Haunted Sea

Starring:Krista Allen, Don Stroud, Duane Whitaker, Jeff Phillips, James Brolin, Joanna Pacula, Ronald William Lawrence, Eb Lottimer, Len Donato, Horacio Le Don, Cole S. McKay, Brendon Crigler
Director: Dan Golden, Daniel Patrick (IV)
Studio: New Concorde Home En
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

Very good underwater horror
Postmodern trash.
Nice direct to video
Well-crafted...but story doesn't sustain a full movie
Not really scary, but interesting and atmospheric...

Below
Starring: Gary Broadway , Max Casali , Nick Chinlund , Alexis Conran , and Matthew Davis
Manufacturer: Buena Vista Home Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005JKWG
Release Date: 2003-03-11

Amazon.com

Inspired by the vintage thrillers of Val Lewton and Jacques Tourneur, Below is a superbly crafted spookfest primed for cult-favorite status. As he did with The Arrival and Pitch Black, director David Twohy revitalizes a B-movie staple--in this case, the World War II submarine thriller--by turning it into a nerve-wracking funhouse of smoke and mirrors, where chilling visions tease the brain and stir paranoia among a close-knit group of terrified characters. When a U.S. sub takes on three survivors from a sinking British ship, its captain (Bruce Greenwood) uncovers secrets while concealing his own. As the sub's recent history unfolds, its crew is increasingly haunted by ghostly images, fleeting and subliminal, while the threat of German attack looms ominously overhead. More of a mood piece than a truly satisfying thriller, Below favors tense atmosphere over cohesive plotting, but it's so visually captivating, and so tautly acted by a fine ensemble cast, that its narrative flaws are easily forgiven. --Jeff Shannon

Description

On what should be a routine rescue mission during World War II, the submarine USS Tiger Shark picks up three survivors of a U-boat attack. But for the crew -- trapped together in the sub's narrow corridors and constricted spaces -- the unexpected visitors seem to spark a series of chilling, otherworldly occurrences! Starring Hollywood favorites Olivia Williams (THE SIXTH SENSE, THE POSTMAN), Bruce Greenwood (THIRTEEN DAYS, DOUBLE JEAPOARD), and Matt Davis (LEGALLY BLONDE, BLUE CRUSH).

Customer Reviews:

Very good underwater horror.......2006-12-06

I just saw this movie and was very impressed with the horror of this movie. They actually took an underwater movie and turned it into a haunted horror. It uses both the fear of water and the fear of being closed in too as fear factors. I really liked this movie because it turned a "haunted" horror into something different other than "haunted" houses. I was on the edge of my seat most of the time throughout this movie. I highly recommend it!!!

Postmodern trash........2006-11-14

This is one of those in the new postmoderns style with half the movie filmed in a dim blue light, and most of it shot in rapid film clips that make you dizzy. The dialouge is often unintelligble (a real handicap in thriller/mystery), the plot improbable and the execution ludicrous. Regarding the latter, the filmmakers have the audacity to place characters that are more likely to be found on the boardwalk of Venice, California in 2006 (replete with full-body tatoos, venacular, etc.) than on a sub in WWII. Stay away from this hoax.

Nice direct to video.......2006-07-13

Here's a movie I had never heard of before I saw it. I work at a video rental place and we got in advance screeners before the movie came to video/dvd. What is great about it is that it does what it says on the cover. It is U-571 meets Poltergeist. I can't think of a better description. The suspense & action are there with a twist. Is the ship really haunted or are the crew suffering from oxygen depredation due to mechanical difficulties? Watch it and you decide.

Well-crafted...but story doesn't sustain a full movie.......2006-07-13

This film ws David Twohy's follow-up to the terrific PITCH BLACK, and he brought many of the same sensibilities to it. Lighting was highly important. The cast of relative unknowns got a chance to shine...mostly in roles dissimilar to any they had done before (Bruce Greenwood in a horror movie was new, I think.). Banter and dialogue was fairly crisp, and a good sense of place was established.

Having a horror movie (or at least a tale of the supernatural) set on a WWII submarine during wartime was pretty darn original. The claustrophobic settings lend themselves well to this venture. On a submarine, it always seems like nighttime. Also, because we've all seen submarine movies before, we know how dangerous they are, how bad depth charges can be, etc. etc. You just can't beat scenes of sweaty guys in T-shirts running around trying to slam those steel doors shut and turn the locks to prevent water from building up, etc. These kinds of scenes are almost clichés now (actually, not ALMOST...they are). But they work.

The problem I have with BELOW is that we have what is essentially a 45 minute or 60 minute story stretched into over 90 minutes. The story itself, the plot, is skimpy. The ending, while a nice twist, isn't worth the wait. I'm usually okay with slower pacing if it's in service of character or of understanding a situation better. For example, to get WAY off track, the film ULEE'S GOLD is about a beekeeper. It spends A LOT of time showing us the ins and outs of beekeeping. This actually ends up informing our understanding of the actions Ulee takes later in the film. In BELOW, the slow pace really only seems to stretch the story to movie length. Lots of scenes seem repetitive or pointless. We cover the same ground too many times. The same arguments are made too many times. (How many times CAN they force Olivia Williams back into her cabin!).

Everyone is fine in the movie. The story is original. The cinematography, lighting and art direction are just swell. But it simply is too threadbare to sustain real interest and involvement. I liked BELOW okay...and everyone involved is obviously skilled...but I can't enthusiastically recommend it.

One other note: it is rated "R." I'm not sure why? Perhaps I missed a bad word or two...but it isn't because of violence, sex or over-the-top language. I think it would be better as a PG-13.

Not really scary, but interesting and atmospheric..........2006-05-30

BELOW is set during WWII. A submarine returning to its base in Connecticut receives a telegram ordering them to go pick up some survivors that were spotted. The survivors, it turns out, are from a british hospital ship that was torpedoed. After fishing the two men and female doctor out of the water strange occurances begin to happen on the sub. This coupled with the fact that their hydrogen level is increasing and enemy ships are on their tale, leads to some tense situations. I don't know whether BELOW can be classified as a horror, drama or mystery. Probably a mixture of all three. I didn't particularly find it scary (and I scare pretty easily) but as a drama and mystery it completly held my interest. It is atmospheric, the acting and directing is good. Another thing that I found impressive was the special effects. It wasn't over the top, as many movies these days are guilty of. The only thing I had a probem with was the ghost storyline. It was a little out of place for me, and as I said earlier, not scary. If your a fan of submarine movies I think this is a worthy enough addition. Much better than U-571.

Average customer rating:

Wonderful look into people's lives: if you are into that(!)
Two hours you will never get back
GENERATIONAL DRAMA PAR EXCELLENCE
AN UNFORTUNATE MISHAP FROM BEGINNING TO END
HERE IS ANOTHER WONDERFUL MOVIE THAT SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN MISSED BY MOST.

The Winter Guest
Starring: Sean Biggerstaff , Arlene Cockburn , Gary Hollywood , Phyllida Law , and Douglas Murphy
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0009VNBM4
Release Date: 2005-08-30

Description

In this astonishingly beautiful drama, recently widowed photographer Frances (Academy Award(c) winner Emma Thompson) lives with her increasingly distant son and finds her life radically changed with the arrival of her mother, Elspeth (Phyllida Law, Thompson#s real-life mother). In a remote Scottish village, this family and the people around them are forever changed on the coldest day of the year as hearts begin to melt.

Recently widowed photographer Frances (Academy Award winner Emma Thompson) lives with her increasingly distant son and finds her life radically changed with the arrival of her mother, Elspeth.

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful look into people's lives: if you are into that(!).......2007-01-10

This is NOT an action thriller. It is quiet and studied.
But it's not Disney either: it stares hard into life's
awkward joys and painful times. This is a beautiful
psychological drama
about the transitional crises at all times of life,
and I got a surprising existential epiphany from it.
(about the two basic things you need to get on in life..
..see if you can find the commonalities!)
Pre-teen angst, young teen, widowed, and end-of-life concerns,
in a pretty, stark Scottish town on a frigid day.
It's up there with Groundhog Day, The Seventh Seal,
Lost In Translation, and The Spitfire Grill in my
meaning-of-life collection. Emma got slightly not-ring-true
a few times, but they all had funny, hard, bittersweet,
and enlightened times. Lovely group meeting scenes on the beach.
Thoughtful story, great cinematography,
good philosophical stuff.

Two hours you will never get back.......2006-11-16

Great cast, excellent acting, and poor script that is full of incomplete ideas. A character piece that is for sure, The Winter Guest story line lacks motivation for what the actors are doing. There are resolves when there is no motivation for a resolve, etc. The movie wants to be good, but the script won't allow it. Save your time and if you have to see it for one of the actors, you have been warned.

GENERATIONAL DRAMA PAR EXCELLENCE.......2006-07-03

In the last few years,I had caught bits and pieces of "The WinterGueast on cable, and, finally, I'd seen enough to know it was film I wanted for my library. When an attempted taping failed,I went toAmazon for the dvd. "The Winter Guest" covers the interactions of four pairs of characters on a freezing winter day in NorthernScotland.The principal characters, a widow and her aged mother, areplayed beautifully and realistically by real-life daughter and mothers acctresses, Oscar-winner Emma Tompson and Phyllida Law.Their interactions seem such honestand believable portrayals of the uneasy and sometimes brittle relationships between adult women and their mothers.These arecharacters the viewer cannot help but care for and want to protect.

My favoriteother character set were two elderly villageladies whose lives have come to focus on the funerals they attend.These crusty oldsters obviously share a friendship of many decades, and their story is heartwrenching. Young love and pre-adolescent foibles center the stories of the other two sets of characters., The plotting, while jumping, as it mut,to tell four stories,is crisp and honest, the acting is fine, and anyone who's been in thatpartof the world will not want to getback onto the tour bus without seeing how these touchingly real little dramas are resolved.This woulld be condemned by dolts as a "Chick Flick," but this 59-year old guy related to these characters, and I loved"The Winter Guest," as did my wife.

AN UNFORTUNATE MISHAP FROM BEGINNING TO END.......2006-02-24

Oh, what wonderful music. Great score. Buy the CD. And forgo EVERYTHING else. Tis is one of those wonderful ideas which go terribly wrong. May very well have beeen a solid play, on stage, but translated, here, to film - an unmitigated DISASTER. The wonderful Phyllida Law is reduced to a cartoon of a human being. Emma Thompsen is the narciscistic central figure; a mess. Woefully unedited. The script is allowed to run rampent. Truly disappointing. Bravo to Alan Rickkman for trying. But run screaming past this one - in hopes of better.

HERE IS ANOTHER WONDERFUL MOVIE THAT SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN MISSED BY MOST........2005-11-03

THIS MOVIE IS A REAL SLEEPER.IT IS SOMEWHAT DEPRESSING. I WOULD CALL THIS A CHIC FLICK BUT I LIKED IT TOO HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.RENT OR BUY,YOU WONT BE SORRY.

Average customer rating:

"The Unspeakables"
Interesting Film, Yet Missing Something!
Deeply Moving, Elegant, and Beautiful
Feeling painful loss is in this movie.
boring, overrated

Maborosi
Starring: Makiko Esumi , Takashi Naitô , Tadanobu Asano , Gohki Kashiyama , and Naomi Watanabe
Director: Hirokazu Koreeda
Manufacturer: New Yorker Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00004WIE5
Release Date: 2000-11-21

Amazon.com

Hirokazu Kore-eda's haunting, graceful Japanese film features a concentrated and powerfully reserved performance by Makiko Esumi as Yumiko, a young woman whose life is defined by the death and disappearance of her loved ones. As a child, she witnessed her grandmother's walking away from her family; as an adult, she must face the fact that her husband has committed suicide.

Impeccably lit and framed, this self-consciously classical first feature blends characteristics of two of the great Japanese masters: a sensitive portrait of a woman's suffering is reminiscent of Mikio Naruse and a serene, minimalist style is suggestive of Yasujiro Ozu. At times, Kore-eda seems to be trudging too dutifully in the path of his illustrious predecessors, and there is little in the film that could be qualified as original. Yet Maborosi remains convincing in its subtle, sustained moods and the quiet confidence of its approach. --Dave Kehr

Customer Reviews:

"The Unspeakables".......2007-03-26

A lot of what is "not" said is what is profound in this film.

No one speaks of it out in the open, but in Japan, still today, there are these people in these places called "Bu-Ra-Ku" who live outside of the rest of the world. They were cast off there because their ancestors back in the Feudal era did something to disrespect the royalty/lord or committed inhumane crimes. These crimes were considered so bad that their families and distant offsprings were also cursed for eternity.

The main character and her sweetheart (husband) lived in one of those places in the city of Osaka. She was oblivious and just happy there. That life was all she new. She had her best friend, her family, and now the new baby. He was not so happy on the other hand. You see, in Japan they still have "The Black Book" and Corporations/Schools still use them. Chriminals and inhabitants of "Bu-Ra-Ku" are on this list. So although he was smart and capable, he could only get a low-paying, suited-for-Bu-Ra-Ku jobs. I think maybe that's why he was so drawn to "Maboroshi" lights out on the ocean and went chasing for it. And maybe, the main character's grandmother who probably married into this poverty left to go die in her home land in Shikoku Island because she just wanted to escape from there and go home in her last days.

People (actors) and the personified beauty/nature in this story act out their parts so perfectly, especially the main character. Her sadness is overwhelming but at the same time her hopefulness and innocence shines through like a bright beacon.

I could not stop crying and sobbing all the way through this film when I first watched it. And now it has become my own bitter-sweet memory.

Interesting Film, Yet Missing Something!.......2007-01-07

I understand that this film recieved many awards and praise when it was released 10 years ago. However, I did not find this film to be as great as many other reviewers did. The film was acclaimed as one of the finest Japanese films of the decade when it was released; yet the film itself is laborous. I also did not think that the cinematography was that great as some of the other reviewers did also. The film is not a bad dramatic film, in regards to the grief that Yumiko (Makiko Esumi) is going through, however, the way in which this grief was treated seemed to take on a rather strange and quirky life of its own.

I love Japanese films, and have seen many great dramatic films of Japanese cinema, but this was not one of them. Some of the adjectives that have been thrown at this film by critics such as "Exquisite, breathtaking, stunning, striking, powerful, and mesmerizing to name just a few, I think were a little overboard. I don't think this is a bad film by any measure, but I also don't think that this is a great film either. The film does take patience to view, which is fine with me. I like films that explore the human condition, and grief is definitely a major one we all go through in life. I bought this film years ago, and did not particularly think it was great at the time.

Therefore, since it had been awhile since I last viewed the film, I thought I would give it another look. However, I did not find much in the film which would allow me to grade the film any higher. I thought the film had a great beginning: where the young Yumiko is trying to stop her grandmother from leaving Osaka, and going back to Shikuku to die. So I understood where director Kore-eda Hirokazu was coming from in terms of death, dying, loss, and grief. A common theme in his films. Yet, the film did not seem to take me anywhere after the beginning, and especially with the loss of Yumiko's husband. I recommend that you view the film as we all have our own tastes in films. Maybe there is something that you will come away with in the film.

Deeply Moving, Elegant, and Beautiful .......2006-08-15

The cinematography gives this film more depth and meaning with the medium and long shots of events as they unfold in the lives of a Japanese couple ... Yumiko, her husband, and 3 month old son live in a small apartment in Osaka, evidently very much in love. We are privileged to view their lives in its elegant simplicity. Her husband bicycles to work at a factory nearby. Yumiko and he bicycle together to a nearby restaurant for coffee. Yumiko is haunted by a past event where her grandmother leaves the family to die in her own village ... It was her last wish.

Sadly, Yumiko gets a knock on the door, as several police officers ask about her husband and his job. She is accompanied to the police station where she is presented his belongings. There she is told, he walked in front of an oncoming train, despite its warnings, he kept on walking ... an apparent suicide. She is discouraged from viewing what is left of his body. She is distaught and receives help from a neighbor and her mother ... As time passes, four years go by, and a kindly neighbor becomes match-maker, as her son and she board a train to northern Japan to a small fishing village.

Yumiko partakes of a wedding celebration with her new husband, a haunting beautiful ballad is sung by a male guest as the wedding guests clap out the rhythm. Her new life begins ... The stark beauty of the mountain scenery, the shore, the village, and ocean are superbly filmed. Yumiko's son and stepdaughter explore the coast in breath-taking scenery ... Yumiko is enculturated into the lifestyle of the village. During one haunting scene, a group of villagers walk along a road to the sea coast ... There is a bonfire which could be a funeral pyre for someone. Yumiko is met by her husband as she sobs out her questions, why did he kill himself, what made him do it? Her second husband tells a story about the beguiling nature of the ocean which also calls to fishermen, when they are out fishing alone ... It is the nature of life to sometimes call some people back to the "maborosi" ("the light")... Erika Borsos [pepper flower]

Feeling painful loss is in this movie........2006-04-29

A maborosi is a beckoning light that the sea lulls sailors to their doom with. Yumiko's husband was lulled, not at sea but on the train tracks...
There is nothing American about this movie. The rythm is very, very slow, the culture different. Makiko Esumi is mesmerizing as the bereaved young wife Yumiko.
The slowness of the action puts the sense of loss at the painfull centre of everything, like something you just can't avoid. In time, the pain lifts, and Yumiko lives again. How very much like real life.

boring, overrated.......2005-04-17

I never saw this film in the theater, so I can't be completely sure that this is how it's supposed to look. But, assuming that the DVD transfer is accurate, I find all the praise for Kore-eda's "painterly" visuals completely undeserved. The film is shot entirely with natural light; so, in the daytime indoor scenes, the glare from windows and doorways blots out or silhouettes everything; and in the nightime indoor scenes, everything is murky and underexposed. It all looks horribly amateurish. The outdooor scenes come off somewhat better, but slightly grainy overall, almost as if they had been shot on a digital camera.

Cinematography (and possible bad transfer) aside, there's also the matter of Kore-eda's excessively static direction. I can appreciate the still, quiet camera work of Ozu or Jarmusch, but Kore-eda takes this style and pushes it to ridiculous lengths. His camera NEVER moves, not even for an occasional cut or panning or tracking shot. It just sits there, dull and inert, while the scenes drag on and on and then abruptly end, almost arbitrarily. I guess this technique is supposed to impart a contemplative effect to a scene, but again, it just seems amateurish.

The performance by fashion-model-turned-actress Makiko Esumi, as the grieving young widow Yumiko, reflects the director's numb, soporific visual style. Instead of being quietly torn by grief, she comes across as merely affectless. Maybe the director wanted to use a zombie-like non-actress and comatose camera work to convey the numbness of grief, but the result is far from edifying or moving or even interesting. The ultimate effect of this movie is only stupefying boredom.

Average customer rating:

One of the all time greats!!!
It Will Frighten You (That You Spent the Money on It)
Very funny
A Beatnik Horror Spy Spoof
the backstory ...

Creature from the Haunted Sea
Starring: Antony Carbone , Betsy Jones-Moreland , Robert Towne , Beach Dickerson , and Robert Bean
Director: Roger Corman
Manufacturer: Good Times Video
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ASIN: B0006FFR8Y
Release Date: 2005-01-25

Customer Reviews:

One of the all time greats!!!.......2007-05-05

This movie has it all! Sexy women, violence, secret agents, lost treasure, and a monster. What more could any viewer want? Or deserve?

The narrater of the film is also the secret agent of the movie. You think James Bond had cool stuff? Well this dude doesn't need Q. He makes his own stuff. He has a radio made of frankfurters and pickles! His insight is deeper than the sea itself. "The sun was beginning to set. I could tell because it was getting dark". That's observationm at it's finest. I'm glad he's on our side!

OK the movie is about escaping Cuba with a strongbox full of gold from the Cuban treasury. The crooks are trying to double-cross the Cubans as they escape. They try to scare the Cubans with stories of a monster, but there is a real monster!!!

The characters in this movie are entertaining and draw you in like a fish on the line. The head crook thinks he is Humprhey Bogart filming a remake of Key Largo. His main squeeze is a stacked blonde with enough sass for five golddiggers. There is another dude who communicates in animal sounds only, and another henchman talks somewhere between Popeye and Froggy from 'Our Gang'.

Now for the monster. He is an indescribable horror! Large bulging eyes (that resemble ping pong balls), giant claws for hands (Which resemble yard rakes from Sears Robuck), a huge mouth full of razor sharp teeth (the mouth cannot move or close), and a huge shaggy body (which resembles a cross between a fur coat and a guile suit worn by a US Marine Corps sniper). Simply horrifying.

This movie must be watched at least 10 times to fully appreciate it. You will see something different every time.

It Will Frighten You (That You Spent the Money on It).......2006-12-29

Famous schlockmeister Roger Corman produced this film in 1961 between films such as "The Wasp Woman" and "The Pit and the Pendulum." This cheaply made movie is filled with corny jokes, including the monster itself, and would have been perfect drive-in theater fare, as long as it was the third movie or later.

We learn that a group of Cuban soldiers have robbed the Cuban treasury of a chest of gold. Recall that Castro had just taken over in Cuba and many people were fleeing the country with any valuables they could take. The soldiers ask a smuggler to get them out of the country with their gold. The smuggler and his crew decide to kill the Cubans one-by-one by pretending a monster is killing the soldiers. The plot works until we learn that the monster is real! At this point you can almost hear Elvira or her equivalent making some scary sound to indicate the depths of horror in this film. However, we already know that the monster is about as scary as a guy in a fake fur coat with ping pong ball eyes can be - which is to say, not very scary.

This movie is filled with cheesy jokes. How about a telephone on a "deserted" island that has two guys in suits waiting to use it? How about a secret agent whose radio is disguised as fishing equipment? How about a secret agent with the mysterious name of XK-150? I think you get the idea. Some of the corny jokes actually work, though the pseudo "Sea Hunt (1958-1961)" narration by secret agent XK-150 generally did not work.

What surprised me was how many well-known people were in this film. Robert Towne played secret agent XK-150. Towne acted in several other movies, including "The Pick-Up Artist," but made his name as a screenwriter on movies such as "The Firm," "Mission: Impossible," and "Mission: Impossible 2." Antony Carbone, the leader of the smugglers, appeared regularly on a variety of popular television shows until his retirement in 1991. Beach Dickerson played one of the crooks. He also appeared in a variety of movies and television shows until his retirement in 1991. Other actors with extensive resumes also appeared in this film.

I have seen movies worse than this one. Not many, but some. Some of the jokes did work. Roger Corman prevented the movie from taking itself too seriously, which is probably why the movie still has some charm. The monster is incredibly improbable and cheesy and not in the least scary. The ending of the movie is more puzzling than anything. I think my reaction at the end of the movie was, "huh?" On the other hand, if you like schlock horror films, this movie should absolutely be on your list. Certainly fans of Roger Corman will want this one. This movie could even be a fun one to watch if you like to make fun of movies; there is a lot of material to work with in this one.

Good Luck!

Very funny.......2005-10-16

I really like this movie alot it is very funny. If you like a movie you can just laugh away at this the movie for you. You can laugh at almost every scene in the movie. I have a large collection of dvd horror movies. This movie is funnier then then Scary Movie.

A Beatnik Horror Spy Spoof.......2005-09-12

I first saw this movie on TV when I was a youngster. It was funny and stupid in all the right places. Really dumb plot. A couple that makes animal noises. A lead bad guy trying to look and act like Bogart. And a monster that looks like it was built in 5 minutes. A beatnik horror, spy spoof. Lighten Up! This and Little Shop of Horrors makes a great double bill.

the backstory ..........2005-09-09

In Backstory: Interviews with Screenwriters from the 1960's , writer Charles B. Griffiths (who penned Creature from the Haunted Sea ) admitted that the monster in this movie cost 50 bucks. It consisted, he said , of a fur coat, some ping pong balls for eyes, and garden claws for hands.

If you watch it in this shrugging context, and go in with lowered expectations ( that is, just to have fun ) this movie is an example of what Corman and his team did best at this time. Movies that second-billed on a drive in while you were trying to retrieve a jordan almond from the back of your date's throat.

Its not the best or worst example of the lot (and the beginning shots of cubans photographed in heavy shadow almost ALWAYS puts me to sleep), but what the heck. You laugh, throw popcorn at the screen and remember what 'scary movies' were like in an earlier, less graphic time.

Average customer rating:

Disappointing!
Best Movie Set
Misfiring and pretentious thriller
great characters!

The Lightship
Starring: Tom Bower , Robert Duvall , Tim Phillips , Badja Djola , and Arliss Howard
Director: Jerzy Skolimowski
Manufacturer: Paramount
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ASIN: B0008KLV9Q
Release Date: 2005-06-14

Description

In THE LIGHTSHIP, the pacifist captain of a floating lighthouse refuses to fight violence with violence after he rescues a stranded motorboat occupied by three dangerous criminals who want to hijack the ship.

Customer Reviews:

Disappointing! .......2007-04-07

The premise is a good one---the crew of an isolated lightship is invaded by a trio of ne'er-do-wells with evil intent---but the plot, like a real lightship, doesn't go anywhere. The father-son relationship between the ship's captain (Klaus Marie Brandeur) and his erstwhile son seems forced, the story of the father's previous cowardice seems to be just the opposite---great leadership, and the relationship between the captain and his chief antagonist (Robert Duvall in a horrible role) never generates even a single spark of tension. Beyond the poor acting and directing is the fact that no tension is ever built anywhere, and the crew never use their knowledge of the sea and the lightship to get back at the bad guys. Additionally, they never try and disarm the bad guys, despite numerous opportunities to do so (even within the first two minutes of them coming onto the lightship) that even a trio of boy scouts would have done. If you are hoping for a tense, claustrophobic, nightmarish potboiler (like I was) then you are in for a great disappointment. Stay away from it.

Best Movie Set.......2005-07-12

The physical lightship is a wonderful hulk which somehow survived everything humans do to each other. Given the dialogue & voiceovers in the film are theatrical,this is a majestic battle between good & evil on the best stage ever. The main good guy & bad guy both know a lot. There is an understanding that humans can easily kill each other,however they rarely have to. Inevitably in this case the characters sink to the "have to." If you can find a copy,watch Skolimowski's "Deep End," a visual & dramatic masterpiece with Van Gogh colors.

Misfiring and pretentious thriller.......2005-01-15

The movie takes place on a single set, a floating lighhouse (the lightship of the title ) moored off the coast of Virginia .The vessel is captained by Klaus Maria Brandauer and he has a crew of four, plus his teenage son .All the above have their own deep ,dark secrets and grudges which are brought to the surface when the ship is taken over by a trio of escaping bank robbers ,comprising two lunkhead and disturbed brothers plus Robert Duvall as the monomaniacal gang leader .
They become trapped on the ship as a storm rages rages outside isolating them still further from the outside world.
This was done so much better in the 40's in Key Largo and the movie sufffers badly by comparison .Stiffly acted by normally capable performers ,this movie is ultimately scuppered by pretentious dialogue and a striving for "significance ",.It should be tense ,claustrophobic and gripping but instead is slow ,limp and portentious .

Avoid !

great characters!.......1999-01-25

Any movie that is confined to basically one set is a tough sell. Life boat pulled it off. So does lightship. Just the interaction between Duvall, Arlis Howard and William Forsythe is worth the price of the tape. The bit where Dr. Casparry dances with Eddie Waxler while Gene Waxler looks on is so well done it looked real. This movie, much like Aliens, is chocked full of great characters, and they all get a chance to shine.

Classic Creature Movies I - (Roger Corman): Creature From The Haunted Sea / Beast From Haunted Cave / The Wasp Woman

Average customer rating:

Fun,Fun & More Fun
none of these are oscar winners,but they have a style and they are just so much fun
OK, Corman has been hailed as a genius, but.........
Corman is A Genius
Corman Triple Feature

Classic Creature Movies I - (Roger Corman): Creature From The Haunted Sea / Beast From Haunted Cave / The Wasp Woman
Starring: Roger Corman
Manufacturer: Bfs Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

Classic Creature Movies II (Creature / Track Of The Moon Beast / Snowbeast)
Classic Sci-Fi Movies (In The Year 2889 / They Came From Beyond Space / Teenagers From Outer Space)
Legendary Horror Movies (I Bury The Living / Dead Men Walk / The Screaming Skull)
Classic Demon Movies (God Told Me To / The Demon / Good Against Evil)
Great SciFi Thrillers (The Disappearance Of Flight 412 / Slipstream / Abraxas, Guardian Of The Universe)

ASIN: B00005QW4T
Release Date: 2002-01-08

Description

3 Great Movies on 1 DVD. Star Power, Exciting Genre with Extras on each DVD.

Customer Reviews:

Fun,Fun & More Fun.......2006-08-25

Creature Movies .. are just great camp classics from, Roger Corman. I when to the show as a kid in the early 60's & for 25 cent, I got to see two movies. Wow! I was in heaven, at that moment & yes, I saw all three at the show & love them & even now, I enjoy them as great old B-Movies & Roger, knew how to make them, cheap & fun & maded a damm good living from it. "Creature From The Haunted Cave" is fun & silly but, fun. "Beast From Haunted Cave" . I love to watch & The Wasp Woman, is Cult Classic & best of all three. So if you got time & love old Horror B-Movies from the 60's, all I can say is watch & rock on. Great price, all three on one DVD, how can miss great fun ....

none of these are oscar winners,but they have a style and they are just so much fun.......2006-04-27

roger corman was and always will be the "king of the b movies", and as his book said,he made over 200 movies in hollywood and never lost money on any of them,lets see other directors make that claim!!! what makes these movies,indeed,all of cormans movies so much fun is the fact that with little or no money he made movies that were fun to watch and fun to revisit time after time. you can sence that he was doing everything he could to make a movie that you would enjoy,and thats the charm of mr. corman,he wants you to have a good time,and if you think he didn't know that some of these movies were pure cheese then you don't get mr. corman or his movies,as most were made tounge in cheek anyway.
settle back and watch these great cheese movies and have a ball.

OK, Corman has been hailed as a genius, but................2005-10-25

These movies were simply awful. OK, The Wasp Woman wasn't all THAT bad, but Creature from the Haunted Sea was literally one of the five worst movies I have ever seen, and Beast from Haunted Cave was one of the ten worst. But all in all I did not feel cheated, since I only paid $5.98, which is less than $2/movie. So buy it if you must, but don't expect to "feel the magic", because it just ain't there. Better off to put your money toward the Ed Wood Box or a copy of Robot Monster.

Corman is A Genius.......2002-03-28

This DVD is terrific. I enjoyed all three movies, each with its own special flavor.
The Beast From THe Haunted Sea is terrifically spoofy. It pokes fun at all the spy genre and the mass hysteria during the Cold War. A bumbling undercover spy infiltrates a wacky group of smugglers with deserters from the Cuban Army thrown in for good measure. The effects are lousy, the dialogue is intentionally awful but funny and th eBeast look like the Cookie Monster with Seaweed.

THe BEast From Hacuted Cave is different, darker and not bad. It involves a criminal gang who steals some gold and tricks a heroic ski guide to take them to his cabin to hide out. During the robbery, a beast was awaken or freed by the explosion and follows the crooks and proceeds to capture them one by one. Only the heroic ski guide and the chief crook's moll excape.

Corman has a flair for the dramatic and a good sense of what kind of story he wanted to tell. Unfortunately, his skills and budgets often prevented him from achieving his goals. Corman epitomizes the adage
A man's grasp must exceed his reach
Else what's a heaven for?!

I will buy more of his works.

Corman Triple Feature.......2002-01-29

If you are a fan of Roger Corman or drive-in style campy horror, this is a great buy. All three films are scratchy, but they all deliver the needed laughs. Creature from the Haunted Sea is the most hilarious with its bug-eyed undersea monster. In his memoir, Corman says it was intentional that the Creature win in the end. Beast from Haunted Cave is not a Roger Corman film, but it's a good one from his brother Gene. Clearly making the most movie out of little money is a family tradition. The Wasp Woman is the most famous of these(surprisingly timely and relevant when one considers how often plastic surgery and radical diets make the news). You can't beat the price. I find it appropriate that you can get these movies without spending a fortune, since no one spent a fortune to make them!

Average customer rating:

Holding Back THE GOODS!
Leon!!!
GREAT CONCEPT--A BLACK THRILLER/LOVE STORY
Very Sexy
Boring Film

Spirit Lost
Starring: J. Michael Hunter , Cynda Williams , Yvonne Brisendine , Kyrie Tinch , and Fatima Zein
Director: Neema Barnette
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

Suspense | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Mystery | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

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

All Deals | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

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

That Man Bolt (Soul Showcase)
Caught Up
Ritual
Asunder (1998)
Trois: The Escort

ASIN: B0000640S0
Release Date: 2002-05-21

Product Description

A mysterious and supernatural force proves to have an overwheming allure for one man.

System Requirements:
Starring: Leon, Regina Taylor, and Cynda Williams.
Running Time: 90 Min.
Copyright 2002 Artisan Entertainment.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Customer Reviews:

Holding Back THE GOODS!.......2005-02-19

Purchased with the hope that Leon would bare all or mostly all throughout, he instead chooses to be a bit of a tease. There are however several excellent 'skin scenes.' Early on he turns away from his painting stool to reveal his 'accordian-like' abs to Regina King. She had probably already buried her face in them weeks before in a hotel room between shoots. 'Til this flick I wasn't aware that this boy's rear end was that plump or that his back resembled a railroad maze of mass muscle. When he squirmed back & forth in bed with the ghost, (Cynda Williams) the nooks & crannies seemed endless. When this 'most memorable scene' first unfolded, I remember thinking, "hold on for dear life pal- I'm comin' thru." Boy did I crave the opportunity to climb onboard myself, pinch the hell out of those gorgeous cheeks & conduct a MAJOR TASTE TEST from head to toe. Unfortunately this chocolate dude looks best when he's facing the camera sans shirt & the shots we do get in that category are all at a distance. Even the zoom fails here. While not thick & bulky in the upper chest, he's well cut & defined. That neatly compliments the aformentioned washboard abs. Williams pre-CAUGHT UP gives us plenty of flesh displays but even she begrudges us the pleasure of seeing her flat on her back fending off Leon's advances. Now that would've been HOT! Having caught Leon in other vehicles like LITTLE RICHARD & ABOVE THE RIM, he seems to bulk up only on occasion which is a pity 'cause when he sets his mind to it he can deliver DELICIOUS with the best of his fellow Hollywood brothas. Pass on this one- trust me this black cat's been beefier. We're getting shortchanged.

Leon!!!.......2003-10-25

1 star for Leon...he is so hot! He has a great body and super hot rear end. And just to let you know I am a 19 year old straight guy!

GREAT CONCEPT--A BLACK THRILLER/LOVE STORY.......2002-09-15

I LIKED THE CONCEPT OF THIS FILM. IT DEALS WITH THE PAST AND THE PRESENT. AFRICAN RELIGION AND AFRICAN AMERICAN SYMBOLISM, A LOVE TRIANGLE (A HUSBAND AND WIFE AND A GHOST. AND THE PAINTER/"VAN GOGH" MENTAL ILLNESS CONCEPT. LEON AND REGINA TAYLOR ARE GOOD IN THIS. ITS GOOD TO SEE REGINA TAYLOR PLAY A DIMENSIONAL CHARACTER. SHE'S ALWAYS PLAYING A STOIC ASEXUAL CHARCTER IN MOVIES. TOO BAD THE MOVIE DOESN'T GET INTO THE SUBPLOT OF THE SLAVE GIRL (CYNDA WILLIAMS)MARRYING HER SLAVEMASTER AND HER TRAGIC DEMISE AND TEH HOUSE THAT SHE HAUNTS THAT LEON AND REGINA BUYS.. EXCELLENT AND INTELLIGENT FILM. GREAT SCENERY. THE END OF FILM IS CHEAPENED WITH NO EXPLANATION OF LEON'S CONDITION AFTER HIS SPIRIT CAME BACK FROM HBEING POSESSED BY THE SLAVE GIRLS' (CYNDA)SEXUAL POSESSION OF HIM. THE SEX SCENE WITH LEON (WHO HAS A GREAT BODY!) AND TEH GHOST AND REGINA TAYLOR CATCHING HIM WAS HILARIOUS!

Very Sexy.......2001-10-21

I have to admit, the reason I bought this movie is to see the stunning beauty Cynda Williams play the role as a sex crazed ghost. She has an unbelievably gorgeous body and I'm a fan for life. I guess the role didn't require her to have any lines. The movie was real slow and non-emotional. Leon is a good actor but its not much he can do with this script.

Boring Film.......2001-07-10

I didn't like this movie because it was so boring. Nothing scary really happened. It wasn't even a bit violent. This movie belongs in the thriller section only, because it's not a horror movie whatsoever.

I kind of liked the acting. The beginning of the film is the kind of beginning that is put into a good horror movie. However this beginning tricks you. It seems like it is going to be a good horror flick, but turns out to be boring.

Customer Reviews:

One of the all time greats!!!.......2007-05-05

It Will Frighten You (That You Spent the Money on It).......2006-12-29

Very funny.......2005-10-16

A Beatnik Horror Spy Spoof.......2005-09-12