Merchant of Death

Starring:Michael Pare
Studio: Sterling Ent
Product Type: DVD

Howards End - The Merchant Ivory Collection

Average customer rating:

Another stellar production from Merchant-Ivory
Love the actors in this movie!
5 Star Escapism
Possibly Merchant-Ivory's Finest Hours
Great film, splendid bonus features, poor DVD

Howards End - The Merchant Ivory Collection
Starring: Vanessa Redgrave , Helena Bonham Carter , Joseph Bennett (III) , Emma Thompson , and Prunella Scales
Director: James Ivory
Manufacturer: Merchant Ivory
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0006Z2NAY
Release Date: 2005-02-15

Amazon.com essential video

Howards End is E.M. Forster's beautifully subtle story of the crisscrossing paths of the privileged and those they disdain--and of a remarkable pair of women who can see beyond class distinctions. Dramatic and tragic, but also surprisingly funny, this James Ivory film focuses on a pair of unmarried sisters (Emma Thompson, who won an Oscar, and Helena Bonham Carter) who befriend a poor young clerk (Sam West) and, without meaning to, ruin his life. Meanwhile, Thompson also makes the acquaintance of a dying neighbor (Vanessa Redgrave), who leaves her a family home in her will--which her husband (Anthony Hopkins) destroys. But, ironically, he meets and falls in love with Thompson, even as their paths once more intersect with the increasingly miserable young clerk. Nuanced acting, gorgeous but muted cinematography, and a beautifully economical script by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, which also won an Oscar. --Marshall Fine

Description

Margaret and Helen Schlegel (Oscar® winner Emma Thompson and Helena Bonham Carter) are sisters from a well-educated European family: intelligent, free-spirited, cultured, and highly emancipated by the standards of the time. A series of events brings them into a relationship with the Wilcox family: healthy, conservative, conventional, and very English, headed by the prosperous Henry (Anthony Hopkins) and his priggish son, Charles (James Wilby). Both families also come into contact with Leonard Bast (Samuel West) and his wife, a couple near the lowest tier of the rigid class system. Leonard's desire for cultural and intellectual status attracts the attention of Helen, who must come to terms with her unexpected feelings toward him. At the same time, Margaret must reconcile her independent spirit with her desire for companionship and a comfortable place in Edwardian society; her moral strength is eventually able to resolve the tangle of opposites. First published in 1910, E.M. Forster's Howards End remains one of the most important English novels of the twentieth century, and Merchant Ivory Productions' tour-de-force adaptation was one of the most critically acclaimed films of the 1990s.

Customer Reviews:

Another stellar production from Merchant-Ivory.......2007-05-12

I love most of Merchant-Ivory's productions, and this is one of their best. The stellar cast itself would compel one to view this excellent production. Anthony Hopkins plays the patriarch of the Wilcox clan, whose wife, played impeccably by the ever graceful Vanessa Redgrave owns Howards' End, the ethereal family homestead. Emma Thompson and Helena Bonham Carter play the Shlegel sisters who are quite down to earth. Bonham Carter does an excellent job of portraying the wilful younger sister whose love for a working class man ultimately leads all three families to examine their values & principles, and most importantly, to look deep within their souls. A great movie about the class conflict in England as well as the passions that drive three different families.

Love the actors in this movie!.......2007-03-25

THis movie is great except for the ending. I am a hopeless romantic and always wish for a better ending.

5 Star Escapism.......2007-03-08

My wife and I both enjoyed this superbly acted, beautifully filmed period drama. As longtime PBS-TV Masterpiece Theatre fans, we were pre-disposed to enjoy this kind of production, but even so, this film adaptation of a classic E.M. Forster novel was particularly engrossing. Forster reflected his fatalistic take on a class-bound Edwardian society that was already crumbling as he wrote. To American eyes, the hopeless affair of Helen and Leonard and the marriage of social and financial convenience of Margaret and Henry seem both very outdated and very poignant. The romantic visions of Leonard, walking through fields of bluebells in his imagination while slaving away in a dingy London office, would seem laughable in an American setting but are perfectly suited to his time and place. This is essentially escapist fare, but for us is much preferable to the sex-and-violence saturated escapism of contemporary television and films. It's really a welcome escape from our culture's primary forms of escapism.

Possibly Merchant-Ivory's Finest Hours.......2007-02-24

A better cast could not have been assembled for this faithful adaptation of E. M. Forster's masterpiece, a stinging indictment of a society suffocated by its own class structure. What could have been a tedious social statement glistens with the beauty of Merchant-Ivory's production values and the actors' well-rounded characterizations. This film is so well executed that it sent me back to Forster's book, which is gem. Its motto remains timely, indeed necessary: "Only connect."

Great film, splendid bonus features, poor DVD.......2007-01-29

Other reviewers have already stated that this is a great film, so I have nothing to add here.
Most of the bonus features have been produced in 2005 and give valuable insight information. The double interview with Merchant and Ivory is sometimes funny to watch, both of them constantly interrupting each other - they were both very passionate about there work, even so many years later.
It says on the DVD cover that the film has been enhanced for widescreen TV sets. Well at least my copy of this 2 disc DVD is definitely NOT enhanced. And it is a sad thing to watch this beautiful film on a widescreen TV set, if it has just been mastered in 1:1,33. Why restore a film but not presenting it in the best possible way.
The film deserves 5 stars, but due to the poor DVD, I can not rate it higher than 3.

Average customer rating:

Thanks Again, Criterion!
A story about a mentally ill woman
She's Not As Sweet As Her Name Might Suggest
"I thought a big snail was sliding up my nightie."
pure pleasure

Sweetie - Criterion Collection
Starring: Geneviève Lemon , Karen Colston , Tom Lycos , Jon Darling , and Dorothy Barry
Director: Jane Campion
Manufacturer: Criterion
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000H5U5RQ
Release Date: 2006-10-24

Amazon.com

Chock full of director Jane Campion's trademark sensitivity, her debut, Sweetie, is slyly emotional without sentimentality. In this family drama, Kay (Karen Colston) stars as a prudish, confused loner, who chooses her mate, Louis (Tom Lycos), based on the shape of the mole on his face. As a couple, they lack passion, due to Kay's fear of the erotic. Once her mentally ill sister, Dawn, a.k.a. Sweetie (Genevieve Lemon) comes to visit, the viewer understands that Kay's temperance has evolved out of her wish to tame her wild sister. As Kay's parents weather turbulence, and after Sweetie suffers a tragic fate, Kay's happiness becomes less and less tangible, until she realizes the basic human need for love. Campion embellishes this story of disconnection with camera shots that feel lonesome; a scene in which Kay and Louis swim is shot from across the body of water, at the water's eye level. An old-fashioned setting, at least in Kay's home, mocks the idea of a functional nuclear family. On every level, Sweetie is crafted by its tone, one of melancholy infused with hope, making it not only Campion's best film, but also a clear selection for the Criterion Collection. --Trinie Dalton

Description

Though she followed it with a string of brilliant films, Jane Campion will always be remembered for the shock and delight of her stunning debut feature, Sweetie. Campion focuses her askew, discerning lens on the hazardous relationship between the buttoned-down, superstitious Kay and her rampaging, devil-may-care sister, "Sweetie," and by extension, their entire family's profoundly rotten roots. A feast of distinctly framed photography and captivating, idiosyncratic characters, Sweetie heralded the emergence of this enormously gifted director as well as the breakthrough of Australian cinema, which would take international film by storm in the Nineties.

Customer Reviews:

Thanks Again, Criterion!.......2007-05-09

Once again, the Criterion Collection's given us a marvelous DVD transfer of a wonderful film that had rather fallen through the cracks -- in this case, Jane Campion's haunting feature debut, SWEETIE. Odd and intensely personal, the picture's full of striking images (particularly brilliant use of color in the set design), camera angles that are unusual without feeling forced, subversive comic writing, a wonderful soundtrack and, not least, fearless performances from a talented cast. This is the kind of movie that has such strong interior logic, the audience willingly follows where it leads, no matter how bizarre or unexpected the destination proves to be. I'd vividly remembered many scenes of SWEETIE since seeing it theatrically in its original release; experiencing Campion's vision again today is just as strong. The usual superior Criterion touches -- fascinating commentary and student works from this director, insightful essay in the accompanying booklet. If the only Campion films you know are THE PIANO or PORTRAIT OF A LADY, you may find many surprises here. Very worthwhile.

A story about a mentally ill woman.......2006-10-30

This review is for the Criterion Collection DVD edition of the film.

Sweetie, written and directed by award winning filmmaker, Jane Campion best known for the film "The Piano" is the story about a young couple in a distant relationship. One day the womans mentally ill sister Dawn "Sweetie" breaks into their house and lives with them. She is not on her medication and creates havoc. When her father visits after his wife leaves him, he tries to calm her but is unsuccessful.

It is never mentioned what kind of illness Dawn has. I thought the film was too graphic and recommend eaisliy offended people not watch it.

The DVD has some great special features. There is a theatrical trailer, behind the scenes photos, audio commentary by director Jane Campion and director of photography, Sally Bongers and screenwriter Gerard Lee. There are interviews with lead actresses, Genevieve Lemon and Karen Colston. There is a 1989 conversation between Campion and film critic Peter Thompson made after the success of her short films.

Finally, there are 3 of her short films made as a student. The first film, An Exercise in Discipline: Peel, is about a man and his son and sister out for a drive. The son has trown orange peels out the window and his father stops the car and demands he pick them up. The second film, Passionless Moments; is a series of short scenes about various situations. The third film, A Girl's Own Story, is about schoolgirls who do various activities.

This film is ok but is not appropriate for children.

She's Not As Sweet As Her Name Might Suggest.......2006-09-30

"Sweetie" is here! A Criterion treatment! The first time I saw "Sweetie" was purely by accident. It was before Jane Campion went on to make better known, bigger budget films--this film was her feature debut in Australia. And while I respect many of her works including "The Piano" and "An Angel At My Table", I don't have the passion for them that I do for this oddball of a movie. Part of the joy of seeing "Sweetie" for the first time was having no expectations. The film surprised me in every regard--it's wickedly funny, yet horrifying and moving at the same time. A few years ago, I found it again and I made my friends watch it, too. I was concerned it might not hold up to memory, but that feeling was short-lived as soon as the wondrous Genevieve Lemon came onscreen as Sweetie.

"Sweetie" is a film that really explores the notion of family. As the titular character, Sweetie is a powerful presence whose very existence has crippled her family and, in many ways, held them hostage. Primarily, we see things through Sweetie's sister Kay and I love that the film introduces us to the peculiarities of Kay without explanation. Then when Sweetie arrives on the scene, things start to become very clear as the family dynamic takes the foreground.

I consider "Sweetie" a comedy, but I'm not sure everyone would agree. But then, I have a bit of a sick sense of humor. Certainly there are many laughs to be had in the film--if only uncomfortable ones. But, make no mistake, there is also genuine and vivid emotional turmoil. The films success is that it balances these elements so well--and, in fact, that brings a bold realism and resonance to the proceedings.

The film is shot beautifully, and always slightly askew (which is perfect for the subject matter). The performances are vivid. Karen Colston is great as Kay, and you won't soon forget Lemon as Sweetie. And as odd as the film is, it will stay with you. And you just might recognize elements of your own family dynamic within the excesses presented! KGHarris, 9/06.

"I thought a big snail was sliding up my nightie.".......2003-08-24

After watching director Jane Campion's film "Sweetie" for the third time, I am more impressed than ever. "The Piano" is Campion's more mainstream film, and some viewers may be disappointed in "Sweetie."

It's the tale of a dysfunctional Aussie family--Mum & Dad (Gordon and Flo) and their two daughters--Kay (Karen Colston) and Dawn (Genevieve Lemon). Kay, a nurse, is a very odd, quiet and withdrawn character. She's terrified of trees and despised by her workmates. Kay and boyfriend, Louis, have serious problems, and Louis is mystified by Kay's sudden recent withdrawal. But when Sweetie arrives on the scene, the root cause of Kay's problem is suddenly clearer. Kay's sister Dawn--also known as "Sweetie" is a perfect horror. Sweetie arrives announced at Kay's house one day, breaks in, and makes herself quite at home. "You stopped taking your medication, didn't you?" asks Kay in frustration, and apparently, Sweetie is unleashed on an unsuspecting world. Sweetie brings along her boyfriend/producer, Bob. Bob is apparently the only person left in the world who believes that Sweetie has talent. But he's under the influence of illegal substances, so he's hardly a reliable source. Sweetie is idolized by her dotty father, and she trades on a childhood skill of stepping off of a chair and tap-dancing. This is supposed to be the great talent that is going to get Sweetie a recording contract.

Sweetie's behaviour may have drawn adoring crowds of relatives in her childhood, but now she's delusional, and destructive. Meanwhile, Sweetie's mother, Flo, unable to take the stress of living under Sweetie's despotic rule, takes a job in the outback as a cook for a ranch full of Jackaroos.

Every family has a "Sweetie." In this film, Sweetie is encouraged in her deviant behaviour by her father--note the bathtub scene. The film reminds me of a sentence from Tolstoy's "Anna Karenina" -- "Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." Sweetie's arrival has serious consequences for everyone, and her presence is sobering. A lifetime of doting parenting catches up with the characters in a catastrophic way. Louis has to take a long hard look at his relationship with Kay, and tells her "illusions don't go away--they become more subtle."

Many of the scenes take on a surreal quality and echo the bizarre nature of life with Sweetie. I've seen this film called a comedy, and it's true that it definitely does have a strong element of black comedy to it. Humour must be a pervasive element in Australian culture, but the story really is too serious to be classified as a comedy. Genevieve Lemon as Sweetie really steals the film with an incredible performance--displacedhuman

pure pleasure.......2002-06-13

I've seen three Campion movies. It took a long time for me to forgive 'The Piano''s humorless, heavy hands and move on to 'Holy Smoke!'. But HS revealed a comic sensibility that 'The Piano' never suspected. 'Sweetie,' Campion's first feature, is by far my favorite yet.

'Sweetie' is an odd film. Mostly, it's an examination of what it means to be an individual--inside of and outside of the repetitive struggles of family dramas--and the perils and joys of exclusion and elitism. Campion uses her sharp wit to draw blood, and without the comforts of a privileged moral voice (e.g. the competent parent or maternal sufferer of most family dramas), the humor can seem a little mean-spirited at times. But 'Sweetie' tempers its alienated perspective with moments of grace that are as terrifying, joyful and sublime as the dry open spaces of its Australian landscape.

Description

A powerful story of love, loss and redemption. A successful filmmaker is abandoned by his wife and falls into depression and alcoholism. He tries to gain enlightenment by facing his past, his memories, his fears and his desire to face the truth about love.

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Merchant of Death
Starring: Anthony Fridjhon , Linda Hoffman , and Michael Paré
Director: Yossi Wein
Manufacturer: Allumination
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0002OXVAU
Release Date: 2004-06-15

A Matter of Life and Death (Stairway to Heaven) [Region 2 Import]

Average customer rating:

A Matter of Life and Death (Stairway to Heaven) [Region 2 Import]
Director: Michael Powell , and Emeric Pressburger
Manufacturer: Carlton
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Product Features:

Biographies
The Colour Merchant (A short film)

ASIN: B000JLCMRY

Average customer rating:

Perhaps The Most Risible Mess That One Will Have Viewed.
DEATH WAS HIS LIFE

The Death Merchant
Starring: Lawrence Tierney , Melody Munyon , Martina Castle , Ivan J. Rado , and Monika Schnarre
Director: James Winburn
Manufacturer: Peacock
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ASIN: B0000BVGQ0
Release Date: 2003-07-17

Customer Reviews:

Perhaps The Most Risible Mess That One Will Have Viewed........2006-06-10

A sensate audience will probably prefer a struggle with typhus than having to watch more than once this remarkably shoddy attempt at making a crime melodrama; a strong reaction to the film, it shall be admitted, yet from its beginning frames until its ending, there is no moment of able craftsmanship in it, but rather substandard performances from among members of its cast and crew. Ludicrous Lawrence Tierney is dusted off to play in the lead role as Ivan Yates, a powerful dealer in illicitly obtained nuclear arms who has sold an advanced missile guidance system microchip that he has managed to garner, only to have it stolen from him before he can make delivery to a "terrorist" buyer, the latter having already transferred funds to Ivan's Swiss bank account. Yates, made grumpy by this embarrassing incident, begins to murder United States Naval Intelligence agents, and others, for no especial reason discernible from within a essentially incoherent screenplay. To accomplish his felonious deeds, Yates relies in the main upon a duo of homicidal as well as pulchritudinous female assistants. An understandably bewildered young man, accompanied by an almost awake girl friend, and supposedly holding some sort of law enforcement position with the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, is assigned to solve the multi-jurisdictional killings instigated by Yates. That Department, the City's smallest, has no enforcement function or capability, this being typical of the grotesque inaccuracies that riddle a cartoonish production. The work is witlessly opened with is climactic storyline scene, after which comes what leads up to that point in the narrative, including the climactic scene repeated in toto. Direction is unskilled, editing is inefficient, camerawork is amatuerish, but it is the execrable sound quality that is the very worst element of the movie (guns that fire with mismatched sound, or no sound at all!; consistently sloppy synching; oft unintelligible dialogue; an intrusive and overloud score) including a great deal of mumbling and bumping about in the background by crew members. Special effects are comically inferior with atrocious use of squibs. A few capable players are here who ostensibly had no other casting choices available (it is, after all, a job) but there is nothing of merit for them within the script. There is, however, a modicum of pleasure gained by recognizing several veteran stuntmen who are on board during one sequence, seen tossing one of the principal characters into a trash dumpster, a location into which the print of this draff (overstretched after its initial few minutes) should also have been deposited.

DEATH WAS HIS LIFE.......2003-09-22

Maniacal Nuclear arms dealer IVAN YATES ( LAWRENCE TIERNEY), KNOWN IN THE INER CIRCLE as THE DEATH MERCHANT, has become the most dangerous man in the modren world. But when a missile guidence micro-chip, that could start world war III .is snatched frome his evil grasp, the crazed terriost becomes even more lethal.
In a desperate attempt to regain the chip, Yates and his sultry henchwoman launch a sadistic wave of chaos and murder aimed at a top govermment officials. Only one inexperienced young fedral agent, his beautiful girlfriend, and a crusty ex- govermment assassin can hope to fight the deadly madman and save the world frome certain nuclear devastation.

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'Til Death (Hasta Morir)
Starring: Demián Bichir , Juan Manuel Bernal , Verónica Merchant , Vanessa Bauche , and Dolores Beristáin
Director: Fernando Sariñana
Manufacturer: Vanguard Cinema
ProductGroup: DVD
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Average customer rating:

Hasta Morir - 'Til Death
Starring: Demián Bichir , Juan Manuel Bernal , Verónica Merchant , Vanessa Bauche , and Dolores Beristáin
Director: Fernando Sariñana
Manufacturer: Vanguard Cinema
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The Death Merchant: Christmas Greeting Card: Happy Holidays

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The Death Merchant: Christmas Greeting Card: Happy Holidays
Starring: Martina Castro
Manufacturer: AFA Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
ASIN: B000BUIPEW

Product Description

Back Cover: Christmas is for children. Fortunately, there's a child in all of us. Have a joyful Christmas

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