The Assignment

Starring:Aidan Quinn, Donald Sutherland, Ben Kingsley, Claudia Ferri, CÃ©line Bonnier, Vlasta Vrana, Liliana Komorowska, Von Flores, Al Waxman, Mitchell David Rothpan, Gregory Hlady, Gabriel Marian Oseciuc, FrÃ©dÃ©ric Desager, Kliment Denchev, Yonathan Gordon, Ndiouga Sarr, Manuel Aranguiz, Leni Parker, Jacques LavallÃ©e, David Francis
Director: Christian Duguay
Studio: Sony Pictures
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

Nicolas Cage stars in this drama-comedy about a Secret Service agent unable to get out of his assignment watching over an exasperating former first lady (Shirley MacLaine). The two get along like oil and water, but when MacLaine's bored widow ends up kidnapped, Cage's agent becomes a determined avenger. While the pairing of these two actors in a movie isn't something most audiences would ever have considered, that's what makes it so much fun. Cage and MacLaine are brilliantly focused in their respective parts, and filmmaker Hugh Wilson brings an unusually solid and urgent feeling to a story that might have become a dismissible light comedy in another director's hands. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

a great team.......2007-06-28

I became a Nicholas Cage fan after "City of Angels" In this movie ,he shows he can be sensitive as well as funny.The pairing of Nicholas Cage and Shirley MacLaine is brilliant.The chemistry between these two actors is wonderful and belivable as the relationship between them goes from tolerance to friendship and love

Tess has the power!.......2007-06-28

I hadn't heard of Guarding Tess until i found it in my parents movie collection. I was maybe eleven at the time and only picked it out because it had my nickname, Tess, in the title. Since then i have become a N. Cage lover. So i brought the movie because i forgot what it was about.(i just remember i liked it). The only reason why i say this is because by reading the other reviews, it hasnt been teens buying this movie which is a shame. You could really feel Cages emotions through the screen and Cages and Maclaine has a relationship that was pleasant to watch since you don't really see that kind of loyality anymore. And how couldn't you love the ridiculously bossy widow who everyone is afraid to say no too. Which is always a great element of a good comedy.

Guarding Tess is a joy!.......2007-01-03

Never got tired watching it over and over and over again, same as Dave of similar genre!!!

SHIRLEY & NICHOLAS.......2007-01-03

TWO OF OUR FAVORITE ACTORS ARE SHIRLEY MACLAINE AND NICHOLAS CAGE. THIS TWOSOME HAS PAIRED IN A FUNNY AND HEART TOUCHING MOVIE CALLED GUARDING TESS. WHAT A GREAT MOVIE. OUR WISH IS THAT THESE TWO GREAT ACTORS WILL PAIR IN MORE MOVIES THAT WILL KEEP US ENTERTAINED AS ONLY THEY CAN.

Unexpectedly satisfying.......2006-12-16

Doug Chesnick, played by Nicolas Cage, is the secret service agent assigned to protect President Carlisle's widow Tess, played by Shirley MacLaine. He chafes at the unimportance of his assignment but he especially would like to get away from her! She's difficult, rude, arbitrary, and won't let them do their jobs effectively. But when his current assignment is over and he gladly returns to Washington, he is told he has to go back. Tess called the president and wants him to stay. It is an almost constant battle of wills between them, with Tess usually winning.

A key scene is of her wheeler-dealer businessman son (Edward Albert)coming to ask her to endorse a high-end golf club/housing development. He simply came there to use her. It is there in her face that she knows this, as she turns him down. Later, she is viewing video of television coverage of her husband's funeral, during which her son appears to be feeling nothing, while Doug's composure breaks. Brief, and covered quickly, but there's no doubt how he felt. Nicolas Cage is certainly a very good actor. We understand that Tess wants Doug close to her because he loved her husband and is the son she wished she had. Also, no one knows that she has an inoperable brain tumor and does not have long to live.

Suffice it to say that her affection for him is justified when she is kidnapped. To Doug's great professional humiliation, top agents descend from Washington and take control; but Doug, unlike anyone else in the agency, realizes almost at once who is responsible and stops at nothing to extract the information he needs to save Tess's life.

In the hands of two less-edgy actors it would probably be completely forgettable; but it works. Highly recommended.

Average customer rating:

A Soild Film U-571
This Sub Rises to a Five-Star Rating!!!
fascinating movie
Jon Bon even did a good job
More, please!

U-571 (Collector's Edition)
Starring: Jon Bon Jovi , Terrence "T.C." Carson , Tom Guiry , Harvey Keitel , and Thomas Kretschmann
Director: Jonathan Mostow
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00003CXHJ
Release Date: 2000-10-24

Amazon.com

Taut and gripping, U-571 follows the exploits of a fictional team of World War II U.S. submariners who undertake a secret mission to capture a German Enigma machine to decode German documents. Writer-director Jonathan Mostow (Breakdown) tells an intense, economical tale, reminiscent of the best classic war films, while infusing it with modern sentiments.

Spring 1942: A crew of young submarine sailors are on a much-needed 48-hour liberty when they're suddenly called together and engaged in an expedition. At the helm are Lieutenant Commander Mike Dahlgren (Bill Paxton), Lieutenant Andrew Tyler (Matthew McConaughey), and Chief Klough (Harvey Keitel). Other pivotal crew members include Tyler's Annapolis pal Lieutenant Pete Emmett (Jon Bon Jovi, proving his acting mettle) and Lieutenant Hirsch (Jake Weber), who, along with Marine Major Coonan (David Keith), organizes the mission. As much of the movie takes place in a submarine during WWII, there are inevitable comparisons with the technical masterpiece Das Boot, but Mostow's masterfully shot tale can hold its own.

McConaughey's Tyler is believably earnest as he comes to grips with the reality, tragedy, and consequence of being in command. While this explosion-filled film consistently maintains its tense pace (as did the underrated Breakdown), it also presents with surprising restraint a genuine human story--and the remarkable journey of an unexpected hero. --N.F. Mendoza

Customer Reviews:

A Soild Film U-571.......2007-06-18

This film U-571 is a good solid film with a perfect cast and solid script, i really enjoy this film. yes jon is in the film but you can't really tell it's him i could'nt really i had to do a double take in the theater when i saw it he blends into scene well. i really don't understand why some people don't like this film , but i guess that's they're opinion. Rent it and watch you won't be sorry.

Highly Recommended Film

This Sub Rises to a Five-Star Rating!!!.......2007-06-04

After reading Jenny J.J.I.l's review of Das Boot - The Director's Cut, a very nice reviewer who doesn't mind me promoting her here, I was reminded of this classic film and watched it over the weekend with my family. Amazon did a fine job with it's review that explains the basics of the story well enough, so I don't feel the necessity of repeating the plot here. I'll just stick to what I liked and disliked about the film within this review. I'm also going to experiment with that new feature here on Amazon of inserting a "product link" as these actors should also be noted for their other great performances.

The nearly all-star cast is exceptional and for some this was the film that either jump-started their careers, reignited older ones, or in both cases if it didn't, it should have. For starters, this film has the ever believable and reliable Bill Paxton as the perfect military head huncho with his lean tall build, chiseled facial features, forever military haircut, and that "to the point" verbal delivery. He is such an underrated and under-appreciated actor. Click on his name and a load of great films come up, but his brilliant performance in the lesser known A Simple Plan he really shows his acting chops.

Harvey Keital, Reservoir Dogs (15th Anniversary 2-Disc Special Edition), and more recently National Treasure (Widescreen Edition), is really the commanding officer, but wisely steps aside and allows Matthew McConaughey prove he's capable of leading a crew after just missing a promotion. McConaughey reminds us that although he's often a Hollywood lightweight pretty boy, he can really actually act when given the right material as in A Time to Kill and this film.

I would be greatly remiss in pointing out that Jon Bon Jovi is wholly believable in this film as he has been in throughout his limited acting career. This rock singer can really act and this film should have really put him on the map, but it didn't. Check him out by clicking on his name and a series of interesting films will come up wherein he gave believable and sensitive performances.

Some other fine actors in this film ranging from small almost cameo roles to more substantial co-starring roles are David Keith of too numerous films to mention (just click his name for his many great credits), Jake Webber of TV's "Medium," Jack Noseworthy of Event Horizon (Two-Disc Special Collector's Edition) wherein he gave a very sensitive performance in his limited role, Erik Pallidino who is best known for his three year role on TV's "ER" (1999-2001) and one year on "Joan of Arcadia", and lastly there is Terrance "T.C." Carson, the cook on the sub, whose career went nowhere, but should have gone somewhere. I should point out that the German U-boat crew is also made up of excellent actors, most notably is the captain played by Thomas Kretschmann who played Captain Englehorn in the recent remake of King Kong - Extended Cut (Three-Disc Deluxe Edition).

Naturally none of this film would have been much good without the terrific direction and writing of Jonathan Mostow of Breakdown and Terminator 3 - Rise of the Machines (2-Disc Widescreen Edition) fame and the special effects, sound, and set direction teams that made this film so believable. The claustrobic feeling is intense as is the action in this well-paced and produced film. This should be on your "must-see" list and belongs in your DVD collection if you are into this military genre.

fascinating movie.......2007-05-10

I have this VCD long time ago and was very fascinating movie with breathtaking moment from beginning until the end,now I have this HDDVD version and brings up the memory of deep low bass bangover my hometheatre with very clear bubble splash out as the depth chargers bump up the sub, but unfortunately my system cannot produce dolby true hd since I have been waiting to see what receivers will come out on August. This disc will be great media for testing the total performance of the new HD feature.

System:
Denon AVR3805, xbox360 add on HDDVD, Mordaunt short Avant,optoma HD70

Jon Bon even did a good job.......2007-04-11

Its an great epic about WW2 Submariners. Always a good story line. Made great in this movie. If you have a good home theater. The depth charge scene is going to really test the limits of your system. Enjoy the movie like I did.

More, please!.......2007-03-28

Wow, still an amazing picture! It's even more exiting in hd, with great sound! pump up the sub!! ;)

Average customer rating:

Extended Cut should have been...
Irreverent loser makes good with great fun
5 STAR MOVIE UNRATED EDITION DVD IN DEFECTIVE
Classic Movie. Extended Cut not worth it.
Bought as a gift...

Stripes (Unrated Extended Cut)
Starring: Bill Murray , Harold Ramis , Warren Oates , P.J. Soles , and Sean Young
Director: Ivan Reitman
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0008JIJ2O
Release Date: 2005-06-07

Amazon.com

Bill Murray was heading toward a career peak on the back of comedies such as this one from 1981, the second film in his ongoing collaboration with director Ivan Reitman (the two went on to make Ghostbusters). Murray plays a chronic loser who joins the army and fails to find a fan for his ironic sensibilities in his by-the-book sergeant (Warren Oates). When push comes to shove, however, the smirking hero takes charge of his ragtag unit and turns them into fighting machines, albeit to the rhythm of hit songs by Manfred Mann and Sly Stone. The film is occasionally funny, but it mostly plays like any one of a dozen underachieving comedies featuring players from Saturday Night Live and SCTV. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Extended Cut should have been..........2007-05-30

There is no denying Stripes as a classic from my (insert age now) youth. And, sans the additional scenes, it is still an all-time favorite. However, I just can't get my arms around those extended scenes. The fact that a little warning is telling me throughout that "the director feels these scenes were superfluous, and a waste of your time" (my quotation marks) really doesn't help matters. Buy Stripes if you don't already own it. But, don't buy it for the extra scenes...

Irreverent loser makes good with great fun.......2007-05-20

Up tight people get theirs with humor, but not much differently from the theatrical release

5 STAR MOVIE UNRATED EDITION DVD IN DEFECTIVE.......2007-04-11

I love this movie,but I am extremely disappointed with this unrated release. The first problem is that even though you can watch the theatrical version of the film, where ever the added scenes were put in there is a slight pause before going to the next scene! This is inexcusable and it distract the viewer every time it happens. The extra scenes are worthless so now either version is ruined. This should have been recalled. Great movie worthless DVD!

Classic Movie. Extended Cut not worth it........2007-02-01

Not worth the extra added scenes plus they are explicitly marked as added scenes. Kinda cheesy. The good news is that the original movie can also be played. The movie is a 5+

Bought as a gift..........2007-01-09

I bought this as a gift for my husband. I watched this when it was first released, very funny movie... worth watching over many times. You can't go wrong with Bill Murray.

The Fighting Sullivans - Commemorative Edition

Average customer rating:

Fighting Sullivans
The Best
Amazing
The Fighting Sullivans
All Americans Should See This Movie With Their Families

The Fighting Sullivans - Commemorative Edition
Starring: John Alvin , Anne Baxter , Ward Bond , Johnny Calkins , and John Campbell
Manufacturer: Vci Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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So Proudly We Hail (Universal Cinema Classics)

ASIN: B000BQ5J4A
Release Date: 2005-11-22

Description

The Guts and Glory of the Navy! This is the movie that inspired "Saving Private Ryan." It's the true story of five brothers who fought and died together when their ship, the American cruiser Juneau, was sunk in the South Pacific during World War II. The Fighting Sullivans is something more than a worthy tribute to a pair of small town parents and the five sons they lost when the Juneau blew up in a battle off Guadalcanal on November 13, 1942. It is a heartwarming slice of Americana that will fill in the background of any number of Americans on the fighting front. The audience's awareness of the news in store for the Sullivan family adds considerably to the film's effect. The Fighting Sullivans generates emotion strictly on it's own terms and without bidding for tears. This Commemorative Edition marks the 63rd anniversary of the sinking of the Juneau. DVD features: 2005 Interview with Frank Holmgren (last living survivor of the sinking)| Video Inside the 5 Sullivan Brothers Veterans Museum| A message from Bob Neymeyer of the Grout Museum| Family Photos| Last Muster List| Memorials from family members| Survivor List| Juneau Action account letter by Lieutenant Roger W O'Neil - Mc-V (G) U S Naval Reserve| Personal Letters| Letter from President Franklin D Roosevelt| New Digital Transfer| Original Theatrical Trailer.

Customer Reviews:

Fighting Sullivans.......2007-05-13

JUST WONDERFUL, GREAT. The BEST!!
My father who was also in Navy WWII says very accurate, after he watched, several other WWII Vets' he sees also asked to borrow it, as they had all been discussing it prior to my buying the movie. Show's family life prior to war also. Just a great film, my children watched it occassionally on T.V. growing up, and now my older grandchildren are able to watch since it's on CD's.

The Best.......2007-05-12

This is one of the great classic movies of all times, I loved it for years and I am so glad that Amazon finally carried it. Based on a true story it had great depth and compassion, the best ever.

Amazing.......2007-01-04

Seen this movie on televison years ago and it stood in my mind. It's an amazing movie about brotherly love through the years. I cried years ago as a child watching it and I still cry now. I recommend it for all ages.

The Fighting Sullivans.......2006-11-10

A movie representing a strong family growing up in hard times, and the bond between its 5 sons. Based on true events. Well worth watching.

All Americans Should See This Movie With Their Families.......2006-05-29

I saw this movie as a child and I openly wept. I recently purchased the Commemorative Edition DVD. Times haven't changed, I wept again. The movie reflects the beautiful innocence of the time as compared to the standards of today's films. The Fighting Sullivans represents the incredible sacrifice made by a family during World War II. However, it goes beyond the story of the Sullivans and encompasses the fighting spirit demonstrated in all men and women who defend our country. As a daughter of a World War II sailor who served in the South Pacific alongside the Sullivans, I highly recommend this film to families throughout the country. In fact, it should be required viewing in all American history classes. Iowa is currently in a building campaign for the Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum. After you watch the movie, you may feel inspired to support this museum or any of the hundreds of veteran's organization throughout this wonderful country.

Average customer rating:

Suprising....
Well done!
Tops!
Absolutely a "Keeper!"
Worthy

The Lost Battalion
Starring: Rick Schroder , Phil McKee , Jamie Harris , Jay Rodan , and Adam James (II)
Director: Russell Mulcahy
Manufacturer: A&E Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005U8F4
Release Date: 2002-01-29

Amazon.com

The true World War I story of an American unit that was surrounded by German troops and pounded mercilessly for days (at times even by its own artillery) is vividly portrayed in this made-for-television film starring Rick Schroder. Playing a patrician New York City lawyer commissioned a major and sent into combat, Schroder commands a battalion composed of New York wiseacres as well as so-called "apple knockers" from the West. The plot is straightforward (and will be familiar to those who know World War I history), but the film rises above what could have been a clichéd telling of the story of Major Whittlesey and his heroic men. The action sequences, shot tightly with hand-held cameras, owe a debt to Saving Private Ryan, and the surreal horror of World War I, in which armies killed with machine guns yet communicated by carrier pigeon, is conveyed very well. --Robert J. McNamara

Customer Reviews:

Suprising...........2007-05-04

I saw this movie coming on A&E or some other channel and thought it couldn't be good. It had RICK SHROEDER in it for crime's sake! And it was a made for tv movie. Well boy was I WRONG! This movie sucks you in with its realism and its insistence on detail. Small minute details are attended to as this story of the 1918 conflict unfolds in a most horrific (and true to life) manner.

This particular version is very crisp and clear. I actually like it better than the Made For TV version that I originally saw...

Buy it!

Well done!.......2006-10-17

Perhaps it was too long ago for anyone to have memories that could correct innaccuracies but few movies of the first world war seem to get it right. This one captures the American experience in that war like few others have. Drama and action together bring out a story of depth, courage, tolerance, and forbearance in the crucible of adversity. I watch it again and again. Hard to believe it was made for TV and not a major picture. Still one of the great war-stories to capture the American public.

Tops!.......2006-07-28

This is an excellent movie and very realistic. If you don't like to see what war does to people it's not for you. If you like military history it is. This true story is incredible!

Absolutely a "Keeper!".......2006-06-24

As an "old soldier" and a professor, I am not only a collector of war films representing all eras, but am a "student of war." In that role I am quite critical of all films in that genre, and I found "The Lost Battalion" to be practically flawless, which is indeed a rarity. The producers, director, and actors displayed a penchant for historical accuracy in this film, and provided rare glimpses of what it was "really like" during World War I.

There is a chilling reality throughout the film, to include how the war was seen and pursued from the lowliest fighting man through the top echelons of command, and even from the German perspective. Frankly, there are relatively few films that cover World War I very well, but this is clearly the very best. I feel that my collection - or anyone else's - of war films would be incomplete without "The Lost Battalion," as it is clearly the WWI equivalent of "Saving Private Ryan," and one of the best war films of all time.

Worthy.......2006-06-21

If you are my age, its hard to look at Rick Schroder without remembering where he got his start on cheesy TV sitcoms in the 1980s. He's always been kind of a joke.

I gained a little more respect for him when he played a great role in the epic TV series "Lonesome Dove", he did well. In this A&E film directed by Russell Mulcahy, "The Lost Battalion", he shines, and is perfect for the role. I have to admit that like the guy now. I really liked his character, and he quite thoroughly overcame my preconceptions.

This is the best WWI film for pure cinematic visuals that I have seen. Its filmed in 4:3 TV aspect ratio so its got a nice clean and crisp DVD picture, though it would have been magnificent in 6:9 wide screen. I wish they'd have done it for the big screen.

The story is a true recount of actual events, and its a good thriller with sweeping battle scenes - gritty and very much a WWI look that we don't see much- moving warfare, not trench warfare. You get a taste of both trench life and patrol life here, but the majority of the fighting is not trench fighting, but downright grueling battle in the woods. The German side is well represented, the US side is accurately portrayed.

This is a film about perseverance and dogged determination. Schroder plays Major Whittlesey, who finds himself hopelessly surrounded after being sent on a suicide mission, against his knowledge. His portrayal of a Major with honor and leadership abilities makes for a refreshing story in a time when many war films are about the rather nasty side of humankind or are predictably antagonistic to the honorable idea of fighting for what is right and good. As the plot moves along, the story unfolds in a fairly quick manner, but it is the characters' response to the overwhelming odds that really carries the story.

And the best part- detail, detail, detail! This is a visually rich film. Proper weapons, proper uniforms, loads of accurate scenery and attention to period detail make the experience believable. Small arms history buffs will enjoy this film. If you like early Mausers, Springfield 1903s, and especially the good old 1911, this is a film for you. Its colored in a rather dismal dusty unsaturated hue, perfect for the film's gritty nature. While not a blockbuster, the story is pretty good, and captures the true historical account acceptably well. WWI buffs need to have this movie, no doubt about it.

Average customer rating:

The Spy Who Came in From the Cold
BEING A SPY IS COLD OUT THERE
A tour-de-force for Richard Burton....truly Oscar material
Devastating
The Best Spy Film Ever

The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
Starring: Richard Burton , Claire Bloom , Oskar Werner , Sam Wanamaker , and George Voskovec
Director: Martin Ritt
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000228EK4
Release Date: 2004-07-13

Amazon.com

John le Carre's classic spy yarn gets a suitably brisk, unromanticized telling in this quintessential Cold War movie. A British agent (Richard Burton) sets up an elaborate cover story for being lured into defecting to the Communists, but he hardly needs to manufacture his disgust and cynicism over spying. The grim business of point-counterpoint espionage has rarely been depicted with less glamour; Burton's great climactic speech on the subject is the definitive take on sinking to the level of the enemy. Claire Bloom is an offbeat love interest, and a bearded Oskar Werner is an East German investigator on Burton's case (the pecking order in the Communist spy hierarchy is a source of black humor). Director Martin Ritt extends his unvarnished approach to the movie's stripped-down look, which means that Richard Burton is constantly in a harsh, unflattering light. He looks terrible, but it's in the service of a fine performance. --Robert Horton

Customer Reviews:

The Spy Who Came in From the Cold.......2007-07-02

The finest anti-James Bond movie ever made, Ritt's adaptation of John Le Carré's novel portrays the bleak world of Cold War espionage in a decidedly realist, unromanticized fashion. Burton, in a masterful performance, portrays Leamas as a brooding, beleaguered soul who's thoroughly disgusted with his line of work, as well as the world's dueling ideologies. Excellent performances by Oskar Werner (as an East German spook) and Sam Wanamaker (as traitorous go-between Peters) add heft, while Claire Bloom brings pathos as Nan Perry, the leftie library assistant who sees beneath Leamus's alcoholic fog and world-weary veneer. Terse direction, moody cinematography, and icy plot twists keep "Cold" from freezing up.

BEING A SPY IS COLD OUT THERE.......2007-06-19

John LeCarre debunks the James Bond glamour myth with it's bevy of beauties and clever gadgetry to give us the real portrait of espionage during the cold war years. Spies were nothing but underpaid civil servants and pawns in a chess match to see who wins the round--even if it is at the expense of the innocent. Much has already been written about this great movie adapted from an even greater novel, but little has been said about the machinations behind this movie.

Despite Burton's salary disputes, his jealous wife's presence on the set to keep her philandering hubby in tow (he had a brief affair some 20 years earlier with co-star Claire Bloom), wife Liz Taylor need not have worried. Burton was drunk so much of the time on the set, he had to rely on cue cards. Thanks to clever editing and careful shots by director Martin Ritt, Burton managed (under the circumstances) to pull of the almost incredible feat of being nominated for an Oscar in this gritty film, despite his condition. He plays a burnt out spy and looks it! Bloom (superb as always), plays Burton's lover who unwittingly becomes involved in this game and becomes an expendable pawn. Her performance is subtle and understated and highlights the film. Oskar Werner is also superior as the East German interrogator assigned to Burton who is pretending to defect to East Germany all for the sake of love and country that betrays him in the end.

The London scenes were shot in a dreary section of Dublin and adds to the bleak realism of the film.

This isn't always easy to watch, especially for those who love the clever 007 movies. Here is the reality. Get use to it.

A tour-de-force for Richard Burton....truly Oscar material.......2007-06-06

So much has already been said about this movie, so let me shed some light on this film which, for now 40 plus years on, so expertly defines the climate of the Cold War during the mid-60's. Interestingly, this is a film that improves upon multiple viewings. And it is not hard to see why Burton was nominated for an Academy Award for this picture.

Depicting cold war espionage at its dirtiest and realistic best---first, note how Ritt uses black and white instead of color to personify the drab, "grey" existence of the protagonist, Alec Lemas, at time when color was the norm--and it is all the more better for it. Ritt captures the depressing environs of East and West Berlin, and the wet, dismal streets of downtown London.

It is of curious note that this was NOT a film where the director (Ritt) and star (Burton) got along famously--in fact, far from it. Ritt wanted to play Lemas as the anonymous and expendable cog caught up in the bureaucratic machine, but to do so would be a film without the strong presence, elequence and crisp delivery of Richard Burton--the actor's finest gifts. But alas, sometimes the tension between director and star can produce some of the finest examples of filmmaking, as we see here. Ritt had repeatedly tired of Burton's drinking on the set and his tempest-tossed, on again-off again relationship with Ms. Taylor.

Moreover, in the physical sense Burton carries the role expertly as well. Bloated and looking physically and emotionally spent, LeCarre himself commented that Burton looked "....as if he lived too well rather than having lived a lot..." but it all seems to work effortlessly and Ritt directs a picture that engrosses the viewer until the very end. It is noted that Lemas is supposedly 39 years old in the film, but Burton makes his protagonist look and feel as if 10-15 years older. That is, for lack of a better word, expert casting on the part of Ritt who went to bat for Burton with Paramount, put up with his issues, and met his salary demands.

Supporting cast is excellent with Oscar Werner as Fiedler, Cyril Cusack as Control, and Claire Bloom as Nan Perry all deserving top honors here. Even Bernard Lee, better known as "M" from the Bond films, is distinguished as a grocer who unfortunately demands "cash" rather than "credit" for Lemas' mock caviar, peaches, and scampi--a pivotal scene in the film--take my word for it.

Paired with this materpiece, I don't think I have seen the dim world of espionage depicted as so brutally realistic than Yorkshire Television's "The Sandbaggers" (1978-80) featuring Roy Marsden and Ray Lonnen.

Devastating.......2007-04-15

"The Spy Who Came In From The Cold" gets inside your veins like cold, bullying ice and by the end of the movie you feel numb. Based on the famous novel by John Le Carre, director Martin Ritt seems determined to reveal the ugly reality of espionage (on both sides of the Iron Curtain) as it really was.

Alec Leamas, the haunted British spy for the U.S. has nothing to do with James Bond. Richard Burton gives such a phenomenal performance as this rancid, cranky, solitary alcoholic (he wasn't entirely acting) that one can't help but wonder why he didnt get the Oscar for Best Performance that year. Leamas is, in his own words, "just a bloody man", tired of all the ideologies on both sides of the fence which lead to all the horrors and betrayals he has witnessed and been a full participant in. His paradox is a painful one; rejecting "Karl Marx, God, and all the rest of it", he is also a man beginning to realize that his career in espionage is one of sheer immorality.

Claire Bloom's Nan Perry is the catalyst for the tragic and unforgettable ending of the film. A young woman Leamas meets while he works in a London library awaiting his next assignment from the charming and bone-chilling head of operations in Britan, George Smiley, she is also an avowed Communist. When things come to a head and she is dragged into the brutal world Leamas inhabits, he tries desperately to communicate that she is only "a frustrated little girl from a crackpot library".

But the most heinous betrayal here is Leamas' skillful befriending and cold use of real Communist Oskar Werner. Leamas pretends to defect from the British Agency and stages a brawl with a grocer to increase his appearance of discontent. Werner is the to whom he discloses fictitious "secrets" about American espionage, all the while having cynical and hilarious dialogues with him about the whole situation.

At the end, with two victims of the dirty business he's involved himself in for some vague principle (protecting the "moronic masses"), Leamas cannot go on. He is very much on the fence so to speak and ends up on the wrong one quite intentionally. A haunting, beautiful movie.

The Best Spy Film Ever.......2007-04-03

When it comes to the world of spy thrillers, both in the literary world and in the cinematic world, there is one effort that stands out as the definitive work of the genre: The Spy Who Came In From The Cold. The film version of the novel was released in 1965, at the height of the spy craze, and in many respects served as a counterpoint to that craze. Today, more then forty years later, the film stands out as the definitive work of the genre and features the best performance of one of the greatest actors of all time: Richard Burton.

Burton's performance as Alec Leamas is nothing short of stunning. Burton captures the essence of what a real-world spy must be like and is nothing like the character of 007 or his clones. Leamas is instead a quiet, non-trusting, cynical man who knows the ways of the world...perhaps too well. Leamas is a character that seems to have "stayed out in the cold" to the point that when he enters the normal world he feels out of place. Burton captures this very well during the film's first quarter in which he goes from Leamas the spy master to Leamas the ordinary man. But everything is not what it seems as the film progresses and the truth is gradually revealed (see the movie if you want to know the truth) and despite the fact that Leamas is back in his own world, he is still lost in it. Burton's performance perfectly suits this transformation that Leamas goes trough. Without a doubt, Burton's best moments are in the final ten minutes or so of this film as it draws towards and then reaches its tragic end. Burton's final moments in the film prove the point that sometimes a face can say more then words. Burton's nomination for an Oscar was well deserved and it is a shame that he didn't win for this film.

But Burton is just the tip of this films' remarkable cast. Claire Bloom is impressive as Nan Perry and holds her own against Burton in every scene. While too old to be the character from the novel she is still believable as the voice of reason in the film especially at the end. Peter van Eyck is silently menacing as Mundt and he cans end shivers up your spine at just the right moment. Cyril Cusack is quite and silently menacing as Control and one can't help but believe him at times even though we learn the truth in the end. Bernard Lee, famous as the boss of James Bond, makes a brief appearance as the grocer Patmore as if to prove how anti-Bond this film really is.

What makes this film stands out is the fact it is severely anti-Bond. Never does the script or director/ producer Martin Ritt ever venture outside the bleak, sunless, realistic world of the novel. If anything, the film enhances the novel's coldness. And it is the lack of action sequences that proves the realism. Is there death? Yes. Are people beaten? Yes. But never does it happen for thrills. Every death or act of violence seems an horrific act as it should. The film's end at the Berlin Wall is a classic moment to be sure for it encompasses the bleakness of the film by ending it on one of the saddest notes you could possibly end a movie on.

This film is a flawless classic. Burton was never better in a film and this is the one film of his everyone should see. The cast never fails in their abilities to add perfection. And the script, direction, music, and cinematography bring the dark world of the John le Carré classic to life. In short, this film is Engrossing, tense, emotional, and realistic. The Spy Who Came In From The Cold is the definitive spy film and there are no ifs, ands, or buts about it.

Average customer rating:

Awesome!!!
MUST HAVE!
drake and josh
Good Movie for Kids
My boys love it

Drake and Josh Go Hollywood - The Movie
Starring: Drake Bell , Josh Peck , Miranda Cosgrove , Nancy Sullivan , and Jonathan Goldstein
Director: Steve Hoefer
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Teen | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Comedy | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Television | Genres | DVD | Video

Skateboarding | Sports | Genres | DVD | Video

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

( D ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Drake and Josh, Vol. 1 - Suddenly Brothers
Drake & Josh: Songs from and Inspired by Hit TV Show
The Naked Brothers Band - The Movie (DVD Only)
It's Only Time
The Suite Life of Zack and Cody - Taking Over the Tipton

ASIN: B000BYRCCE
Release Date: 2006-01-31

Amazon.com

Life without parental supervision or an annoying younger sister seems like a dream come true to Drake and Josh in Drake and Josh Go Hollywood, but the reality of being on their own in the real world proves much more difficult than either teenager could possibly imagine. Drake and Josh anticipate 10 days of doing exactly what they want when their parents leave town for a cruise and their sister Megan heads for Colorado to see a friend. Unfortunately, Drake and Josh mistakenly put Megan on a flight bound for Los Angeles and then feel compelled to jump on the next flight to try to catch her. After an eventful flight, the pair tracks her down at an exclusive hotel, manages to worm their way into a live-feed concert opportunity for Drake's band on MTV's hot "TRL" television program, and somehow finds themselves mixed up in a money-printing scam that endangers both Drake's and Josh's life. Can a couple of teenagers and their little sister outsmart these seasoned crooks and manage to get to the studio in time for Drake's all-important band gig? (Ages 7 and older) --Tami Horiuchi

Product Description

Josh's first assignment in his creative writing program is to write about his greatest adventure. Well, there's the time he an his brother accidentally put their tween sister, Megan, on a plane to Los Angeles, managed to book Drake a gig to perform on MTV's very own TRL, and got involved with one of the FBI's top-ten criminals. How's that for a story?

Customer Reviews:

Awesome!!!.......2007-06-08

This DVD is awesome, It came in excellent conditions and in the right ship date. The Quality is Excellent.

MUST HAVE!.......2007-05-07

drake and josh are amazing, they may be on nick but they also for older people. and this movie makes them even better.

drake and josh .......2007-02-04

This film is funny and well worth buying. My child has watched it about 5 times since i got it .Excellent film for kids

Good Movie for Kids.......2007-01-19

My girls love Drake and Josh. I monitor what they watch and I find Drake and Josh to be something they can watch without worrying about sex, violence or language. I like the movie and my kids love watching it over and over.

My boys love it.......2007-01-16

you have to be a drake and josh fan to love the movie but of course my boys are and they have watched it at least 10 times in the last month.

Die Another Day (Widescreen Special Edition)

Average customer rating:

A few choice gems for Toby Stephens fans
A Very Enjoyable Bond Film!
Bond...James Bond
Best of Bond's
Too Far Over the Top

Die Another Day (Widescreen Special Edition)
Starring: Pierce Brosnan , Halle Berry , Toby Stephens , Rosamund Pike , and Rick Yune
Director: Lee Tamahori
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Espionage | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

DTS | Fully Loaded DVDs | Features | DVD | Video

Special Editions | Fully Loaded DVDs | Features | DVD | Video

( D ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

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

Tomorrow Never Dies (Special Edition)
The World Is Not Enough
GoldenEye
Never Say Never Again
The Spy Who Loved Me

ASIN: B00005JLBE
Release Date: 2003-06-03

Amazon.com

The 20th James Bond adventure, Die Another Day succeeds on three important fronts: it avoids comparison to Austin Powers by keeping its cheesy humor in check, allows Halle Berry to be sexy and worthy of a spinoff franchise, and keeps pace with the technical wizardry that modern action films demand. Pierce Brosnan's got style and staying power as James Bond, now bearing little resemblance to Ian Fleming's original British super-spy, but able to hold his own at the box office. He's paired with American agent Jinx (Berry) in chasing a genetically altered North Korean villain (Rick Yune) armed with a satellite capable of destroying just about anything. John Cleese and Judi Dench reprise their recurring roles (as "Q" and "M," respectively); they're accompanied by weapons-laden sports cars, a hokey cameo by Madonna (who sings the techno-pulsed theme song), and enough double-entendres to keep Bond-philes adequately shaken and stirred. With clever nods to 007's cinematic legacy, Die Another Day makes you welcome the familiar end-credits promise: James Bond will return. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

A few choice gems for Toby Stephens fans.......2007-04-25

As a movie per se, this one is incredibly stupid even by James Bond standards. But, those of us who have become Toby Stephens fans after Masterpiece Theatre's "Jane Eyre" can fast-forward through to enjoy the parachuting-into-London scene and especially the swordfight scene, which features Toby in a sleeveless tight-fitting outfit that shows off his fantastic body (yum!). Toby's physique looks something like Gene Kelly's (except Toby's arms and shoulders are more muscular), and his swordfighting is action-movie-worthy yet so graceful it almost looks like dancing (you can see more of it on the extra disc, which breaks down the swordfight so you can see how it was filmed -- lots of fun -- and also on the pop-up commentary on the first disc, where Toby appears in cruddy black sweatpants rehearsing the swordfight, talking about swordfighting, and looking heart-stoppingly gorgeous). The movie also includes a few examples of Toby's superb sneer -- and smile. His other mannerisms in the film appear to have been based on Richard Branson, and an excellent impersonation it is. He delivers the wooden, stupid dialog as well as anyone could (it's not his fault the movie is so ridden with idiodic puns and cliches). Really, you have to feel sorry for Pierce -- he looks so old and lame next to the sparkling Toby. The movie itself isn't worth buying, but the great extras on this edition may tip the balance for us Toby fan-atics.

A Very Enjoyable Bond Film!.......2007-04-12

Ok, so it's not "Tomorrow Never Dies" but Die another Day impresses more than people give it credit for. The action is amazing, the special effects are also very impressive, the acting is great, the music is wonderful, the scenery and backrdrops are stunning... You get the point. Die Another Day really is classic cinema, and it should be apprieciated as so. Pierce Brosnan pulls of a stunning performance as James Bond, and Halle Barry is very good as Jinx.

My only reservation is reccomending this film is some sexual content (much like any other Bond film.)

Bond...James Bond.......2007-02-07

This is a welcome addition to my video collection. It arrived quickly and was as described.

Best of Bond's.......2007-01-28

I saw all of old Bond's. But i'm not very big fan of it: maybe because it's too old for me, or visual effect too primitive (for me as video editor), maybe because actors changes too often.

This movie with Pierce Brosnan is just amazing. Maybe Pierce have just perfect age for role of Bond - i don't know, but he more then any other Bond looks convincing.

The film is exciting, and manages to balance everything out, and while it does include all the usual Bond conventions, there are a lot of different effects used; never before has a Bond film used flashbacks, slow-motion, fast-motion, or overlaying. It makes this one unique, and with the arrival of Casino Royale (that i didn't saw yet), we will see if they are repeated. Halle Berry as Jinx is a welcome Bond Girl, being an NSA female equivalent of James Bond, but the promoters were wrong to claim she is the first.

Think, film nice to see for fans or non-fans of Bond - at least as very good action movie.

Too Far Over the Top.......2007-01-19

The film would have made a better spoof then trying to come off as a serious Bond flick.

From the opening scence where we have Bond and a couple associates ride a monster wave to the car chase on a sheet of ice it is all too much. I would love to purchase a vehicle that does not sopin out on pure ice. Where can I get one? Note how Bond gets wet several times in teh film, yet his hair is always perfect.

I agree with another review on this page, the scene of Bond parasailing on a big wave is a joke and an embarrassment to Bond fans.

Halie Berry is as bad as it gets. Even though she looks good she is such a poor actress I can't enjoy watching her. Perhaps if she just kept her month shut it would work for me.

A big disappointment that Bond did not bed Madonna. There is just something about her that makes it work for me.

Average customer rating:

ENTERTAINING
Dumb Film, Redeemed by One
Should Have Stuck to the Stage Play
Anything Goes--up to a point, that is...
Some Entertaining Elements

Anything Goes
Starring: Bing Crosby , Donald O'Connor , Zizi Jeanmaire , Mitzi Gaynor , and Phil Harris
Director: Robert Lewis
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Music Video & Concerts | Genres | DVD | Video

Comedy | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

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

( A ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Anything Goes - The New Broadway Cast Recording
Daddy Long Legs
Red Garters
There's No Business Like Show Business
Call Me Madam

ASIN: B000A6T1I6
Release Date: 2005-09-27

Amazon.com

This is the second film titled Anything Goes to star Bing Crosby (the first was a 1936 film). Both films change a lot of the original Cole Porter stage musical, but at least the later version keeps a few more Porter songs. Still, there is something odd about a Cole Porter film filled with "additional songs" by Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen (perhaps Porter's work was not warm and cuddly enough for 1956 America, although it seemed to work well at MGM with High Society, released the same year). Crosby plays a Broadway star teamed up with young TV hotshot Donald O'Connor. Vacationing separately in Europe and needing a leading lady for their upcoming show, each signs a prospect--Crosby snaps up Mitzi Gaynor (at her perkiest) and O'Connor finds Jeanmaire, a French dancer. The show can only have one female star, so when the quartet crosses paths on the ocean liner back to the U.S., sparks will fly. Or not--this Paramount musical lacks any definable zip, from the sleepy dialogue to the listless camera. The capable Nick Castle staged the musical sequences, although Jeanmaire's numbers were choreographed by Roland Petit (also her husband). The Porter songs are half-heartedly rendered, although O'Connor and Gaynor get some oomph into "It's De-Lovely." Der Bingle was born to burble "Blow, Gabriel, Blow," but it's too little, too late. --Robert Horton

Description

In ANYTHING GOES, Bill Benson and Ted Adams are to appear in a Broadway show together and, while in Paris, each 'discovers' the perfect leading lady for the star female role. Unfortunately, they each promise the role to the girl they selected without informing the other until they head back home - with their leading ladies!

Customer Reviews:

ENTERTAINING.......2007-06-27

Love the dance scenes with Mitzi Gaynor and Donald O'Connor. Don't think Bing Crosby suited the part & some of the acting was very forced. Remember this film from years ago simply for the dance sequences.

Dumb Film, Redeemed by One.......2007-06-04

There's only one reason to watch (or purchase) this dumb film: Mitzi Gaynor. Especially in her "Anything Goes" number. She's irresistably sexy, funny, feline: a supremely electrifying beauty, singing/dancing talent, and screen presence. And Miss Gaynor is one of very few film actresses who, wrapped to voluptuous form in a satiny strapless evening gown, can walk across a nightclub floor onscreen and absolutely take my/(your?) breath away.

Miss Gaynor's romantic pairing with Donald O'Connor in this film is less than convincing (or welcome). On the other hand, her simpatico sibling pairing with O'Connor in "There's No Business Like Show Business" (also available on DVD) works tremendously well.

Should Have Stuck to the Stage Play.......2007-04-13

Anything Goes is a fabulous musical from the stage of the 1930s containing show girls, gangsters, and romance. However, this film version has very little of the above and therefore has only mild entertainment value.

Bing Crosby and Donald O'Connor play stage stars, both enjoyable in their own right. They need a female lead for the show, so they split up in search of one. Crosby digs up Mitzi Gaynor and O'Connor finds Zizi Jeanmaire, neither of them expecting the other to find a girl. Herein lies the problem. Both girls believe they will be starring in the show. Steps are taken to let one of the girls down easily, but both men fall in love with the other man's choice of a star.

With songs from the original musical peppered throughout, the songs lose their meaning in a different context. The choreography is uninspiring and that singing is not all that great despite the major names featured. This one is a real bomb.

Anything Goes--up to a point, that is..........2007-03-30

Anything Goes boasts a great cast. Bing Crosby and Donald O'Connor play two entertainers called Bill Benson and Ted Adams respectively; and Mitzi Gaynor and Zizi Jeanmarie play dancing actresses named Patsy Blair and Gaby Duval respectively.

The plot revolves around the world of entertainment. Bill and Ted are going to perform in a Broadway show together; and with their terribly fat egos both men simply assume that they have the exclusive prerogative to choose the leading lady for the show. On the bright side, both Bill and Ted choose very talented young ladies to play the leading female role. Bill chooses American dancer Patsy Blair; and Ted chooses the French starlet Gaby Duval. However, trouble heats up fast when neither man can get up the gumption to tell one of the two ladies that she is not needed for the show after all. When all four of them are on a ship headed from Europe to New York where the show will open things only become more complicated. How will Bill and Ted handle this sticky situation? Will they have a tug of war over which one has to do the dirty work of firing one of the ladies? Will each lady stay when they discover that only one of them is needed? No spoilers here, folks--you'll have to watch the movie to find out!

They all do a superlative job with the script that they're given which, by Hollywood musical standards, is still rather thin. The singing and dancing is what carries this movie, especially when Patsy (Mitzi Gaynor) and her male backup dancers perform "Anything Goes." I loved the panache with which Gaby Duval (Zizi Jeanmarie) and her backup dancers perform both "I Get A Kick Out Of You" as well as the extravagant and elegant "dream sequence" when Gaby imagines herself dancing with people in Times Square. Other musical numbers are more ordinary or even forgettable, especially the one in which Donald O'Connor as Ted Adams dances with some children on the ship to New York. Then again, the finale of the cast performing "Blow Gabriel Blow" has style and good taste; and "Blow Gabriel Blow" is a strong number to end this film.

The Technicolor still shines and the crystal clear sound will please you, too. The choreography of the dance scenes stuns you with its fastidious attention to detail and the cinematography frames the characters well in each frame. Excellent job on both counts!

The DVD offers nothing in the way of extras. You can view the whole movie straight through or just select scenes you wish to watch again; but that's the extent of it, I'm afraid. Sigh.

Nevertheless, Bing Crosby fans will delight in this version of Anything Goes. He sings and dances very, very well--and he makes it all look so easy. Of course, Donald O'Connor sparkles like the true champ that he always was in all his dancing scenes. Donald's energy, combined with the energy of Mitzi Gaynor and Zizi Jeanmarie, pops out at you and all three performers dance and sing to hold your attention well.

I must caution that the plot runs thin in this movie. However, many musicals of this era had this characteristic so perhaps you won't be surprised. I recommend this movie for fans of the great Hollywood musicals of the 1940s and 1950s. In the final analysis, I give Anything Goes four stars instead of five because of the thin plot and a few numbers that just don't quite do the trick.

Some Entertaining Elements.......2007-01-15

It's easy to understand why they took their time getting around to releasing a DVD of this one. As can be seen from other comments, the 1956 film version of "Anything Goes" will generally disappoint those who love the stage version. Other than some of Cole Porter's songs and a setting on a cruise ship there is no similarity between the two productions. The very entertaining (and still frequently performed) Cole Porter musical has been transformed into a pretty lame film, and three songs by Jimmy Van Heusen and Sammy Cahn have been inexplicably added to the production. Even worse is the loss of most of P.G. Wodehouse's clever script, which was rewritten by a Hollywood hack into this dumbed-down version.

This doesn't make "Anything Goes" unwatchable. The choreography is mostly first rate. Most of the musical numbers are entertaining and several are excellent. The performances are typical of each cast members material (both good and bad) and the film has some interesting film history aspects.

You know almost immediately that this will not be a rousing bit of entertainment, instead of a high-energy opening number the film begins with a back stage party scene that is about as lively as an abandoned railroad track.

Bing Crosby and Donald O'Connor play Broadway co-stars who go to Europe to recruit a leading lady for their upcoming show. Each brings their discovery aboard a cruise ship for a transatlantic voyage. Mitzi Gaynor and Zizi Jeanmaire play the girls. Since there is only one role the remainder of the film is about determining which one will be featured and keeping it secret that both were already promised the role. There are two romances, with the two actors falling for each other's girl during the ocean crossing. Suspense and comedy are in short supply.

Gaynor manages a pretty good performance; she gets one very hot feature number (the title song-although Porter's original four letter word lyrics are toned down) and duets with O'Connor in the film's best number "It's De-lovely". O'Connor is also featured in a very original dance routine with children and a lot of bouncing balls. In this he dances to Van Heusen's "Bounce Right Back," not much of a song but a good excuse for using him in another unique routine.

Jeanmaire was a French ballet star ("Carmen") who briefly tried her stuff in mid-50's Hollywood. She was a Leslie Caron clone complete with the same hairstyle. Her two solo numbers "I Get a Kick Out of You" and "Dream Ballet" are surprisingly good, at least the dancing portions.

Bing Crosby of course is well known to old movie buffs but others will be somewhat puzzled by his popularity. Nothing he does in "Anything Goes" sheds light on this question. He was a "popular" extremely bland singer and a horrible actor with some comic ability. In "Anything Goes" even his comedy stuff is pretty awful. Paired with Bing, O'Connor has about the same chance for success as going through a balloon shop wearing a porcupine overcoat.

The Technicolor and VistaVision completely overpower the cheap production design as well as Sidney Sheldon's (the hack writer mentioned above) weak adaptation.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

Forgotten Noir Collector's Set 2 (Man From Cairo / Mask of the Dragon / FBI Girl / Tough Assignment / I'll Get You / Fingerprints Don't Lie)

Average customer rating:

Another Entertaining Box Set
Dark Nights Underscored.
Great Selection
"Forgotten Noir Collector's Set - Series Two ... From 1949 thru 1953 ... VCI Home Video"

Forgotten Noir Collector's Set 2 (Man From Cairo / Mask of the Dragon / FBI Girl / Tough Assignment / I'll Get You / Fingerprints Don't Lie)
Starring: Richard Travis , Sheila Ryan , Sid Melton , Michael Whalen , and Lyle Talbot
Director: Sam Newfield , and William A. Berke
Manufacturer: Vci Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Forgotten Noir Collector's Set (Arson Inc. / Loan Shark / Portland Expose / Shadow Man / Shoot to Kill / They Were So Young)
Film Noir Classic Collection, Vol. 4 (Act of Violence / Mystery Street / Crime Wave / Decoy / Illegal / The Big Steal / They Live By Night / Side Street / Where Danger Lives / Tension)
Michael Shayne Mysteries Vol. 1 (Michael Shayne: Private Detective / The Man Who Wouldn't Die / Sleepers West / Blue, White, and Perfect)
Hammer Film Noir Double Feature, Vol. 4 (Terror Street / Wings of Danger)
Hammer Film Noir Collector's Set (Bad Blonde / Blackout / The Gambler and the Lady / Heat Wave / Man Bait / Stolen Face)

ASIN: B000NJLM1Y
Release Date: 2007-04-24

Description

From 1949 thru 1953, a six-pack of forgotten film noirs that you won't want to miss. More dames, shame & deadly games…it's all here! This incredible set includes the movies from Volume 4 thru 6. I'll Get You (1952); Fingerprints Don't Lie (1951); F.B.I. Girl (1951); Tough Assignment (1949); Man from Cairo, The (1953); Mask of the Dragon (1951) Bonus Features: Wallace Commentaries| Blumberg Commentaries| Photo Galleries from each movie| Advertising Galleries from each| Bios| Scene Selection| Trailers| George Raft Biography| Sid Melton Video Biography| Don "Red" Barry Video Biography Specs: 3-DVD9s; Dolby Digital; 415 minutes; B&W; 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio; MPAA - NR; Year - 1952, 1951, 1949, 1953; SRP - $29.99.

Customer Reviews:

Another Entertaining Box Set.......2007-07-03

Though I am a devotee of the film noir style, I am not expert on films and film-making as one early reviewer seems to be. All of the movies in this set predate my birth and I hadn't even heard of any of them let alone seen them before this box set became available. But because I enjoyed the first Forgotten Noir set, it was easy to take a chance on this one.
Overall, this set is very good although its easy to see why at least a couple of them were "forgotten". Here are my favorites, from best to worst:
1)I'll Get You: A cold-war type thriller involving missing atomic scientists, a shadowy figure sought by both the FBI and the British Secret Service, loads of intrigue, and a beautiful woman. George Raft is excellent as is most of the supporting cast. A top-tier noir film.
2)The Man From Cairo:George Raft again as an American tourist who inadvertently gets involved in intrigues involving French gold hijacked during World War II and missing ever since. Mostly takes place in Algiers, a once French-controlled city which postwar was filled with adventurers of all stripes and from all over. It was also a city where a stranger could easily find trouble. Both the crooks and the police are interested in Raft's character and that makes for an exciting film.
3)FBI Girl: Corruption and murder drive this exciting film. An ambitious governor and his amoral cronies will stop at nothing to keep the governor's secret from being discovered. An excellent cast featuring Cesar Romero, Raymond Burr, and Audrey Totter will keep you in your seat as the governor is finally unmasked.
4)Tough Assignment: An intrepid reporter and his wife discover that their butcher is being forced by goons to buy and sell uninspected beef. They find their butcher beaten and inadvertently capture the goons who beat the butcher on film. This innocent photo sets in motion a chain of events which ultimately leads to the rustling gang and the ranch from where the uninspected meat comes. A good story, but sometimes spoiled by silliness. Not a true noir story. Though he proves indispensible to the storyline, Sid Melton's goofy character takes the noir right out of it although there is plenty of menace and murder to go around.
5)Fingerprints Don't Lie: Here again, Sid Melton plays a bumbling idiot (reminiscent of Peter Falk's Columbo, but not as smart) who detracts from a more serious plot. That doesn't matter much, because although the movie is entertaining, the plot is not at all credible. I can't imagine a real-life fingerprint expert spending so much time and energy trying to help someone else prove him wrong. There is some murder and treachery, but little suspense. Overall, this film did not work for me.
6)Mask of the Dragon: This whole thing is just stupid, from the plot and the horrible acting right down to the phony Orientals. This is a dog that deserves to be forgotten although there are a few scenes so contrived and ridiculous that you'll laugh anyhow.
Despite this set containing some noir of questionable quality, overall I found it a very entertaining box set and am looking forward to Forgotten Noir Series Three.

Dark Nights Underscored........2007-06-27

Minor works of Film noir pulled together to make up for the real film before the featured film. The Acting in these films maybe somewhat shaky but who cares there is always repeated viewing when watching these films. At any rate this is a great Box Set.

Great Selection.......2007-06-14

A great choice of what to offer in this collection, they are to be commended.

Excellent.

"Forgotten Noir Collector's Set - Series Two ... From 1949 thru 1953 ... VCI Home Video".......2007-03-29

VCI Entertainment and Kit Parker Films presents "FORGOTTEN NOIR COLLECTOR'S SET - SERIES TWO" --- (Dolby digitally remastered) --- Film noir has sources not only in cinema but other artistic mediums as well...the low-key lighting schemes commonly linked with the classic mode are in the tradition of chiaroscuro and tenebrism, techniques using high contrasts of light and dark developed by 15th- and 16th-century painters associated with Mannerism and the Baroque...film noir's aesthetics are deeply influenced by German Expressionism, a cinematic movement of the 1910s and 1920s closely related to contemporaneous developments in theater, photography, painting, scultpture, and architecture...opportunities offered by the booming Hollywood film industry and, later, the threat of growing Nazi power led to the emigration of many important film artists working in Germany who had either been directly involved in the Expressionist movement or studied with its practitioners...Directors such as Fritz Lang, Robert Siodmak, and Michael Curtiz brought dramatic lighting techniques and a psychologically expressive approach to mise-en-scène with them to Hollywood, where they would make some of the most famous of classic noirs. Lang's 1931 masterwork, the German M, is among the first major crime films of the sound era to join a characteristically noirish visual style with a noir-type plot, one in which the protagonist is a criminal (as are his most successful pursuers). M was also the occasion for the first star performance by Peter Lorre, who would go on to act in several formative American noirs of the classic era ... featuring top performances from the '40s and '50s with outstanding drama and screenplays, along with a wonderful cast and supporting actors to bring it all together ... another winner from the vaults of almost forgotten film noir gems

First up we have Michael David Productions and Lippert Pictures feature "MAN FROM CAIRO" (aka: Dramma nella Kasbah) (1953) (81 mins/B&W) --- Under Ray Enright (Director) --- Starring George Raft (Mike Canelli), Gianna Maria Canale (Lorraine Beloyan), Leon Lenoir (Police Captain Akhim Bey) - - - - released on November 27, 1953, Mike Canelli (George Raft), the man from Cairo, nosing around Algiers with mystery surrounding the people he meets and the things he does and has done to him, all deriving from the war-time theft of $100,000,000 in gold which lies somewhere in the adjacent desert. People representing many nationalities and reasons are also seeking the gold. It boils down to a battle between Canelli and the badie aboard a speeding train. Raft again to the fore creating excitement in every scene, shows why he was the number one boy on the Warner Bros. lot ... beautiful Greek actress Irene Papas in a tub with Raft standing in the doorway getting an eye full.

Second on the double bill is a Spartan Productions Inc and Robert L. Lippert Picture release "MASK OF THE DRAGON (1951) (55 min/B/W) --- Under Sam Newfield (Director) --- Starring Richard Travis (Phil Ramsey), Sheila Ryan (Ginny O'Donnell), Sid Melton (Manchu Murphy) - - - - released March 10, 1951, Lt. Dan Oliver (Richard Emory), an American soldier in Korea, agrees to deliver a jade dragon to a curio shop in Los Angeles. Soon after his return to the states, he is murdered. His buddy Phil Ramsey (Richard Travis) and Ginny O'Donnell (Sheila Ryan) trace the murder to the shop of Professor Kim Ho (Jack Reitzen). When a package mailed to Ramsey, by Oliver from Honolulu, proves to contain the jade dragon, Ramsey takes it to the curio shop to force a showdown with Kim Ho over what Ramsey suspects is a smuggling racket. Not to be confused with "The Maltese Falcon" but it moves right along, and even throws in Curt Masey and His Trailsmen in an unexpected sighting.

Third film we have Lippert Pictures feature "FBI GIRL" (1951) (74 mins/B&W) --- Under William A. Berke (Director) --- Starring Cesar Romero (FBI Agent Glen Stedman), George Brent (FBI Agent Jeff Donley), Audrey Totter (Shirley Wayne), Tom Drake (Carl Chercourt), Raymond Burr (Blake), Raymond Greenleaf (John Williams, alias Gov. Owen Grisby), Margia Dean (Natalie Craig, the FBI girl), Don Garner (Paul Craig), Alexander Pope (George 'Georgia' Denning), Richard Monahan (Donald, the clerk), Tommy Noonan (Tommy, TV comic as Tom Noonan), Peter Marshall (Pete, TV comic as Pete Marshall) - - - - - released on November 4, 1951, our story line has the governor hiring Raymond Burr to steal a file from the FBI that has fingerprint evidence proving he previously was a wanted criminal ... Agent Cesar Romero and George Brent are hot on the trail, with Audrey Totter in the thick of things ... Raymond Burr as usual is the scene stealer as the snake in the grass wonderful part and a great actor.

Fourth choice is a Robert L. Lippert Picture release "TOUGH ASSIGNMENT" (1949) (64 min/B/W) --- Under William Beaudine (Director) - - - Starring Don 'Red' Barry (Don Reilly), Marjorie Steele (Margie Reilly), Steve Brodie (Boss Morgan), Marc Lawrence (Vince (a tough), Ben Welden (Sniffy (a tough), Sid Melton (Herman (crooked rancher) - - - - our story and film released November 15, 1949, involves a newspaper reporter (Don Barry) pursues a modern-day rustling gang whose truck driving "cowboys" are far more dangerous than their horse riding counterparts ... veteran actor Steve Brodie heads the cast as the bossman heavy

Fifth title up we have Eros Films and Lippert Pictures feature "I'LL GET YOU" (aka: Escape Route) (1950) (79 mins/B&W) --- Under Seymour Friedman (Director) - - - Starring George Raft (Steve Rossi), Sally Gray (Joan Miller), Frederick Piper (Inspector Reid), Reginald Tate (Colonel Wilkes) - - - - released March 3, 1951 as our F.B.I. agent (George Raft) illegally enters England following the disappearance of several noted atomic scientists ... as Raft and Sally Gray close in, the terrorists aren't about to give up without a final encounter ... what's behind this cloak and dagger game, will our popular hero of Warner Bros. fame come out of this suspenseful plot with all the answers and a new love life.

Sixth and final film is a Spartan Productions Inc and Robert L. Lippert Picture release "FINGERPRINTS DON'T LIE" (1951) (57 min/B/W) --- Under Sam Newfield (Director) - - - Starring Richard Travis (James Stover), Sheila Ryan (Carolyn Palmer), Sid Melton (Hypo Dorton), Tom Neal (The Prosecuting Attorney), Margia Dean (Nadine Connell), Lyle Talbot (Lt. Grayson) - - - - released February 23, 1951, our story line rests on the identity of the murderer of a town's mayor by his fingerprints on the weapon ... could there be any doubt could the case be finally closed, could the experts be wrong ... music for opening and closing is a studio organ playing in the background, good old time radio effect ... is there guilt for the murder of the town's mayor is placed on Richard Emory by fingerprint expert Richard Travis during the murder trial because Emory's fingerprints were found on the murder weapon ... local reporter plants doubt in Travis mind about the guilt of Emory ... he decides to investigate further with the help of Sheila Ryan, the dead mayor's daughter and Emory's fiancee ... Travis discovers that the fingerprints are forged and the chase begins

Great job by the people at VCI Entertainment, hats off and thanks to Les Adams (collector/guideslines for character identification), Chuck Anderson (Webmaster: The Old Corral/B-Westerns.Com), Boyd Magers (Western Clippings), Bobby J. Copeland (author of "Trail Talk"), Rhonda Lemons (Empire Publishing Inc), Bob Nareau (author of "The Real Bob Steele") and Trevor Scott (Down Under Com) as they have rekindled my interest once again for Film Noir, B-Westerns and Serials --- looking forward to more high quality releases from the vintage serial era of the '20s, '30s & '40s and B-Westerns ... order your copy now from Amazon where there are plenty of copies available on DVD, stay tuned once again for top notch action mixed with deadly adventure --- if you enjoyed this title, why not check out VCI Entertainment where they are experts in releasing B-Westerns and Serials --- all my heroes have been Cowboys!

Total Time: 415 mins on DVD ~ VCI Home Video KPF-558 ~ (4/24/2007)

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