The Young Americans

Starring:Harvey Keitel, Iain Glen, John Wood, Terence Rigby, Keith Allen, Craig Kelly (II), Thandie Newton, Viggo Mortensen, Dave Duffy, Geoffrey McGivern, Nigel Clauzel, Huggy Leaver, Dig Wayne, Christopher Adamson, James Duggan, Anna Keaveney, John Forgeham, Clifford Predgen, David Doyle (III), Norman Roberts
Director: Danny Cannon
Studio: Lions Gate
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

Gayle R.Donham
Excellent missioary story
Tops My List
Read a good book about Gladys!
The Inn of the Sixth Happiness

The Inn of the Sixth Happiness
Starring: Ingrid Bergman , Curd Jürgens , Robert Donat , Michael David , and Athene Seyler
Director: Mark Robson
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
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Anastasia
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ASIN: B00008LDO1
Release Date: 2003-08-05

Amazon.com essential video

An epic and extraordinary true story--or, at least, an extraordinary story based on a novel (Alan Burgess's The Small Woman) based on a true story. Gladys Aylward (an improbably mesmerizing Ingrid Bergman) is a British would-be missionary with an obsession about China. As she has no experience, the Missionary Society won't let her go, but she goes anyway, alone, to a remote northern province. She is hated, then loved; finally she becomes both a significant political figure and the heroine of a miraculous escape in which she shepherds 100 children to safety across the mountains just ahead of a Japanese invasion. Curt Jurgens is suitably stony as Lin Nan, the half-Dutch, half-Chinese military officer who falls in love with her, and a visibly ailing Robert Donat (who died before this, his final film, was released) is the wily local mandarin who sees and makes use of her extraordinary abilities. Directed by Mark Robson, The Inn of the Sixth Happiness is a sweeping, stirring tearjerker, a big tale told in a big landscape with acres of orchestrated strings by Malcolm Arnold. A beautiful and beautifully made film that's a classic of the "everyone said I couldn't but I did it anyway" genre. --Richard Farr

Description

All her life Englishwoman Gladys Aylward knew that China was the place where she belonged. Not qualified to be sent there as a missionary, Gladys works as a domestic to earn the money to send herself to a poor, remote village. There she eventually lives a full and happy life: running the inn, acting as "foot inspector", advising the local Mandarin and even winning the heart of mixed race Captain Lin Nan. But Gladys discovers her real destiny when the country is invaded by Japan and the Chinese children need her to save their lives. Based on a true story.

Customer Reviews:

Gayle R.Donham.......2007-06-28

This was a movie about the human will to survive through war torn countries with a group of children in a school.After a period of time the war begins to worsen and she leads the children out of the country and into safety through many odds along the way.Outstanding actors in his movie.

Excellent missioary story.......2007-06-13

I have watched this video many times and I really am inspired each time. I bought it for a missionary friend and she was impressed as well. It is well acted and most interesting. It follows the book about Gladys Aylward fairly well but the book is also worth reading for more details on her life adventure.

Tops My List.......2007-06-12

This is one of my all time favorite movies and now on DVD I loved it all over again. Great actors and acting. Wonderful and inspiring story.

Read a good book about Gladys!.......2007-06-02

The movie is a wonderful movie and great characters and inspiring. When you are done watching it, get a good book about the real Gladys and learn why she was so loving. When faced with the hardships she went through it is not enough to feel like it. She believed in Jesus Christ who put the love in her heart to do what she did. She was complete not because of a man's love, which did not really happen, but complete in Christ. She obeyed God no matter who said what or what the circumstances were and God showed His faithfulness to her. Seek out her source of love: Jesus. Great movie--read the book!

The Inn of the Sixth Happiness.......2007-06-01

It is an old movie and but very very beautiful and breath taking one. See this movie and you will know what I mean by what I've just said. I orignally taped this movie on Video many years ago and it became worn out and I wanted to be able to see this movie again and again.

Average customer rating:

Not as good as "Singin' in the Rain"
Great George Gershwin so so Kelly
s'mahvelous
All Show
A display of breathtaking colors dizzyingly romantic...

An American in Paris
Starring: Gene Kelly , Leslie Caron , Oscar Levant , Georges Guétary , and Nina Foch
Director: Vincente Minnelli
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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Singin' in the Rain (Two-Disc Special Edition)
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From Here to Eternity

ASIN: B00004RF9F
Release Date: 2000-06-06

Amazon.com essential video

A GI (Gene Kelly) stays in Paris after the war to become an artist, and has to choose between the patronage of a rich American woman (Nina Foch) and a French gamine (Leslie Caron) engaged to an older man. The plot is mostly an excuse for director Vincente Minnelli to pool his own extraordinary talent with those of choreographer-dancer-actor Kelly and the artists behind the screenplay, art direction, cinematography, and score, creating a rapturous musical not quite like anything else in cinema. The final section of the film comprises a 17-minute dance sequence that took a month to film and is breathtaking. Songs include "'S Wonderful," "I Got Rhythm," and "Love Is Here to Stay." --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Not as good as "Singin' in the Rain".......2007-05-25

Okay, I know I'm in the minority and this is supposed to be an amazing classic musical that everyone loves, but it didn't really grab me. Here's my situation: my daughter takes tap-dancing lessons and loves them, so I picked up "Singin' in the Rain" on DVD because I thought she might enjoy it. Well, both of us LOVED that movie! Entertaining, funny story, colorful memorable characters, and absolutely breathtaking tap dance numbers.

Since we loved "Singin' in the Rain," I ordered a ton of other Gene Kelly musicals. The first one we watched was "An American in Paris," and honestly, we were disappointed. The story wasn't nearly as good, the characters weren't as likable. Yeah, there's the big ballet in the end, but I'm not into ballet and I don't like overlong numbers like that (in "Singin' in the Rain," I wasn't into "Broadway Melody" either). There are a couple of tap dance numbers in this that were mildly entertaining (Kelly dancing in a funny way to entertain the French kids was cute), but nothing as exuberant and jaw-droppingly amazing as "Moses Supposes" or Donald O'Connor's "Make 'em Laugh", both of which I could watch endlessly.

So speaking totally as a layman who knows nothing about musicals, I can say that personally, I adored "Singin' in the Rain," but didn't enjoy "An American in Paris" nearly as much. (Next up we're going to check out "On the Town," "Les Girls," "Summer Stock" and "Brigadoon.")

Great George Gershwin so so Kelly.......2007-04-02

Jerry Mulligan (Gene Kelly) ex-GI stays in Paris to practice painting. There he is patronized by a jealous Milo Roberts (Nina Foch). Mean time he is trying to make time with a store clerk that is more than she appears to be (Leslie Caron).

Not one of Kelly's best but passable. However even at his best one has to have a taste for that sort of thing. He is sort of a Danny Kay type. His high-water pants are his signature and really looks out of place. He can not sing worth beans. However he did do a good job in "What a Way to Go."

Even though this film is not a notable movie it was directed by Vincente Minnelli (1903-1986.) He directed some great movies and some that you would never suspect such as "The Long Long Trailer."

s'mahvelous.......2007-01-16

I've been watching this movie since I was a little, and couldn't find it anywhere! Gene Kelly is once again wonderful, and his smile still gets me. Leslie Caron aparently made her debut in this and her delicate, beautiful dancing is a joy to watch. This movie does try to be a little more daring and modern in certain scenes than your average musical, but all in all it's great.

All Show.......2007-01-03

This movie looks great and that is about it. Not a lot of plot, acting, etc. just a lot of color, costumes and dancing.

A display of breathtaking colors dizzyingly romantic..........2006-12-17

Vincente Minnelli directed some of the most celebrated entertainments in cinema history... He was among the first Hollywood directors to show that a profound love of color, motion and music might produce intelligent entertainment... His 'American in Paris' is a display of breathtaking colors dizzyingly romantic...

'American in Paris' is the story of an ex-GI who remains in France after the war to study and paint... He falls in love with a graceful dancer... Their romantic love affair sparkles as brightly as the City of lights itself... The whole movie brings a touch of French elegance where technique, artistic style and music all come together in perfect synchronism...

The first musical sequence introduces the exciting personality of Leslie Caron in her screen debut... She is like a diamond, a touch of class... George Guetary describes his fiancée ambiguous grace in a montage of different dance styles, sweet and shy, vivacious and modern, graceful and awesome... The number leads to an unpretentious bistro, where Kelly and his very good friends in Paris share a gentle parody of Viennese waltzes... Later Kelly celebrates a popular tap dancing with a crowd of enthusiastic children singing with him 'I Got Rhythm,' and at the massive jazz nightclub Kelly spots the girl of his dreams... He is instantly hit by her sparkling sapphire blue eyes, and only one clear thing is in his mind, to pull Lize onto the dance floor and sing to her: "It's very clear, Our love is here to stay."

To the joyful 'Tra-La-La,' Kelly provides humor, wit and talent all around Oscar Levant's room ,and even on the top of his brown piano...

When he meets his pretty Cinderella along the Seine river, Kelly is swept away by his happy meeting with Caron... He expresses all his emotions with 'Our Love Is Here to Stay.' The piece had a definite nighttime feel as the two lovers were bathed in soft, blue smoky light... They start an enchanting dance-duet juxtaposing differing elements... Caron dances with her head on his shoulder, then tries to run away in a fluid way... They move backward, away from each other, then pause to rush toward each other, for a little kiss, and a warm hug...

The film's weakest numbers were those that bear little relation to the story... In one, Georges Guetary performs an entertaining stage show with showgirls in giant ornaments floating down to the stage... In another, Oscar Levant imagines himself conducting a concert, and playing not only a piano recital, but the other instruments as well... He even applauds to himself as members of the audience...

The extravagant climactic super ballet of the film is quite an adventure, a breakthrough in taste, direction and design... It is a blaze of love, fury and vividness... It is Kelly's major fantasy of his lost love and of his feeling about Paris as viewed through the huge backdrops of some of France's most Impressionist painters...

The number starts at the Beaux Arts Ball after Kelly finds himself separated from Lise, and begins a sketch with a black crayon... It gathers the important parts of the film's story through a constantly changing locations, all in the style of the painters who have influenced Jerry... The tour, richly attractive and superbly atmospheric, includes the Place De la Concorde Fountain, the Madeleine flower market, the Place De l'Opéra, to his Rendez-Vous at Montmartre, with the cancan dancers in a representation of Lautrec's Moulin Rouge...

Kelly seems to defy the boundaries of his physical self... Caron seems to dominate her space and sweeps you away to another time and place...

Nina Foch appeared very attractive and elegant in her one-shouldered white gown... In one of the film's most famous lines, Kelly asks her: 'That's quite a dress you almost have on. What holds it up?" Nina, cleverly replies, "modesty!"

'An American in Paris' garnered six Oscars, including an honorary award to Gene Kelly... The film gave us a wealth of memories to take home...

Average customer rating:

A question of honor and something else!
Pretty low on the Rocky list.
Totally Awesome Cold War Propaganda!
Fast Delivery
Starts well but finishes poorly

Rocky IV
Starring: R.J. Adams , Al Bandiero , Dominic Barto , Danial Brown , and James Brown
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0006GAOGI
Release Date: 2005-02-08

Amazon.com

It was time for Sylvester Stallone to say "enough, already" to the boxing hero he plays in the popular Rocky film series, but instead Stallone kept the saga going by pushing Rocky into Rambo territory. The 1985 Rocky IV finds the Italian stallion pitted against a seemingly unbeatable Russian monster named Drago (Dolph Lundgren) who lets his wife (Stallone's then-wife, Brigitte Nielsen) do all the talking. With a mighty punch, Drago has sent Rocky's former opponent and trainer Apollo Creed to an early grave, and the boxer responds with the ultimate challenge. Even the Russians are rooting for Rocky, so it's not hard to guess how the film ends. Despite Stallone's claims to the contrary, this installment was followed by Rocky V in 1990. --Jeff Shannon

Description

East meets West when Rocky takes on a vicious Soviet fighter who literally killed his last opponent! Sylvester Stallone writes, directs and stars in this war between nations in which the only battle is fought in a boxing ring. Rocky Balboa (Stallone) proudly holds the world heavyweight boxing championship, but a new challenger has stepped forward: Drago (Dolph Lundgren), a six-foot-four-inch, 261-pound fighter who has the backing of the Soviet Union. This time, Rocky's training regimentakes him to icy Siberia, where he prepares for a globally televised match in the heart of Moscow. But nothing can truly prepare him for what he's about to facea powerfully charged fight to the finish in which he must defend not only himself, but also the honor of his country!

Customer Reviews:

A question of honor and something else!.......2007-06-19

Rocky IV meant (as no other sequel a symbol of power in the huge geopolitical staggering U.R.S.S. The metaphor is so obvious that hardly may be better described. This time Rocky has to make an act of justice when his friend Apollo Creed dies in combat against Ivan Drago, the new Soviet techno machine, a sort of Caucasian Terminator; Apollo was in fact his past rival in Rocky II, helped professional and spiritually to win that infernal combat in the third sequel.

In this opportunity the chances are against him, Drago is a merciless and menacing fighter, who embodies the spirit of a nation, historically adverse to the Western hemisphere.

Sylvester Stallone didn't waste this historical opportunity to carve in relief two different ways of thinking, living and fighting.

Pretty low on the Rocky list........2007-06-17

I rank the Rocky films this way, from best to worst:
Rocky
Rocky Balboa
Rocky II
Rocky III
Rocky IV
Rocky V (can we all just pretend that one never happened?)
Note that my top two are the ones in which Rocky lost the fight, but won something bigger. Those films were not just good boxing movies, but good movies, period.
Rocky IV is not exacly horrible, but it's certainly not good. Some of it is downright stupid; what idiot writer put in the robot that has artificial intelligence? (Rocky: "I'll get the call inside." Robot: "You can get it right here!"). The James Brown extravaganza, with Apollo dancing in a really, really silly outfit, was just plain weird. Then there's the fact that Drago's 1400 psi punch killed Apollo -- but later he doubled the power to 2800 psi, and despite jackhammering Rocky with that superhuman power over and over and over, Rocky just kept walking into more punches. And the worst part of all was Rocky's "can't we all just get along" speech to the Russian crowd, which switched its allegiance from Drago to Rocky because...because... well, I don't know why they cheered wildly for the guy who beat their national idol. Because the script called for it, I guess.
In the end, I think this movie is a classic "guilty pleasure". It's fun to watch the Rocky/Drago training montage (which could also be viewed as a metaphor for human will triumphing over machine perfection), and it's also fun to get a little Cold War nostalgia, so to speak, with the American ordinary guy loner beating the product of Soviet technology. Fun to watch? Yeah. Great movie? No.

Totally Awesome Cold War Propaganda!.......2007-05-08

To say that Rocky IV is propaganda is a bold understatement. From the opening bell of Rocky IV we are fed repeated anti-soviet and pro-US messages. The obvious arrogance, rampant drug use and lack of freedoms the Russians display here are not antagonistic as much as they are downright degrading and completely inaccurate. Every Soviet character acts as if they are a pathetically corrupt villain, that is until they are shown the path of the righteous man by our hero Rocky Balboa both in and out of the ring in a shameless speech that shows us what this film is really about. The Russian people find their liberation in their love for the American underdog Rocky. Rocky III had a subtle message of money spoiling good ol' Rock into losing his title and regaining it when he found the fire that existed in being a real underdog (a poor New Yorker who had nothing but his ability to fight). Rock IV gives us a message that is the antithesis of this and gives blind justification for hating our enemies for trivial and inaccurate reasons, in other words the legacy of Rocky took more than a few steps back.

In this, the third sequel to the original classic about a kid from south Philly with a [...] education who gets a shot at the champion Appollo Creed. By now in the series, Rock has been champion and is friends now with Apollo and when Ivan Drago (a giant Russian boxer played by Dolph Lundgren) comes along, Apollo comes out of retirement to show this commie who is boss. Drago beats him to death in the ring and Rocky now knows what he needs to do. Stop commies! I mean, avenge his friend's death.

Its amusing to say the least as now the U.S.S.R. is no more and the damages of misled messages are inconsequential as the only people who could be swayed by such nonsense have already been swayed by our culture. It's vexing indeed but Rocky IV wins me over because I laugh every time it's on television. That is no reason to call it a good movie though. It so shamelessly sets the stage for the ultimate in melodrama and underdog cliches that only a child would find this believable. It is pornographic propaganda really, I put it right in there with Reefer Madness.

As a character, Rocky does represent something of America in all of his films (though I haven't seen the fifth one entirely). He is the quintessential underdog; he is a simple man that made his way through life by being a good person and doing what he knew how to do for his family. That feels like America for many of us. On the other hand he represents us as well in a different light in Rocky IV; he is the shameless symbol that represents what blind nationalism and unregulated globalization can bring without justifying it's reason, by the film's end the Russians are as blindly proud as the American's who possess unconditional love for their ever-serving government. It doesn't represent the left or the right but simply put, it represents those who can't learn because they think they already know. It represents the ignorant and just plain stupid and who could be their hero, or as Mr. T. once said, their paper champion. There are means and ends in life and conflict is the means to serve what end? Rocky IV promotes the kind of thought that is too arrogant to bother answering such a question.

But you know something? It's so shameless, unintentional, and fun that I don't give a damn and I begin chanting "Rocky" (or was it "Bocky") right along side those newly allied ex-communists every single time I see Rocky IV. Capitalism rocks comrade!

Fast Delivery.......2007-05-07

I haven't actually watched this movie yet but I received it very quickly.

Starts well but finishes poorly.......2007-03-22

I really liked the first part of this movie, but everything after he starts training for the fight I could do without. The bland training in Russia in all that snow, and the fight itself weren't that great to me. Then he spews some sort of political message that ends up sounding retarded. Huge Rocky fan, but this is not one of my favs. It gets 3 starts because it has heart, great production quality and I could watch Rocky grocery shopping and be happy, he's just that good of a character.

Average customer rating:

Great movie...
Anyone's Life Might Change
Does God want us to suffer? Answers to be found in this movie
Brilliant exploration of love, loss and renewal
A splendid movie in authentically splendid settings

Shadowlands
Starring: Julian Fellowes , Roddy Maude-Roxby , Michael Denison , Andrew Seear , and Tim McMullan
Director: Richard Attenborough
Manufacturer: HBO Home Video
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C.S. Lewis: Through the Shadowlands
The Magic Never Ends - The Life and Work of C.S. Lewis
The Remains of the Day (Special Edition)
The Question of God: Sigmund Freud & C.S. Lewis
A Grief Observed

ASIN: 0783113315
Release Date: 1999-04-13

Amazon.com essential video

This emotionally moving romantic drama was adapted by William Nicholson from his own acclaimed play, based upon the real-life romance (during the 1950s) between the British writer C.S. Lewis and a divorced American poet named Joy Gresham. Best known for writing The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, Lewis (Anthony Hopkins) is living comfortably as a respected Oxford don, his academic lifestyle a kind of shell protecting him from the emotional risk of love. Joy Gresham (Debra Winger) arrives at Oxford as an avid admirer of Lewis's writing, and the safety of his collegiate routine is quickly disrupted when Lewis realizes that he's fallen deeply and unexpectedly in love. Their courtship is uniquely engaging; he's shy and uncertain, she's outspoken and bold. But when Joy is diagnosed with cancer, Lewis's Christian faith is put to the test--he cannot fathom why their happiness together would be so drastically challenged. Together, they find a way to accept and honor the time they have shared together, and under the sensitive direction of Richard Attenborough, Shadowlands arrives at a conclusion that is both heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time. Hopkins and Winger are equally superb in this absorbing story of personal and spiritual transformation--a story previously filmed for British television in 1985, with Joss Ackland and Claire Bloom. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Great movie..........2007-03-13

Pass the popcorn around as you watch this movie. It is a sweet movie about finding love late in life and learning to live again.

Anyone's Life Might Change.......2007-02-18

As I've written before, American audiences might disagree but I think Anthony Hopkins is far more effective in these sorts of productions than he is in the Hannibal series.

Shadowlands is a demanding story that says much in some very small ways that can easily be missed. Telling the (very) true to life tale of C.S. Lewis' marriage, late in his years, to an admiring American poet, Joy Gresham, who visited Lewis and his brother at Oxford, where Lewis, along with Tolkien and some others whose names we remember today, were comfortably ensconced as collegiate dons. While at first the cerebral and emotionally distant (and timid) Lewis is slightly repelled by the extroverted, Jewish Grisham, played here by Debra Winger, Lewis eventually awakens to the realization that a part of his nature theretofore unknown to him has come alive, and the bond he feels for this unexpectedly arrived woman is real and of great meaning to him.

While in the beginning Lewis maintains he has married Grisham strictly as a courtesy that allows her to remain in Britain, the amorously inexperienced theologian and fiction writer acknowledges his love, and for a time is the happiest he has ever been. But then a tragedy clouds Lewis' new identity as husband, and also stepfather to a worshipful teenaged boy, as Grisham's dormant cancer returns with fatal results. Lewis stays by his wife to the end, and claims that the lesson he learns from this chapter in his existence is that the sadness that ultimately visits him and all others who love another is part of the joy inherent in love itself, a separate hemisphere, a reaction to an action, the darkness inextricably wedded to love's light. Lewis survives Grisham and goes on to pen more books of a spiritual and ecumenical nature, but as all who have read him or who knew him note, he was a much changed person once Grisham had passed away.

Shadowlands somehow handles a dreary subject without losing itself to morosity or melodrama. It is both a movie with a message, and also a visit to the personal life of an intensely private man few who read the Narnia series truly know. It is evenly-paced, intellectually-demanding, and openly spiritual as well as biographical. What it lacks in broad appeal it makes up for in being deeply rewarding to those willing to respect (if not embrace) the lessons Lewis believed he absorbed during the time he was given to know Joy Grisham. Those who didn't find this playing at their local multiplex years ago will be pleased with the quality of this DVD release. I recommend it be viewed without distractions, because its message wilts quite easily.

Does God want us to suffer? Answers to be found in this movie.......2007-01-15

This is an incredibly moving movie, the true life story of C S Lewis. It is a tear-jerker that answers deep questions about the meaning of life, love and suffering. Anthony Hopkins plays the role of C S Lewis perfectly, illuminating the admiration I already had for him as a writer, especially after reading Mere Christianity. He was a true gentleman, and this drama defines that through his gentleness, sacrificial giving and the great love that he himself didn't realize he possessed until faced with the deep sorrows he experienced first as a child, and then as a man.
This is one of my favorite true life stories based on the the richness and depth of the story that causes us to pause and think about the true meaning of our relationships, the true meaning of living life through all of its sorrows. Don't watch this to be entertained. Watch it for the experience.

Brilliant exploration of love, loss and renewal.......2007-01-13

I've watched this film many times and for many reasons, chiefly among them, the exquisite performances by both leads. Safe and secure in his world of intellectual pursuits and spiritual exploration, C.S. Lewis had no interest in worldly love and romance nor did he think that when he agreed to marry divorced Jewish-American poet, Joy Gresham so that she could obtain British residency, that it would go beyond a platonic friendship. However, slowly Lewis realizes that his comfortable existence is not only one of cerebral isolation but one of emotional loneliness and finds in Gresham both a feisty, intelligent friend and a profoundly brave and uncompromising woman that teaches him that a person's life cannot be measured solely by intellectual accomplishments or other noble pursuits. Watching Hopkins as Lewis, all stiff-upper-lip English rectitude, flourish into a man who, for the first time, realizes the transfixing power of love, is a lesson in acting. Winger is no less impressive as Joy Gresham, a proud and strong woman, unwilling to be undone in the face of adversity. Joy's death scene is one of the most heartbreaking ever committed to celluloid, with an inconsolable Lewis praying for his dear wife's soul. I can't tell you how that scene affects me. I'm not one to cry in films but this so beautifully and honestly done, without a trace of melodrama or maudlin excess, that you feel that you are privy to a very personal moment in these two people's lives and I just bawl my eyes out. Extraordinary acting, directing and cinematography with superb supporting performances by everyone, makes Shadowlands a truly intelligent, cogent, yet equally human cinematic experience.

A splendid movie in authentically splendid settings.......2007-01-05

Others can debate the merits of 'Shadowlands' as cinema (I thought it was one of the best movies I've ever seen), but one little noticed aspect of the film is the tremendous authenticity of the choral music that forms the backdrop of the first half of the movie. The producers went to the trouble of filming scenes in the chapel of Lewis' Magdalene College, Oxford, and used the chapel choir, directed by the real choir director. A small footnote to the movie, but to those who'd know the difference, it's a terrific treat. Bravo.

Average customer rating:

One of the best John Wayne films
Wake of the Red Witch
Duke 1, Squid 0
Worth Viewing but Not Remembering
Garland Roark's Novel Brought to the Screen

Wake of the Red Witch
Starring: John Wayne , Gail Russell , Gig Young , Adele Mara , and Luther Adler
Director: Edward Ludwig
Manufacturer: Republic Pictures
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Reap the Wild Wind
Flame of Barbary Coast
Legend of the Lost (1957)
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Dark Command

ASIN: B00005B205
Release Date: 2001-05-22

Amazon.com

John Wayne stars as a 19th-century sea captain out for revenge against a wealthy shipping magnate in this interesting and unlikely 1948 offering from Republic Pictures. Wayne plays the wronged Captain Ralls with a convincing bitterness that foreshadows his later work in the John Ford classic The Searchers, and his grim portrayal of Ralls hits a high point when Ralls purposely wrecks his enemy's prize treasure ship. The painfully beautiful Gail Russell costarred with Wayne only the year before in The Angel and the Badman and delivers a memorable performance as the tragic Angelique. Gig Young also stands out as a crewman who eventually learns the truth about Ralls. Wake of the Red Witch shares similarities in both character and climax to an earlier Wayne picture, C.B. DeMille's Reap the Wild Wind, but this film has a more direct approach in exploring the complex motivations of its characters. --Mark Savary

Customer Reviews:

One of the best John Wayne films.......2007-02-25

I first saw this movie in a theater in the early 1950's [movies stayed on the circuit for years then - big cities, first runs, small towns, then part of double features, etc.]. I was under 10 and it was an amazing movie then. I have seen it many times since and I like it even better now. Sure, the special effects now seem clumsy and dated. But the story is a good one and the battle of wills between Wayne's character and Luther Adler's character is still one of the better done of this type plot device. Wayne was consistently underestimated for years by his peers and critics but the public knew better. Yes, among the hundreds of movies he's in, a good percentage of them are B specials. But, starting with Angel and the Badman [w/ the same lovely Gail Russell as in "Wake..."], he didn't have to bow to anyone. "Wake..." is one of his best along with [imho]: The Cowboys, The Shootist, The Quiet Man, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance and maybe True Grit. Even the more venerated and more decorated actors of Wayne's era made clunk movies. And, not all the blame could be cast at the writers/directors... I'll be adding a DVD version of "Wake.." to my Wayne collection. It's a good one! {I'll enjoy watching this one with my grandson in a couple of years.}

Wake of the Red Witch.......2006-11-03

A very interesting and exciting sea picture that involves intrigue, danger, adventure, and romance. What more do you want? In addition to all of the previously mentioned offerings you have a sea monster, ie; a giant squid which is only one of many obstacles that John Wayne has to battle to retrieve valubles located in a sunken freighter.

This John Wayne film is different and unusual in that John Wayne is not the all encompassing heroe that he usually portrays in films. He starts out as a somewhat greedy, deceptive person out to get what he feels he deserves from a former employer and rival, but in the end he finds redemption from his love interest, the very beautiful, Gail Russell, who starred with Wayne in "The Angel and the Badman", another fine Wayne western. Also, in the film is Gig Young, a great, "in my opinion", underrated actor who does a fine job as the character with redeaming qualities, and a friend of John Wayne in the film.

They don't make'm like this anymore! I'm sure you'll enjoy this film, pure adventure, and a film you don't have to analyze, just enjoy!

I recommend purchasing this film. You won't be disappointed!

John E. Matty, Springfield, VA.

Duke 1, Squid 0 .......2005-06-16

WAKE OF THE RED WITCH has it all: An island full of half-naked Polynesian islanders, carved stone heads that stand twenty-feet high, a scuttled schooner laden with gold, the pearl god Tara-Tatu, breathless Euro chicks steaming it up beneath the vines and palm fronds on the RKO backlot, a succession of improbable flashbacks and John Wayne going mano-a-mano with a giant squid.
This movie is a high seas, wooden-ships-and-iron-men costumer that spends most of its time tracking the tempest tossed romance `tween the Duke and Gail Russell, and the bitter rivalry between Wayne and the skullduggerous Luther Adler.
WAKE OF THE RED WITCH is decently unmemorable in all respects, non-essential viewing for even the hardiest of John Wayne loyalists. It's filled with useless posturings and is based on a popular forgotten novel of the day. Others may find it riveting, but I spent most of my time trying to figure out how Wayne kept his toupee in place during the underwater scenes.

Worth Viewing but Not Remembering.......2005-04-18

I am a big John Wayne fan. I love watching his movies. I enjoyed this one as well even though it is not a particularly good effort of his. It was entertaining but did not really catch the imagination.

If I remember correctly, this film is a semi-remake of one he did jsut a few years earlier. Compared to that horror, this one is excellent but don't try to compare it to some of his greater works like "The Quiet Man", the cavalry trilogy or even "Donovan's Reef". Those are great and memorable; this one is merely an afternoon's mindless entertainment, soon forgetten in the detail if not the minutiae.

THe story revolves around two men with a feud over a woman. In this case, both men are involved in shipping in the South Pacific in the days of sail. Wayne commits an act of barratry (piracy conducted by a ship's own crew) against the ship of his rival. The rival wants revenge but so does the Duke. In the end, the sea sorts it all out.

Purchase this movie if you are a diehard John Wayne fan who must have all his work. Otherwise, rent it.

Garland Roark's Novel Brought to the Screen.......2005-03-30

This seemingly obscure 1949 movie produced quietly during some of John Wayne's greatest years of stardom is an overlooked excellent and well written drama. The movie ties into the original story and actually opens the original book and begins the narration of Chapter one at the hands of the first mate. The story revolves around scuttling a sailing vessel "The Red Witch" that contained a cargo of five million in Gold Bullion. There is competition between the owners and Captain Ralls (John Wayne) who plays an ambivilant character who sides with whatever group is most advantageous at the time. The story is told from the perspective of the first mate and utilized the "flashback" technique similar to "Casablanca" but spends considerable time filling you in on how the present situation developed. Although this is in glorious B&W, the island scenery and romance of the age of sail work wonders along with casual romances and adventure to make this a great and interesting film to watch.

Average customer rating:

this one's just awful...
What is UP with all the negative reviews ?!!
McCarthy this ain't.....
We all choose which horses we pursue
Beautiful, wrenching movie.

All the Pretty Horses
Starring: Matt Damon , Henry Thomas , Penélope Cruz , J.D. Young , and Laura Poe
Director: Billy Bob Thornton
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
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All the Pretty Horses (2001 Film)
All the Pretty Horses
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ASIN: B000059XTH
Release Date: 2001-05-08

Amazon.com

Adapted from Cormac McCarthy's award-winning novel, All the Pretty Horses cries for epic length but runs only 112 minutes for theatrical release. Drastically shortened during a lengthy stretch between production and release, this operatic drama feels as if huge chunks are missing, and what remains are fragments of a masterpiece that might have been. Unless a more definitive version is revealed, we must settle for this faint echo of McCarthy's ambitious narrative, in which dispossessed Texas rancher John Grady Cole (Matt Damon) ventures to Mexico in 1949 to revive his fading dreams of cowboy glory. With best friend Lacey Rawlins (Henry Thomas), Cole's odyssey takes him from youthful idealism to rugged, often horrific, and ultimately ennobling tests of integrity.

Much of Cole's ordeal is sparked by his forbidden love for Alejandra (Penelope Cruz), the beautiful daughter of his Mexican employer, whose family honor is threatened by their mutual attraction. A gunslinging teenager (Lucas Black) casts a black cloud over them all, and All the Pretty Horses becomes a test of Cole's ability to navigate a labyrinth of distorted truth, imprisonment, and hard-fought redemption. All of which begs for emotional depth and carefully developed characters, but this truncated film lacks both. Scenes jump from one to the next with obvious gaps between them, lending no opportunity for emotional investment. It's clear that director Billy Bob Thornton is attempting to redefine the Western, and the effort is laudable on many points, notably in its perfect match of visuals and a flavorful musical score. There's much to admire in this film, making its shortcomings all the more lamentable. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

this one's just awful..........2007-06-12

Not much I can say here that hasn't been said by others. "All the Pretty Horses" (the book) was one of the best novels to be written in the past 20 years. "All the Pretty Horses" (the movie) has been edited to a point where it makes no sense.

Also, John Grady and Alejandra are supposed to be 16 and 17 years old, respectively. In a coming-of-age story, that's kind of important. Matt Damon and Penelope Cruz are WAY too old for the roles.

What is UP with all the negative reviews ?!!.......2007-02-25

I think this is a good film as I explain below. Others on this review area disagree. I can only attribute the many negative reviews for this film to a few possibilities: The movie is certainly not as 'complete' as the book. As with any film-adaptation, the movie bears differences from the book ( though it follows the main theme and plot closely ). The main differences being that scenes had to be deleted from the movie that were in the book. Perhaps many reviewers had read the book and were disappointed by the differences. If the movie is viewed as its own entity, I believe it stands very well by itself and is a great work of art

Other reasons that I can only attribute the bad reviews to are these; Maybe the reviewers wanted the cowboy-main characters to be wise-crack, cocky, with-an-attitude kind of guys like sutherland and harrelson in "The Cowboy Way" and other modern westerns. Or, as other reviewers have said, this wasn't a predominately love-story movie, as perhaps billed.

In any event, All The Pretty Horses definitely makes my list of top movies I've ever seen. The main characters have a certain humility and quietness to their character and their way. I imagine this is the way men who roamed the range in the 1940's probably were - Not like today's urban, fast-talking, slick, always having a witty in-your-face comeback, like so many protanganists in movies today. It's refreshing to see the aforementioned humble and courageous type of character pitted against the unfairness of life.

This movie is about decisions. It is about events that we don't want to happen. That we may try to prevent. And then, when these events happen, more bad fortune follows....almost as we knew it would....and it does. This is the unfairness that is real life. But more than unfairness, the theme of courage and holding to one's honor culminate at the end of the movie.

The music is wonderful and appropriate for the western setting. The acting is very good. There is drama, action, the proper building of expectations and tension and then its resolution, and humorous scenes as well. I agree that the movie could have been longer as I was wanting to watch these characters more. But Hollywood wanted a nice, compact, 'western-romance'.....and Billy Bob, the director, wanted to tell his story of the novel on film.....the compromise that resulted was a shorter film than he wanted. Nonetheless, this film is a well-directed and powerful drama which gives life to the mythic frontiers of the old southwest.

McCarthy this ain't............2007-01-29

If you haven't read the book, you will have a much tougher time enjoying this as it is very difficult to follow standing on it's own. If you've read the book before you saw the movie, then feel perfectly free to B!tch about how it doesn't do any justice to McCarthy's novel, because it doesn't. This movie is flawed and edited to the point of incoherence, you are unable to connect with the characters if you are not already familiar with them. It might have one of the worst soundtracks for a piece of this magnitude that I have ever heard. The reason I am able to give it three stars is because I have read all of McCarthy's books and can find some level of enjoyment watching his work be produced visually, but it just doesn't hold up to the novel in any way. If you're expecting a good old love story, then this is definitely not for you. McCarthy doesn't write heartwarming happy-tales for young lovers. His work deals with grittiness, vast landscapes, morality, mortality, and manhood. I think this is actually the happiest of all of his stories, and it ain't that happy. I hope if they make the second book of the trilogy into a movie, which is actually better than this book, they get a production team capable of handling such a large quantity of material. Billy Bob is just not suited to handle something so big. His strength lies in smaller details and stories, like Sling Blade. The supporting cast is fine, however, and Damon as good of a performance as you could give for a flawed script and being miscast.
Their just aren't to many happy endings when it comes to Cormac McCarthy.

We all choose which horses we pursue.......2006-12-18

I recommend this movie because it touches on the following ideas:

1) In the course of your life, you we love someone more than they love you. They will not return your love, for any number of good reasons. This concept is illustrated in the main relationship between Matt Damon's and Penelope Cruz's characters.

2) You will make some promises in your youth, promises that seem like the best solution at the time. No matter how "good" or "moral" of a person you become, you will likely have to choose to break some of those promises, spoken and unspoken. And as you grow older, you will be defined not by whether you kept all your promises, because that is likely impossible, but rather by what concepts you ultimately choose to prioritize and to live by. Alejandra chooses to keep her spoken promise to her Aunt and to not to see or communicate with John Grady further. And Alejandro chooses to break her unspoken and spoken representations to John Grady that she would love him and be with him. And Alejandro also breaks any promises she may have ever made to herself to live free, to pursue her loves and aspirations, and to not repeat the mistakes of her mother's generation. As the Aunt states early in the film, women in that culture do not get the same freedoms and second chances as men. The women in that culture choose whether to acquiesce and promote those double standards or fight against them. Alejandro makes her choice.

3) You may not be able to achieve your own personal dreams or freedoms, but in understanding the pain involved in that concession, you will have tremendous motivation to take advantage of every opportunity to help others achieve their dreams and freedoms. John Grady is not able to get what he wants, but he takes risks to free the old man from his unfair prison, and he returns Rawlins' horse to him.

To be honest, I thought the cinematography was below average, the editing was not fluent, the movie is a little too long, and the shot framings were often 2-dimensional and too close. The opening lighting on the horses running at night looked like they were lit with giant spotlights - totally artificial and wrong for the time period the movie was set in. But I'm a sucker for stories with complex and intelligent moral reasoning, so I recommend this movie with a fast forward remote firmly in hand.

Beautiful, wrenching movie........2006-11-19

With great acting by Damon and company. I could wish for the directing to be a bit better -- probably the editing that was at fault. I could easily have watched another hour of this movie. It's possible that some of the bad reviews come from the promotion of All the Pretty Horses as a love story between Damon and Cruz. It simply isn't the focus of the movie. The focus is more about what you love and lose, your home, your horses, your friends, your honor, and the west itself, being sold to developers at the time.

Average customer rating:

American tourists in France...need I say more?
Among the Best Comedies!
Not bad crime comedy
Once Upon A Crime there was a hilarious, laugh-a-minute mystery...
Enjoyable,

Once Upon a Crime
Starring: Joss Ackland , Alessandro Amen , Geoffrey Andrews , Francesco Angrisano , and James Belushi
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0000CNY53
Release Date: 2003-12-02

Description

What do you get when you combine four bumbling American tourists, a $5,000 pup and a dead body? Inspired lunacy! answers Village View! Starring John Candy, James Belushi, Cybill Shepherd, Sean Young and Richard Lewis, Once Upon a Crime is 'the perfect film to see after a brain-taxing day (The Hollywood Reporter)! Lewis and Young are two down-and-out Americans attempting to return a lost dog to its Monte Carlo socialite owner for a $5,000 reward. But when the owner is murdered, they become the prime suspects! But who's the real killer? The roulette loser (Candy)? The gigolo (George Hamilton)? Or could it possibly be...the dog?

Customer Reviews:

American tourists in France...need I say more?.......2007-05-19

Once Upon a Crime is one of the great comedic crime capers of the 1980's and early 1990's. The cast is comprised of many of the comedy heavyweights of the era, the plot is both plausible and silly, and twists abound.

The crime is the murder of rich, elderly Monte Carlo resident Madame Van Dugen. A cast of Americans get mixed up in the plot and all become suspects under the intense scrutiny of the police inspector, played by Giancarlo Giannini. Sean Young plays a jilted lover trying to make it on her own in Rome. Richard Lewis is an unemployed actor who is reluctantly paired with Young when they find Madame Van Dugen's missing dachshund, Napoleon. John Candy is a gambling addict willing to pay thousands for the dog as a present to his wife. Jim Belushi and Cybill Shepard play an unhappily married couple visiting Europe for business and pleasure.

George Hamilton is priceless as the local gigolo. Throughout the movie, the American tourists stumble over themselves, telling lies for no reason and digging themselves deeper in a hole with the French police inspector. In a stunning climax, the inspector gathers them all in one room and gets them to expose the truth about the night Madame Van Dugen was murdered.

Once Upon a Crime is a delicious comedy full of laughs. The movie should be celebrated for the cast performances and its homage to classic European crime capers.

Among the Best Comedies!.......2007-02-10

This is one of the best comedies I've ever seen, and a personal favorite of mine.

The movie revolves around a series of events in France among a few American tourists. The French police are investigating a murder, and one American (James Belushi), finds his suitcase stuffed with the dead body. Each of the tourists becomes a suspect in the eyes of the incompetent French police, leading to hilarious situations. The mystery-cum-comedy works brilliantly!

Excellent comedy, highly recommended.

Not bad crime comedy.......2006-10-16

This is light bouncy fare, but that doesn't mean it's no good. In fact, it's funny and even has some romance in it. Only reason there's three stars here is because it's so light and frothy. But the actors all do a fine job and this being Eugene Levy's directorial debut (1992), give the man some credit. (He also shows up in the film as a sneering casino cashier).

On hand for the highjinks (or is that hijinks? I never did know) are John Candy, Jim Belushi, Cybill Sheperd, Sean Young, Richard Lewis (with his trademark shrugging brand of hilarious comedy), Giancarlo Giannini, and George Hamilton as, of course, the "tan guy". Some bits are definitely funnier than others, but overall this is a nifty romp with some real giggles and a couple of guffaws. In Rome, a dead body is discovered in a garage by an unemployed actor (Lewis) and a not-too-well-off tourist (Young) and soon the local polizia link the murder as well to Belushi and Sheperd, as well as Candy.

Pivotal in these shenanigans is Napoleon the dachshund. But hey, don't take my word for it. See it for yourself. The script is thankfully not stupid at all and everybody has fun with it.

Nicely done.

Once Upon A Crime there was a hilarious, laugh-a-minute mystery..........2005-08-28

The film Once Upon a Crime is a classic comedy/crime film with its brilliant cast, fantastic script and plot. The performances are just so hilarious and the intertwining storylines of characters is so cleverly done, you'll laugh all the way to the twisted ending. It is a great "Who Done it?" that manages to hit all the right places and keep you guessing until the end. The features are a behind-the-scenes featurette and the film Trailer, and it is all very cool. If you haven't seen this film yet then don't waste any time and see for yourself just how good this is.

Enjoyable,.......2003-11-10

I've been eagerly awaiting word that this was to be released on DVD...what a cast! John Candy, Jimmy Belushi, Cybill Shepherd, Sean Young, Richard Lewis, George Hamilton (his best comedy role), the great Giancarlo Giannini, even a humorous turn by the director, Eugene Levy (Candy's buddy from SCTV) as a casino cage manager! This one harkens back to the screwball comedies of the forties, and is a real joy. It's a comedic crime caper that unfolds in romantic Rome and exciting Monte Carlo, with loveable characters scrambling to avoid suspicion and arrest by the suitably weighted (yet hilarious) Giannini as "Inspector Bonnard"...and who'd have thought Richard Lewis would hold his own as Sean Young's love interest? As a feuding American couple, Shepherd & Belushi are priceless, as they rediscover their love, by discovering they have larceny in their hearts; and in the end, we finally learn who the real culprits are in one of those "gather all the suspects together in one room and reveal the murderer" scenes (always fun!)...can't tell from the info, but the DVD's "extras" will be probably be few, the picture and sound will be good to very good (MGM puts out good transfers, normally), but unfortunately, it looks like this small gem is not going to get the widescreen treatment it deserves...why a studio EVER releases anything in Pan & Scan is beyond me. But hey, at least it's available, and that's great news for those of us who love this film...and those of you who will now have the joy of discovering it!

Average customer rating:

Billy Petersen Fan
WOW!
Better than I expected.
OK... etc
Kiss the sky is an interesting movie

Kiss the Sky
Starring: William Petersen , Gary Cole , Sheryl Lee , Patricia Charbonneau , and Season Hubley
Director: Roger Young
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 0792845439
Release Date: 2000-06-06

Amazon.com

In a classic instance of a film's reach exceeding its grasp, Kiss the Sky has the outline of greatness about it. The final result, though, is something less: a deeply flawed but genuinely interesting work. Nothing wrong with that.

More ambitious and less clichéd than American Beauty, Kiss the Sky stars William L. Petersen and Gary Cole as long-time friends evaluating how they arrived in middle age feeling dispirited and empty. Desperate to reconnect with their lost vitality, they pursue the obvious by zipping off to a tropical island to chase the local girls. Instead, they both end up falling for the same woman (Sheryl Lee), who in turn loves both of them. Opting for the unorthodox, the trio becomes a threesome with little internal jealousy, deep feelings shared all around, and an unspoken conviction that they have stumbled together into a sacred chapter in their lives.

If that scenario sounds merely provocative or mundane, the faith that screenwriter Eric Lerner demonstrates in his characters' quasi-religious certainty inspires a different reading. Not that Lerner and veteran television director Roger Young don't blow it on a few counts: the superfluous presence of Terence Stamp as a Zen monk, and a dead-end subplot about building a sanctuary for other soul pilgrims. But there's enough moral authenticity and adult experience between the lines to make this a compelling experience. --Tom Keogh

Description

When a pair of life-long friends see their fast-lane lives heading nowhere, they take a detour... into an erotically charged, psychologically perilous adventure of the heart. After years of upward mobility, best friends Jeff (William Petersen) and Marty (Gary Cole) have achieved the American dream and ended up disillusioned and restless. They concoct an overseas business trip meant to exorcisetheir demons, but it soon escalates into a full-fledged escapeto a spectacularly remote tropicalisland where they both fall in love with the same free-spirited beauty (Sheryl Lee). Throwing caution to the wind, they make the fateful decision to shed their families back home and set out to create a sexual and spiritual utopia, observed and counseled by a wry Buddhist monk (Terence Stamp). But there's trouble in this sensual paradise... and it will ultimately test the bonds of friendship and the limits of love for each of them.

Customer Reviews:

Billy Petersen Fan.......2007-05-13

I really enjoyed this movie because I am a huge Billy Petersen fan. I have watched it several times and my only critisism is that I find myself screaming at the screen, "Get over yourselves".

WOW!.......2007-01-14

Surprisingly this movie was a delight to watch - having been a fan for many years of Billy Petersen, but only seeing him primarily as Gil Grissom - this movie was a breath of fresh air.

it had it's moments where I noticed my mind wandering, but overall it was well written and I enjoyed seeing him in such a role..

The ending was also quite a surprise to me as well - if you are fan of Billy Petersen this is a movie no collection should be without...

Better than I expected........2006-01-01

I liked this movie better as it went along. I, too, am not very happy with the way my life has gone. I guess that if you are self-satisfied, then you probably won't like this movie. But being who I am and where I have been in my life, it touched me deeply, particularly with its mournful Leonard Cohen songs in the background and its sad twist at the end. I strongly disagree with the reviewer who thought the presence of Terence Stamp's Buddhist monk and the story line of the building of the tower were extraneous. I see this story as the two main characters' search for an earthly nirvana, and the tower is a literal construction evoking the movie's title. I bought this movie because I am a big fan of Billy Petersen, and he gives really fine performance here, worth an extra star. (But I'm so glad that he's keeping his clothes on in his current role as CBS's top CSI, Gil Grissom.)

OK... etc.......2005-10-21

Not terrible, not great. not memorable. who was in it? I forgot. 2 guys and a girl. the 2 men go on vacation - or is it business? w/out their wives (big mistake) to a lovely tropical island place.

money seems to be no object. should have brought the wives. oh well. they go on to have an adventure, meet a girl. at first she is the second choice, the ugly duckling, next to the tall "beautiful" girlfriend. but as soon as they decide they like her - poof - she becomes quite pretty.(amazing.)

the three-some is awkward, at best. the lighting and music painfully trying too hard to be seductive and sexy and it flops.

the boys decided to run away from it all and build a resort. (again, money is no object.) it turns out to be very painful and flops worse than the sex scene. but, the real problem is that we didn't CARE that it flopped. in a movie - one that is GOOD - you get to where you CARE about the characters. you want them to win, to succeed, to get the girl etc. but not here.
we just didn't CARE. my man, Norman, bought this for the sex.. ha ha - poor man - didn't find much. wasted his money. next time - I get to pick the flick!

Kiss the sky is an interesting movie.......2003-12-21

Ok, I admit it. Put Billy Petersen in a movie and I am hooked. The movie is interesting. Jeff (William Petersen) and Marty (Gary Cole) decide they need a change from the pressures of their everyday life. The two best buddies head off on a working vacation and wind up in an opium den where they hear a man talking of an island where you can kiss the sky. Longing for the days when they were young and free, the two head out to this paradise and wind up falling in love with the same woman. She goes from Jeff to Marty and then spends a night with both of them, which makes for the interesting part of the movie. Between romps in the sack, Marty and Jeff decide to build a haven for others like themselves that need a place to go, a place to be free. Fighting the language barrier, slow arrival of materials, and the coming monsoon season, Jeff and Marty take their friendship to the edge. The ending was a surprise but appropriate.
This movie made me long for my wild and free days and envy Marty and Jeff (and espically Sheryl Lee).

Average customer rating:

"Observed in Embrace With Female-Not His Mother!"
pass this one up
Bob Hope at his best!
Funny movie,awful print
A young viewer

The Great Lover
Starring: Bob Hope , Rhonda Fleming , Roland Young , Roland Culver , and Richard Lyon
Director: Alexander Hall
Manufacturer: Bci / Eclipse
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00004YS6Y
Release Date: 2000-11-21

Customer Reviews:

"Observed in Embrace With Female-Not His Mother!".......2005-10-10

This very funny film is great entertainment for the entire family, as Bob Hope tries to romance Rhonda Fleming on board a cruise while not getting caught by the very clean and upright boy scout type troop of young men he's leading called the Foresters. Having a suave killer on board who thinks Bob is the perfect patsy for a con doesn't help his chances much and before this one is over Bob will be, quite literally, in the doghouse!

Alexander Hall directed the shenanigans from a screenplay by Edmund Beloin, Melville Shavelson and Jack Rose. Beloin doubled as producer for this fun romp that has a nice score from Joseph J. Lilley and a couple of good songs by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans. Roland Yong plays the con man and killer with a real flair and Rhonda Fleming is a nice partner for Hope this time out.

Freddy Hunter (Hope) is leading a troop of Foresters on the boat back from Paris. He works for a newspaper in North Zainesville, Ohio, where the Foresters, one of whom's dad owns the paper, have won a contest with the prize being a trip to Paris. Freddy thought it would be a blast in Paris because he has a little black book he won in a raffle, but the constant eagle eye of the Forester's young leader, Stanley (Richard Lyon), has prevented him from enjoying a number of vices on the trip. By the time they're ready to board the ship for home, Freddy is ready to ditch them.

That is, until the Dutchess Alexandria (Rhonda Fleming) comes on board, prompting Freddy to throw his little black book overboard at the sight of her. She is traveling with her father, Grand Duke Maximillian (Roland Culver), and the two plan to parlay a valuable necklace into a more substantial fortune they can take back to their country, as theirs is gone. C. J. Dabney (Roland Young) spots them as a rich mark, ripe for the picking, and pegs Freddy as his new partner. Dabney never lets any of his partners in on what's going on, however, and they seem to all get strangled shortly after he's done with them!

Jim Backus is Higgins, the cop who's been on Dabney's trail for some time, but knows the only way to get the goods on the slippery and dangerous con is to catch him in the act. Freddy, who has been pretending to be rich at his new pal Dabney's suggestion, ends up fleecing the Grand Duke while he's romancing his daughter Alex. Once he realizes what's going on, and comes into contact with Higgins, he know's he's safe, at least as long as there is one person who knows he's innocent. But what will Freddy do when Higgins turns up strangled too?!

This is just a lot of fun for the entire family. Watching Hope attempt to thread a needle while a very amorous Fleming is all over him is a lot of laughs. Fleming had a nice voice and gets to sing a gypsy song to Hope that has him sweating bullets. He does, after all, have in his charge those Foresters, who would not approve of his tardiness for taps. Only little Tommy (Gary Gray) has any sympathy for Freddy and his vices. He is the only Forester who believes it wasn't Freddy who killed Higgins and brings him some food while he's hiding in a doghouse!

One of the funniest moments in the film comes when Stanley reads a list of charges directed at Freddy, whose behavior has not conformed to the code of the Foresters. Another sparkling moment stems from an encounter on board between Bob and the greatest comedian radio ever had, Jack Benny. Bob needs change for a 100 dollar bill, and if you know anything about Benny, you can guess the rest! It is a brief cameo but squeezes in a hilarious toupee joke and a funny swipe at Benny's thrifty ways.

There is a very funny ending that works out great for everyone, making this one of Bob's most enjoyable films. The same writers responsible for "Road to Rio," "My Favorite Brunette," and "The Prince and the Pirate" gave Hope another good story he made the most of. Don't miss Bob and his fun excursion with the Whippoorwill Patrol!

pass this one up.......2004-10-17

The Brentwood version is of very poor quality. I love Bob Hope movies, but I'm sorry I spent the money on this one!

Bob Hope at his best!.......2003-10-07

Mr. Hope stars as Freddie Hunter, a reporter who is chaperoning a troop of scouts aboard a ocean liner. The scouts see it as their duty to save Freddie from himself by making sure he doesn't smoke, drink or enjoy the hug of a woman "other than his Mom". The fact that the head boy of the troop is the son of Freddie's boss doesn't help Freddie when he decides to flirt with the Duchess Alexandria. But women are the least of Freddie's troubles. There is a killer on board. This killer decides to frame Freddie for his murderous deeds. Fortunately, there is a detective on board, hot on the trail of the true murderer, but wait, Freddie discovers the body of the murdered detective. How will Freddie prove his innocence? This is an entertaining film for the whole family. It also stars Rhonda Fleming, George Reeves, Jim Backus and Roland Young. So grab the popcorn, dim the lights and enjoy this wonderful movie!.

Funny movie,awful print.......2002-01-21

The dvd of this is a real let-down.The picture quality is really washed out.If you can put up with this,Hope is on good form,the story is above average and Jack Benny's brief appearance is a hoot.Shame about the transfer,though...

A young viewer.......2001-01-19

Bob Hope is wonderful in this delightful movie. I recomend it to everyone!

Average customer rating:

Beautiful scenery!
Nice one but not about Panda
Beautiful looking, but somewhat slow-moving

China - The Panda Adventure (IMAX)
Starring: Maria Bello , Yu Xia , Xander Berkeley , Paul Pape , and Bill Hayes
Director: Robert M. Young
Manufacturer: Imax
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

IMAX | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

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

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

The Amazing Panda Adventure
Nature: Pandas
Panda Totally Panda
Mountain Gorilla (IMAX)
IMAX Presents: Australia - Land Beyond Time

ASIN: B0006HBV46
Release Date: 2005-02-01

Description

Experience the world of the magnificent and rare Giant Panda as you travel back in time on an exciting expedition through the breathtaking splendor of 1936 China. Inspired by the true-life story of widowed New York socialite Ruth Harkness, a fiercely independent woman who dared to take up her late husband's expedition, journeying deep into the forests of China to study the Giant Panda.

DVD Features:
Featurette:Behind-the-scenes
Interactive Menus
Other:Soundtrack re-mastered in Dolby Digital 5.1

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful scenery!.......2005-06-03

China: The Panda Adventure is an IMAX film that tells a story..

So..in a sense the Pandas are a part of this story but not in the sense of a documentary. The story is set in 1936 and is based on a true story involving Ruth Harkness who has arrived in China to take care of the business affairs of her late husband. Her husband, it seems was a great admirer of the Giant Panda and in his journal he writes a beautiful story about his experiences with them..This leads Ru