River of Death

Starring:Michael Dudikoff, Robert Vaughn, Donald Pleasence, Herbert Lom, L.Q. Jones, Sarah Maur Thorp, Cynthia Erland, Foziah Davidson, Victor Melleney, Rufus Swart, Gordon Mulholland, Alain Woolf, Lindsey Reardon, Ian Yule, Crispin De Nuys, Erica Rogers, Gail McQuillan, James White, Jockey Rigney, Isaac Mavimbella
Director: Steve Carver
Studio: Unicorn Video
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

Good but boring
very emotional, driven by great performances...
Drawn into the Mystic
Much Ado about nothing
Almost Great

Mystic River (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Sean Penn , Tim Robbins , Kevin Bacon , Laurence Fishburne , and Marcia Gay Harden
Director: Clint Eastwood
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0001ZX0OW
Release Date: 2004-06-08

Amazon.com

Superior acting, writing, and direction are on impressive display in the critically acclaimed Mystic River, Clint Eastwood's 24th directorial outing and one of the finest films of 2003. Sharply adapted by L.A. Confidential Oscar-winner Brian Helgeland from the novel by Dennis Lehane, this chilling mystery revolves around three boyhood friends in working-class Boston--played as adults by Tim Robbins, Sean Penn, and Kevin Bacon--drawn together by a crime from the past and a murder (of the Penn character's 19-year-old daughter) in the present. These dual tragedies arouse a vicious cycle of suspicion, guilt, and repressed anxieties, primed to explode with devastating and unpredictable results. Eastwood is perfectly in tune with this brooding material, giving his flawless cast (including Laura Linney, Marcia Gay Harden and Laurence Fishburne) ample opportunity to plumb the depths of a resonant human tragedy, leading to an ambiguous ending that qualifies Mystic River for contemporary classic status. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Drama. Mystic River tells the story of three men whose dark, interwoven history forces them to come to terms with a brutal murder on the mean streets of Boston.

Customer Reviews:

Good but boring.......2007-07-01

Clint Eastwood makes boring movies. I don't know what else to say. It may just be that the cinemotography itself is dark so you fall asleep. It was a good film, with the acting saving it and though I never read the book, I heard it was like the book. Sean Penn deserved the Oscar but why this film got a Best Picture Nom. is beyond me. Eastwood is the golden child of the Academy and it is starting to get me mad

very emotional, driven by great performances..........2007-06-09

Sean Penn, without a doubt, is the heart and soul of this movie... Mystic River is one of the very best of Clint Eastwood's pictures and it features highly charged emotions in a great screenplay that flows beautifully despite the length of the film... It all comes back to childhood this is something (I think) we should all know - and something the characters in this movie discover as they fumble around trying to right the wrongs of the world.. Tim robbins' character (i try to be careful not to give away plot elements) is torn inside from a childhood experience and sees the world as a place where vampires roam and suck the blood of the innocent - something he takes upon himself to venge against.. Sean Penn's character is intent on finding justice himself following the death of his daughter.. and kevin bacon (who is a cop) is obviously trying to make up for the wrongs of the world - all three try and fail - because at heart they are children (like we all are) born to suffer in an unjust world.. Mystic river will make you cry if you truly let it break through your personal barriers.. Though i am not normally a fan of such movies (i generally find them predictable) 'mystic river', despite its rehashed dramatic techniques, works out - highly recommended..

Drawn into the Mystic.......2007-04-06

Mystic River is a triumph for Clint Eastwood. Truly a moving film, Mystic River never lets your eyes wander from the screen as you're completely focused on this very disturbing story. A film capturing the adult lives of once childhood friends, played by Sean Penn, Tim Robbins and Kevin Bacon, you watch as they come together once again after what appears to be many years of brief and intermittent run-ins with each other.

Sean Penn plays somewhat of a wise, yet immature loose cannon of a man, Kevin Bacon as a MPD (Massachusetts) detective and Tim Robbins as the man whose life was forever altered because of a shocking childhood trauma, these three play off of each other very well. I wanted to reach out to each of them. There are moments where some may see Kevin Bacon's character as a bit flushed out, but it appears that this is more effective than not. We jump from age 10 to probably late 30's, early 40's of these three men and we learn little about them that helps to explain so much.

After Penn's daughter is brutally murdered, Bacon and Laurence Fishburne (a fine choice to partner with Bacon) take on the case to find her killer. The three friends are all shaken up (obviously Penn is destroyed over hiss loss) and the mystery seems to unfold quite rapidly. This is definitely one of the most intriguing mystery films I've seen in a long time.

Fans of those earlier mentioned should really enjoy this film. There are also some excellent and shocking performances by Laura Linney and Marcia Gay Harden. I highly recommend this film. Its disturbing and almost heart-wrenching (perhaps even angering) subject will attract any looking for a solid dramatic mystery with some very memorable characters. This is one to add to your collection.

Much Ado about nothing.......2007-04-01

I personally started liking Tim Robbins from Shawshank Redemption & Sean Penn from Dead Man Walking and I believe these were the movies these guys should have recieved oscar for their outstanding roles.
Keeping than in mind and seeing lot of recommendations I saw Mystic River which the review said was the best as far as Clint Eastwood was concerned
Again he had adapted another movie, Bridges of Madison County, which in my personal opinion was much better adaptation of a novel.
The story line eventhough is good about three friends meeting again by fate and all the script is not that strong. I actually fell asleep in between.
Off the cast my personal belief is Kevin Bacon was really good. Sure Tim
Robbins plays a character of sexually abused child with lot of conviction but even that was potrayed better in Shawshank Redemption where he is abused by a few inmates.
And the end is kind of loose.
Give it a miss

Almost Great.......2007-02-18

You have a cast that includes Kevin Bacon, Sean Penn, Laurence Fishburne, Tim Robbins, Laura Linney, and Marcia Gay Harden. This elite cast is directed by Clint Eastwood. The story is meaty and suspenseful. Can't miss, right?

It can and does miss, in my opinion. What makes it just miss is an acting fundamental that most did not pay attention to, and that is diction and enunciation. These actors use sotto voce too much, fake Boston accents with varying degrees of accuracy and precision, and generally speak as though they have a mouth full of marbles. I had to turn my TV volume to 48 to hear some of the dialogue. That dialogue is usually important in a movie or play, and in this film, it is critical. As any high school drama teacher will tell you...if the audience can't hear you, you are cheating them.

This is generally the only mar on an otherwise fine film. All of the actors turn in very good performances, particularly Tim Robbins, Sean Penn, and Marcia Gay Harden. Robbins plays David Boyle, a man who cannot escape the horror and trauma of his rape by pedophiles at a young age. He carries himself with sadness, and his internal rage and confusion show in his face and body. His wife Celeste is capably played by Marcia Gay Harden. Her fear grows as she comes to believe that her husband may have murdered a 19 year old girl. In a panic, she turns to the murdered girl's father (Jimmy) and tells him that she believes that her husband is the killer. In this scene of ultimate betrayal, Harden is at her best. We see it all...relief to have unburdened herself, but guilt and fear knowing that she has likely signed the death warrant of her own husband. Finally, there is Sean Penn's portrayal of Jimmy. Jimmy is an ex-con, who lost a wife as he was going to prison, and then loses the daughter of that wife. He is a man trying desperately to hold it together and operate within the legal rules of society. In the end, his desire for street thug retribution wins out, and his guilt is palpable. Penn turns in a great performance.

So, the movie basically goes from 5 stars to 3 stars because a director didn't insist on clear speech. But hey, if that doesn't bother you, you'll probably find this to be an outstanding, disturbing, impactful film.

Recommended.

Average customer rating:

I Love you to Death
Poorlydescribed
I love you to death.
Strange-But-True Dark Comedy
Super Groovy seller! Arrived quick enough.

I Love You to Death
Starring: John Billingsley (II) , Michael Chieffo , James Gammon , Heather Graham , and William Hurt
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00009QUH5
Release Date: 2003-07-29

Amazon.com

This spotty black comedy from Lawrence Kasdan (The Big Chill)--based on a true story--stars Kevin Kline as a womanizing pizzeria owner whose mousy wife (Tracey Ullman) tries multiple ways of murdering him with the aid of sundry friends and hired hands. The film never picks up the necessary momentum or develops the necessary tone to drive it, and one is left picking and choosing which of the performers is at least adequately entertaining. Kline is good but perhaps a bit too theatrical, and Joan Plowright is hilarious as his mother-in-law. The funniest joke in the whole thing belongs to William Hurt and Keanu Reeves as deeply-stoned, would-be-killers who emerge from a taxi and look as if they can't remember what planet they're on. --Tom Keogh

Description

Joey works with Rosalie in their pizza parlor. She is convinced that he works all of the time for them and her world dissolves when she finds that he has been fooling around for years. So she, her mother and her best friend decide to kill him. Hopelessly incompetent as killers, they hire incompetent professionals as they beat, poison, and shoot Joey who remains oblivious to their attempts. An ensemble cast starring Academy Award® winner Kevin Kline,Tracey Ullman, Academy Award® winner Joan Plowright, River Phoenix, Academy Award® winner William Hurt, and Keanu Reeves.

Customer Reviews:

I Love you to Death.......2007-02-07

The movie title says it all, Kevin Kline as the philandering husband, Tracey Ullman as the long suffering wife and Joan Plowright as the suspicious Mother in Law combine to make it one of those classic comedies that you can watch over and over. Definitely a keeper.

Poorlydescribed.......2006-07-05

I have seen the movie before and loved it. When purchesed on line I was not told that it would only play on a region 2 DVD player and was consequently useless for me. Return was so complicated that it was not worth the trouble. Will see to it that anything I can purchase elsewhere will not be purchased on Amazon.

Rick

I love you to death........2006-06-16

Saw the last 40 minutes of this movie and i loved it.Rated R for some sexual content,brief nudity,and some strong violence.

Strange-But-True Dark Comedy.......2006-05-02

A surprise hit....at least with me. I found this dark comedy hilarious in spots and so-so in others, but overall a funny movie. With comedy that's what happens anyway: some jokes connect; others don't. Most are pretty good in here but beware: some of the jokes are in poor taste, but that's a dark comedy for you. Also, some Catholics might be offended because the film takes some shots at them, or at least people who go overboard in rationalizing their sins, as Kevin Kline does in here.

There is an odd assortment of actors in here and they all contribute to the fun: Kline, Tracey Ullman, William Hurt, River Phoenix, Keannu Reeves, Joan Plowright and James Gammon.

Supposedly, this film was based on a real-life happening, which makes it all the more interesting and lending credence to the saying that "truth is stranger than fiction."

Plowright almost steals the show from Kline and Ullman, the husband-and-wife team who have problems because of Kline's persistent cheating on her. Plowright in Ullman's mother and has some of the best lines in the film as mother and daughter plot how to kill the immoral Kline.

Phoenis plays a young New Age devotee and Hurt and Reeves are funny as two totally stoned-out hit men. Hurt is particularly good.
This movie is so-so to start until Ullman finds her husband cheating. Then, after a heart-wrenching minute or so, she and her mother plot to kill the unfaithful spouse. The comedy then goes full out as they hire these really goofy hit men and things don't go smoothly. The ending is quite different and quite touching with a very good message....which is all I will say in case you haven't seen this.

Super Groovy seller! Arrived quick enough........2006-02-17

Seller delivered as promised and as described in a timely manner -Thanks so much! A++++

Average customer rating:

Good but boring
very emotional, driven by great performances...
Drawn into the Mystic
Much Ado about nothing
Almost Great

Mystic River (Full Screen Edition)
Starring: Sean Penn , Tim Robbins , Kevin Bacon , Laurence Fishburne , and Marcia Gay Harden
Director: Clint Eastwood
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
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ASIN: B0001ZX0OM
Release Date: 2004-06-08

Amazon.com

Description

Drama. Mystic River tells the story of three men whose dark, interwoven history forces them to come to terms with a brutal murder on the mean streets of Boston.

Customer Reviews:

Good but boring.......2007-07-01

very emotional, driven by great performances..........2007-06-09

Drawn into the Mystic.......2007-04-06

Much Ado about nothing.......2007-04-01

Almost Great.......2007-02-18

Mystic River (Three-Disc Collector's Edition)

Average customer rating:

Good but boring
very emotional, driven by great performances...
Drawn into the Mystic
Much Ado about nothing
Almost Great

Mystic River (Three-Disc Collector's Edition)
Starring: Sean Penn , Tim Robbins , Kevin Bacon , Laurence Fishburne , and Marcia Gay Harden
Director: Clint Eastwood
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0001ZX0PG
Release Date: 2004-06-08

Amazon.com

Description

Drama. Mystic River tells the story of three men whose dark, interwoven history forces them to come to terms with a brutal murder on the mean streets of Boston.

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary:Commentary by Tim Robbins and Kevin Bacon
Documentaries:"Beneath the Surface": Documentary including Clint Eastwood's elaboration on why he made the film, interviews with the cast, and journey back to the steets of Boston with author Dennis Lehane. "From Page to Screen", Bravo special.
Interviews:Selections from the Charlie Rose Show including segments with Clint Eastwood, Tim Robbins and Kevin Bacon.
Theatrical Trailer:Pre-sale date is 4/2/04

Customer Reviews:

Good but boring.......2007-07-01

very emotional, driven by great performances..........2007-06-09

Drawn into the Mystic.......2007-04-06

Much Ado about nothing.......2007-04-01

Almost Great.......2007-02-18

Average customer rating:

Atmospheric but tepid
Waterlogged
Powerful film that should be avoided by small minded idiots with ADD
A Promise Not Kept
Less Then the Sum of its Parts

The River King
Starring: Liam Cyr , Colin Rogers (III) , Edward Burns , John Kapelos , and Bruce Murphy (IV)
Director: Nick Willing
Manufacturer: First Look Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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A History of Violence (New Line Platinum Series)

ASIN: B000BPK2KC
Release Date: 2006-01-24

Product Description

Detective Abel Grey (Edward Burns) is called to investigate the death of a prep shcool student in the nearby river. Initially ruled as a suicide, Grey suspects that the death was a hazing incident gone toofar and solicits the help of a sypathetic and smitten teacher (Jennifer Ehle) to uncover the truth. Through a series of mysteriously placed clues, he is led on a path to not only uncover the answers to the student death, but also with how own personal demons stemming from the suicide of his older brother years earlier.

Customer Reviews:

Atmospheric but tepid.......2007-01-15

The River King is a passable evening's entertainment that merits a repeat viewing, provided your expectations are limited to one or more of the following: a "New England-y" movie with lots of New England-type (in reality, Halifax) snow scenes; remote, elite prep school movies and/or hazing films; murder mystery with vague sense of unease/discord.

Good acting will, however, be in short supply (that's right, I'm here speaking of...well, everyone except the British guy aka Julian Rhind-Hutt). Ditto on contiguous, well-integrated narrative lines and quality sound production (maybe it was the mics, but everyone sounds like they were recorded with a ten-dollar Radio Shack tape recorder).

I've not read The River King, but I have read two or three other Hoffman novels. She is not, for me, the best of contemporary writers, but she comes up with interesting stories with strong senses of place/setting (usually New England) and her polished style is rich in metaphor
and a northern (Anglo) version of magical-realism. Having read other of her works (and seen the very silly but fairly entertaining Practical Magic), I can say that her work appears difficult to translate to film. Here, for example, the tadpoles trope (which screams "Hoffman magical realism alert") was quite foolishly played with an emphasis on the realism rather than the magic.

Yet despite the expected pitfalls of Hoffman adaptation, the filmmakers could have done a better job with this project, perhaps by excising the face-in-the-photographs theme, which misleadingly promises a supernatural storyline. The only ghosts in this movie are psychological.

Ed Burns looks too much like Sean Hayes ("Will & Grace")for me to take him seriously as a self-contained, troubled cop. Plus, his reading of some of his lines causes me to seriously question how he ever made it big in movies. British actor Jamie King plays bad boyfriend Harry, and his lousy American accent mirrors his acting skills. Quebec-born Rachelle LeFevre is passable as the grieving best friend Carlin, and her lovely mane of red-gold curls distracts us enough that we don't really notice any faltering steps.

Half British-half American Jennifer Ehle pulls out the rusty American accent of her youth (it has been asserted she can slip in and out of equally perfect Yank and Brit accents at will), although Yank is in fact a misnomer; she "cayn't" help but speak in an odd corruption of her native North Carolinian twang.

The score is solid and offers and appropriate feeling of discord, with the best work--on what sounds like a mandolin or dulcimer--over the credits.

If you are interested primarily in "atmosphere" of the sort that suggests everyone is hiding a secret, and if you can tolerate uneven acting and a few poor accents, by all means, pick up the River King. Mostly, you will enjoy this provided your expectations are not high, especially due to the big-name actors.

I've watched it twice now and will likely pop it in again on a rainy Sunday when I am avoiding housework. Here's hoping you can find an equally good use for it.

Waterlogged.......2007-01-15

A murder mystery at an elite school, wrapped in the silent chill of a snowy winter. Why not? Well, "The River King" shows that a movie needs a coherent plot as well as a unique style, but it belly flops painfully with its uninspiring acting, meandering storyline, and an ending that completely bombs.

Student Gus Pierce (Thomas Gibson) is found frozen in the river. Cop Abel Grey (Edward Burns) investigates the elite prep school that Gus attended, trying to find out if it was an accident, suicide, or murder -- any of them is possible, since Gus was quite angry. Abel also finds time to romance a teacher at the school (Jennifer Ehle).

But the mystery of Gus's death is that no one seems to care -- his classmates despised him, and the police drop the case without warning, despite signs of foul play. But with his personal demons emerging, Abel continues investigating the case, suspecting it of being a hazing gone wrong -- and discovers that he may have been wrong all along.

But if you must adjust a book's plot for a movie, then at least it should make sense. And for seventy-five percent of "River King," the plot seems like a straightforward murder mystery, framed in beautiful New England houses, snow, icy rivers and sleeping trees. Okay, the actual investigations could be covered in fifteen minutes rather than an hour, but it's all right.

Then... it all comes apart. Burns and Ehle's relationship feels thrown in (does obsession let you have breaks for romance?). Director Nick Willing and writer David Kane try to make this a jack-of-all-trades film, with the token romance, ghost stories, murder mystery, and a creepy philosophical high school club. Most of these subplots are touched on just long enough to make them seem bizarre, but not enough to make them a part of the movie.

And the finale makes no sense -- after dozens of clues, sinister coverups, and glaringly obvious murder, Willing and Kane decide to throw a "shocking twist" into the finale. Except it's not a twist -- suddenly the whole lone-wolf murder mystery becomes a catalyst for Abel's family problems. It's a MASSIVE anticlimax that feels like a sandbag whack in the face. Viewers are left with nothing. At all.

Burns does what he can with his role, even though Abel is somnolent at best. The only scenes where he gets to show what he can do is when Abel is angry. And he has zero chemistry with Jennifer Ehle, who does a nice job despite a paper-thin character and bad wig. Rachelle Lefevre is the only actress who gets to play a character of any dimensions -- the slightly off galpal of Gus'.

"The River King" had so much promise, but it bogs down in its glacial plot and absurdist ending. Even Ehle and Burns can't save this soggy, cold little mess.

Powerful film that should be avoided by small minded idiots with ADD.......2007-01-05

Gorgeously brooding cinematography, brilliant and perfectly chosen cast and a deeply emotive score characterize this melancholy reflection on the death of a young man and the ripples it has on the lives of a cop, a teacher and a close friend. Easily one of the best films of 2005 that sadly fell under the radar. This is one of those rare gems that real film lovers will discover in the years to come and hold up as an example of what a great movie can really be.

Sadly now you're stuck with reviews on Amazon.com from 3 camps:

1) The book purists who decry any derivation from the original source material and refuse to look at the film apart from the novel (a complaint that's understood but unjustified and unfair when judging a film on its own merits);

2) Moronic, tasteless idiots (usually younger viewers but not necessarily) who lack a brain, a heart and any measure of patience for anything that doesn't involve slick antiheroes, fast-paced violence and debasing sex;

3) Fans of the material who like what they've seen but struggle to properly synopsize or understand it due to the film's subtleties and metaphoric nature. I'll put myself in this latter category as I think the film is best experienced than read about, but as there are so many dim-witted responses to this film, I might as well try my own dim-witted attempt to explain what is so incredible about this picture.

I won't go into the plot, save to say that it begins with the discovery of a body in a river and the investigation by an honest police officer (played by Burns) who starts to see evidence that more is involved than an accident.

The three leads are very real, tragic characters that belong to the town's icy wasteland which has become infused with the mysterious death that in each of their lives takes on almost mythological proportions.

Burns is absolutely perfect in the role of a cop whose grief for his long dead brother is triggered by the investigation and possible cover-up. Unspoken and stoic, the grief is all in his achingly haunted eyes; like the small town blanketed in winter the character is frozen by sorrow, unable to move forward in his life.

Burns is joined by the ever wonderful Jennifer Ehle (Pride & Prejudice), a teacher in the school where the boy attended, who in her own way becomes obsessed by the tragedy of the case. Unlike Burns, Ehle is frozen not by the past, but by the future -- engaged to a man that is utterly void and cold -- yet unable to see a way out for herself.

Lastly there is the dead boy's friend played by Rachelle Lefevre, a young woman traumatized by the possibility that her friend may have committed suicide due to a fight she had with him shortly prior to his death. Unable to cope with the part she may have played, she becomes a stark figure of grief stuck in the icy landscape of a terrible moment.

Part of what makes this film so powerful and refreshing is it's deft use of music, camera and subtle metaphoric elements to create a deeply moody palette that approaches myth, yet remains utterly real and hauntingly reflective without falling into the cliched supernatural thriller mold. Likewise, while utilizing some of the trappings of mystery and cop films, it never descends into the cliche of the violent police film, nor the mystery movie that presents twists just for the sake of fooling the audience.

This film works at a much higher level than all of that. Yet despite its metaphysical elements, it's never pretentious or ungrounded in real life, even if at times that reality is heightened. There is a rare emotive quality here that weaves a spell akin to what great literature is able to achieve, creating genuine mystery and keeping the reality of the plot from ever feeling altogether depressing (which some feel while reading a newspaper for example.) It's aptly named The River King as there are layers of depth that will have you returning to the film and even picking up the original novel by Alice Hoffman. Sadly, the only thing lacking is any kind of extras on the DVD (save the trailer which is terribly cut to make the film look like something else.) A future release with director's and actors' commentary, an interview with Alice Hoffman, deleted scenes and other added bonuses would be great! That said, the 16x9 transfer is incredibly life-like and detailed. The 5.1 sound makes good use of the surrounds where appropriate to create and sustain the film's stark atmosphere.

Without revealing anything, I think where some people find themselves disappointed in the film (apart from the simpleminded buffoons who demand Hollywood cliches and can't handle something different) is that the River King takes the viewer on a journey that shows us glimpses of an elusive heightened sense of reality, but brings us back to the surface of the real world. And it is a grievous world. And yet as in the image of spring and the flowing water, lives become unthawed, and the story is redeemed from being too unremittingly grim. Not every mystery is solved, and not everything is perfectly tied up. Nor should it be. That's not how life is. And the river keeps its own secrets.

If nothing else I've said makes any sense, trust me when I say this: If you appreciate a movie that actually makes you feel something, and doesn't have to provide pat answers and false thrills, pick up The River King.

A Promise Not Kept.......2006-08-25

This is a thoughtful, well-made film but its problem is that the ending leaves the viewer disappointed and let-down. It poses a number of interesting, possible answers to the death of a young man, yet the "truth" of that death leaves both the viewer and the hero of the story feeling that we have wasted our time in trying to make sense of it. This film has the saving grace of Jennifer Ehle, whose beauty and grace shine far beyond her role. There is something magical about this actress and the film is worth seeing if only to watch her. Another of her films, "Possession," is similarly lit by her performance.

Less Then the Sum of its Parts.......2006-08-18

This movie has a lot going for it: good actors (Jennifer Ehle is fantastic), good cinematography, and good music. So why was I dissatisfied when the movie ended. Let me count the ways while trying not to reveal the (surprise?) ending: plot lines never resolved, e.g. smudged photos; silly scenes such as the girlfriend shearing off her beautiful long hair and swimming down a river (usually she uses the much cleaner school pool) to no purpose except somehow to bond with her dead non-lover who drowned in that very same river; trite scene in which good cop (Edward Burns) turns in his badge and gun (don't all good movie cops do this sooner or later?); previously secret lovers openly smooching with muted reckless abandon at a very public school gathering; mood music growing toward a climax that seems only to be signaled by the credits.
After watching the movie I discovered that it was based a book by Alice Hoffman, author of the execrable "Here on Earth" (see my review "Morbid, Depressing & Pointless.") Since Ms. Hoffman doesn't burden herself with such niceties as character development and motivation, this movie is right in synch with her style. The secret to enjoying The River King is to allow yourself to drift along with the moods and enjoy the wintry cinematography without thinking or expecting too much.

Average customer rating:

wonderful movie
Pretty butchered

Cold River
Starring: Augusta Dabney , Robert Donley , Elizabeth Hubbard , Richard Jaeckel , and Robert Earl Jones
Director: Fred G. Sullivan
Manufacturer: Sterling Ent
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00068S3SC
Release Date: 2003-01-01

Customer Reviews:

wonderful movie.......2006-08-02

WE HAVE ENJOYED THE MOVIE VERY MUCH AND HAVE WATCHED IT OVER AND OVER AGAIN.THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALLOWING US TO ORDER FROM AMAZON. RONALD FRYE

Pretty butchered.......2005-02-02

I saw this movie about 15 years ago on TV and quite liked it. I'm sorry to say that most of the memorable scenes are cut from this DVD, so it's pretty watered down. And the cut's are made so obviously that even if you haven't seen it before they absolutely interrupt the flow of the movie.

Average customer rating:

The River Niger/Death of a Prophet
Starring: River Niger , and Death of a Prophet
Manufacturer: Platinum Disc
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

( R ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video
ASIN: B000644HPO
Release Date: 2005-06-17

Product Description

Includes 2 Feature Films on 1 DVD. Louis Gossett Jr. in "The River Niger"(1976), rated R and "Death of a Prophet"(1981) starring Morgan Freeman(as Malcolm X) and featuring Yolanda King, daughter of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. Rated PG-13 due to violence. DVD is digitally mastered, has interactive menus and a Scene Index.

Blood Tide/Deadly Drifter/The River Niger/Death of a Prophet/TNT Jackson/South Bronx Heroes

Average customer rating:

Blood Tide/Deadly Drifter/The River Niger/Death of a Prophet/TNT Jackson/South Bronx Heroes
Starring: Blood Tide , Deadly Drifter , River Niger , and De
Manufacturer: Platinum Disc
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

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

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Drama | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video
ASIN: B0007XG4G4
Release Date: 2005-04-05

Average customer rating:

Good Mainland pic

Yellow River Fighter
Starring: Cheng-Hui Yu , and Hu Jian Qiang
Director: Xinyan Zhang
Manufacturer: World Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Thrillers | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

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

( Y ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

4-for-3 Action & Adventure | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

4-for-3 Art House & International | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

Saulabi
The Victim
7 Grand Masters
The South Shaolin Master
The Martial Arts of Shaolin

ASIN: B00007184Q
Release Date: 2002-09-17

Customer Reviews:

Good Mainland pic.......2003-11-25

This film was made by several people envolved
with Jet Li's Shaolin Temple trilogy and it
will be fairly easy to pick out some faces (sorry,
don't have the names at my fingertips).
The story is about a swordsman who's village is
caught between warring feudal lords (I believe there
are three groups, all plotting to wipe each other
out). Our swordsman is more or less non-partisan until
his wife and daughter are killed. Ironically,
all the warlords want him to join their forces on

account of his indredible skills, but are willing to
resort to any means if he won't join them.
The tone od the story is somewhat downbeat, and there
are no surprises in terms of plot, but the action is
pletiful and we see some great drunken sword!
World Video's version of this is widescreen (1.8.5)
and offers english dub or cantonese (but no subs!!!!!).
This movie was filmed with a pretty serious budget and we
can tell on account of the large armies and elaborate
costums. The print is sharp and well preserved.
Worth checking out!

Conspiracy Files: Princess Diana - A Plot at the Palace
Average customer rating:

Not So Bad!

Don't waste your money

Conspiracy Files: Princess Diana - A Plot at the Palace
Starring: Princess Diana
Manufacturer: Columbia River Ent.
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video
( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
General | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

NBC News Presents: Diana Revealed, The Princess No One Knew

Princess Diana: The Uncrowned Queen

Diana - Story of A Princess (Episodes 1 - 4)

Diana - Her True Story

The Queen

ASIN: B000A2GEUS
Release Date: 2005-09-13

Customer Reviews:

Not So Bad!.......2006-08-09

Actually this DVD is quite interesting! The Picture and sound aren't so bad and while i'd heard alot of this before, there were some new ideas, and a summation of the old ones. This 2005 look into the conspiracy proves the controversy surrounding her tragic death continues unabated! Speculation about her death has recieved new impetus from a new coroner's investigation and the disclosure that Lady Diana suspected a plot before her death! The CD examines whether Diana was pushed towards a divorce by a conspiracy feuked by a jealous Buckingham Palace, & whether the royals played a hand. 5 stars for the info, 3 stars for the budget packaging.

Don't waste your money.......2006-04-25

I didn't hold much hope for this DVD when I ordered it but decided to try it out anyway, that was a mistake.
Amazon gives a 2005 release date, the packaging says 2004 but the program itself originally aired (somewhere) in 1996 so don't expect any murder stuff.
The video quality is terrible, maybe worse than if you had taped it yourself from TV at the worst possible recording speed with a worn out tape. I found that so distracting I had trouble paying attention.
You get several "talking heads" that you may recognize (most of the time they aren't identified)but there is no captioning or subtitling, hard of hearing?- you're in trouble. You won't learn anything beyond these people's opinions, no evidence presented to back anything up.
The video bits you see?, same old, old stuff- almost nothing you haven't seen a dozen times before at better quality in many other DVD's/tapes.
The main value here is in using the disc as a drink coaster and the DVD case for storing some better program. Definitely not worth the money, maybe not even if you can find it at some local garage sale for 50 cents.

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