic premise is the breaking down of "old-school" traditions and incorporating new ones. With mature family members helplessly watching those previous barriers fall, in spite of their own point of view.
It takes the example of three daughters, in this particular family and setting, to demonstrate how far the breaking down of those barriers go. Each asking for just a little bit more compassion, understanding, and love.
The movie sets are exquisite and I don't use this term lightly. Even though it happens around a poverished village, it goes to show how rich and rewarding people can still live within those realms.
The music is so apart of the story and general mood, it doesnt matter if one is a movie musical fan or not.
My favorite musical sequence was the part when Tevye informs his wife of a made up dream he had, which is meant to become a bad omen for an already fixed marriage plan of the oldest daughter. He doesnt know how to explain to his wife, the fact that there is another real love affair going on, and needs to make it appear the fixed marriage plan is doomed.
Brilliant, and lively! Tradition!

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Average customer rating:

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Pretty good, awesome acting, but things kind of fell apart towards the end
i read the book first
It's a Mad, Mad World...
Insane in the Membrane

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Starring: Jack Nicholson , Louise Fletcher , William Redfield , Michael Berryman , and Peter Brocco
Director: Milos Forman
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( O ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

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Similar Items:

Chinatown
Midnight Cowboy
A Clockwork Orange
Cool Hand Luke
Citizen Kane

ASIN: B00006FDCP
Release Date: 2002-09-24

Amazon.com essential video

Description

Customer Reviews:

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.......2007-07-04

Pretty good, awesome acting, but things kind of fell apart towards the end.......2007-06-24

i read the book first.......2007-06-16

the book was much better, so it was hard to watch it. other than that it is an awesome movie.

It's a Mad, Mad World..........2007-05-29

Insane in the Membrane.......2007-05-15

Average customer rating:

The original "Father of the Bride"
Spencer Tracy
Like the film itself, Liz is as light as air...
Quaint Look At a Revered Institution
Dearly Beloved.....

Father of the Bride (Snap case)
Starring: Spencer Tracy , Joan Bennett , Elizabeth Taylor , Don Taylor , and Billie Burke
Director: Vincente Minnelli
Manufacturer: Turner Home Ent
ProductGroup: DVD
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Desk Set

ASIN: B00008MTY0
Release Date: 2004-06-01

Amazon.com essential video

This 1950 Vincente Minnelli classic may show its age here and there, but it's still a far sturdier movie than the 1991 Steve Martin vehicle. Spencer Tracy earned yet another Oscar nomination for his wonderfully well observed portrayal of Stanley Banks, a decent (if occasionally long-winded) fellow who gets caught up and cut up in the rudderless spectacle that is the wedding of his only daughter (Elizabeth Taylor, of course). It's a sage commentary on the class mores of the day--how much does one spend? (Or, more accurately, when does one quit spending?) Does one invite one's work colleagues, even if they don't know the bride? Tracy is simply magnificent, gruffly warm and funny, whether he's getting sloppy drunk and discoursing at length or simply sitting by, silently amazed, as his daughter and her beau make up after a spat. The film inspired a sequel (1951's Father's Little Dividend--try getting that title made nowadays), a remake, and a remake of its sequel, as well as a TV series--all in all, almost as many incarnations as Taylor had weddings. --David Kronke

Description

Stanley Banks is a good father who adores his beautiful daughter Kay and his well-ordered life, a life that is thrown into chaos when Kay announces her engagement. A classic MGM comedy, the story is told via flashback and chronicles the many travails, financial and emotional, suffered by Stanley (Spencer Tracy) as he tries to give Kay (Elizabeth Taylor) a wedding to remember. Year: 1950 Director: Vincente Minnelli Starring: Spencer Tracy, Joan Bennett, Elizabeth Taylor

Customer Reviews:

The original "Father of the Bride".......2007-06-25

A buoyant, big-hearted MGM comedy featuring the wry comedic talent of Spencer Tracy, Minnelli's romp provided the original template for an idea that's been imitated countless times (as in 2000's "Meet the Parents"), but never done quite so charmingly. Tracy is side-splitting as the aggrieved, helpless Dad, even when he's just making a face. Taylor makes a radiant, effervescent bride-to-be (wasn't she always?), and Bennett is marvelous too, as are supporting players Moroni Olsen and Billie Burke, as Buckley's prominent, well-to-do parents. Minnelli keeps the whole affair--hilariously solemn heart-to-heart talks, a disastrous engagement party, lovers' spats--from derailing into broad farce. If you have to choose a "Bride," make it the original.

Spencer Tracy.......2007-02-12

The original version of this movie. Spencer Tracy and Elizabeth Taylor make a good pair for this one. Great for old movie fans!

Like the film itself, Liz is as light as air..........2006-12-31

A minor classic in a minor tradition, blending the late Forties with the early Fifties, "Father of the Bride" is a fragmentary but mainly delightful suburban comedy which finds Hollywood in its best light vein and benefits from a strong central performance...

One night at dinner, daughter Kay casually announces her engagement... Like the situation comedy parents they are, father and mother react on cue... Mr. and Mrs. Banks fret and fume their way right up to the wedding itself... Following practically to the letter the events of Edward Streeter's charming novel, the movie is a series of comic set pieces: father meets future son-in-law; boy's parents meet girl's parents; prospective bride feuds with prospective groom... The vignettes are brushed with the light Minnelli touch at its most charming, and they are acted with captivating nonchalance by Spencer Tracy, Joan Bennett, and the Taylors, Don and Elizabeth...

As the complaining teddy bear papa, attentive to his daughter's welfare and alert as to the disposal of his pennies, Tracy is unbeatably amusing... Playing the American domestic dictator, Tracy is all good-natured father exhausted by the sheer weight of the problems leading up to the happy event...

But it's an ensemble show, and as the typical spoiled daughter of a typical mid-American bourgeois, Elizabeth has one of her happiest screen moments, twisting and persuading her father and her fiancé with a sweet instinctive to the natural-born female... Except for her cheerful announcement of her engagement, when she chatters carelessly about her fiancé's prospects and 'The Life Ahead,' she has no scene all for herself... She's there to express doubt or irresolution, and this is one of her most responsive and natural performances... Like the film itself, she's as light as air...

Quaint Look At a Revered Institution.......2006-07-23

There are almost certainly dated elements in "The Father of the Bride". I also thought Liz Taylor was a little too Hollywood glamorous to be playing a typical suburban American girl. The focus here, however, is Spencer Tracy in the title role and he is nothing short of brilliant. Gently balancing bemusement and bewilderment at the staggering cost emotionally and financially of losing his little girl Tracy doesn't strike a single false note. The film is also augmented by a witty voice-over narration by Tracy. I think it unfair to compare this film to the Steve Martin remake. I think both film's succeed and the remake, though adding some nineties touches, retains enough of the original's charming elements to stand up by itself.

Dearly Beloved............2006-05-27

Another "classic" that I had not seen in years and I could only remember the inspired and hilarious dream sequence where Spencer Tracy tries desperately to get down a fun house of an aisle to get to the alter while his daughter the bride and attendees look on in horror. This one sequence brings the audience out of a rather normal and traditional looking world and right into the noir for a moment before bringing us gently back to suburbia again. I also love the "slice of life" (as filtered through Hollywood's eye) approach to the film. By this I mean that it's rather fun to see what a modern middle class suburban family and home was like in the late 1940s to the early 1950s (servants and all). I loved seeing lovely Elizabeth Taylor dressed in rolled up blue jeans and a flannel shirt and kerchief, (That woman could wear a potato sack and look elegant) and calling Tracy "Pop" in her genuinely affection tone. The entire cast of characters is great with seasoned professionals like Billie Burke and Leo G. Carroll to name just a couple. But Tracy alone is the anchor to this piece, bringing a rye wit and quiet sense of dignity and patience to the whole mess, even when surrounded by the aftermath of the wedding in what looks like a bombed out city complete with with crepe paper. The whole film has such a sweet, satisfying quality that I think, in the hands of a lesser man than director, might have fallen flat. But Minnelli pulls it off brilliantly, balancing charm, sentimentality, humor and even fantasy with just the right touch. And, as others have mentioned in other opinions posted here, it is difficult to compare the original here with later remakes. I do like Steve Martin very much, but there is really nothing to compare next to Spencer Tracy and the subtle expertise of the folks at MGM, circa 1950

Average customer rating:

a very funny
Christmas movie - Excellent - Christmas with the Kranks
Christmas with the "Stanks"
Kristmas With the Chranks
Christmas with the Kranks

Christmas with the Kranks
Starring: Tim Allen , Jamie Lee Curtis , Dan Aykroyd , M. Emmet Walsh , and Elizabeth Franz
Director: Joe Roth
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Slapstick | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B0007A0F4E
Release Date: 2005-11-08

Amazon.com

Slapstick humor gets a full-body workout in Christmas with the Kranks. Critics were unanimous in their derision, and John Grisham must have gnashed his teeth over what studio-boss-turned-director Joe Roth did to his bestselling novel Skipping Christmas, to which this broad-stroked comedy bears little or no resemblance. The title characters are played by Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis, who decide to skip Christmas because their daughter's in Peru with the Peace Corps. Thus begins a rabid program of enforced conformity when their neighbors (led by Dan Aykroyd) coerce the Kranks into changing their holiday attitude--a change that comes easily when the daughter announces she'll be home for Christmas after all. Imagine if a suburban lynch mob said "Have a Merry Christmas or we'll kill you," and you'll get some idea of what spending Christmas with the Kranks is really like. And if you laughed at the frozen cat, you're probably on Santa's "naughty" list. --Jeff Shannon

Product Description

When their only daughter Blair leaves the family nest, Luther and Nora Krank (Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis) decide to book an island cruise to beat the yuletide blues and just skip the holidays. But their decision to boycott tradition has the whole neighborhood in an uproar, and when Blair callson Christmas Eve to announce a surprise visit with her new fiancée, the Kranks have just twelve hours to perform a miracle and pull themselves and their neighbors together to throw the best celebration ever.

Customer Reviews:

a very funny.......2007-06-30

dis-functional family christmas movie that y9u can relate too. Huffman is at her frumpy best, but next to la jamie, who wouldnt be?? Rent it for some laugh out loud moments!!!

Christmas movie - Excellent - Christmas with the Kranks.......2007-06-29

I was amazed at the humor in this movie. Awesome movie for Christmas season with lots of laughs for years to come.

Christmas with the "Stanks".......2007-06-16

Boy was this a waste of money! I found myself talking over this movie either making fun of it or telling the characters to get a life. Why in the world is it selfish for a person to want to take a vacation for Christmas? The Kranks neighbors are annoying busy bodies especially Dan Ackroyds character. I like Tim Allen's Santa movies so I thought this might be good,Wrong. The only thing worth a star was Allen's character giving up his vacation for a struggling neighbor.

Kristmas With the Chranks.......2007-02-27

What's with the review from December 29, 2006? Is this guy a newspaper reporter? Is this the style of reviewing movies now, the newspaper headline format?

Ok, I'll try one: "Loose lips sink ships"

No, wait: "Jamie Lee Curtis' best since Halloween"

Hmmm....nahhh. How 'bout: "Snow is fun. Eat cookies during Christmas"

Perfect!

Christmas with the Kranks.......2007-01-19

The movie itself is fine, however inside the box that contains the DVD it is broke and doesn't hold the movie in place. Which means the movie was bounced around during shipping. I haven't watched the whole thing but it doesn't appear to be damaged.

Average customer rating:

what a great story!
Pale Male

Nature - Pale Male
Starring: Charles Kennedy , Joanne Woodward , Dr. Alexander Fisher , Jeanine Len , and Lincoln Karim
Director: Frederic Lilien
Manufacturer: Questar
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Kestrel's Eye

ASIN: B000228E8G
Release Date: 2004-04-27

Description

Of the millions of newcomers who flock to New York City, the astounding arrival in 1991 of a red-tailed hawk made history. No other red-tailed hawk had ever attempted to make Manhattan his territory. Affectionately dubbed Pale Male, he made an exclusive Fifth Avenue apartment building his home. Pale Male became an instant celebrity who made New Yorkers' hearts and imaginations soar. The destruction of his nest in December, 2004, became front page news. See Pale Male's remarkable story in this award-winning presentation of the Emmy-honored PBS series, NATURE narrated by Oscar-winner Joanne Woodward. Join the close-knit community of bird-watchers who faithfully gather daily to follow the progress of this exquisite, powerful bird of prey, as he hunts Central Park's wild creatures, courts his mate on Woody Allen's balcony, builds a penthouse nest, fiercely protects his family from attacking crows, and encourages his baby chicks to fly. Pale Male and his family become a magnificent obsession for the captivated crowds below. To the regulars on the beach, it's better than Broadway. And so is this very special program that the Audubon Society has proclaimed "a classic."

Customer Reviews:

what a great story!.......2007-06-27

I have watched it with my 70 year old parents and with kids. It's a lovely story for all ages!

Pale Male.......2004-06-08

This DVD is absolutely astounding.As a birder myself just the idea of a Red Tail taking up residence on 5th Ave. is great. He has had more than one mate. His first,First Love was rehabilitated at The Raptor Trust in New Jersey and released from there. His second mate was also a Raptor Trust rehabilitated hawk. My daughter worked at The Raptor Trust for 10 years. We are all very happy with the success of Pale Male's nesting. He is a magnificent bird.

Average customer rating:

Great early Daniel Craig movie!!!!
For Daniel Craig Fans Only
A great start... (SPOILER)
Obsession I can understand

Obsession
Starring: Heike Makatsch , Charles Berling , Daniel Craig , Seymour Cassel , and Allen Garfield
Director: Peter Sehr
Manufacturer: Platinum Disc
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000HXDWH8
Release Date: 2006-11-07

Product Description

Two men become entangled in a torrid love affair with the same woman. Pierre is Miriam's longtime lover. John is desperately searching for clues about his past when he and Miriam have a fateful encounter in a Berlin train station. The allure of forbidden love becomes irresistible, and an intense love triangle is ignited. Who will Miriam choose? Who will walk away? For two men who desperately adore the same woman and for the woman who loves them equally...there is no easy way out.

Customer Reviews:

Great early Daniel Craig movie!!!!.......2007-05-20

I got the movie mostly because of Daniel Craig but it was a good movie, the ending was slightly disappointing but overall worth the time to watch.

For Daniel Craig Fans Only.......2007-05-08

Take good looking actors, add an incoherent script, throw in a handful of picturesque Euro locations and you have "Obsession". This film is recommended only for those who wish to have a complete Daniel Craig collection, albeit a bizarre addition to the library.

This film's worst offense is that it is boring, deadly dull despite a capable cast. The story is riddled with jaw dropping inconsistencies and the kind of stupidity one associates with Lifetime movies. For instance, Daniel Craig's character is supposedly from Zimbabwe, yet his accent is from Kansas not Rhodesia. WTF? Even DiCaprio was able to carry off a credible Rhodie accent in Blood Diamond.

If you simply must own every movie that Daniel Craig ever made then this will be $6.99 well spent. Otherwise, give this film a wide berth and in the unlikely event that you are invited over to a friend's house to watch this insult to your intelligence then you would be well advised to fabricate any excuse, however farfetched, to avoid wasting 110 minutes of your life.

A great start... (SPOILER).......2007-03-18

... but a scenario that takes too many turns, and the story finally gets lost. I must say the beginning is intriguing and there are some very goods scenes and parts but the whole is disjointed and you don't quite get the point of the entire film. The jacket says that Craig's character is obsessed by his grandmother's death. I wouldn't call that "obsession". He is just trying to make sense of events that took place in his youth and were quite "intense." It makes sense. He is investigating his own past; I don't find that obsessive. The title "obsession" probably refers to the extreme passion he and another man - French actor Charles Berling whose character I found truly boring and bland in comparison to Craig's white Zimbabwean intense personality - have for a woman. She may be wonderful and beautiful and all; it still does not seem quite believable that two intelligent and powerful guys get themselves taken for a ride by her, like they do for quite a long (waaaayyyy too long in the movie, that's where it looses the attention of the viewer) period of time... I don't get it.
The annoying part is that the movie had amazing components and characters at the beginning but the script handles them all so poorly that interest in the story gets lost.
I loved the story of the man from Zimbabwe and the picture of the tightropers and how he'd like to see their faces to understand more...
I loved how he meets the woman, how he helped out the old man chased by the police and the bond that was created between them from then on. I loved the two old men in their tailor / puppet shop. Also the music element that is brought by the woman character (very good Heike Makatsch)is interesting but is not handled well. There are a million good ideas in this movie, and they seem to all get lost in a pathetic story of a love triangle and a woman's love - and whims - for two very different men... Yawn, yawn, yawn.
There are also some loose ends (why does the old man steal?) that are a little irritating.
Anyway, very good performances by all; Daniel Craig's fans should enjoy his acting tremendously, he is perfect.

Obsession I can understand.......2007-01-18

This movie promises much but delivers a product that does not do the actors justice. It suffers from a disjointed script and is way too ambitious in trying to cover the scope of true obsession. I did not get to grips with the charactors as deeply as I would have had hoped and despite a stirling job from Daniel Craig and Heike Matkatch they seem to wander around in a dream at times.

Obsession in itself is a highly charged emotion and there are some good scenes throughout this movie but ultimately this film suffered in the editing room and it's a real shame. I enjoyed it but not at the deeper level I was looking for. Also I didn't get the ending. You are left wondering what happened. did they all live together?

Great performances from all the actors involved but as for the director - could do better

Average customer rating:

The Out-of-Towners
Will Steve Martin and Goldie Hawn ever make it in New York City.
Extremely Funny for Everyone
Stick to the Original
STICK TO THE ORIGINAL.

The Out-Of-Towners
Starring: Steve Martin , Goldie Hawn , John Cleese , Mark McKinney , and Oliver Hudson
Director: Sam Weisman
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: 6305537291
Release Date: 1999-09-21

Amazon.com

This remake of Neil Simon's 1970 comedy finds Goldie Hawn and Steve Martin as Ohio yokels cast adrift in Rudy Giuliani's sanitized New York City. With their son recently departed for Britain, the empty-nesters travel to the Big Apple for a job interview and are beset with all kinds of bad luck, starting with their flight being rerouted to Boston. Things only go downhill from there, of course, as they're mugged by an Andrew Lloyd Webber imposter, the high-tech multilingual navigation system on their rented Cadillac goes haywire, and their hotel reservations fall through. Though this movie is marred by some out-of-place slapstick and mawkish romance scenes, it's not without its funny moments. The couple stumbles into a sexual-addiction encounter group and has to try to back out gracefully (not succeeding very well, of course). John Cleese is howlingly funny as he reprises his Fawlty Towers role of a cross-dressing hotelier, and Martin has a great drug-delirium scene, in which he's slipped a hit of LSD in jail (thinking it's aspirin). Just try not to think in terms of comparisons to Neil Simon's original and this remake works fairly well. --Jerry Renshaw

Customer Reviews:

The Out-of-Towners.......2006-07-09

Steve Martin and Goldie Hawn have the chemistry together for this comedy to be as good as it is. It is a hoot! You will laugh and at the same time understand about their relationship as husband and wife. A must see movie.

Will Steve Martin and Goldie Hawn ever make it in New York City........2005-08-12

Remake of the Neil Simon film, Out of Towners (1970) starring Jack Lemmon and Sandy Dennis.
The Clark's son, Alan (Oliver Hudson, Goldie Hawn's real-life son) has finally left the coop and on to Europe. Henry Clark (Steve Martin) has an idea that now is the time to leave Iowa and get a higher-paying job in New York. Actually, he got fired from his weak advertising job and doesn't have the heart to tell his wife, Nancy (Goldie Hawn).
So Henry is on his way by airplane to New York. Could have been an ordinary trip, but Nancy suddenly runs on the airplane to surprise her husband. She announces that she has brought her husband's rash cream. That's not all, they can't land in New York City because it is fogged in. So the plane lands in God-forgotten Boston.
And so with that, getting to New York in time for the important job interview is going to be an adventure of its own. Everything goes wrong.
Also in the cast: John Cleese, Mark McKinney, Carlease Burke, Ernie Sabella, James Arone, Chris McKinney, then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
This movie was filmed and released before the reality TV series, "Amazing Race" premiered on Sept. 5, 2001. Perhaps the Out-Of-Towners films gave them the idea.
The Neil Simon version of Out Of Towners (1970) with Jack Lemmon and Sandy Dennis is much more dramatic and realistic, but written to relax and laugh. I highly recommend the 1970 version too.

Extremely Funny for Everyone.......2004-09-26

Weather you have been a tourist in New York City or live there anyone can relate to this movie. Even if you have not taken a bite out of the Big Apple the humor, plot and acting is first rate. I have seen the movie numerous times and whenever I watch it again, I still find myself laughing.

Stick to the Original.......2004-07-01

If you've seen the original "Out-of-Towners" with Jack Lemmon and Sandy Dennis, there's really no reason to see the remake. Jack was so funny and put everything into his performance, but this time the humor just isn't there. The story is very rushed and it hurts the movie. For example, the couple leave Ohio, get on a plane, it can't land in New York, they can't find their luggage and are rerouted to Boston all in the first 20 minutes of the movie! And they altered the story a little, which cuts even more of the humor out of it. Like, instead of the hotel giving their room away, their credit card was decined. There's just nothing funny about that. Nor do I remember their going to a group in the hotel to talk about sex in the original movie! Making a remake of this incredible movie was a mistake. Or if they did want to do it, they could've taken the time to do it right.

STICK TO THE ORIGINAL........2004-02-28

Anyone who has seen the original 1970 version with Jack Lemmon and Sandy Dennis, under the aegis of Neil Simon's tight scriptwriting, knows how an excellent cast, script, and director can put together a comedy masterpiece.

By the same token, it's easy to see how the opposite of that can create another insipid Hollywood bore-a-thon! Despite two stars in the lead that I simply adore, it falls miserably on its head. There are about 2-3 actual gags that evoke so much as a grin, and out of a full length movie that just isn't enough.

Amazon.com

A relic certainly, but a fascinating one, Der Golem is perhaps the screen's first great monster movie. Though it was actually the third time director-star Paul Wegener had played the eponymous creation, the earlier efforts (sadly lost) were rough drafts for this elaborate dramatization of the Jewish legend. When the Emperor decrees that the Jews of mediaeval Prague should be evicted from the ghetto, a mystical rabbi creates a clay giant and summons the demon Astaroth who breathes out in smoky letters the magic word that will animate the golem. Intended as a protector and avenger, the golem is twisted by the machinations of a lovelorn assistant and, like many a monster to come, runs riot, terrorizing guilty and innocent alike until a little girl innocently ends his rampage. Wegener's golem is an impressively solid figure, the Frankenstein monster with a slightly comical clay wig. The wonderfully grotesque Prague sets and the alchemical atmosphere remain potent. --Kim Newman

Customer Reviews:

Expressionist classic.......2007-06-23

An excellent silent film made in Germany in 1920 and making great use of the expressionist style of filmmaking from that era. Made by the same studio that produced The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari that same year. It was one of the first "monster movies" as well. This movie was a huge influence on James Whale when he made Frankenstein in 1931. It involves a Jewish community being persecuted by Christians. The Jewish rabbi uses "black magic" to bring a clay statue to life in order to protect them from the Christian emperor. The cinematographer, Karl Freund, would go on to lens Fritz Lang's Metropolis in 1927 and Tod Browning's Dracula in 1931; and in the 50's he was the director of photography for the "I Love Lucy" show.

Fascinating relic.......2007-06-17

I hadn't realized how much this movie set the pattern for the ones that came after. The golem's straight-legged walk and padded chest will certainly look familiar, as will some of the scenes (including the monster and child). Other parts are less familiar but even more intriguing, including the celebration of European Jewish traditions going back to the 1600s.

The cover of this DVD is garishly colorized - don't worry, the movie itself has not suffered that fate. On the other hand, it hasn't gotten the kind of restoration that has brought other old movies to new life, either. As a result, brightness varies moment to moment and the edges of the screen are generally quite murky. The instrumental sound track adds to the movie, but adds only a little. Also, the movie runs a bit past the 85 minutes quoted on the cover.

Only the image quality is a real concern, though. The movie is still legible and enjoyable, but would be easier to enjoy if the imagery could be renewed using modern techniques.

-- wiredweird

Creepy !.......2007-04-21

Weird,odd and creepy !Story is taken from an old myth,and put to film.

Gothic tale of horror.......2006-11-14

Based on a legend that began in 1580 Prague, this early example of German Expressionism is also a fine example of an early horror movie. The lighting and shadows, Gothic/Expressionist surroundings, the dark forces swirling around, and the creepy-looking Golem all contribute towards making this a landmark film. It's set in the abovementioned 16th century Prague, in the Jewish ghetto of the city (one can see the pointed hats and the strange-looking badges a number of the characters are wearing, a common practice in many areas of Europe prior to the Enlightenment and something the Nazis, 15 or so years down the line, only had to look back in history for). The much-revered rabbi-astrologer of the ghetto, Rabbi Löw, in his desperation to stop an anti-Semitic royal edict forcing the community out of the city, begins making a man out of clay, and with the help of his assistant conjures up Astaroth, who gives them the magick word that will bring the Golem to life when written down and put in the amulet on his chest.

Rabbi Löw, who has successfully done a horoscope for the emperor in the past, is invited to his court again to entertain the more fortunate people who don't have to live in a ghetto and who look all fresh, sunshiny, and happy, a far cry from the people in the ghetto, who are almost all old, dressed in black, poor, and beaten-down looking. While the rabbi is at court with the Golem, who is being passed off as his mute servant, his daughter Miriam is getting busy with the rather feminine-looking Knight Florian, who delivered first the banishment edict and then the edict demanding Rabbi Löw appear at court. (Florian is actually more feminine-looking than Miriam!) All is going well at court till everyone, against his explicit warning, starts laughing at the images of his ancestors he's conjured up, and the building starts collapsing. However, after the Golem saves the day, the banishment edict is reversed, and all seems to be going well. After they get home, he turns on his master and is deactivated; conveniently, a bad astrological portent has just begun, in which the Golem will be compelled to turn against his creator. Rabbi Löw is about to destroy him when his servant summons him to the synagogue to lead the thanksgiving prayers for the edict having been reversed. Not knowing that the Golem has just become anything but a protector and benefactor, the servant reactivates him, and all while Florian is still in Miriam's room, both of them desperately trying to figure out a way get him out of there without anyone finding out what just happened. At this point the Golem totally goes berserk, and things are not happening according to plan for anyone as he goes on a rampage through the ghetto. (I just wish his rampage had lasted longer; it would have made for a lot more dramatic tension!)

It's kind of stunning to realise just how close this film was made to the rise of the Nazis, what with its rather fair and sympathetic portrayal of the Jewish characters. These characters might be poor, living in a ghetto, and made to wear distinguishing badges and hats, but they seem like more sympathetic and human characters than the Christian Czechs, who party, frolic, and flirt all day long, not having any more important priorities, like survival or dignity in the face of prejudice and blood libels. Although it does seem kind of ironic how one of the charges on the banishment edict is the practice of witchcraft and black magick, which Rabbi Löw uses in order to try to save his people! Even the inaccuracies weren't offensive, more like unintentional errors from someone well-meaning and who didn't know any better, such as references to praying in temple (that word was not used to describe a Jewish house of worship, bar the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, till the 19th century, and this takes place in 1580!) and using the name Jehovah to refer to God. No observant Jew, past or present, would ever use that word, which is the result of a 16th century Christian scribal error, not the way the Tetragrammaton, YHVH, was pronounced. (No one has known the correct pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton for nearly 2,000 years anyway.) Still, all things considered, those are relatively minor errors; it's not like these characters are big-nosed money-grubbing Shylocks.

Extras are excerpts from Julien Duvivier's 'Le Golem' (1936), comparisons of the creations found in the film and in Chayim Bloch's novel, as well as a comparison with the scene in 'Faust' (1926) where Mephisto is conjured up, and a gallery of pictures and artwork.

This perhaps isn't the best choice for a first silent (some of the characters do have the exaggerated makeup and eyes that a lot of people falsely assume was the case in all silents, although this is 1920 and not 1926 or 1928, by which time actors looked more natural and less heavily made-up for the bright lights), but it is a classic Expressionist film, as well as a classic silent horror film and a classic early German film.

"Be lifeless clay once again--lest the powers of darkness take vengeance.".......2006-07-09

"Golem", the 1920 silent German film from directors Carl Boese and Paul Wegener is set in 16th century Prague, and it's a simple story with fantastic overtones based on Jewish folklore. Elderly Rabbi Low (Albert Steinstruck) goes to the top of his tower and reading the stars, he predicts a great disaster will soon befall the Jewish people. To prepare for the disaster, Rabbi Low, dabbling in sorcery creates a man from clay known as the Golem. In theory, the Golem is supposed to protect the Jewish ghetto dwelling community from the impending disaster, and Rabbi Low works furiously against time to finish his creation before disaster strikes.

But disaster comes in several ways. The Emperor delivers an edict that all Jews must be banished for the city, and this order is delivered by the knight, Florian (Lothar Muthel). He arrives at the Rabbi's dwelling with the declaration of expulsion in one hand, and a flower that he sniffs occasionally in the other. Just this small gesture of idly waving the flower back and forth before his nose conveys the knight's lack of humanity towards the ghetto dwellers. While the knight's errand is ostensibly over, he begins casting his eyes on the Rabbi's daughter, Miriam (Lyda Salmonova).

With the Golem created, the Rabbi brings his creature to life during an elaborate ceremony of the Black Arts. The Rabbi intends to use the Golem as a demonstration of his power and his brilliance--and hopes that by doing so, the Jews will be allowed to stay in the city. Unfortunately, his plans go awry. The Golem's emotions seem to lean towards the negative side of humanity. Is this a corruption of black magic, or is this human nature at its basest?

It's impossible not to watch Golem without being struck by some similarities to James Whales' "Frankenstein" (especially one scene at nearly the end of the film). The film's sets are incredibly complex--the ghetto is within a walled section of the city and entered only by a huge, locked gate. Winding cobblestone streets are lined with tall, stone multi-level buildings. The Rabbi's home is quite fantastic--gothic arches, and a stairway carved from stone. Those interested in German Expressionist cinema will want to watch the film for its historic value alone. The Alpha DVD print is quite acceptable, and my copy had no blemishes--displacedhuman

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