Made Men

Starring:James Belushi, Michael Beach, Timothy Dalton, Steve Railsback, Carlton Wilborn, Vanessa Angel, Jamie Harris, David O'Donnell, Tim Kelleher, Skip Carlson, Susan Isaacs, Oscar Rowland, Chad Lillywhite, Cissy Wellman, Don Shanks, Conrad Goode, Milan Vasic (II)
Director: Louis Morneau
Studio: Sony Pictures
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

Based on actual, if enhanced, facts, this bouncy comedy stars David Schwimmer and Chris Cooper as the Texas surgeons who pumped up women's profiles by inventing silicone breast implants in 1962. Dispensing scathing social commentary, this follows the mismatched and rather unsympathetic pair over three decades. Cooper, an often underrated actor, breaks away from his usual typecasting as a laconic cowboy. He plays an angry, Machiavellian doctor who sees potential and enormous financial reward in Schwimmer's gelatinous inventions. Schwimmer displays more range than we've previously seen, and there are some interesting supporting faces amid all that jiggly silicone. It is not the vulgar farce you might expect from the title, but a stylish blend of comedy and drama. --Rochelle O'Gorman

Customer Reviews:

Not a very good film, i like the history but a bit boring, however i am a fan of Schwimmer.......2007-05-08

Is nice but at times a bit boring. The history in the film is good but a bit slow at times.

Based on a true story, slightly augmented.......2006-07-05

HBO has a great knack at taking bits of history which we never think much about, and turning them into incredibly entertaining movies. Example: This breezy, very clever satire about the rise and fall of the two inventors of the silcone breast implant.

David Schwimmer and Chris Cooper star as the two doctors who come up with the idea of the implant, and both play there parts very well. Say what you want about Schwimmer, (I never liked him in other roles), but he fairs pretty well here, as he almost constantly shifts from burnt-out loser to a man with new-found riches.

A slightly augmented history of silicone breast implants.......2005-03-29

"Brest Men" is not exactly a black comedy, but it has some moments that are definitely in that direction. This 1997 HBO film tells the story, "slightly augmented," of the invention, development, and commercial exploitation of silicone breast implants. The punny phrase "slightly augmented" means "fictionalized in this case. Silicone gel breast implants were invented by the plastic surgeons Thomas Cronin and Frank Gerow at the University of Texas in the early 1960s. They were then developed as a commercial product by Dow Corning in 1962. This film tells the story of the rise and fall of silicone gel breast implants in the persons of Dr. Christopher "Kevin" Saunders (David Schwimmer) and Dr. William Larson (Chris Cooper), a pair of reconstructive surgeons in Texas.

The film begins with the first in a series of shots of women whose faces cannot be seen who bare their breasts and explain what they think about them. Both the breasts and the comments are across the spectrum, and constitute one of the more thought provocative parts of "Breast Men." They also pop up often enough throughout the film to ground it back in reality. That is because as Doctors Saunders and Larson create this new field of reconstructive surgery things get a bit strange, whether it is the bizarre condescension of their colleagues to their proposal or the rich life style they are able to afford because of the success of their practice. Although there is mention of reconstructive breast surgery for women who have undergone a mastectomy, that is quickly ignored for women who want larger breasts.

Saunders gets the idea for breast implants when he spies a neighbor using breast enhancement cream and he is apparently sincere in his desire to help women, at least until he gets to operate on the woman of his dream (Emily Proctor), who ends up becoming his wife. Larson is a senior surgeon who originally dismisses the idea but gets tired of being considered a joke by the other doctors at the hospital and gets in touch with a Dow Corning representative (Matt Frewer) who takes Saunders original design, with used a saline solution, and upgrades it to silicone. It takes a while for the two doctors to find a woman (Kathleen Wilhoite) willing to undergo the new procedure and then to get their practice up and running, at which point it becomes extremely lucrative. Along the way the two doctors enjoy the good life but come to a parting of the ways over who deserves the lion's share of the credit for this whole business.

Then the first stories start coming out about implants that are leaking and the first lawsuits get filed. The story tries to provide both sides of the controversy, but it is hard for the doctors spouting statistics over the phone to compete with a lawyer (Terry O'Quinn) in court pointing out that the same company that made the implants made Agent Orange and holding up examples of implants that have dissolved. Yes, you get to see dozens of pairs of breasts in this movie, but you are also going to be confronted with film of actual surgery and examples of implants that have gone horribly wrong. Believe me when I say it is going to be the latter examples that will stand out in your memory.

The punch line for the film is historically accurate because it did turn out that what was profitable to give was even more profitable to take away. It is not that the history of silicone gel breast implants is a joke, but there are certainly surreal elements to it. There will be parts of "Breast Men" that you will find funny and others that will make you uncomfortable, and in both cases those responses will be appropriate. Writer John Stockwell (who played Dennis Guilder in "Christine" and Cougar in "Top Gun") does a nice job of mixing together the diverse threads and if I were to point to the moment in the film where it really hits home it would be when Saunders's former wife comes to his office to pay him a visit. You get more than you bargained for when you watch this movie.

"Super Size Me".......2004-04-09

"Breast Men" is a HBO film focusing on the two doctors with the questionable honour of being the surgeons who pioneered silicone gel implant breast augmentation. Dr William Larson (Chris Cooper) is working at Texas Medical Centre where he oversees young intern Dr. Christopher (Kevin) Saunders (David Schwimmer). Larson is suffering from a lack of recognition in his disrespected field. When Saunders discusses his interest and innovative ideas in breast implants, Larson is at first appalled, but he eventually becomes interested. The two form a partnership under great adversity--the hospital they both work for is violently opposed to any connection with breast implants. Larson and Saunders become rejects and outcasts in the medical profession as they launch their new silicone gel implant augmentation technique.

Soon the two doctors have a lucrative practice. The patients and the money roll in. But it's clear it won't last, and the film covers both the rise and fall of the silicone gel breast implant era.

While the story is just a little too cut and dried at times, overall, the film is extremely interesting, and there's even a fair touch of humour. The doctors--Larson and Saunders are foils for one another. Larson is respectable and knows to concentrate the sales pitch on the lofty ideals--women elect to have this sort of surgery for their self-esteem, so it must inherently be a good thing, blah, blah. Saunders, however, is a man with vision. He's not shy about marketing his product at all. They need each other, but at the same time, their different approaches destroy the partnership. Both roles are well cast and well acted. I had a very good friend who decided to have silicone implants in the 80s--before all the health problems arose, and I thought she was bonkers to do it. She fell into the trap--as did many women--thinking that if she had to pay $X for surgery, she might just as well have larger ones. One of the most intriguing questions raised by the film is the question of medical ethics. If this elective surgery is performed solely to please, then what happens if you start trying to please the unpleasable? At what point do you cross the line because it's "what the woman wants"? And what about serial augmentation? The film explores the question of medical ethics through the character of Dr Saunders and his innovative mega-breast surgery--a novelty that swept strip bars, adult magazines and films. He was known as "the Penthouse plastic surgeon."

There are several scenes in a strip bar--along with the obligatory swinging around the pole. There are also many scenes of women showing their breasts in screen-test sorts of scenarios, so this is not one for the kiddies. For anyone even mildly interested in the breast implant industry, the film is worth watching. It's an interesting rise and fall film--replete with addiction, greed, jealously, vanity, and all those other essential human qualities-displacedhuman.

Mildly engaging and amusing, rather forgettable movie.......2003-11-15

This is the Hollywood take on the history of the boob job. There are obviously at least two films someone with this particular brief might set out to make. The one is quite interesting, a piece of social history in which all kinds of interesting themes could have been explored. The other is a brilliant excuse to put an abundance of t & a (well, t anyway) on the screen, perhaps under the cover of a more serious movie purporting to be a piece of social history, etc. The second of these movies is what Lawrence O'Neil has mostly made. There is indeed an abundance of t on the screen. And there is a piece of not very strong drama limping alongside it. For the first half, this is more or less comedy and the two doctors Saunders (Schwimmer) and Larson (Cooper) try to sell their ideas for breast implants to their suspicious, offended and perplexed colleagues and potential patients. This is sometimes mildly amusing may be the most effective aspect of the film. Then it turns a bit darker as Saunders and Larson hit the top and start to quarrel and quite a lot darker as things sink into death, divorce and the litigation and recrimination of those who claim to have been harmed by the implants. While as comedy it is intermittently mildly effective, as drama however it's pretty shallow and forgettable and as social comment trite. Running through the film is footage from a fictional documentary about breast implants in which a parade of women appear on camera, talk a little bit about their body image or whatever, all very serious. ... The whole film is really a bit like that.

Customer Reviews:

On A Gathering of Old Men.......2007-05-12

Ernest Gaines is a writer who just happens to tell a very good story. Subsequently, his output is interesting, educational, historic, and witty at the same time. If one wants a historic look at race relations during the period of "Modern Slavery", then this is the book to read. This book basically tells of one Black Tenant Farmer who has reached his breaking point and refuses to be beaten by the White property owner as a matter of course. It shows that Blacks can come together for a common cause and against a common enemy. It also tells of the interrelationship of Blacks and Whites with some Whites maintaining a superior position through intimidation and unpunished violence, while another side maintains that position through care and compassion, much as the "good" mistress took care of "her people" during the period of sanctioned slavery. This, as all of Gaines' works is very good reading.

Book vs. Movie.......2007-01-05

I really enjoyed the book but as usual the movie cannot capture the feelings and thoughts of the characters. Otherwise the movie was fair.

Black American History.......2005-07-16

I enjoyed the DVD tremendously. The younger generation of Black-Americans have forgotten their heritage. This DvD is a sad story of man's inhumanity to man. It also shows us the beginning of Black-Americans and some White Americans working towards justice.

A BEAUTIFUL MOVIE.......2003-05-08

This is a very poetic, thoughtful, human, often funny, and altogether well-done movie. I highly recommend it. There is hardly any violence in it, and still it is about violence and discrimination in Louisiana in the 70s. Also, it is a good adaptation of Gaines' novel, A GATHERING OF OLD MEN. I haven't the faintest idea why a person would compare this movie with Ed Wood stuff (see review below) - incredible.

There's nothing like the truth........2002-03-04

Anyone who doesn't appreciate the effectiveness of this movie has never lived in Louisiana. The complicated relationships between the races is perfectly depicted in the characters of Candy, Mathu, Sheriff Mapes, and the Boutans. The book upon which this movie is based is an outstanding work of reality disguised as fiction. The film version does a creditable job of transferring literature to the screen--that is, until the ending. The movie's conclusion is not as effective as that in the book (A GATHERING OF OLD MEN, by Ernest J. Gaines). All-in-all, however, this one is worth seeing!

Average customer rating:

10,000 Black Men Named George
An important story
Excellent film that should be watched!!!
Must see
Captivating!!!

10,000 Black Men Named George
Starring: Andre Braugher , Charles S. Dutton , Mario Van Peebles , Brock Peters , and Carla Brothers
Director: Robert Townsend
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Keep the Faith, Baby
Rising from the Rails: Pullman Porters and the Making of the Black Middle Class
RISING FROM THE RAILS: The Story of the Pullman Porter- DVD
Boycott
Deacons for Defense

ASIN: B00009AV7Q
Release Date: 2003-08-12

Customer Reviews:

10,000 Black Men Named George.......2007-03-11

A very moving, truthful account of the horrid treatment of black men, in an era of Prejudsice and discrimination. When the governemnt 'freed' blacks, it wasn't true freedom, and treatment of them was horrid, as many people did not progress in their own ways, holding on to the whole 'you are beneath me' attitude. This should be shown in schools nationwide!!

An important story.......2006-10-18

This film covers the 12-year period from 1925-37, and all of the struggles that the African-American porters who worked for the George Pullman Railroad Company went through on their way to becoming successfully unionised. It seems so unthinkable and morally reprehensible that not so long ago in history, these hard-working men were allowed to be treated this way, like being beaten up, all called "George" instead of by their real names, ordered around, given tips for doing things like shining passengers' shoes or even barking like a dog, being at the white passengers' beck and call, being accused of stealing company property when it was the white passenger who had been attempting to steal the train's linens, and fired just because they'd dared to attend meetings about unionising. And because of the situation at the time, they couldn't protest, since making only $60 a month was still better than having no job.

When the movie starts, in 1925, American society is on the up-and-up, with unions, organised labor, and Socialism not exactly being very popular or approved-of causes, with a lot of hatred, mistrust, and fear directed towards them. Initially, Asa Philip Randolph meets with a lot of resistance when trying to even start a movement for organising the porters. However, he has the advantage of not being a porter and therefore being unable to be fired from that line of work, and he has such great organising skills and such persuasive and impassioned rhetoric that eventually even people who were initially against the idea come over to his side. Along the way the porters and their allies have to put up with things like spies, attempted intimidation by the white men running the Pullman corporation, firings, accusations of Bolshevism, criminal violence, and attempted bribery by the Pullman execs who want Randolph to step down and stop what he's doing. Even when things finally seem to be going their way when FDR is sworn in as president, with more sympathy for organised labor and the working-class, there are still obstacles put in their way by the white establishment, people who just can't grasp that this union is going to happen whether they like it or not, that there's much too much support for it for their old tactics of fear, intimidation, and random illegal unjustified firings to still succeed and go unprotested. They thought it would or could never happen, but it finally did.

This movie is a powerful and moving history lesson and should be required viewing for everyone, whatever their race. Though there's still a lot of racism in America today, at least it's not as awful or as institutionalised as it was back in the Twenties and Thirties. Thanks to people like A. Philip Randolph, Milton Webster, and Ashley Totten, today African-American laborers have a right to be paid more than just $60 a month, the right to speak up when they're mistreated by racists, and most of all the right to be treated like human beings instead of sub-humans all branded with the name George.

Excellent film that should be watched!!! .......2004-09-14

It's the 1920's and finding work is hard, but if you are a black man it's even worse. So if you happen to have a job as a Pullman on the trains, you work that job with pride, you don't complain, and you keep your mouth shut. It does not matter that you have your own name, it does not matter that you are seen as less then a man, it does not matter you have dirty shoes thrown at you to shine, you smile and you take it. But what happens when you finally realize enough is enough? What can you do, who do you turn to, how much are you willing to sacrifice to get what you truly deserve? Will you continue to stand for what you believe in, no matter how much others will dissuade you, or beat you down?

Those are the questions that will be asked while watching this film. I found this to be a poignant film. I don't have Showtime, and I had never heard of this film, and found a copy in the library. I enjoyed this film so much I plan to add this to my collection. The historical content alone is what kept me riveted to the screen, and you feel the pain of the men in this film. I mean to have your own name, but to be called "George" every day, and working for a meager $60 a month? The acting in this film is stellar. The only reason I'm not giving this film a 5 is because I felt it could have been a little longer. Andre Braugher is a great actor, and one who should receive more accolades. Mario Van Peebles does his best performance in this film especially. Mario is an excellent actor who needs to make better film choices. I have yet to see Charles Dutton in a bad film role. This is a movie you must see!!!

Must see.......2004-01-26

Excellent - should be a must see for all high school seniors and college freshmen. This movie showcases excellent African-American talent as they present the hardships and struggles of A. Phillip Randolph and the Pullman Porters in trying to establish a union. It is an almost forgotten part of our history that should be remembered.

Captivating!!!.......2003-06-04

A simple movie in a college, something other than the usual lecture, a few hours to relax during an early morning Saturday class... That's how this movie started; yet it opened my eyes, taught me some history and made me wonder where the strength of the "Georges" came from. Captivating, enjoyable and action packed, this story also teaches the viewer an important history lesson, as well as a lesson of life and freedom and our fellow man. Maybe the directing wasn't perfect - I don't remember. Maybe the actors weren't the best - I don't remember that either. But for what I walked away with - I give the movie: Five Stars!!!

Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radio

Average customer rating:

Radio Finest Hours
Fascinating and compelling retelling of pivotal American history
Grandmother of the Cell Phone
Complaint

Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radio
Director: Ken Burns
Manufacturer: Pbs Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

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Similar Items:

Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radio
Modern Marvels - Television: Window to the World (History Channel) (A&E DVD Archives)
Ken Burns America Collection - Brooklyn Bridge
American Experience: America 1900
Ken Burns America Collection - Huey Long

ASIN: B000BITUGQ
Release Date: 2004-09-28

Customer Reviews:

Radio Finest Hours.......2007-06-27

This is a must watch for all students of Radio Broadcsating.
Great photography, ecellent insights into the race to be the dominate
player in broadcasting.
This story has got it all, greed, backstabing, egos, power.
In fact the more the radio drama unfolds, its a wonder broadcasting
even got off the ground.
Top marks to Ken Burns for putting it all together.
Highly Recomend.
Brian.

Fascinating and compelling retelling of pivotal American history.......2007-06-05

Ken Burns' documentary about the invention and growth of commercial, broadcast radio is first-rate, pitch perfect. As a portrait of American ingenuity and American cutthroat business, here is a key tale in the epic story of "how the future began." Television, cable TV, cellular radio,... all sprouted from this early 20th Century phenomenon. Worth showing to your kids.

Grandmother of the Cell Phone.......2007-04-15

It is surprising to learn that wireless communication has been with us for well over 100 years.
Ken Burns' inspired documentary about the creation and evolution of radio is told primarily through biographies of three dynamic individuals: Lee de Forest, Edwin Howard Armstrong, and David Sarnoff.

This is not a sentimental and syrupy look-back to a bygone era. Radio seems to have been the prodigal child born of a dysfunctional family of inventors and marketeers.

The drama is compelling; the technology, indispensable to our modern way of life.
Don't miss it!

Complaint.......2007-03-03

I am usually satisfied with what I receive from Amazon. The only thing I
have to complain about is the excessively complicated procedure required
to keep delayed items on my order requests. I have NEVER succeed in doing
this successfully. I realize this is not the proper way to complain, but
I have no idea how to improve this. Help!

Average customer rating:

Black Fox: Good Men and Bad
Starring: Kim Coates , Christopher Reeve , and Tony Todd
Director: Steven Hilliard Stern
Manufacturer: Platinum Disc
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video

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Similar Items:

Black Fox: The Price of Peace
Black Fox
Ned Blessing: Return of the Hooded Man
Ned Blessing: Dead Man's Revenge
Ned Blessing: Return to Plum Creek

ASIN: B0006HBL5U
Release Date: 2005-02-08

Average customer rating:

All the King's men
semi factual film
All the King's Men
Moving Drama
haunting story of a lost regiment

Masterpiece Theatre: All the King's Men
Starring: David Jason , Maggie Smith , William Ash , Sonya Walger , and Stuart Bunce
Director: Julian Jarrold
Manufacturer: Wgbh Boston
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

Fall of Eagles
Zulu Dawn
Lord Mountbatten - The Last Viceroy
Fortunes of War
Foyle's War - Set 3

ASIN: B000A7DW8U
Release Date: 2005-11-01

Amazon.com

In 1915, during World War I, a doomed campaign was fought by the Allies against German-affiliated Turkish forces in the Dardanelles. (This devastating conflict was also the inspiration for the 1981 Australian film Gallipoli.) The Fifth Battalion of the Norfolk Regiment, composed wholly of servants, grooms, and gardeners from King George V's estate at Sandringham, was sent into the fray and, legend has it, vanished without a trace into a mysterious mist. This deeply affecting Masterpiece Theatre production, All the King's Men, tells the horrifying true story of what really happened to these men. From paradise on an English country estate, we follow them into the chaotic hell of war on blistering foreign shores. The pathos of the innocence and optimism of these boys, some as young as 14, as they march off to battle is tremendous. Before shipping out, Sergeant Ted Grimes (William Ash) celebrates a joyous wedding to his childhood sweetheart, plucky Peggy Batterbee (Emma Cunniffe), assuring her of his swift return. Gallant Captain Frank Beck (David Jason) has trained his boys well in the principles of loyalty and duty. Tragically, they soon learn that these niceties are worse than useless during wartime. Performances by a large ensemble cast are superb in this engrossing TV film. Dame Maggie Smith is a standout, exuding marvelous warmth and wisdom as the Queen Mother Alexandra, who mounts an extensive inquiry to determine the real fate of her beloved lads. --Laura Mirsky

Description

The true story of England's vanished regiment is revealed. It is one of the most compelling and curious legends of the First World War. Led by Captain Frank Beck (David Jason), a favorite agent of King George V (David Troughton, Madame Bovary), Sandringham Company was comprised entirely of servants, grooms and gardeners from the King's Norfolk Estate. On August 12, 1915 the unit marched into battle against the Turks in Gallipoli and simply vanished, never to be heard from again. Queen Alexandra, played by Dame Maggie Smith (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, A Room with a View), was the driving force behind the investigation into the real fate of the battalion. But despite her extensive inquires, no trace of the men was ever discovered. Now, All the King's Men brings the details of what really happened in 1915 to the screen for the first time. It tells the story of these amateur soldiers, the idyllic life and loves they left behind in the quintessential English country estate and the horrors of an ill-prepared campaign to which they were subjected.

Customer Reviews:

All the King's men.......2007-05-07

A thoughtful speculation on one of the great mysteries in WWI's forgotten war in the Dardanelles.

semi factual film.......2006-02-25

I must say a lot of this film is pure fiction and is definitely sensationalised such as the young bride who has to have sex with the nearest man!

Captain Frank Beck was a real person, and I was brought up with the story about him, as his 3rd daughter was my grandmother.

I feel it shows his nephews as quite pathetic characters but in fact they were very brave men(as were a lot of soldiers of their time) and they were later decorated with military crosses although sadly none of them survived the war.

As fiction its ok as fact, take it with a pinch of salt-loosely based on fact

David Jason did a much better job than I expected from an actor more known for comedy

All the King's Men.......2003-01-31

Slightly stuffy and fractured, but that really doesn't change this PBS miniseries' special qualities at all. Maggie Smith is quite good in her role, and adds humour to it as well. The other cast members are excellent, with direction and writing at tops.
A must if you enjoy Masterpiece Theater.

Moving Drama.......2002-04-12

A very well made, moving drama about the Estate workers at Sandringham who volunteer during The First World war to fight the Turkish in Gallipoli. Unlike the Mel Gibson Film, this focuses purely on the British contingent at the Dardanelles and the suffering and losses involved.

The legend of the Sandringham soldiers has it that a mist descended on them as the marched into battle and that they were never seen again. This actually shows the reality of battle, the distinct lack of glory and the shambolic reconnaisance which leads in turn to the inevitable result.

As the drama unfolds, we are introduced to the characters and have enough time to get used to them and start to understand and like them.

If war films are not your thing, believe me, this is very different. Worth a watch, especially the ever-dependable David Jason.

haunting story of a lost regiment.......2002-03-25

"All the King's men" is the story of the lost Sandringham regiment during the First World War at Gallipoli. The workers on the Sandringham estate wanted to do their bit to help in the war, and convinced the Queen to let them join their fellow soldiers at Gallipoli. The regiment disappeared, much to the puzzlement of the families they left behind. Of course, the men were killed, but since there were no letters, no word from the War Office, no witnesses, no returned mementos, there was a strong interest in finding out what happened to those men.
I thought that the movie did a good job. The costumes were of the period, the characters were believable, and there was a wonderfully poignant juxaposition of the bewilderment of the families back in England and the hard realities of battle at Gallipoli. There was also a heartbreaking touch during the scene in which the commander is reading one of Rupert Brooke's 1914 sonnets to his men "If I should die, think only this of me...." then the movie continues with the brutality of the war. Far more Sigfried Sassoon than Rupert Brooke, but Brooke illustrated the naivite that still existed at the time (Brooke too died en route to Gallipoli). I highly recommend this movie. If you are looking for another World War I movie, I also recommend "Gallipoli", starring a very young Mel Gibson.

Average customer rating:

GREAT ACTION!!
A thriller with some highlights!
Action, double-crossings, and $12 million bucks!
Action, double-crossings, and $12 million bucks!
Made Men for DVD

Made Men
Starring: James Belushi , Michael Beach , Timothy Dalton , Steve Railsback , and Carlton Wilborn
Director: Louis Morneau
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Crime | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

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One Way Out
Retroactive
Brenda Starr
Angel's Dance
Traces of Red (Sub)

ASIN: B000021Y7A
Release Date: 1999-12-21

Amazon.com

James Belushi is a former gangster in the Federal Witness Protection Program, hiding in the small redneck town of Harmony. Skipper, the mysterious mob boss Belushi worked for, discovers his whereabouts and sends four thugs to collect the $12 million Belushi had been stealing from him, and then whack him. Cross and double-cross ensues, as the fast-talking, street-smart Belushi cons his way from one harrowing bind to another. Throw into the mix a crooked redneck sheriff (Timothy Dalton) and the Belushi character's wife with questionable loyalties (Vanessa Angel), and you've got a fast-paced action comedy that keeps you guessing up to the end. The acting is solid, including Jamie Harris (son of Richard) as a British mobster with a knack for torture. One of the least appreciated components of film storytelling is pace, and Made Men has an impeccable knack for pacing. Kudos to director Louis Morneau (Bats) and veteran action film producers Joel Silver and Richard Donner for making this gem, which should have seen the dark light of the theater instead of being shuffled off direct to video. James Belushi deserves mention for a terrific performance, at once serious, convincing, and funny. --Jim Gay

Customer Reviews:

GREAT ACTION!!.......2006-03-25

IT WAS A MOVIE THAT I SEEN ON SHOWTIME,AND I HAD T OWN IT!!,
VERY FUNNY & ACTION PACK.

I MUST SEE MOVIE!!

A thriller with some highlights!.......2006-02-25

A thief decides to make a risky journey without return: to steal the great Boss. That premise will be this sparkling point for this thundering who reminds us the first stage of The Cohen Brothers and Quentin Tarrantino.

Not a classic but who minds?

Action, double-crossings, and $12 million bucks!.......2001-07-02

Well, it is defintely action packed! To add to it, Vanessa Angel is always a sight to see and Belushi (just as Will Smith) has to put some of his comical wit throughout the flick! After being placed in the Federal Witness Protection Program, Belushi starts making plans with wifey Angel and some stolen bucks($12 mill) until the feds, the cops, the mob and some backwoods buddies start coming after him. Good lazy Sunday (early) afternoon flick to watch before a baseball or football game

Action, double-crossings, and $12 million bucks!.......2001-07-02

Made Men for DVD.......2000-04-15

The only reason I bought this movie is because of all the hype around it(Richard Donner and Joel silver produced it). These guys have done some of the best action movies to date(The Matrix, Lethal Weapons). So I couldnt resist seeing this movie. However this was a entirely differnt type of movie. The acting was good, and the story was decent, but dont be fooled by the hype around it, there are only two big shootouts in the entire movie, which was disapointing coming from Donner and Silver. There wasnt even a big action scene between the villian and good guys. You would think they could come up with a better climax! Any how the movie is entertaning and is good enough to put in your action video collection. P.S. This movie has great picture quality and its anamorphic widescreen!

Average customer rating:

Hills Like White Elephants Triumphs
An excellent set of shorts, based on short story classics

Women & Men - Stories of Seduction
Starring: Liza Ross , James Woods , Philip O'Brien , Molly Ringwald , and Ray Liotta
Director: Tony Richardson , Frederic Raphael , and Ken Russell
Manufacturer: Hbo Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000HT38F8
Release Date: 2006-10-03

Description

A short-film anthology that brings to life three famous short stories: "Hills Like White Elephants," "The Man in the Brooks Brothers Suit," and "Dusk Before Fireworks."

Customer Reviews:

Hills Like White Elephants Triumphs.......2001-09-01

The second of these three films in this anthology is a clever adaptation of Hemingway's famous short story. The screenwriters (Didion and Dunne)turn Hemingway's own short story against him. Their ploy is to present the film as an accurate representation of a brief moment in time and to intimate that Hemingway's short story is, to some extent, an unfaithful--or, at least, incomplete--account of the actual event. It does this marvelous inversion by hinting that the male lead is Hemingway and then having the Melanie Griffith character say, in effect, that "you are going to make a story about this, aren't you, and you're going to change everything around." Touche! Literature, in this act of gamesmanship, becomes an inaccurate representation of "reality" (i.e., the film itself) and Hemingway is the victim of this comic-satiric thrust.

The other two short films are fine, but "Hills" prevails as a cinematic coup.

An excellent set of shorts, based on short story classics.......1998-12-06

These 3 short pieces were unexpectedly excellent. The actors involved are - of course - stars, but the title suggests sexy late-night viewing. They are about seduction, but they are also about how to realize a short story on the screen and how bring a character fully to life in a few minutes. The first two pieces have stuck in my mind ever since I first saw them, especially the second.

In the first piece, Beau Bridges is a smooth, sleazy traveling salesman on the make. If he didn't make the character so damned likeable, the piece wouldn't work. Elizabeth McGovern does her innocent, unsophisticated girl perfectly, and the piece becomes a dance with a predictable result. It is so well done, and so quickly paced, that it is fun to watch, despite that predictability.

The "Hills Like White Elephants," an adaptation of Ernest Hemingway, starring Melanie Griffith & James Woods, took my breath away. Melanie Griffith has done her share of cute, lisping roles, but her work in this piece, especially given Hemingway's general lack of interest in his female characters, is just amazing. James Woods is always intense, but he was matched, almost blown off the screen, by Griffith. It was a revelation.

Amazon.com

Like a juicy page-turner, Ken Burns's two-hour documentary on the history of radio is packed with tantalizing ingredients: power, greed, broken friendships, narcissistic heroes, and tragic players. Adapted from Tom Lewis's absorbing book, Empire follows three Americans who crafted Guglielmo Marconi's discovery of radio waves into a powerful component of the 20th century: foppish inventor Lee de Forest; Edwin Howard Armstrong, the engineer's engineer; and Russian immigrant David Sarnoff, who became head of RCA. This project came between Burns's mammoth Civil War and Baseball documentaries, and he departs from him usual structure. Instead of having actors read the letters of the participants, Burns relies on narrator Jason Robards. Because the subject matter is relatively new, there's abundant information on the three men, including on-air interviews with those who knew them. Burns's ability to marry image and sound (often old broadcasts) is a wonder, making this film as poetic as it is deft. --Doug Thomas

Customer Reviews:

without tesla, there is no radio.......2007-04-06

I was deeply saddened by the total ommission of Nikola
Tesla from this show about the radio. It is inconceivable that not once is the guy who actually invented wireless mentioned. Very shoddy research.
Tesla was awarded all of the patents that Marconi
had tried to steal from Tesla, and as everyone knows,
Lee Deforest was a hack and who basically
stole most of his ideas from Armstrong.
Thank God Burns didn't do a show about Edison being a genius or I would have had a stroke.

Pop-sociology fluff........2006-04-15

There is little or nothing on this disc relating to the inventive process, technological or commercial developments, intellectual property issues, or business efforts, in the history of the radio industry.

The disc consists entirely of pop-sociology fluff. There are interviews with elderly people recollecting the first time they heard a radio program. There is footage from old radio programs, that is, from the work done by actors in studios. There are images of glowing radio tubes, with no attempt to explain what is going on. There is footage of Frank Sinatra singing about the radio business. There is commentary on Lee de Forest's love life. This disc is an insult to the viewer.

There is little in the disc to hold the attention of any intelligent child or adult. The disc under review is a real challenge to the mind. What this means is that the task of finding anything interesting in the disc is a real challenge.

The disc claims to have been inspired by Tom Lewis' excellent book, Empire of the Air. I found little resemblance, except in the titles. Tom Lewis' book, Empire of the Air, is a captivating, fact-based, account of the business and commercial interests of the various inventors of the radio, and radio broadcasting. Mr.Lewis' book does not digress into the wasteland of pop-sociology fluff, as does the disc. Tom Lewis' book gets FIVE STARS.

Tom Lewis' book Divided Highways, an accounting of the recent history of the U.S. highway system, also deserves FIVE STARS. If you are further interested in engineering and inventions from the early 20th century, I would also recommend John Van Der Zee's highly readable book about the Golden Gate Bridge: The Gate: The True Story of the Design and Construction of the Golden Gate Bridge. John Van Der Zee gets FIVE STARS PLUS.

Again, the disc under review appears to be an insult to anyone in the radio business or radio industry.

Before Books There Was Oral History.......2005-09-21

Before Ken Burns, we had books.

In our continuing devolution, our history is being digitized. And history can be distorted, too. Career historians often sense that they are fighting a continuing battle against those who would put faith into the old saying that history belongs to the victors.

But, there's another issue today: history belongs to Ken Burns. At least American history does.

And if he decides to ignore Nikola Tesla, then Tesla will be ignored.

Tesla was a Serbian-American inventor, electrical engineer, and scientist, who was born on July 9 or 10, 1856 in Smiljan, Lika (Austria-Hungary) and died on January 7, 1943 in New York City.

Among many other things, he invented radio after inventing wireless transmission. He also invented a telephone repeater, rotating magnetic field principle, polyphase alternating-current system, the induction motor, alternating-current power transmission, Tesla coil transformer, fluorescent lights, and held more more than 700 other patents.

Radio would not have existed without Tesla's crucial contributions, but he's not even mentioned here.

So, Sarnoff (defined by another writer as "a communist's idea of a capitalist"), deForest and others get the billing, and Tesla vanishes. I'd guess it's because Tesla's not photogenic.

Even though this is (intentionally) a short treatment of a big subject, I don't know how Burns can produce this and still call himself a historian.

Lukewarm air.......2005-08-09

A précis: De Forrest - Bad; Armstrong - Good; Sarnoff - Wicked.

This documentary tells the story of radio through the interlinked biographies of Lee de Forrest, inventor and self-promoter; Howard Armstrong, the engineer's engineer; and David Sarnoff, the immigrant boy who made good. It culminates in the story of Armstrong's suicide, and the ascendancy of television.

The film takes a parochial view of its subject: the lives and times of three Americans. Its agenda, beyond telling the story of radio in a romanticized way, is to do a hatchet job on De Forrest and provide a hagiography of Armstrong, with Sarnoff in a supporting role as The Ruthless Tycoon. The talking heads that leaven the portentous narration are writers and engineers. The writers provide a personal commentary, but the larger social impact of radio is barely addressed. A more gaping hole is the absence of the business story of radio; none of those interviewed provide a commercial perspective.

The most memorable part of the documentary is the collection of vintage photographs. The camera lingers on sepia prints of the twenties and thirties, and the main characters are evoked through many good stills.

An irritating editing conceit is frequent and abrupt cuts to black over vintage radio recordings. The rationale is painfully obvious - "Listen, Dummy, we're talking about an aural medium here" - and the arrhythmic execution simply disrupts the story.

I guess I'll have to go read the book.

Brilliant Documentary.......2004-12-28

I've had mixed feelings about what I've seen from Ken Burns before; in both "Baseball" and "Jazz" he spends too much time cutting from the story to a shot of a person staring off into the distance with a glint in their eye and talking in the most maddeningly vague and meaningless terms about "Gee, how wonderful and thoroughly *American* baseball is," and "Man, jazz is just something you have to *feel.*" I have no problem with reflection and emotion in a documentary, but Burns has a fatal weakness for it that ends up inflating what could have been an 8 hour documentary into a 12 hour "epic."

"Empire of the Air" is the first thing by Burns I've seen that has gotten it right. Above all, he is telling us a story here, and it is surely a great one. Lee de Forest, David Sarnoff, and Harold Armstrong are each fascinating figures, and their trials and tribulations, loves and jealousies and even deaths are fascinatingly presented. Burns shows his usual talent for directing and editing, skillfully and seemlessly mixing fascinating archival footage and sound. And we do get the poetic reminescences here that I complained of earlier, though in an appropriate degree, and from unusually eloquent talking heads: Garrison Keillor and in particular the great Norman Corwin. These two artists are able to clearly and articulately impart the magic of radio without some of the repetitiveness and cliches that plagued some of the commentators in "Baseball" and "Jazz."

A little more on some of the characters who inhabited the airwaves -- Jack Benny, Orson Welles, and Fred Allen, to name but a few -- would have been welcome, but perhaps Burns was wise in mostly skimming over them -- they deserve another documentary all their own. What we have in "Empire of the Air" is enough, and the best that I've seen yet from Ken Burns. Highly recommended.

Jazz Scene USA - Shelly Manne and His Men / Shorty Rogers and His Giants

Average customer rating:

Laid Back but Beautiful
Good shelly and Great Shorty
Good, Safe Jazz
Shelly is the man!

Jazz Scene USA - Shelly Manne and His Men / Shorty Rogers and His Giants
Starring: Shelly Manne , and Shorty Rogers
Manufacturer: Shanachie
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Cool Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

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

( J ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B00005LDCO
Release Date: 2001-07-10

Amazon.com

By 1962, when these particular installments of Steve Allen's Jazz Scene USA series aired, the West Coast Jazz zeitgeist that had gripped California for nearly a decade had begun to wan, and the surf was up for many of the mainstays of the era. Most of the musicians featured here would go on to lucrative studio and soundtrack work to pay the bills and not return to their roots until the jazz revivals of the '80s.

That said, these two bands, giants of their era, Shelly Manne and Shorty Rogers, turn in fantastic performances, and the sidemen featured (Conte Candoli, Russ Freeman, and Richie Kamuca, among others) are inspired as well. Rogers and crew's reading of "Greensleeves," in particular, is an interesting amalgamation of John Coltrane's fiery rendition and the West Coast "cool" aesthete. The snappy black-and-white photography adds to the mood and harkens back to a time when things really did swing. --Kristian St. Clair

Customer Reviews:

Laid Back but Beautiful.......2005-08-21

I originally bought this for Martians Go Home, which I could not find on any CDs (still cannot). I'm not thrilled with Shorty's arrangement of Greensleeves (I think it's the volume level on the flugel harmony that bugs me, but that could just be a miking problem), but everything else is very nice. This is worth it just for 3 songs, if nothing else: Martians Go Home, The King Swings, and The Isolated Pawn.

I was really surprised by the Shelly Manne material. Manne plays differently here than on other stuff ... more refined, careful, arranged ... I don't know what it is, but his playing here catches my attention even more than on stuff like, say, The Wild One or Daktari (a broad range of styles there, I know). Check out Shelly's CD Checkmate for more tunes from that TV show.

Ritchie Kamuca is my new favorite tenor player. All these years loving West Coast, and I'd never heard him before. And I have a fabulous, new respect for Russ Freeman. I love how these guys listen to each other.

These recording have really inspired me in my own composing/arranging, and in my practice/performance, and it may do the same for you. Bravo.

Good shelly and Great Shorty.......2004-08-21

This entry in the superb Jazz Scene USA series is a great one for Shelly Manne fans, as this was one of his strongest bands:Conte Candoli, Richie Kamuca, Russ Freeman, Monte Budwig and Shelly. This was one Shelly Manne band when the front line was the equal of the rhythm. They play several items from their recent Contemporary lps such as music from the Checkmate TV show.
The Shorty is very very interesting, for here Shorty is coming to grips with the modal music that was around then. It features STRONG rhythm (Lou Levy, Gary Peacock, Larry Bunker (yes a Bill Evans rhythm section)) and a guy who didn't make a big name Gary LeFebvre, who plays sax and flute. Sound is different from Shorty's usual Giants bands and is MUCH less effete. Well worth seeing for the great music and tasty presentation.

Good, Safe Jazz.......2003-10-04

There is nothing wrong with thid DVD. The players are great, I love Shelly Manne, and collect his albums. This was also a good intro to Shorty Rogers for me. The players are excellent, the video sharp, the sound good. But I think since they were playing for a TV audience, they kept things a bit too safe. If I was at a bar watching this, it'd be out of the corner of my eye while I chatted and sipped my drink. It just didn't grab me like the albums do. But it is fun to watch just for the nostalgia - I just won't be watching it very much.

Shelly is the man!.......2001-08-20

This DVD is a must for any drummer of any age! Watching Shelly play is a lesson in musicality, taste, and finess. The personel with which he surrounds himself are exceptional also. Words cannot express the learning experience you get when you watch this DVD. My only regret is that there isn't a split screen so you could always see what Shelly is doing while watching the other musicisns.

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